FOR SALE

Friday 14 February 2014

Trying out my zoom lens....

I got a super new zoom lens for Christmas but until now haven't really had a good opportunity to use it.  However, we are at the coast for a little while and I thought I'd try it out down here.  I've always tried to get good photos of the mountains to the back of us but with my other lenses have been unable to get a really good 'close-up' but this morning I got a couple of better ones!  You can clearly see that there is a bit of snow on the top, but not as much as this time last year!  The mountain is called La Maroma and is actually the highest peak of the mountain range called the Sierra de Tejeda ,reaching to 2066 m, (6,778 ft). 


And here are some other photos that I took this morning.  The first shows an extremely rare sight for some people, particularly my friends in the UK, who've not seen it in a while, it is called the Sun!  So as not to shock you I've only let it be seen filtered through the leaves of a eucalyptus tree!  (Sorry, couldn't resist that one!)


And here are some photos of the local parrots, they're very lively at the moment (actually they are always very lively!) and I noticed two of them were getting very 'fruity' whilst I watched them.....obviously realised that today was St Valentines Day!!!! 

These parrots are, as far as I'm aware, one of only two types of parrot species that are 'natural' to Europe, 'natural' in that they were first introduced 'by accident' more than 100 years ago and have stayed!  I guess they must have liked the temperature here on the coast!!  People seem to just refer to them as Green Parrots, but they are in fact Monks Parakeets, also known as the Quaker Parrot, (Myiopsitta monachus).  The other species seen locally are the Rose-Ringed Parakeet.  Some people complain that they're noisy and are a nuisance,  but I have to say that I love them, I think it's just wonderful to see flocks of them flying above our heads, a mass of green feathers....and quite honestly, what is a bit of parrot poop on the washing now and again!!! 



This is about the closest 'close-up' I could get with my lens, the bird is probably more than 40 feet up the tree (I'm no good with estimating distances but these are pretty tall trees!)  Look at his lovely soft looking tummy!



This is to give you an idea of how big their nests are, they seem to all live together in large colonies.



This last photo isn't mine but I thought I'd show you how beautiful these little parrots look in flight!!



8 comments:

  1. Loving your parakeet pictures. I have seen and heard them while on holiday and was surprised by the noise.
    Not at all keen on bird poop on the washing but suspect parakeet is preferable to the crow and seagull we get!!
    BTW could you send some of the sunshine our way?

    ReplyDelete
  2. They are get photo's Sharon, the birds are so colourful and interesting to see their nests.
    I'll have you know we do remember the sun! We saw it for a while just yesterday!! lol We hope to see it again
    sometime soon!

    ReplyDelete
  3. All wonderful pictures Sharon, I enjoyed them very much! The nest of the birds is so big, I had never seen that before. Isn't nature amazing and a wonder? Enjoy the sunshine and have a great weekend :-).

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thanks for sharing the great pictures, Sharon! Really interesting.
    (The birds looking a bit like Crazie, but the poor onehas no chance finding a colony.)

    Trying out a new lens can be like learning 'to see' again. A new -or a different world is shown. Can be exciting, right?

    ReplyDelete
  5. Lovely photos Sharon.We have parakeets in Walton on Thames - a fairly small flock in the 80s - now they've spread to other towns and are quite common. They are noisy - but so colourful - green with a pink neck ring - so probably the other type you mention. They seem to especially like sweet chestnuts. We also occasionally have sun - but not as often as the parakeets!
    A few years ago we had a holiday,staying just outside Nerja, on the road up to Frigiliana - so nice to see the mountains again!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Fabulous photos Sharon! Thanks for the interesting knowledge that I have gleaned from today's photos. More of the zoom lens in action please!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Those are some beautiful pictures! It was interesting to know about the parrots; I didn't know the types or their history! :D

    ReplyDelete
  8. Thank you all for your really nice comments on the photos, I'm sorry that it has taken me so long to respond.....bad bad blogger me!
    I sometimes wonder where my time goes!! :)

    ReplyDelete

Your comment will be visible after moderation.