2nd July
Old mines and tholtans!
High in the hills above the village of Foxdale are the remains of several
former mines and a few tholtans. I was really wanting to do a couple
of test flights with the little drone to check something out and the area
is ideal as there are rarely many people there and a lot of open area.
DJI Mini 2 1/7/21
The fifth of July (Monday)
is Tynwald Day, the annual open air parliament session for the Isle of
Man Government. It's the Manx National Day and the ceremony is attended
by large numbers of islanders and visitors, normally from around the world,
but such numbers will probably be restricted this year. Much as I
would like to take some aerial pictures during the ceremonies, such flying
is prohibited under a Restriction
of Flying Order. I did take some general views of the area yesterday
evening, although my flying looked at one time going to be restricted not
by regulations but sea fog! DJI Mini 2 1/7/21
3rd July
This was the fourth
flight of the day on Thursday and was really just intended as a test flight
with a new version of the DJI Fly app. The lighting at sunset was
however great, with a bonus of sea fog covering some of the fields at a
distance and I was really pleased with the pictures of Cronk-ny-Mona, Governor's
Hill and Birch Hill. Not so pleased with the new version of 'Fly',
which crashed (the app, not the drone!) within seconds of take-off and
subsequently partially locked up later in the flight and required re-starting.
Fortunately the actual drone control system is separate from the app so
no problems with flying.
DJI Mini 2 1/7/21
4th July
After the problems I'd
had with the new version of the DJI Fly app, I uninstalled it and re-installed
an older version so was wanting to do a test to see if the problems persisted.
The weather wasn't great with a lot of low cloud around but it looked brighter
around the Sulby Reservoir so I thought that I'd use that area. As
of this morning I see that DJI have brought out yet another app update,
but the weather today is totally unsuitable for testing it with rain and
low cloud.
DJI Mini 2 2/7/21
5th July
Happy Tynwald Day to
all visitors!
Tynwald Day pictures
from 2014
7th July
Some more test flying
was needed on the Mini 2 drone. I always try to find somewhere that
is both suitable for the test flight and that will also result in some
interesting photos, so with light winds chose the moorlands around the
Bungalow for this flight. DJI Mini 2 6/7/21
With the test flight
satisfactorily completed, I was on my way back home when I noticed that
the sunshine was picking out the fields of the East Baldwin valley, so
I had a quick stop at Keppel Gate for another flight. DJI Mini 2
6/7/21
There are three new
Aircraft pictures in Aircraft
2021 Pt 3. Nikon D7100 5/7/21
9th July
Yesterday afternoon
I took a walk along the west coast from the Sartfield Road, Jurby, down
to Jurby Head to have a look at the 'Pasages' shipwreck there. This can
only be seen at low tide though there are no safety issues with doing the
walk at any time as there is always some of the beach exposed and it forms
part of the Raad-ny-Foilan coastal path at this point. Panasonic
TZ200 8/7/21
I had the little DJI
Mini 2 drone in my rucksack as I wanted to get some aerial shots and also
conduct another test flight with the latest version of their 'Fly' software
that had given me some problems since it was released. After around
ten minutes, when I had shot the first set of pictures below, the app crashed
leaving me with a black screen on my phone and refused to re-start, so
I flew the drone back visually while I decided whether to try another flight.
DJI Mini 2
After a short consideration
as to whether to just re-boot the app with the drone on the ground, I decided
that I had done enough unpaid test flying work for DJI, so I completely
uninstalled it and installed an earlier version that I had available on
the phone. The following pictures were taken using that version which
performed with no issues at all, looking mainly at some of the interesting
features just inland from Jurby Head. DJI Mini 2
Extra - 10/7/21 - Three
360 Aerial Panoramas that I didn't have time to add yesterday.
10th July
There are twenty one
new Railway pictures taken yesterday afternoon in Railways
2021 Pt 3. Panasonic TZ200 9/7/21
12th July
While I was at Laxey
on Friday taking the Electric Railway pictures I wanted to try the project
here, some aerial 360 shots in and over the Valley Gardens. I had
hoped that there would be nobody there at around 4 o'clock in the afternoon,
but the two young ladies with children were very understanding when I explained
what I was trying to do and didn't have a problem with me flying the little
drone. Hopefully they will get to see these pictures. For more
information about the mine and its operations I can highly recommend Andrew
Scarffe's excellent book 'The Great Laxey Mine'.
DJI Mini 2 9/7/21
The 360 degree Interactive
Panoramas
13th July
A few pictures taken
at Port Erin on Sunday morning, apart from the first one they're all aerial.
Panasonic TZ200 & DJI Mini 2 11/7/21
14th July
There are six new Railway
pictures in Railways 2021
Pt 3. DJI Mini 2 11/7/21
On Sunday afternoon
I walked from Agneash along the track to the old Snaefell Mine and back.
These aerial pictures were taken at various points along the way. I also
took ground level pictures but as I repeated the walk (with a considerable
extension) yesterday, I'll leave the ground level scenes for another day.
