SKILLS OF NOTTINGHAM
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So this rocky headland at Terrigal, NSW is known as the Skillion. A skillion is by definition a towering rocky headline overlooking the ocean. Pretty well sums it up! It also doubles as a piece of training equipment judging by all the groups of youngsters running up and down it early in the morning. Crazies!
I hope everyone has an awesome Friday night & wonderful weekend 👋😀
Cheers
These guys who surf are amazingly skillful, at times I wonder how they stay upright for so long....they bring great entertainment to the beachgoers with their tricks and enjoyment of the sport....never a bored moment while they're on the ocean
I can't quite make out what it is this crow was working on, but there was obviously some skill and patience involved. I was just able to grab a quick shot while holding Blanca with my left hand. She wanted to chase the crow, and the crow knew it but was reluctant to abandon the prize and waited till the last moment before flying off with it.
Popped over to the The Skillion last week, a long time favourite spot of mine. It's a great place photography-wise. There is the Skillion itself you can see here. There are rockshelves to the north and south underneath. I've visited all of these many times over the years for taking photos at sunrise. There are surf beaches, protected harbours, pubs, cafes - a great seaside village vibe. We may have taken advantage of the pub for a delicious seafood gnocchi and cold beer afterwards. Several. Beers, not seafood gnocchis ;)
The Skillion itself is about 150m high and you can often spot sports teams, boot campers, and random masochists running up and down in an efort to kill themselves. It has some geologial signifigance beyond my understanding involving sedimentary rock, Middle Triassic thingies and Hawkesbury Sandstone.
So why we are on deep and meaningful thoughts - the hardness of the butter is proportional to the softness of the bread. Or these days I guess it's more like - the hardness of the olive oil spread is proportional to the softness of the eggplant discs.
Hope everyone is having a great week !
Eurasian Jay (Garrulus glandarius)
My best photos are here: www.lacerta-bilineata.com/ticino-best-photos-of-southern-...
More TICINO/TESSIN Wildlife Photos (all taken in my garden in Monteggio/Ti, Switzerland): it.lacerta-bilineata.com/ramarro-occidentale-lacerta-bili...
If you're interested, you'll find a more detailed closeup here (it's the 8th photo from the top): www.lacerta-bilineata.com/western-green-lizard-lacerta-bi...
My latest ANIMAL VIDEO (it's very brief but pretty unusual: a tiny wall lizard attacks two young great tits): www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQqkSsyrm7E
THE STORY BEHIND THE PHOTO: MY LONG AND ARDUOUS JOURNEY TO BIRD PHOTOGRAPHY
If you've set yourself the challenge of exclusively shooting the wildlife in your own back yard, you might find - as I did - that bird photography is really, really hard.
It's not that reptiles are easy to photograph either, mind - but at least the ones in my garden stay (for the most part) on the ground, and one can learn how to carefully approach them with a camera. They're also clearly egoists, which from a photographer's point of view is is a great character trait: if a lizard detects a human in its vicinity, it's only interested in saving its own skin, and it won't alarm its buddies.
But birds... oh man. Over the years, my feathered friends and I have developed a lovely routine that now defines our peaceful co-existence. As soon as I as much as open a window (let alone the door), I'm instantly greeted by an eruption of panicky fluttering and hysterical shouts from my garden: "SAVE YOUR WOMEN AND CHILDREN AND FLY FOR YOUR LIVES: THE HAIRLESS, PINK MONSTER IS COMING!!! (Yes, I speak bird, and I know that this is exactly what they are shouting 😉).
Needless to say, with the exception of the redstart I already showed here, all my efforts to get the kind of detailed shots I usually strive for with my nature photography ended in complete failure and utter disillusionment. I was ready to give up on stalking the winged misanthropes in my garden altogether, but then winter came - and changed everything.
