Author | Lightnews

Chris is JustSwanningAround!

@justswanningaround.bsky.social

290 followers 150 following 150 posts

It’s all about #enjoyment & #challenges Always strive to improve & succeed #Observation & #composition are always key to me Sharing the joy & respecting #nature & #wildlife is my mantra #getoutandexplore #JustSwanningAround [Twitter account deactivated]🦉

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Chris is JustSwanningAround! @justswanningaround.bsky.social · 19d

Italy - a photographic series: No.2
Monteriggioni is a stunning hilltop fortified village. Small but beautifully preserved/conserved, a wedding in its church also meant the chance to admire some stunning Italian fashion
#italy #tuscany #travel #travelphotography #scenery #photography

A collage of photos taken at Monteriggioni, in Tuscany

Chris is JustSwanningAround! @justswanningaround.bsky.social · 19d

A Tuscan agri-turismo farmstead, called Borgo Lesolana, near Bucine - a wonderful location for a wedding or an escape into the solitude of the lovely wooded, hilly rural scenery.
#italy #tuscany #travel #travelphotography #scenery #borgo #agriturismo

Chris is JustSwanningAround! @justswanningaround.bsky.social · Apr 8

Thank you! And it was a wonderful surprise to see the two so close by each other

Chris is JustSwanningAround! @justswanningaround.bsky.social · Apr 7

Two for the price of one … & both look rather surprised!
A Short Eared Owl & a Barn Owl meet over a grass upland moorland in the North Pennines!
#Northumberland March 2024
#ornithology #birds #wildlife #nature #photography #raptor #owl

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Chris is JustSwanningAround! @justswanningaround.bsky.social · Apr 6

With a dark moody sky backdrop, this lovely Barn Owl makes a stall turn ready to dive down to catch its prey
Somewhere in the grass upland moorland of the North Pennines, a vole is probably running for cover!
#Northumberland March 2024
#ornithology #birds #wildlife #nature #photography #raptor #owl

Chris is JustSwanningAround! @justswanningaround.bsky.social · Apr 4

The upland heather moors in this area are mainly a landscape monoculture for grouse shooting, although curlew and golden plover amongst other birds that can commonly be found in the valleys and rough upland pastures especially.

Chris is JustSwanningAround! @justswanningaround.bsky.social · Apr 4

It had been a great 12 months of Barn & Short Eared Owls, and then through to May 2024, but sadly since then numbers are much less … due to bad weather, greater competition, & sadly even human predation.

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Chris is JustSwanningAround! @justswanningaround.bsky.social · Apr 4

Thank you!

Chris is JustSwanningAround! @justswanningaround.bsky.social · Apr 4

Thank you very much, so pleased that I could share the pleasure of seeing & photographing these beautiful owls in lovely light.

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Chris is JustSwanningAround! @justswanningaround.bsky.social · Apr 4

Thank you

Chris is JustSwanningAround! @justswanningaround.bsky.social · Apr 4

Vielen Dank, ich weiß das zu schätzen!

Chris is JustSwanningAround! @justswanningaround.bsky.social · Apr 4

With a dark moody sky backdrop, the late afternoon sunshine shows off the lovely Barn Owl to its best.
The owl scans the grass upland moorland in the North Pennines for voles
#Northumberland March 2024

#ornithology #birds #wildlife #nature #photography #raptor #owl

Late afternoon sunshine lights up a lovely Barn Owl against a dark moody sky in the background. The owl is flying low over the orangey grass moorland, scanning the ground for voles.

Late afternoon sunshine lights up a lovely Barn Owl against a dark moody sky in the background. The owl is turning low over the grass moorland, scanning the ground for voles.

Late afternoon sunshine lights up a lovely Barn Owl against a dark moody sky and moorland in the background. The owl is flying low over the orangey grass moorland, scanning the ground for voles.

