Tag Archives: Winchester

A Hot Air Balloon Near My Evening Stroll

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One evening while wandering through the fields near our house, I saw a hot air balloon in the distance. When we lived in Woodinville, the balloons were a regular feature of the summer months. Morning and evening flights were common. I didn’t know that flights around Winchester were a thing and, given the proximity to Southampton Airport, I thought it might not be practical but apparently, I was wrong. I was hoping that they would continue to drift in my direction, and I would get a closer look. Then I noticed that they were dropping out of sight quite quickly, so I headed through a tree line to see them drop behind some trees off in the distance. The vent on the top of the balloon briefly opened as they touched down but then closed up almost as quickly. I guess they weren’t in a rush to rapidly deflate. I wonder whether I shall catch any more flights in the future.

Being Stalked by a Big(ish) Cat

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Early one morning, before work, I took a walk in the fields near the house. As I walked through an area surrounded by long grass, I saw an orange shape moving nearby. At first, I thought it was a fox. I put the camera up to my own and focused on the subject. It wasn’t a fox. Instead, it was a ginger cat that was on patrol from one of the local houses. It was watching me as I watched it. I went on my way and it went on its way too.

A Bit of a Royal Flypast

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I was walking in the fields near our house once evening when I heard the sound of a helicopter above me. I searched the skies for it and picked up what appeared to be a dark AW139. I didn’t think it would be a military unit since the UK doesn’t have military 139s. I grabbed a bunch of shots from a distance. Lighting wasn’t ideal but, you don’t always get to chose the conditions you get. I think pulled up FR24 to see if it showed up and, sure enough, it did. It belongs to the King’s Flight and was heading to London from Culdrose in Cornwall. I guess the dark colours I was seeing were the maroon colours used by the royal helicopters. No idea if he was onboard or not.

What’s Next for Breakfast?

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Back to Winnall’s Moor again and more bird life. I had seen a kestrel hunting on a previous visit, and, on this morning, there was one sitting on a branch surveying the scene. The early light was very nice, and I was optimistic that I would get some more hunting shots. Sadly, the kestrel must have had plenty to eat, or there was nothing to catch. It sat on the branch for ages, and I was so cold, I lost patience standing around. I left it to it. I have no idea when it finally took off.

Small Birds for the Spam Filters

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Lots of bird posts since some of my early time in Winchester involved wandering around the countryside and seeing a lot of wildlife. On one of my walks, I got to see both some great tits and a single blue tit that was sitting on a tree near the river. I do wonder whether a post about these birds will cause some sort of problem with the filters on internet services that will not be able to tell the difference between slang and a bird.

Longer Angle on Alfred

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There is a statue of King Alfred in the centre of Winchester. When we had previously visited, I had taken some shots of it. However, because it is quite high up, you got a distorted look at him with the sky behind. I figured I would try a longer lens shot from further away to get a more normal look at the statue and have a darker background with the hill behind. This was the result!

Wolvsey Castle

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While strolling around the centre of Winchester one Sunday morning, I cam upon the entrance to Wolvsey Castle. This is a ruin of the residence of the Bishop of Winchester which was used in the Middle Ages. It is an English Heritage site and I am not currently a member but, when I saw that it was free, I figured I would stick my nose in briefly to have a look. I was heading home as I had an appointment so didn’t have time to explore fully.

The old stone walls of the residence are pretty impressive although sadly a few areas are cordoned off with metal fencing which does rather take away from the medieval feel of the place. I will go back at some point to look around further, but I was taken by the stonework in the arches in one area. Cropping in tight on them made for a more abstract feel. The woodwork has generally decayed and falling so you can see openings up on the walls that probably had a floor near them in the past! Probably not a safe place to walk at this point!

Swan Takeoff

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A group of swans was swimming up the Itchen as I was out walking one Sunday morning. Suddenly they decided to get airborne, and I was almost caught out by them. The first two were by me before I was able to get a shot, but I was very close to them and struggled to get something framed. The third was close behind them and I was able to pick it up earlier. A swan at low level over the water is a graceful looking creature. I suspect I will be out and about trying to get more swan flying shots before too long.

Misty View Down the Tracks

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The station in Winchester is the start and finish for most of my workdays at this point. The station is on a long straight section of the main line to Southampton. From the platform, you can see a long way in either direction. Looking south, there are a number of bridges across the track before it curves out of sight. On a misty afternoon, the view looks quite pretty.