One day this past January I observed my neighbor Signora P - a kind, elderly Italian lady - putting something on the low garden wall in front of my house. At first I thought she was just putting some treat there for her cat Romeo; the young tom patrols that wall constantly (it's his favorite spot in the garden, and during the warmer months he usually lurks in the thick foliage next to it to prey on lizards).
But once I detected a lot of movement on that wall through my window, I understood she had put a little pile of bread crumbs there; she was feeding the birds who soon arrived in flocks. This was certainly well-intended on my neighbor's part, but her noble action came with a catch, and I'm afraid quite literally.
When I took a stroll through my garden the next day I discovered a suspicious amount of feathers on the ground next to the wall. Romeo had apparently switched from his low-calorie summer diet (lizard) to more energy-rich meals consisting of "fowl" (it was winter after all, so from a nutritionist's point of view this made sense).
I would find fresh traces of Romeo's victims (mostly feathers, but also the odd wing) in my garden over the following days; so my first intuition that my neighbor was feeding her cat hadn't been that far off after all, as Romeo was now clearly being "served" fresh birds on a daily basis. And although the hungry visitors seemed to be aware of the danger and became slightly more prudent, they just couldn't resist the tasty snacks Signora P put on that wall - and neither could Romeo.
It was obvious that I had to act, but talking to my neighbor - who is as stubborn as she is kind - would have been futile, I knew that much. I pondered the matter long and hard - until a light bulb went off in my head. The idea was genius. If successful, what I had in mind would not only increase the birds' chances of surviving Romeo's appetite, but also greatly benefit my own photographic endeavors.
I started to enact my master plan the very next day by buying a giant bag of bird feed (consisting mainly of sunflower seeds) from the store. Then I dragged a huge piece of a tree trunk (approx. 120 cm in height) that we normally chop firewood on in the shed out into the garden and emptied almost half of the bag's content on top of it. Signora P's buffet for birds (and cats) was about to get some serious competition 😊.
My reasoning was as follows: not only would the birds be lured away from the fatally low garden wall to a place where they were safe from the cat - there was nothing around that tree trunk that provided cover for a predator, and the birds had a nice 360° view around it at all times - but I was also able to photograph them while hiding in the shed.
However, in order for my plan to work there was one little extra measure I had to take, and it was one that risked lowering my own life expectancy considerably once the owner of the property - my mom - discovered it. You see, our shed is completely windowless, so if I wanted to use it as a blind, I had no choice but to cut a hole into one of its wooden walls... which I promptly did (I figured all's fair in love - and photography 😉).
Granted, I have absolutely zero carpentering skills, and it showed. That hole was an ugly mess: the shed's wall seemed to have had an encounter with Jack Nicholson's ax-wielding lunatic character from the film 'The Shining'. Needless to say, I was incredibly proud of my work (I mean, come on: there now was a hole where before there wasn't a hole, and it was big enough for the lens of my camera to peek through, so it was mission accomplished as far as I was concerned).
Now all I had to do was wait for the birds to discover the tree trunk. In the meantime I started to mentally prepare myself for the inevitable confrontation with my mom and go through possible explanations for that splintering hole in the wall (it was either gonna be a rabid woodpecker attack or an emergency rescue mission with a feeding tube for a little kid that had accidentally locked himself inside the shed - both seemed valid options, though I slightly preferred the locked-in kid due to the involved drama and heroism 😉).
A whole day went by, and not a single bird visited the sunflower seeds. I had expected that it might take a few hours until the first of the ever curious great tits or blue tits would show up, but given how tiny my garden is, an entire day seemed excessive. Then another day came and went: the birds kept flocking to the bread crumbs on the wall, and my tree trunk kept collecting dust. To add injury to insult, a few fresh feathers on the ground were proof that Romeo was still feasting.
It was incredibly frustrating: I provided my winged guests with a much better view - plus a higher chance of surviving the cuisine - than Signora P's place; I risked (almost) certain death at the hands of my own mother (OK, the act of vandalism on the shed I had committed for my own benefit, but still), yet the birds kept ignoring me.
