Julia took this photograph last week, using her phone.
It is the best Long-Tailed Tit photograph either of us has ever taken and has made me wonder why I even bother trying with my camera. I rarely get one in the frame, and when I do they are normally blurred.
She not only has them in the frame and in focus but she has them in an amusing “I’m not speaking to you” pose. We had kids, we had cats, we recognise the pose.
This is what happens when you marry a talented woman. I’m sure I’m not the only blogger to experience this. My breeding days are over and my photography has been surpassed. If she ever starts using public transport I will have nothing to offer.
Meanwhile, the wind has been roaring outside for most of the day. The tail end of Storm Ciara is still with us, despite the promise of it stopping by 3pm.
We dropped Number One Son at the railway station just after 3.00 pm, and it did seem to clear. The wind dropped, the sky turned bright blue and it looked like things were definitely on the up. This lasted until we did the shopping. By the time we finished the shopping the sky was grey again and the rain was starting again.
We didn’t need more rain, as we already have patches of flooding, but weather is like that.
We didn’t need more wind either, as we already had a number of trees down.
Number One Son arrived home over three hours later due to various disruptions – about double the normal time. It was not a good weekend to travel.
Still, he did get home in one piece, our roof is still in place (apart from one tile) and tomorrow is looking better. Our weather may not be good, but it’s rarely very bad either, just bad enough to have a good old grumble.
I will finish with an Owl picture. I’m still able to do decent Owl pictures, even if my Long-Tailed Tits aren’t up to the mark.

Peak Shopping Village
I am glad to hear you are all alright. Yes, those big storms can take trees down in no time flat. Very beautiful photo from Julia, and I like the owl, too, Quercus. š
Mine did not need so much skill – it didn’t move at all as I pressed the button.
Yes, good that your son made it home safely. And that your roof is still on. Big storms are not to be taken lightly. They can do a lot of damage.
We don’t really have big storms like you do, which I am grateful for.
Lucky indeed that you don’t have big storm like we do. Even worse for people who live on the coast, especially in southern Maine. They get hammered.
I came back later to check. Excellent photo, Julia. You have to be quick with them.
She must have been – I tried some the other week and ended up with several pictures of empty branches and one of a blurred tail.
Jackie has been trying to photograph some hanging by one claw from the wisteria and feeding themselves with the other. That would be amazing.
Good luck with that – they are so fast. I’ve never seen them feeding like that, it would be a great photo.
Lovely picture of the long tailed tits. I would just like to see some, let alone take a picture of them.
I feel the same about siskins and redpolls – very unusual birds down here. š
Didn’t get the picture. I’m glad your son made it. I wouldn’t know about being surpassed in photography š