Testing my New Nikon P80 During a Walk in the Valley

I am a lucky fellow. My father in law returned yesterday from a business trip to Shanghai, and brought me a present - a Nikon Coolpix P80. It was perfect timing, as I was beginning to dream of a new camera. I have to read the instruction manual a few more times until I can make heads or tails of all the funky functionality.


So yesterday afternoon I went out for a hike into the valley to try out the camera. I have a lot more figuring out to do with it, but here are the pictures I managed to snap.

Mungo Says Bah, bushcraft, camping, outdoors, hiking, photography, nature, flora, fungi, fauna, mora knife, gransfor-bruks axe
An old piece of iron laying in the woods. I'm guessing it is part of some old tractor or farm equipment. The area used to be an orchard.

Mungo Says Bah, bushcraft, camping, outdoors, hiking, photography, nature, flora, fungi, fauna, mora knife, gransfor-bruks axe
The cold winter winds are beginning to blow. I stood quietly in the marshy meadows hoping to see deer - I saw no movement. I would need to wait until dusk I suspect.

Mungo Says Bah, bushcraft, camping, outdoors, hiking, photography, nature, flora, fungi, fauna, mora knife, gransfor-bruks axe
The rivers are swollen with recent rains. Green ground cover is holding onto its colours.

Mungo Says Bah, bushcraft, camping, outdoors, hiking, photography, nature, flora, fungi, fauna, mora knife, gransfor-bruks axe
Most plants have gone to seed, and I see tinder bundles all throughout the woods.

Mungo Says Bah, bushcraft, camping, outdoors, hiking, photography, nature, flora, fungi, fauna, mora knife, gransfor-bruks axe
I was surprised to see these Oyster mushrooms looking so fresh and recent. They'll be frozen and wilted in a day or two.

Mungo Says Bah, bushcraft, camping, outdoors, hiking, photography, nature, flora, fungi, fauna, mora knife, gransfor-bruks axe
The subtle rich colours of Turkey Tail brighten up a little patch of the woods.

Mungo Says Bah, bushcraft, camping, outdoors, hiking, photography, nature, flora, fungi, fauna, mora knife, gransfor-bruks axe
Bright berries cling on to the stalks.

Mungo Says Bah, bushcraft, camping, outdoors, hiking, photography, nature, flora, fungi, fauna, mora knife, gransfor-bruks axe
The macro feature seems to work easily.

Mungo Says Bah, bushcraft, camping, outdoors, hiking, photography, nature, flora, fungi, fauna, mora knife, gransfor-bruks axe
Now the 'landscape' feature of the camera.

Mungo Says Bah, bushcraft, camping, outdoors, hiking, photography, nature, flora, fungi, fauna, mora knife, gransfor-bruks axe
I try to use both the pre-set features (like 'landscape' and 'closeup') and also use the manual set up to achieve these shots.

Mungo Says Bah, bushcraft, camping, outdoors, hiking, photography, nature, flora, fungi, fauna, mora knife, gransfor-bruks axe
More Turkey Tail.

Mungo Says Bah, bushcraft, camping, outdoors, hiking, photography, nature, flora, fungi, fauna, mora knife, gransfor-bruks axe
The river valley.

Mungo Says Bah, bushcraft, camping, outdoors, hiking, photography, nature, flora, fungi, fauna, mora knife, gransfor-bruks axe
A close-up of the rushing river.

Mungo Says Bah, bushcraft, camping, outdoors, hiking, photography, nature, flora, fungi, fauna, mora knife, gransfor-bruks axe
The path leading down into the valley is slick with mud and wet leaves.

Mungo Says Bah, bushcraft, camping, outdoors, hiking, photography, nature, flora, fungi, fauna, mora knife, gransfor-bruks axe
Dried mushrooms and fungus litter the tree stumps.

Mungo Says Bah, bushcraft, camping, outdoors, hiking, photography, nature, flora, fungi, fauna, mora knife, gransfor-bruks axe
Choke cherries.

Mungo Says Bah, bushcraft, camping, outdoors, hiking, photography, nature, flora, fungi, fauna, mora knife, gransfor-bruks axe
I came across the largest pair of Puffball mushrooms that I've ever seen. Now I actually haven't seen fresh Puffballs before, but as I looked into the woods I first saw the one above. I thought it was a piece of construction foam or something. I pushed through the underbrush to investigate and realized that the skin looked like that of a young Leopard Earthball, only this was the size of a large pumpkin. The dusty orange inside was entirely composed of spores which I knocked about, creating clouds in the air. Amazing. I put my Mora knife on top of it to show the scale of the fungus. When they are young and white inside, you can eat them - frying them up in butter.

Mungo Says Bah, bushcraft, camping, outdoors, hiking, photography, nature, flora, fungi, fauna, mora knife, gransfor-bruks axe
There is nearly a foot of snow on its way late this afternoon. Or so the meteorologists tell us.

Mungo Says Bah, bushcraft, camping, outdoors, hiking, photography, nature, flora, fungi, fauna, mora knife, gransfor-bruks axe
The puddles with freeze over, and snow will build up in the valley.

Mungo Says Bah, bushcraft, camping, outdoors, hiking, photography, nature, flora, fungi, fauna, mora knife, gransfor-bruks axe
This pumpkin, which appears to have been rolled down the valley walls, will look like a white lump.

Mungo Says Bah, bushcraft, camping, outdoors, hiking, photography, nature, flora, fungi, fauna, mora knife, gransfor-bruks axe
The seed heads will stay on the branches, ready for some mid-winter campfires I'll be having down there.

Mungo Says Bah, bushcraft, camping, outdoors, hiking, photography, nature, flora, fungi, fauna, mora knife, gransfor-bruks axe
The last of the berries will succumb to the sparrows and other birds.

And I'll still be learning how to use my new camera.

Cheers,

Mungo

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