A Sunday in October

Great tit

Great tit and a blue tit at the feeder.

Female Goosander on the severn river.

on a dash after a fish. not only do they fish under water

Female Mute swan foraging in the roots of the willow

red admiral on my front window cill.

macro of the red admiral

A rather tatty red admiral on the newly planted Pansies in the Robert Owen gardens

Great tit on the feeder

Blue tit the cap reminds me of the time I was in Israel watching the jews praying against the whaling wall in the city of Jerusalem.

Spotted Flycatcer

Magpie .Pica Pica.

Herring gull flying off one of the St David church towers

THE ROBIN MUCH PREFERES SCRAPING IN THE GARDEN LOOKING FOR CENTEPEDES AND SMALL WORMS.

Centipede (Geophilomorpha: Geophilidae)  and the difference between Centepede  and a Millipede.

Millipedes are arthropods that have two pairs of legs per segment (except for the first segment behind the head which does not have any appendages at all

Birds in the garden

Can not wait for me to put the fork in the ground before its looking to see what the gardener has churned up it tends to go for the bugs and the smaller worms,

peek a boo. I put several big worms on the ground after digging them up , but it did not take one just prefered to scratch about looking for small worms and it ate a few centipedes. I suppose its like us having chicken but this has a hundred legs.

now the squirrels have got rid of all the hazel nuts it comes in the garden looking for the ripe fallen acorns.

Blue tit Cyanistes caeruleus

Spotted flycatcher, Muscicapa striata

Spotted flycatcher, Muscicapa striata

Spotted flycatcher, Muscicapa striata the partner seems to have some kind of grwth around the eyes

White throat .Sylvia communis

Making the best of a bad day

Got up at 7.00  felt like shite and went back to bed,   got up at 10.30 with the intention of having a day blogging.   the sun was in and out for a while  then the whole sky became sky blue with just a few clouds . thats it  I thought and packed my camera and off I went in search of fungi.

that load of mushrooms outside the gate had beed vandalized just leaving a few standing

ah well at least they will grow again

lets go find some more I thought as I headed out of town towards the Mochdre  end of town. Mochdre !strange name  that people would not translate into English.  Sloping Town or Pigs Town,  ie” mochyn is one pig, moch is pigs,  bae  is boar , hwch is sow, then there is the offspring moch/ mochyn bach,   little pig/s. any way I ended up on a walk to Mochdre hoping to find something as excotic as a Fly Agaric , thats the red and whie  spoted mushroom that everyone else has seen,  photographed and blogged . but i did get some nice shots of other things including mushrooms .

always around is the Robin singing its song not sure if it thinks my long lens is some kind of earth mover to look for worms,

here we are mid October and flowers are still coming out this cranesbill flowers they say, May to September

another species of field mallow that blooms May till September.

as you can see I really did look for the elusive Fly agaric.

Balwen welsh ewe. mamog cymraeg.

white ewe

black and white cows

white charolais calves

a field full of ewes

I even stopped to take a photo of a red ladybird on the way.

flies do not like flying in the rain

the shire stallion belongs to the powys agricultural college

fence post rotted from the inside.

just after i gave the horse a few strokes and told him he needed a haircut it started to rain again so took shelter for a few minutes then decided to head back.

Dolfor stream  is a bit more than a trickle after the showers we have had recently,

looking up to the 3 houses and the bridge and that in the pre 19 50s was Mochdre beyond the houses is the hamlet of Stepaside,

looking over the small bridge one of the 3 old houses as a nice collection of old colectables a hand rolling mangle a single furrow horse plough.

i took shelter from the rain under the trees thinking there may be some fungi amongst these old logs. no such luck so i decided to head back home then saw a walk sign along the mochdre brook. .

The grey wagtail flycatching on the mochdre stream.

and a closer shot.

the scenic shots will be onthis link  http://newtownpowys.wordpress.com/.

Whitethroat,Sylvia communis

Whitethroat,Sylvia communis another one that comes to the comunial feeder

Whitethroat,a bit windswept

blue tit on the peanut feeder

Great tit on the peanut feeder

another one with young somewhere

Coming to terms with diabetus.

Robin in song

Now what did I make all that noise for? cos all them blue birds are pinching the nuts.

the pair of Great Tits are on the monkey nuts. the other seven are Blue Tits

and if the word great tit is offensive you can say Parus major. then no one will have a clue what we are talking about

all nine birds are in this picture one is doing its acrobatic routine they love this new feeding station one of the b&b guests left six jam doughnuts. I made them into pieces the sparrows seem to like them.

