Big Garden Birdwatch - 2013

I took part in the Big Garden Bird watch this year again at the weekend and tried to get some photos of the birds that I was trying to count.  It's very difficult trying to count them in any case as they refuse to stay still, but trying to count and take photos at the same time is pretty much impossible!!  Here are a few of my efforts

Goldfinch

Rocky Robin

Sparrow - and I think the 'ghost' is a female chaffinch

Spot the sparrow!

Wood Pigeon

Starling feeding

Starling

Male and female chaffinches

The Work of Jack Frost

Hello folks!!  I've been a bit lax recently in posting anything, so thought I'd better add something today!  A couple or so weeks ago we had some overnight frost so I went out with the camera to see if I could catch anything unusual with my add-on macro lens, and this was the result

There hasn't been much frost since that day, so I haven't been able to try and experiment any more.  I'll just have to wait for Jack Frost coming back!!

Edinburgh Castle

Hello and Happy New Year to anyone reading this!!

Yesterday my mum was having a cataract operation so we spent time doing some sightseeing.  We were originally going to go to the museum but seeing as it was a lovely morning, we decided to visit Edinburgh Castle instead.  It was fairly expensive to buy tickets for the entrance fee, but all the exhibits inside the castle are then free and they are all pretty impressive.  Photographs are allowed in most of the place, but not inside the War Memorial or where the Scottish Crown Jewels are kept.

Here's a selection of some photos that I took:

View of the Castle

On the esplanade

View from castle towards East Lothian

Princes Street - work continues on dismantling the big wheel

We just happened to be at the castle for one-o-clock when the gun is fired to mark the time.  The ball is also raised on the tower at Calton Hill and it falls, also at one-o-clock which lets shipping in the Forth know the exact time of 1 p.m.  I managed to capture those moments although, even though I knew that gun was going to go off with a bang, I still jumped!!

The ball is raised

The gun goes off

As we could see that the cloud was beginning to build up from the west, I took more photos of the stunning views that can be seem from the ramparts of the castle

I have the big wheel in my sights!!

Taking aim ......

...... fire!!

 These photos are in other areas of the castle that we visited after the cloud cover came over and dulled everything down!!

St. Margaret's Chapel

St. Margaret's Chapel

The Great Hall

Mary Queen of Scots' chamber

Prisoner of War accommodation

So, all in all this was a very worthwhile visit as we haven't been up at the castle for around 20 years!!