Love is........

My new iphone 5s!!!

Gramborough Hill, Salthouse, Norfolk

Taken with iphone 5s on the panoramic setting.

Sand Martin in centre of picture, which you can't see as I can, as picture reduced, but its sharp!
A crop below of the Sand Martin (in centre of above picture)

OMG this phone is awesome to say the least! The camera alone is absolutely brilliant, never mind about the phone! I had a fabulous time using the Panoramic setting and taking lots of funky pictures at Salthouse and Cley today. I had a really lovely day, to end my week's holiday on.

Got up early and linked the new phone to the hands-free system in my car – it wasn't easy and it certainly wasn't quick, but I got there in the end! My new phone was STILL copying icloud back up when I got up this morning!

Arrived at the Cley Visitor Centre NWT to have my first cheese scone of the holiday (slacking Penny) which was scrumptious as always. Lots of Swifts flying through west as I gazed out of the window. Very strong south westerly winds today and it felt cold because of the strength in the wind. More huge rain showers and hail again, as yesterday.

Scenery around Gramborough Hill, Salthouse.

Went to Gramborough Hill, Salthouse and tested out the new phone camera and took several panoramic shots which looked so funky! Seriously impressed with the quality of this 8 megapixal camera. 1 Whitethroat and a Goldfinch in the bushes at the base of the hill. Lots of Sand Martins flying round the sandy cliff. Walked back to the car.

Walsey Hills NOA – quick walk along the bottom path produced a party of Long-tailed Tits, a Chiffchaff, Cettis's Warbler and a Blackcap singing. Took the picture below just to test out how this camera handled small subjects – not too bad at all it turned out!

Insect I have yet to ID? Walsey Hills NOA.

Natural Surroundings Cafe, Glandford for lunch – never been here to eat, I don't know why, I just haven't. I strongly recommend this 'Little Cafe in the Woods' – the home-made vegetable soup and chunky wholemeal bread was really nice, as was the coffee cake and filtered coffee! The cafe is small though, so don't bring a party of 20 people here! The Gunnera plants along the entrance track looked spectacular, especially after the downpour and hailstones, followed by sunshine. Its free to park for the cafe and shop, but the gardens and reserve have an entrance fee. There are plants for sale and bird food in the shop adjoining the cafe. See the website here: http://www.naturalsurroundings.org.uk/

Gunneras at 'Natural Surroundings', Glandford.

 Eddie M., Paul L. & John F at 'Natural Surroundings', Glandford.

 Gunneras at 'Natural Surroundings', Glandford.

 Cafe at 'Natural Surroundings', Glandford.

Cleyspy – I tested out and then bought the Kowa iphone Digiscoping Adapter (that Eddie has been doing his phonescoping with) which Phil at Cleyspy has adapted to fit my Nikon ED50 13-40 zoom eyepiece. I never thought I would be able to use that adapter with my scope! The inner piece that has been added to fit my eyepiece can simply be removed, if I ever want to upgrade to.... as Andrew put it "a grown up's scope" Ha, Ha, Ha!!! I got a second fitting for my binoculars for 'digi-binning'. A brilliant example of 'digi-binning' is seen here with an absolutely corking photo of a Hoopoe in flight by Tony Dixon!!!

The Eye Field & Cley Beach NWT

Cley Coastguards to look for Wagtails. 1 Yellow Wagtail, 2 Wheatears, Skylarks and Meadow Pipits watched in the Eye Field, amongst the cows and calves. 2 Med Gulls flew west. Took more funky panoramic shots on the iphone camera. As I walked back to my car I met a lovely man who came from Cornwall and was staying up here with his wife on holiday – he was praising my December storm post and pictures and my blog in general, which was very kind of him, thank you very much and enjoy the rest of your holiday. Sat in the car and had my tea – oh I forgot to say, I bought a piece of Ginger & Pear Cake from the Cley Deli earlier! I gave some of the pastry from my vege pasty to the black-headed gulls. The gulls continued to wait for more pickings, but I wasn't giving a single crumb away, from my ginger & pear cake!!!

Dauke's Hide, Cley NWT – christened the new phone scope adaptor kit – this is such fun! Took some videos of Avocets, Hare etc. Eddie called out 2 Arctic Terns going west along the beach. 2 Med. Gulls also flew west. Little Ringed Plover, Pintail, Avocets, Mute Swans, Avocets, Grey Heron, Marsh Harrier etc and also 2 Temminck's Stints appeared for a short while, which Eddie said were brighter and not the same ones as he saw yesterday. Eddie and a couple of other birders left and I sat alone and stayed much too late (no change there). Beautiful sunset as I left the hides at 8.30pm, arriving home just before 9.30pm.

 Avocet – Dauke's Hide, Cley NWT.

My first phonescoped pictures using iphone 5s, Kowa Digiscoping Adapter with
Nikon ED50 & 13-40x Zoom eyepiece.

Avocets – Dauke's Hide, Cley NWT.

My first phonescoped pictures using iphone 5s, Kowa Digiscoping Adapter with
Nikon ED50 & 13-40x Zoom eyepiece. 

Little Ringed Plover, taken very distantly from Dauke's Hide, Cley NWT.

My first phonescoped pictures using iphone 5s, Kowa Digiscoping Adapter with
Nikon ED50 & 13-40x Zoom eyepiece. 

Hare at Cley NWT, Norfolk

Phonescoped Movie using iphone 5s, Kowa Digiscoping Adapter with Nikon ED50 & 13-40x Zoom eyepiece.
  

Avocets at Cley NWT, Norfolk

Phonescoped Movie using iphone 5s, Kowa Digiscoping Adapter with Nikon ED50 & 13-40x Zoom eyepiece. 

'Digi-binned' Tufted Duck from Dauke's Hide, Cley NWT.

My first attempt at Digi-Binning – my iphone 5s attached to binoculars with
Kowa iPhone Digiscoping Adapter ring. Original picture (straight from iphone camera). I know its rubbish, I but wanted to show what a distant digi-binned shot looked like! I deleted the rest I took!!!

   Sunset from Cley NWT Hides