Slightly shaded (ISO4000) and a little further away than ideal, but still, the first Goldfinch I've seen for a while.
Prospect Desert, Reading, UK
Canon R5 MkII + RF200-800
Red Kite (either a youngster or moulting from later shots), Prospect Desert, Reading, UK
Canon R5 MkII + RF200-800
Prospect ~~Park~~ Desert, Reading, UK after too many days without rain - there's very little to see bar the scavengers like this Red Kite.
Canon R5 MkII + RF200-800
It's too hot and dry here, so most birds are in hiding. A few jackdaws were pecking around, and I rather liked this shot - I've not noticed iridescence on them before (only on some of their fellow corvids).
Prospect Park, Reading, UK circa 28 degrees C at 9am and getting hotter (OK, some of you have it much worse)
Canon R5 MkII + RF200-800.
I saw no other Mandarin ducks of either species on my walk, so I'm guessing this cutie was off exploring new pastures.
River Thames, Tilehurst, Reading. Canon R5 + RF200-800
And a close up:
Bit of iridescence, I liked the contrast with the weeds, and a lack of anything better in todays crop of photos...
Prospect Park, Reading, UK
Canon R5 MkII + RF200-800
More posted as I was pleased to see anything the least unusual today at all (too hot even at 9am) rather than them being great shots. Can't expect much shooting from under an old conifer with bright sunlight on the far side (so +1 2/3 exposure modification).
Canon R5MkII + RF200-800
Rather overcast this morning, for all we're told we're about to have a massive heatwave... anyway, always happy to see a Nuthatch in Prospect Park, UK, even if they like the shade. Ring-necked Parakeets are escapes/introductions that have managed to survive and thrive in the wild in parts of the UK - but are seen as destructive & noisy.
Canon R5MkII + RF200-800
European Jay, Prospect Park, Reading, UK
Canon R5 MkII + RF200-800
And I'm not kidding about shooting from the hip. I was sitting on a bench having a coffee break, and this bird hoped onto the branch maybe 3 yards away. Jays are shy birds at the best of times, and there was no way this one would tolerate bringing the camera to the eye that close. So I left it at 200mm, pointed it as best I might with as little movement as possible and snapped blind. So, in the circumstances, even if the twig in front of the Jay was the point of focus, I'm pleased with the result!
The Jay then flew a little further into the trees - so I got in theory a better shot, at full focal length, but alas in the shade:
... have this lot head towards you ... happily passing to my right but way too close - only a couple of yards, if that.
First time I've seen a (presumably) honey bee swarm on the move, and I've no idea what prompted them. The photos on the left are blown up segments of those on the right.
Prospect Park, Reading, UK
Canon R5 MkII + RF200-800 (at 200mm in this case)
First onto a submerged stick and then onto a closer sawn off branch - very kind.
What struck me was the depth of yellow in the plumage - I'd normally expect paler.
Kennet Canal, nr. Reading
Canon R5 MkII + RF200-800
Kennet Canal, nr. Reading UK
Just pleased to catch the sequence at all
Canon R5 MkII + RF200-800, 1/1000s
I really feel "Ancient Egyptian" should really be reserved for the times before the Ptolemies - I was excited by the title until I realised it's all Greek to me.
Nice fit with nice fabric, well done.
The next step up from French seams (not that it looks like you need it here with the care you've taken) is felled seams - more fiddly, but you don't end up with a loose ridge that only stays down if you press it. One downside of felled seams is that you can't do them both seams on a sleeve or leg or something, as you are sewing a line on an opened out seam. Another is that you will need to practice quite a bit!
Many sewing machines do have an overlock stitch to finish off seams, but its not as tidy or strong as you would get with a serger.
It might have been helpful to have explained the link - I assumed it was a scam until I carefully investigated.
The post starts "Have you seen Zeeman's paper 'Mathematics Applied to Dressmaking'? It has this anecdote in it."
It's vaguely amusing if you happen to know a little about Topology.
Oh, and an example of why 1/500s is too slow, if you look carefully it's a bit soft
The Latin in question would probably make a Roman cry, but the language remained important as long as it was the common language of the Catholic Church and remained a shared language for scholars across Europe until the 18th Century or so. It was still a requirement to get into many Universities until the 20th.
While I've forgotten much of it, I have a Latin O-Level from my school days in England, because of the history of that requirement (and hating French).