Filming Birds and Village Life

Before I even moved to the village where I now live and I was looking around for a place to live, a location that enabled me to be in touch with the environment, was vital. Partly this was because I find cities such depressing places to live, but also and mainly I wanted to live in a location where I could see wildlife daily.

So when I needed to obtain a video camera to collect evidence of my then landlords appalling and illegal behaviour, I thought ahead and bought one that I could use for filming wildlife. When I took her, my landlord, to court the camera paid for itself as I won the case. However, as one of the many problems with the property was faulty electrics, this damaged the cameras electronics. Therefore, I was not able to film the wildlife in and around the village as I wanted to.

That was until now, as finally I have bought new video camera. It arrived on Saturday morning, I am lucky as my post woman is very reliable, well as she lives just up the street from me, so I was able to read the instructions and get the battery on charge. However, I also needed to get into Consett to get some shopping as well.

Therefore I was pleased that the battery charged quickly. It meant that I could go out and test the camera and still get into town to get my shopping. I was out and not more than two hundred yards from my home, when I stopped to film a Blackbird feeding on the ground. I had only taken the mono pod out with me, so as I discovered my first filing was most definitely wobbly cam! However, I was leaning against the hedge as I (tried) filmed, and just two feet from me a long-tailed tit perched in the hedge. Right in my line of sight. I tried to keep the camera steady on the Blackbird while I also watched the tit. Absolutely amazing.

Filming is very different from taking still images, and I will have to develop my skills, but on the whole I was very pleased with the results I have gotten so far. Playing them back through the television, the picture quality was as good as the images broadcast on TV.

That is why in part I have not been able to post here, as I have been busy playing with my new toy. Also, on Saturday, while looking at a good friends Blog, she tempted me in with a nice snowy scene... and wham she gets me with a snowball!

As I said previously, I also needed to go and get some shopping. While I have supported the local greengrocer in the village since I moved here, I find the quality really poor. On the last three occasions when I have bought from there I have found the items have gone bad by the following day. Its not that I am storing the items poorly, it is the fact that the produce is just not up to standard. Therefore, I was prepared to pay the extra cost of travelling into town to get better the quality.

Well I was pleased that I did as even with the cost of the bus fare, I only spent what I would have in the village. However more importantly the quality was excellent.

While I do want to support local businesses and support local food, the quality has to be there though. It does annoy me that food businesses don't do more to ensure quality. While I will criticise the supermarkets the one thing they have got right is the quality of the produce they sell. The local shop, could do well but almost everyone I talk to say that its the poor quality that has stopped them from using the shop. What amazes me is that the people running the store don't even know much about food, they don't have the passion for food they need to succeed with a food business in this day and age.

While thinking about this, on the radio yesterday there was a programme that enlightened me. The Food Programme, BBC Radio 4, was talking about wholesale fruit and veg markets, and it confirmed my long held suspicion that many greengrocers buy the junk in the hope of a quick profit. Well the local greengrocer has lost my custom by doing that.

However, I was pleased to find a much better greengrocer in the town.

The trip back caused an interesting incident too. Apart from the fact that on the bus was one of the cantankerous and obnoxious residents of the village, it was for me without incident.

However, when I went to the Pub that evening, I have not been for many weeks as I was saving for the video camera, this cantankerous and obnoxious person was there. He greeted me by saying what am I lying about now. I long worked out that he is jealous of the fact that I have seen more wildlife in the woods in the couple of years I have lived here than he has all his life. Well you cant see wildlife if all you do is sit in the pub getting pissed. Anyway, when I had gotten off the bus, I had allowed this woman with her child to get off first. I had also made a joke about the unicorn hobby horse the child had.

Well, this cantankerous old bugger had been running around telling everyone that he had seen me with a woman. Now I know that in villages all over people get very nosy, but it did amuse me that so many people are so interested in my love life. As we have real problems with crime and anti social behaviour, why cant they worry about that?

Well if they want to know, I am not seeing anyone at the moment... but I am open to offers!