Then, after three days, just before sunset, I spotted a single blue tit on the tree trunk picking away at the sunflower seeds.
When I got up the next morning I immediately realized that the loud noise that accompanies each and every tit activity had shifted from the wall to the shed. At last the dam had broken: there was a flurry of movement around the tree trunk, and I counted at least 5 different species of birds feasting on the sunflower seeds.
From day 4 onward my plan worked beautifully: the birds now indeed mostly ignored Romeo's "snack wall" and kept to the tree trunk. And yes, I was able to play peeping tom from behind the shed's wall and photograph them!! 😊
Thus, dear readers, I finally managed to produce some acceptable bird photos, and I had even saved my feathered friends from a deadly foe in the process. All through winter and spring I took advantage of my new bird hide, and in late May I started mixing some cherries with the sunflower seeds. The idea was to attract a Eurasian jay (Garrulus glandarius), and as you can see, it worked!
It took me almost three weeks and more than a few tricks to capture that clever fella, but given how long I've been rambling here already, that's a story for another day. As for my mom, she still doesn't know about the hole in the wall, so please don't snitch! 😉.
I hope you like the photo and wish you all a wonderful weekend! Many greetings from Switzerland, and as always: let me know what you think in the comments 🙏 😊 ❤!
P.S. if anyone has their own funny tale about the obstacles we photographers are prepared to overcome for a desired photo, please write it in the comments: I love such stories 😊
This is for Macro Monday's "Crack" theme. I'm finding these challenging, but really good to stretch the imagination & photography skills.
So this is a crack in one of the bricks on our house. Rotated horizontally for easier viewing. A couple of things this made me think about:
My wife is going to kill me because the first time I post a photo of the bricks that make our house, I post a cracked one. With a weed growing out of it. 😬
Isn't it cool the way nature takes over manmade items eventually, our house being 25 years old (this is probably more a testament to what a lazy handyman I am looking after the place). I love those old temples in Cambodia where the trees have consumed the temples. They look amazing! 😮 Must dig out some old pics of that.
Rotating the pic to horizontal made me wonder what if we lived in a horizontal world, you know if there wasn't gravity & stuff, what would humans look like? Would we be horizontal instead of standing/sitting vertically as well? Would we have 2 legs& 2 arms on the same side of the body? Would we watch TV sideways? We would look at contact's photos on Flickr laying down, in which case this photo would be the right way up. Or would it. Too hard to think about for this tired brain 🤔😵💫
Anyway I digress sorry, have a fantastic week ahead ✌😀
The Church is named for St. Thomas the Martyr, Archbishop of Canterbury, who was murdered in his own Cathedral in 1170. The first recorded mention of the church of St. Thomas in Old Winchelsea came in 1215. After floods later in the century the original town of Winchelsea was rebuilt inland. A new church was built near the centre. Work started in 1288 to build a magnificent Gothic church, with a chancel and choir, two side chapels, a central tower, transepts and a great nave. It is believed that the nave was burned down by the French in the 14th century.
historicengland.org.uk/services-skills/education/educatio...
she doesn't write about them with great skill ;-)
Charles Solomon
HBW! Words Matter! Resist!!
hemerocallis, day lily, 'Barbara Mitchell', sarah p duke gardens, duke university, durham, north carolina
I pulled out this old shot of the Mill Pond from several years ago. The color was a mess and there were a couple of other things that needed to be corrected. Improvements to my skills and to Photoshop allowed me to produce a better image. I one of my own textures, but applied it twice.
Coppicing, Charcoal and Hurdle making. Demonstration of traditional Forestry skills. At Westmorland County Show, Cumbria.
““Now what ?" asked the man in black.
"We face each other as intended," Knives said. "No tricks, no weapons, skill against skill alone."
"You mean you'll put down your Kunai and I'll put down my sword and we'll try to kill each other like civilized people, is that it?””
