That's great Roger. Don't worry I'm incognito though it's one of my local beaches.

FWIW the coasts here are diabolical right now with slips and mud baths and places normally accessible hard to reach.

150 White-fronted Geese flew NW over the village honking this morning.

The imminent harbinger of a bitter winter then that the tabloids will honk when they get to hear of it.

Make a change from those apocalyptic WX charts.

Lots of Short Eared Owls this Winter too on the East Coast, supposedly they are very partial to English voles

"The incremental shifts we're experiencing in terms of our seasons extending may not feel like much in a 12-month period, but over a decade the changes are extremely significant", said Ben McCarthy, head of Nature and Restoration Ecology at the National Trust.

Climate change: Seasonal shifts causing 'chaos' for UK nature

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-67705812 

https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/what-is-the-anthropocene.html 

Mouse filmed tidying up man's shed every night

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-67902966 

Trends over time include significant reductions in greenfinches (which we know about), starlings and house sparrows. The greenfinches and sparrows however have been up-ticking again since 2000.Winners include goldfinches (7th in sighting rank) , long tailed tits and wood pigeons. These last have increased >10 fold since early recordings and the RSPB suggests they could be an internationally significant population here in the UK.

Also mentioned is an overall decline over time in total sightings. 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-68099428 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/in-pictures-68127991 

The World of Fungi Results

https://igpoty.com/competitions/the-world-of-fungi-competition-17-results/ 

Amy Fraenkel, the UN Executive Secretary to the convention, told the BBC: "There has been a lack of attention for migratory species and if we don't succeed in turning this around, we will see extinction. There are species that are already on the edge".

Migrating species crucial to planet under threat, says UN

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-68254027 

It's a stunning image and piece of artwork. I'm not even sure what qualifies as a "photograph) these days and this wouldn't be allowed in a wildlife photography competition even if the post processing was declared. Personally, I'm fine with it, even if it is in reality a Photoshop skills contest. The end result is still a pleasing work of art. 

Here in South Essex the bird populations have been devastated in terms of diversity. We live in a road that provides a total back garden space of about 200m x 50m with well established shrubs, trees and lawns and my neighbours garden is pretty much rewilded. (unoccupied for four years) plus a nearby woods.

Yet we have, in the last three years lost chaffinches, Greenfinches, Jays and long tailed tits completely. Wrens are much rarer which is surprising given next door's and other nearby habitats. Goldfinches are less common and blackbirds are more a winter visitor than a nesting bird. Bluetits have failed for three consecutive years now although they are common on our and others' feeders.  So the main visitors are House Sparrows(most abundant species), Blue Tits, Great Tits, Starlings, Wood Pigeons,  (record numbers), Collared Doves, Robin, Dunnock ,Magpies, Carrion crows and the occasional Sparrowhawk, Song Thrush and Great Spotted Woodpecker.

Also this year we have seen a Blackcap, a Goldcrest and a Chiffchaff .

In the wider local area Bullfinches and Yellowhammers have completely gone with none being seen in the last couple of years. 

It is an amazing piece of artwork. But there are still people who insist that photos should be ‘straight out of the camera’ for them to be true photographs. IMO that’s never been true unless you want to show off your crap images. All photos since the time photography began are manipulated in some way. Look at the Ansel Adams black and white masterpieces. Straight out of the camera? I think not.

And then today your camera phone does a lot of magic before you even see the image on your screen. And I’m not even talking about smoothing skins and making your nose the right shape. Photoshop is merely a development in the art of image making. Just like traditional wet dark room skills can make a great photo from a mediocre negative or slide. Composition of course helps.

Are these real photographs? Or should a photograph be merely taken with just one shutter speed?

https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/what-is-focus-stacking-in-photography/ 

https://www.lincolnshireworld.com/news/people/snowdrop-festival-to-return-next-weekend-4498339 

Mmm. Stopped at 2 but I'd forgotten how moorish they are 😁

I agree with all of that. With digital there would just be an unrecognisable load of dots of colour without computer interference as you say. The main thing is that you don't try and deceive people with the final image making out it is something it isn't. The bottom line is it it's your image and you are entitled to do what you want with it.

In this clip she is already in the room. She doesn't realise her baby is wrapped up on the floor. She had an emergency C section two days previously, so the baby had been away from her for 2 days.

Get the hankies out...

https://www.theguardian.com/global/video/2022/nov/18/emotional-moment-chimpanzee-mother-reunited-with-her-baby-video 

We have frogspawn which marvellously, since we cleared the pond in December, is all below the surface so hopefully won't freeze.

They'd been croaking a while.

I've had my pond extended and new liner put in so it's bare at the moment. I was very pleased so to see frog spawn and frogs in it yesterday

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-68358414