Learning the ropes

My busy day started in the rain when I met the architect at Lansdown Hall to see the proposed remedies for the minor issues which have arisen. An hour later I reached Camilla's for a coffee and chat about the plans for Stroud Preservation Trust's 30th anniversary exhibition; she is the current chair.

Then we set off to see John W. at his house in a nearby valley, where I had arranged for him to meet Camilla and have a demonstration of his photographic skills. Two years ago he was one of several local photographers who I'd invited to take photographs of the Brunel Goods Shed prior to the regeneration works which then followed. Prior to that the building had been slowly deteriorating, whilst we waited until we'd raised the necessary funds to rescue it.

These images will be part of the exhibition and John's contribution were the only ones no-one has seen until now. That is because he makes stereoscopic images which he can now produce in their full three dimensional glory, using new 3D software on a gaming laptop. He has special infra-red triggered glasses which alternate the left and right side image information to produce a wholly realistic 3D picture in ones brain. I have seen the results before, and like me Camilla was amazed at the photos of details he had found inside unvisited parts of the Shed.

John is happy to help and contribute the system to the exhibition, but Camilla suggested ways that he might get to show his whole range of much more highly magnified images of micro-organisms and tiny components of everyday life.

When I finally got home this afternoon I had a quick meal and then spotted a small bird sitting still on the top of the wooden fence close to the bird feeders. I went upstairs for my camera and when I returned it was still there. I had reasoned that it was a rather juvenile nuthatch which had learnt to grab sunflower seeds , but hadn't learnt to be frightened of the numerous cats which lie in wait close to the fence waiting for just such opportunities.

I think it was the same bird I saw two days ago when it was being fed by its parent next to the bird feeder. When it tried to hang onto to the cage containing the sunflower seeds, it kept losing its footing in a rather clown like way, which was very endearing.

I managed to sidle up quite close to it, which happens rarely with nuthatches, who are very flighty and seldom hang around. I did disturb it at one point after which it flew up into an overhanging elder tree only a couple of yards away. I want to blip it as I doubt I will get a chance to be so close again, unless I buy a better zoom, which isn't at all likely.