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Chris is JustSwanningAround! @justswanningaround.bsky.social · Apr 4

[A repost of an image posted yesterday in which I mislabelled the owl! 🙈]
Dark moody sky and a lovely Barn Owl scans the grass moorland for voles on the upland moors of the North Pennines
#Northumberland March 2024

#ornithology #birds #wildlife #nature #photography #raptor #owl

With a dark moody sky backdrop, a lovely sunlit Barn Owl scans the grass moorland for voles on the upland moors of the North Pennines
#Northumberland March 2024

#ornithology #birds #wildlife #nature #photography #raptor #owl

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Chris is JustSwanningAround! @justswanningaround.bsky.social · Apr 4

You’re right, my brain cells not thinking!! Thanks for putting me right, appreciated

Chris is JustSwanningAround! @justswanningaround.bsky.social · Mar 29

A regal Skylark shows off its crown in warm Suffolk coastal sunshine.
Its raised crest is usually a sign of it being alert to possible ‘threats’, in this case the photographer!
March 2024

#ornithology #birds #wildlife #nature #photography #Skylark

Chris is JustSwanningAround! @justswanningaround.bsky.social · Mar 27

A Skylark flies over a northern England hill, singing its heart out in the beautiful warm sunshine
#Northumberland
March 2025

#ornithology #birds #wildlife #nature #photography #Skylark
@nenature.bsky.social

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Chris is JustSwanningAround! @justswanningaround.bsky.social · Mar 23

A Short Eared Owl scans the grass moorland for voles on the upland moors of the North Pennines
#Northumberland March 2024

#ornithology #birds #wildlife #nature #photography #raptor #owl

Chris is JustSwanningAround! @justswanningaround.bsky.social · Mar 21

A Short Eared Owl flies across the upland moors of the North Pennines
#Northumberland March 2024

#ornithology #birds #wildlife #nature #photography #raptor #owl

Chris is JustSwanningAround! @justswanningaround.bsky.social · Mar 18

Thank you again for your help in identifying, and in the hashtag link to use. Appreciated.

Chris is JustSwanningAround! @justswanningaround.bsky.social · Mar 17

A few more for #lichen experts ( @northernhills.bsky.social et al) out there. These lovely lichens were found on lead mine shaft waste heaps, high up (530m) North Pennines (UK) peat moorland - the 1st & 2nd formed quite large 2x4m clumps
#nature
@northpennines.bsky.social @nenature.bsky.social

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Chris is JustSwanningAround! @justswanningaround.bsky.social · Mar 16

Cheers … and thank goodness for Bluesky replacing the best of what used to be Twitter for helpful advice & communities. I’ll hopefully post tomorrow some more lichens found on leadmining stone waste heaps nearby to this clump, not far from Garrigil, Alston

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Chris is JustSwanningAround! @justswanningaround.bsky.social · Mar 16

Thank you very much for your really helpful identification … I hadn’t felt confident with some info online as IDing is clearly quite ‘technical’, so I’m pleased that you note that there are several different varieties there - it was an eye catching large patch of them near leadmining waste & stream

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Chris is JustSwanningAround! @justswanningaround.bsky.social · Mar 16

Any #lichen experts out there? Is this Cladonia coccifera (Madame’s cup lichen) which occurs on acidic peaty soils.
In this case, it was on high (530m) North Pennines (UK) peat moorland but protected by being on the edge of a coniferous wood
#nature
@northpennines.bsky.social @nenature.bsky.social

Small red dots and pale light green cups indicate a patch of cup lichen growing on party soils in the North Pennines

Small red dots and pale light green cups rising up on stalks, indicate a patch of cup lichen growing on party soils in the North Pennines

Small red dots and pale light green cups indicate a patch of cup lichen growing amongst moss, on party soils in the North Pennines

Small red dots and pale light green cups rising skyward on short stalks, indicate a patch of cup lichen growing on party soils in the North Pennines

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Chris is JustSwanningAround! @justswanningaround.bsky.social · Mar 14

A Skylark rests after singing aplenty on the #Northumberland coast
March 2025

#ornithology #birds #wildlife #nature #photography #Skylark
@nenature.bsky.social

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Chris is JustSwanningAround! @justswanningaround.bsky.social · Mar 12

A Purple Sandpiper walks through seawater & between boulders on the #Northumberland coast
March 2025

#ornithology #birds #wildlife #nature #photography
#Sandpiper #PurpleSandpiper
@nenature.bsky.social

A Purple Sandpiper steps through seawater, with stone boulders to either side of it. It’s a sunny day on the Northumberland coast, so the orangy yellow legs show up well below its white belly. It has a orangy yellow bill with a black tip. Its upper body is mainly greyish light brown, with darker areas on its wings … these can be tinged purple in the breeding season