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☠ ☠ ☠ ☠ ☠ Animosity ☠ ☠ ☠ ☠ ☠
Pose Pack 172 @ Mainstore
⛧ Male pose pack with cigarette prop
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☠ ☠ ☠ ☠ ☠ Badwolf ☠ ☠ ☠ ☠ ☠
Earrings - WARNING WEIGHTS @ Astral Dreams
⛧ Swallow dropped ears, M/F
⛧ Texture HUD
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☠ ☠ ☠ ☠ ☠ Mazzaro ☠ ☠ ☠ ☠ ☠
Bob Pants @Mainstore
⛧ Jake, Legacy. Gianni & Davis
⛧ Texture HUD
Arnold T-Shirt @Mainstore
⛧ Jake, Legacy & Gianni
⛧ Texture HUD
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☠ ☠ ☠ ☠ ☠ Landgraff ☠ ☠ ☠ ☠ ☠
Manu Scars @ The Darkness
⛧ 4 Layer styles for body and face.
⛧ Left and right
⛧ 2 opacities for EvoX
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Chaos & Duality Tattoo @ Skin Fair
⛧ 3 Layer opacities
⛧ For Bom
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Chain Leash @ Mainstore
⛧ Hold animation
⛧ Texture HUD
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You have a power that has nothing to do with what you do
or what you say
or who you know or what you know
or where you are or what you look like or your skills
or your talents
or what you have.
It is the power of your presence.
It is the heat and light from your burning log.
And it touches everyone who comes in contact with you….
~ Paul Williams, Remember your Essence
© Cathrine Halsør
Autumn is very much on the horizon now, and with it many changes occur - a new season, falling leaves and in this case, a new operator for the Medilink!
Skills have always had a strong presence in the Nottingham area's private hire and contract work so operating an "open doors" service, so to speak, is a new venture for this operator.
Taking over from previous operator CT4N, Skills have invested in a new fleet of diesel Enviro 400 MMC double deckers for the route. There are 6 of these machines, kitted out to a high specification, branded for the route in the rather attractive Skills emerald livery.
Two of these vehicles were delivered just in time for the start of the new contract on the 1st of September and as such, are registered on 75 plates - brand new, as seen here!
The other 4 have been in the fleet a little longer, being delivered in May 2025 as part of a batch of six 25 plates. The other pair in this batch are to be used on Skills other contracts, such as the extensive Bilborough College "R" series bus network and the usual private hires.
While a slight reduction in frequency from 5 to 4 buses an hour has taken place, the arrival of these new double deckers will mean an overall increase in capacity from the tired K9URs allocated under CT4N. I'm sure the new timing and fleet will help improve the reliability of this route, which passengers and drivers alike are bound to appreciate!
I haven't been taking pictures for a while as life always goes first, but I never stop learning new things and sharpening my skills. I still have to go through a few months of backlog just to make sure my profile is up to date. Hopefully I will have some time soon and I'll keep posting more.
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Rare Skills.
Komparativna prosudba daljinski djeluje samo grupiranje sentimentalnih ekrana usmjeriti čari približavanje ratova cvjetnim riječima kratkim zadacima,
revoltas estranhas reuniões precoces material declina sombrio estímulo reflexões túmulos desenvolvimentos técnicos sentidos essenciais paisagens não substanciais,
coincheapa enigmatic ag aistriú mínithe amhantracha apacailipteach blianta trioblóideacha treá ealaíontóra rudaí síoraí íonacht primitive,
transformer des peintures sculptures principes emmêlés phraséologie exclamations métaphysiques mystères orthodoxes métaphores intelligibles,
nyugtalanító reakciók sikoltozó látványokat kifejező élettakarékos ritmusok bánnak abszurd szemekkel korlátlan tapasztalatok intenzív előírások,
paradoxale străduințe dinamism energii bătălii intoxicație individualism dogme abstractizări culori intelectualism tendințe promulgând broșuri,
相互に関連する進化する詩を維持し、ビューを考慮してポイントを促進する著者の結果傾斜した視点グラフィックの隆起予期しない曲線合成ライトグラフィックの尾根は予期しない曲線の合成ライトです合成ライト.