As I said I had the flue and influensa jabs last Friday. my right arm where I had the influensa Jab feels like I have been in the boxing ring and had a right hook to the muscle. left arm is not so bad . I decided to go for a walk as I only went 300yards Friday to the surgery and back. and my legs stiffen up if I do not go for walks everyday I must go as my doctor says so. I also enjoy my walks as I always take my camera incase I see something I want to photograph. a few times I have been out on walks not feeling up to carrying the canon. total weight with lenses is about 20kilo. and as I have 3 slipped discs I should not carry any more than 10kilo Docs advice, but as long as I take it easy a stop in town for a tea or snack I am usually O,K. but today I got as far as the Dolfor park and started to go giddy. will explain as I go through todays photos,and even though I felt awfull I am pleased I carried on along the river. as I saw another bird I had not seen before and more fungi.,

as I was leaving the house I noticed this clematis out usually this is a spring/summer flower

Bugloss has been in flower since I came back from Egypt almost four months ago as ,some folks ask why did I come back from such a warm climate with all the health problems I had . first if I stayed in Egypt I would be six foot under or as it goes in arab countries 2 ft under, and put in the ground within 24 hours with no post mortem just a note FROM THE CORRUPT DOCTOR “the poor unfortunate man died from histoplasmosis” thats what the docter in Luxor diagnosed me with and for several months I was keeping his brother the pharmacist in money by byuing expensive pills.

I WAS IN A TERRIBLE STATE LOST ALMOST 3 STONE AND HAD A PROBLEM WALKING. ONCE I ARRIVED BACK HOME IN WALES I WENT TO SEE THE DOCTOR, FIRST I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH A HERNIA BUT HAD TO WAIT 9 MONTHS TO SEE A SPECIALIST,AS I WAS IN SO MUCH PAIN WITH THIS HUGE LUMP POPPING OUT I HAD TO WALK ABOUT HOLDING MY GROIN STOP IT COMING OUT. SO I WENT PRIVATE , TO THE NUFFIELD HOSPITAL IN SHREWSBURRY TO SEE A SPECIALIST,, THAT WAS ON A MONDAY AND HE BOOKED ME IN FOR THE FRIDAY FOR THE OPP BUT HAD TO GO FOR BLOOD TEST ON THE THURSDAY, WHERE I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH SUGAR DIABETUS, THE COUNT WAS 15 NORMAL ITS BETWEEN 4 AND 7.

GOT TO GET YOUR BLOOD NORMAL BEFORE WE CAN OPPERATE THEY SAID. SO IT WAS BACK TO MY DOCS FOR ADVICE AND PILS FOR SUGAR DIABETUS. GOT MY LEVELS LOW ENOUGH WITHIN THREE WEEKS. RABBIT FOOD NO FAT AND NO CHOLESTAROL, AS THAT WAS ALSO WAY HIGH,

IT TOOK A FEW WEEKS TO GET TO SOME KIND OF NORMALITY AFTER THE OPP IE BIRDING AND GETTING OUT FOR WALKS.

Sheathed woodtuft (kuehneromyces mutabilis)

.

the other six fungi on this dead silver birch are the Birch (riptiporus betulinus )

there is seven fungi on this dead silver birch

lots of these fairy villages about this one is just outside my front gate some nice person has put his foot in it.

friday photo.

sunday the village has almost doubled in hight and size

another fairy village by the river

Southern bracket (ganoderma australe)

forming a new   tinder fungus (Fomes formentarius) growth.

grey wagtail(motacilla cinerea) female , my eyesight is playing up again (sugar diabetus) out of 12 shots these are the best.

just love the bark in autumn colours

strange fungi growing on this willow by the river Ii think its a very old tinder fungi, i hope some prat does not get to use his lighter on it. lots of things being set on fire by the vandals of Newtown like the next photo

not one bouy along the newtown section of the river severn has been left intact, this is the remains after a fire.set by the yobs of the town.

mausoleum has become another target of the mindless yobs

the problem with todays yobs they have no morals or respect of anything

In the body of the church stands a mausoleum erected over the tomb of the Pryce family in 1900.

read on St Mary’s church   here

Maybe they were after the old garden roller but just can not see the point of setting fire to the place.

the old oak door’s hinges are damaged as is the lock that was forced open.

the bark of the popular tree by St Mary's church

http://newtownpowys.wordpress.com/category/st-david%E2%80%99s-church/

acorn collection service

a large daddy long legs

sunset casting its light on the false Acasia tree in the front garden, this is the tree the birds use before venturing to the feeder.

blue tit on the feeder

female chaffinch fringilla coelebs, in the acasia tree

This years cutting of the Datura trumpet flower tree. not had one flower the same year as cutting before

reflections

All todays reflections have been taken along the Severn river at Newtown Powys

another Welsh valley full of leaves.

