Doug Bates

@[email protected]
70 Followers
131 Following
209 Posts
I built my first computer in 1980 after a degree in Engineering Science. 25 years as a professional engineer followed by 10 years teaching IT and Computing. An early adopter of bulletin boards, then dial-up internet. I have never been attracted to social media but now Mastodon beckons as I like the ethos and FOSS approach.
I am now retired and happily messing about with Raspberry Pi's appreciative of computing power I could only dream of earlier in my career.
#Exeter #DanDare #ClassicSF
Show threadDoug BatesMay 21, 2023
Eleven days old and the nest is getting crowded! It's hard to get a decent photo as they are wriggling around the whole time and with the low light levels many blurred images (524 today and these the best of the bunch!)
#BirdPhotography #birds #nest #BirdWatching #photography #photo #BlueTit #RaspberryPi
Show threadDoug BatesMay 18, 2023

Eight days old and the feathers are growing.

Another couple of days and they will be grumpy teenagers [or the blue tit equivalent thereof!]

Fingers crossed, a couple of years ago we watched a similar nest to this stage then a cold snap, less bugs, and the nest failed. So sad.

Good weather here at the moment so it's looking good.

#BirdPhotography #birds #nest #BirdWatching #photography #photo #BlueTit #RaspberryPi

Doug BatesMay 15, 2023

Five days old and hungry 😋

Note the colours are a bit off and some movement blur due to low light levels and fidgety babies.

Nice to see six healthy babies even if two of the eight eggs haven't hatched.

Previously (sorry didn't link it properly): https://home.social/@ColonelDare/110351634782379258

#BirdPhotography #birds #nest #BirdWatching #photography #photo #BlueTit #RaspberryPi

Doug Bates (@[email protected])

Attached: 1 image This morning we woke up to 4 more family members 😍 And today we saw Dad turning up after Mum had spent c. 2 weeks sitting on the eggs alone. They have both been in and out all day looking after their new brood. Its lovely to watch and a hopeful distraction from all the c**p that makes to news at the moment. I'll post some more tomorrow but with 7968 photos (just today!) I need to sort them out a bit!

HOME.social
Show threadDoug BatesMay 11, 2023

This morning we woke up to 4 more family members 😍

And today we saw Dad turning up after Mum had spent c. 2 weeks sitting on the eggs alone.

They have both been in and out all day looking after their new brood.

Its lovely to watch and a hopeful distraction from all the c**p that makes to news at the moment.

I'll post some more tomorrow but with 7968 photos (just today!) I need to sort them out a bit!

Continued: https://home.social/@ColonelDare/110373540104981291

Doug Bates (@[email protected])

Attached: 2 images Five days old and hungry 😋 Note the colours are a bit off and some movement blur due to low light levels and fidgety babies. Nice to see six healthy babies even if two of the eight eggs haven't hatched. Previously (sorry didn't link it properly): https://home.social/@ColonelDare/110351634782379258 #BirdPhotography #birds #nest #BirdWatching #photography #photo #BlueTit #RaspberryPi

HOME.social
Doug BatesApr 30, 2023

A fun thing passing our bedroom window this morning.

The Flying Scotsman steaming down into Exeter.

Built 100 years ago in 1923 it was the first locomotive to reach the officially authenticated speed of 100 miles per hour (161 km/h), and still going strong!

See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LNER_Class_A3_4472_Flying_Scotsman

#Exeter #Devon #Steam #FlyingScotsman #Train

LNER Class A3 4472 Flying Scotsman - Wikipedia

Show threadDoug BatesApr 29, 2023
I think we have settled for eight.
Bless her. Now spending much more time on her clutch, so 14 days and we might see some young ones. Here's hoping 🤞
Show threadDoug BatesApr 27, 2023

Seven eggs and counting🤞 Watch this space!

#BirdPhotography #birds #nest #BirdWatching #photography #photo #BlueTit #RaspberryPi

Doug BatesApr 21, 2023
Her first egg of the year. 🥰 Hopefully she will lay one a day until the brood is complete (5 or 6?), then 14/15 days later we should see some young chicks.
Low level lighting just after sunrise as the nest illumination is slowly dimming the IR and bringing up the RGB LEDS so no sudden transitions.
Last year laid 7 and successfully fledged 4. One chance per year
#BirdPhotography #birds #nest #BirdWatching #photography #photo #BlueTit #RaspberryPi
Doug BatesApr 20, 2023
Can anyone identify this bird please? It was spotted hanging around the River Culm, Devon, UK for about 6 weeks last September/October. It is sitting on a sawn-off electricity pole.
Poor quality images as I do not own a telephoto 😭.
(Taken by mobile phone through a binocular eyepiece).
#nature #NaturePhotography #birds #Wildlife #photography #NaturePhotography
[bad] #BirdPhotography #BirdsOfMastodon
#Devon #UK
Doug BatesApr 2, 2023
We had a lovely day out at Weston-Super-Mare on the north coast of #Somerset, on the #Bristol channel #uk
#BlackAndWhite pictures with my 1960 Kodak Brownie upcycled with RaspberryPi camera v3.
IR camera module so greyscale during daylight.