Night photography

[Lee Hurrell]

Just out of Interest Captain Catkin, where was the meadow?

Sorry if you have said and I missed it...

Cheers

Lee

[NickB]

"Look, catkins, Captain Catkin, catkins...
just look into my lovely catkins, that's right...
you are feeling so sleepy, my Captain, sleepy...
that's right, just lie down, down ...
in that beautiful butterfly meadow...
surounded by hundreds of catkins, my Captain,
catkins ..."

(Strokes cat and laughs evily) "...you are under my power Captain Catkin...
Did you think you could thwart my plans for complete catkin domination....?"

To be continued...

More Catkins at:
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4 ... 3099841043

[Charles Nicol]

Just out of Interest Captain Catkin, where was the meadow?

Sorry if you have said and I missed it...

Cheers

Lee

It is about 3km northwest of the village of Preixan in the South of France:

http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&source=s ... 9&t=h&z=14

It is at the foot of the hill with the huge telecomms mast. You have to follow an overgrown track to reach it.

Meilleurs voeux

Charles

[Charles Nicol]

"Look, catkins, Captain Catkin, catkins...
just look into my lovely catkins, that's right...
you are feeling so sleepy, my Captain, sleepy...
that's right, just lie down, down ...
in that beautiful butterfly meadow...
surounded by hundreds of catkins, my Captain,
catkins ..."

I say those are rather splendid specimens !!...so long & firm

Will Nanny be able to stay at your castle ?

I do not wish to join Facetube thankyou very much


The Captain

[Lee Hurrell]

Thanks Captain,

I'll visit next time I'm that way!

Cheers

Lee

[Wildmoreway]

I was once looking for Glowworms alongside the Shropshire Union Canal at Beeston in Cheshire (just after midnight)when I saw what looked like a large moth settle on a flower, a check with a flashlight revealed to be a Red Admiral and it was feeding! It was a very warm night. Back in July 1983 I was walking alongside a goods train at Warrington Yard in Cheshire at about 0100 hours when I saw what looked like a white butterfly fly past and settle on a ragwort, this turned out to be the pale form of the female Clouded Yellow.

[Dave McCormick]

Guess this counts for Night Photoraphy: http://uk.news.yahoo.com/21/20100128/ts ... 158bc.html

Mars and the full Moon pair up to provide a grand celestial spectacle on Friday night.

The Red Planet, now 62 million miles from Earth, will be at its brightest this year as it lines up opposite the Sun.

At around 9pm, Mars will be above and to the left of the Moon, about the length of an outstretched fist away.

A standard SLR camera fitted with a telephoto lens is all you need to capture the scene, says Robin Scagell, from the Society for Popular Astronomy.

"Mars is looking really quite red and impressive at the moment, and the Moon will be full, he said. "It's going to be a great sight and rather fun to look for.

"A telescope has too close a field of view, but with a 100mm telephoto lens you'd just about get them both in the picture, and you'll be able to see details on the Moon."

A pair of binoculars and a clear out-of-town sky will reveal an added bonus - the "beehive" star cluster - between the two objects, said Mr Scagell.

Mars is at its most spectacular when close to the Earth at opposition.

In 2003 the planet was just 35 million miles away as it faced the Sun, and more than four times brighter than it will be tomorrow night.

If weather remains fine enough, I am going to try and get a decent photo. But I have not really tried night photography much myself, would like to try shooting the town lights at night sometime I get the chance.

[Gruditch]

I went down to Southampton Docks this morning to try out my new Star filter. I really like the effect the filter gives with the available light sources. I may try the cranes in the container port next time.

God I really need Spring to be here.

Regards Gruditch

[Charles Nicol]

I was once looking for Glowworms alongside the Shropshire Union Canal at Beeston in Cheshire (just after midnight)when I saw what looked like a large moth settle on a flower, a check with a flashlight revealed to be a Red Admiral and it was feeding! It was a very warm night. Back in July 1983 I was walking alongside a goods train at Warrington Yard in Cheshire at about 0100 hours when I saw what looked like a white butterfly fly past and settle on a ragwort, this turned out to be the pale form of the female Clouded Yellow.

those sightings are very interesting. i have not seen any butterfly activity after sunset... i suppose that you get used to thinking that only moths are around in the dark when in fact some of them might be stop-out butterflies .

Charles

[Lee Hurrell]

Dirty stop outs. Didn't Dave McCormick catch a Painted Lady in his moth trap last year too?

I met a chap at Bernwood Forest last year who told me he had seen a Purple Emperor flying in a thunderstorm.

Cheers

Lee

[Dave McCormick]

Dirty stop outs. Didn't Dave McCormick catch a Painted Lady in his moth trap last year too?

If I remember it was actually a Red Admiral, the light must have startled it and it fell into the trap from the tree above. I also caught a young thrush in a borrowed 125w MV trap back in July last year, now that was something else! Probably followed the moths into the trap.

I really need spring to come too, I've been moth trapping at moment as during the day, no butterflies, but now cause of snow here and cold weather again, no moths either.

[Lee Hurrell]

I'm counting the days.....can't wait! I reckon early March for Commas and Peacocks going by last year.

Did you get your shots of Mars and the Moon Dave? I saw Mars looking red last night and it was a lovely clear night in London, very cold though.

Cheers

Lee

[Dave McCormick]

I'm counting the days.....can't wait! I reckon early March for Commas and Peacocks going by last year.

Did you get your shots of Mars and the Moon Dave? I saw Mars looking red last night and it was a lovely clear night in London, very cold though.

Cheers

Lee

Well I did, but mostly they are bad as the cloud kept moving quite fast and setting of my shots, plus my hands got so cold, they almost froze waiting for cloud to move. I got one shot of mars by itself, alhough not great, best I could do

[A Ramsay]

As a recently registered member, I thought I would post a couple of my images for critique. They were taken at Fountains abbey in Yorkshire, just before Christmas 2009.

[Gruditch]

Hi A, welcome to UK Butterflies, go on then I'll do an assessment.

Firstly well done for going out to get the shots. The first one is a pleasant scene, attractively lite up old abbey, plus snow, can't go wrong. The second image I bet looks real nice when blown up, both are easy shots to cock up, which you didn't, so well done.

Kind Regards Gruditch