” Hint” look on the house roof.   all settled down for the night  poor sheep have to sleep outside tonight some bugger has stolen the barn  roof slates.

the montgomery canal pump house.

http://www.montgomerycanal.me.uk/newtownpumphouse.html

looking down the wall that housed the water wheel

looking down the overflow pipe under the pump house

standing on the low water line of the river severn looking down the over flow pipe

Siamese

Our 12 month old Siamese  kitten has become a cat burglar, totally deranged  anything with a tail on it is hers like this pear. thats what happens when one buys them toy mice to play with to keep them amuzed as little kittens,pears are also a good play toy as they also have a tail.

most of her mice are now tailess and today she came home with a new one it even has a squeek.

fully relaxed in her bed on the radiator in the sun,( with her ill gotten gains)

I wonder if its a hint to get her some more mice .

another paw stroke!    Sylvester the Maine  coon  as always laid back, taking no notice  because maine coon do not talk siamese.

Sylvester in laid back mode

Sylvester  our Maine Coon is almost Eleven, that makes him as old as me  so he also is retired, now the winter is coming he has claimed his place on the radiator as near to  me as possible  while I am on the computer. since my return from Egypt 3 months ago  he has become a constant companion  .

|Masters at Camouflage

• 
• Female Sparrow in the Acasia tree.
• male Sparrow in the Acasia tree

Leaves in the Welsh valley

Leaves in the valley”    on this slate roof on the Cafe in the Dolerw Park, Newtown Powys

Autumn is upon us as one can see walking through the park

Crab apple windfalls among the autumn leaves

yellow plums all going to waste

Autumn over the River severn inevitably leaves will end up in the river,

The roof made from natural slate and in the shade of trees will get moss , as the valley will also catch the falling autumn leaves off the trees.

Squirrels in the oak tree

Moon 7/10/11

first shot its a bit cloudy

I went for my flu and pnumonia jabs this morning  and been in bed the rest of the day feeling quite unwell  not had the jabs before so did not know what to expect, so all the photos for today is the moon that was out as I had my tea this evening and now I  am off back to bed feeling quite sweaty and shivery.

Mallard and muskovi ducks on the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal

muskovi drake shot taken before the barge trip

muskovi hen with her brood hatch of six

another muskovi hen preening itself

the third hen is broody and seems to be sitting. never seen such light coloured muskovy ducks as these on the brecon canal

a very dark coloured duck could be another mallard or a mallard throw off

A Harlequin hen.

Mallards, drakes and hens and the Harlequin.

in this photo, I noticed another harlequin hen cant miss the muskovi drake I was around the canal for almost 3 hours and the muskovi never moved from that spot

http://www.canaljunction.com/canal/mon_brec.htm

Legend

		River Usk and Brecon
		Feeder
		Weir and Theatre Basin
		A40(T) Road bridges
	69	Brynich lock
		Brynich aqueduct

the begining or the end of brecon canal. our trip started from outside the theatre and an hours trip took us as far as the brynich aqueduct we crossed the aqueduct that spans the river Usk to the nearest place to turn the barge.

the barge stopped on the Aqueduct to let those of us who wanted to walk across while the barge cantinued up the canal to its turning point, the canal celebrates its 200th year in 2012 that means this aqueduct is older than 200 years .

strange sign near 162 bridge and yet it takes the tractors and trailers to and from the fields as there is no road

nearest turning point after the aqueduct was beyond bridge 162 some 3oo yards

reflection here the barge is heading off to its turning point'

cutting the corner onto the aqueduct quite a task with these long barges

View east towards brecon along the river Usk from the aqueduct

from the aqueduct looking west towards Llanhamlach

the first lock gate as the barge is being lowered the 10 ft to the next water level

leaving the brynich lock, its the only one on this stretch of the canal

the dragonfly is one of the larger and heaviest barges on this canal roughly 20ton loaded. (passengers) in parts has a job navigating the canal due to silt that needs dredging out of the canal, here one can see the silt being churned up by the propeller.

http://www.dragonfly-cruises.co.uk/

Dead frog

the frog looks petrified

Our cats love playing with frogs as soon as the rain comes they are out in the garden frog hunting. as soon as they catch one they bring it in to play with. usually the frog gets rescued much to the cats dissaprovment, the frog will get put back in the garden  but occasionally one gets under furniture ,ie, the bed or wardrobe  where the cats cannot get under, and the result is a dead petrified frog  as long as the frog has not been injured it will not decompose  thus leaving a bad smell in the house,

RRW, barracks Brecon

Royal Regiment of Wales

PHOTO TAKEN FROM THE BRECON CANAL BARGE GO TO THE WEBSITE FOR HISTORY ON THE RRW,

http://www.rrw.org.uk/

AND THATS ALL YOU ARE GETTING TODAY,,,  IVE HAD A LONG DAY AFTER THE AUTUMN TINTS COACH TRIP WITH TANAT VALLEY COACHES,

had a very pleasant trip up the canal as far as the aquaduct  photos will be  on here soon

http://www.dragonfly-cruises.co.uk/