DJI Mini 2 11/7/21
15th July
As mentioned before,
on Tuesday afternoon I repeated the walk from Agneash to the Snaefell Mine,
but continued onwards to return via the paths and tracks much higher in
the hills. It was a lovely clear and sunny day, so the views were
great. Panasonic TZ200 13/7/21
16th July
There are four new Aircraft
pictures taken yesterday morning in Aircraft
2021 Pt 3. Panasonic FZ72 & Nikon D7100 15/7/21
Late yesterday afternoon
I had a stroll around the new Nature Reserve opened this year in Laxey
Glen. The reserve is on private land, but owners Stewart and Barbara
have created some paths through and opened it to the public from earlier
this year. You can enter by the Salmon Centre lake in Laxey and the
path will take you up to the Agneash Road, if you wish. Panasonic
TZ200 15/7/21
17th July
There are seven new
Railway pictures taken yesterday in Railways
2021 Pt 3. Panasonic TZ200 16/7/21
19th July
On Saturday morning
I carried out a couple of 'scout' flights around the National Sports Centre
in Douglas. The main intention of them was to work out operating
locations and camera angles for a possible commercial video feed operation
on the following day. The video session didn't happen in the end
but I thought that I'd share a few of the shots and 360 panoramas here.
DJI Mini 2 17/7/21
20th July
A few pictures taken
on the west coast south of Kirkmichael on Sunday afternoon. Panasonic
TZ200 18/7/21
21st July
Yesterday afternoon
we took the tram from Laxey to Snaefell Summit - it was far too hot for
walking! I took the Mini 2 drone and did some aerial photography
followed by some ground level shots before we had to catch the last tram
back down. DJI Mini 2 & Panasonic TZ200 20/7/21
There are five new Railway
pictures from yesterday afternoon in Railways
2021 Pt 3. Panasonic TZ200 & DJI Mini 2 20/7/21
After the trip down
the mountain in a rather busy and hot tram, we quite fancied an ice cream,
but the station cafe was closed by that time and the nearby Co-op shop
had their freezer in full sunlight right by the door and a rather uninteresting
selection, so we skipped that idea and went for a paddle at the beach instead!
23rd July
Yesterday was probably
the hottest day of the year (so far, anyway) with temperatures getting
very close to if not exceeding 30c, so a visit to a remote beach on the
west coast seemed a good idea in the afternoon, with a few swims in the
sea to cool down from time to time! Panasonic TZ200 22/7/21
24th July
On Thursday afternoon
the volunteers of the Queen's Pier Restoration
Trust held an opening ceremony for the first section of the restored
pier, which was originally opened on 22nd July 1886. It finally closed
in 1990 and was allowed to fall into disrepair by owners the Isle of Man
Government until the restoration trust was formed in 2015 with the aim
of restoring the pier to its former glory. I wasn't there on Thursday
but yesterday afternoon I took some aerial shots of the pier, although
the drone was pestered almost the whole time by a pair of Oystercatchers
who presumably considered it as a threat. DJI Mini 2 23/7/21
26th July
A visit for the second
day of the Port Erin Beach Festival. I was there fairly early on
the Sunday morning so it was still quite quiet, but apparently the Saturday
had been very busy. The weather was ideal, not too hot but lots of
sunshine and calm seas. Panasonic TZ200 & DJI Mini 2. 25/7/21
27th July
Some 'lucky chance'
aerial pictures taken yesterday morning. I hadn't planned a photography
trip, but was watering the garden and noticed the low cloud drifting down
the hills and central valley, so I grabbed the little drone and headed
initially for Keppel Gate to have a look at the East Baldwin Valley.
DJI Mini 2 26/7/21
After the flight from
above Slieau Ree (Keppel Gate) I thought that I'd try and find another
location for a different angle on the low cloud and headed for West Baldwin.
All along the Beinn-y-Phott road I was driving through thick fog, that
persisted until I was dropping down Injebreck Hill. West Baldwin
was in sunshine again and I found a suitable spot to the south of the hamlet,
not far from Mount Rule.
30th July
There are nine new Aircraft
pictures in Aircraft
2021 Pt 3. Panasonic TZ200 29/7/21
Following my aerial
photography sortie at Port Erin on Sunday where I'd wondered about the
origins of the stone staircase leading down the the little beach, Dave
Martin came up with the answer and a link to a very interesting
article about it originally published in the Isle of Man Examiner.
Apparently it was the first Marine Biological Research Station, constructed
in 1892 and used as such until they moved to the later and better known
establishment in 1902. Subsequently the buildings were used as St
Columba's Catholic Chapel and when they moved as a mortuary - hence the
nickname 'Mortuary Beach'. I re-visited yesterday afternoon to take
some ground level pictures of the site, it had been raining for most of
the day but fortunately cleared up in the afternoon. Panasonic TZ200
29/7/21
On the way home from
Port Erin, routing via The Sloc, I stopped at the little picnic area above
Ballakillowey which has such great views over the area below. I shot
a series of ten carefully hand held shots that I've stitched together in
PtGui to create the scrollable panorama below. Panasonic TZ200 29/7/21
31st July
Just one picture (actually
five as it's merged from five original AEB shots!) taken of the purple
'Nicky's Nook' in Ramsey yesterday afternoon. Rather a dull and overcast
day, South Barrule is in the clouds behind, but unusually there were no
cars or vans parked in front. Panasonic TZ200 30/7/21
1st August
I had thought that the
picture posted yesterday of 'Nicky's Nook' would be the last for the July
section, but yesterday afternoon we visited Molly Carooin's Cottage in
Old Onchan, which was open for visitors on the Saturday and Sunday afternoon's.
A very interesting history, narrated by the guide, lots of interesting
facts including that Molly's real name was actually Annie and that the
cottage was originally a weavers shed. Panasonic TZ200 31/7/21
After visiting Molly's
cottage, we continued down to Douglas for some shopping, but I also took
the opportunity to take some photos at the sunken gardens, which despite
all of the promenade works taking place around the, are looking as lovely
as ever.
|