Steve.D.Hammond.
This Medilink isn’t even an actual Medilink. At least two of the YX25s remain in standard Skills livery and can be differentiated by their higher spec with tinted windows and additional tree deflector on the offside... although OGN has already managed to lose its nearside one. I imagine these are the Medilink ‘spares’, that when not required can be used alongside the 17 plate MMC as regular double deck coaches.
OGO is the other high-spec YX25, although it isn’t on the ticket machine list on Bustimes, so does it actually get used on the Medilink? Also I haven’t seen the 17 plate on Bustimes either but surely it’s cleared to be used on the route? Well with all these MMCs at their disposal now, that’s pretty much dashed my hopes of Skills putting one of their ex-Lothian Presidents on it as a spare.
Being the “fancy” Medilink with tinted windows, YX25 OGN passes QMC Island with a Queens Drive-bound journey, about to call into QMC and perform a lap of the grounds, on 28.11.25
I first saw this first-year female at my suet feeder in early January. At that time she didn't seem to understand that proper feeder etiquette is to eat a bit then leave so that the other birds can have their turn. Eventually she learned this necessary social skill.
Immature YBSs show golden spangling (Cornell's word, not mine) on their back and breast, and develop a red crown in their first fall and winter. This one is still developing her crown.
Nikon D7200, Nikion 200-500mm. 1/400 sec at f/7.1, ISO 2000, 500mm.
24 Feb 2017, West Columbia, SC, USA.
One morning in September 2008 I had a once-in-a-lifetime close encounter with a great blue heron at Guelph Correctional Centre fish ponds. In my experience these common waders are extremely timid and difficult to approach, and I doubt that I'll ever see one this close again. It even stood and watched me for a few moments before flying to another post. The point-and-shoot Canon Powershot was not fully adequate, nor were my processing skills. They're still exciting shots. At the time I chose one frame (2/5) to post. Busy with a new job, I apparently forgot about the rest until this morning, a wonderful rediscovery.
It's interesting how photographs affect our memory. This was the only time I went for a photo walk by these ponds. I don't remember anything else about that morning. I remember meeting the bird, and how it stood and let me photograph it (2/5). I don't rmember it taking flight (3/5). What a breathtaking photo op that was! And I don't remember following it and taking more photos. From the image when I first spotted the heron to the last frame, the encounter lasted from 7:51 to 8:17.
In the last three frames, the bird is standing at the bottom of a bank just steps from York Road, a busy Guelph artery. Other frames show heavy trucks and thick commuter traffic whizzing just above the bird's head. I'd feel unnerved to stand there, but the heron keeps fishing and pays no attention. They say photography does not lie, but in fact it can be thoroughly misleading. In frames 4 and 5 I chose to focus on the bird, cutting out the view above. Anyone would be forgiven for thinking I took the photos in a wildlife preserve. At the last moment before posting to Flickr I decided to include frame 6, revealing the truth. Humanity and nature are inseparable, no matter how much anyone tries to separate them.
I'm sorting old photos and posting a few interesting ones. This image was uploaded to Flickr on Mar. 21, 2022.
Thank you to everyone who visits, faves, and comments
Ex Dublin Bus Volvo B7TL Alexander ALX400 AX458 (06-D-30458) is a recent addition to the Skills fleet where it is registered FT06 VGV. It was seen at Derby Arena, 30th March, 2022.
Skills of Nottingham East Lancs Pyoneer Volvo Olympian S456ATV is seen arriving at Derby stadium having worked a football shuttle, 21st April
Skills YT16JLU Scania Lahden Omniexpress 360 Finesse coach at Derby Bus Station on 26 November 2016.