Tony Allen-Mills
@taminf.bsky.social
Former foreign correspondent retired to the mountains of France, where I’ve (mostly) hung up my pen and picked up a camera. Veteran traveller, now focused on landscapes, birds, dragon- and butterflies with the odd urban scene thrown in.
Pinned
For today's #birdoftheday, @robcrank68.bsky.social is looking for #BirdsontheGround. Here's a common starling out for a stroll, looking anything but common in its richly ornamented featheritude.
#photography #birds
#photography #birds
November 11, 2025 at 11:25 AM
For today's #birdoftheday, @robcrank68.bsky.social is looking for #BirdsontheGround. Here's a common starling out for a stroll, looking anything but common in its richly ornamented featheritude.
#photography #birds
#photography #birds
A mossy, late autumn scene from the banks of the Albarine river. I love these inviting tangles of muted colour and texture.
#photography #scape #France
#photography #scape #France
November 11, 2025 at 9:49 AM
A mossy, late autumn scene from the banks of the Albarine river. I love these inviting tangles of muted colour and texture.
#photography #scape #France
#photography #scape #France
This is quite a common bird in parts of Africa, but I only ever photographed it once, in the Kruger Park, South Africa, thereby qualifying it for the #least theme in today's #BirdoftheDay by @alan678.bsky.social . It's a Greater blue-eared glossy starling.
#photography #birds
#photography #birds
November 10, 2025 at 8:59 AM
This is quite a common bird in parts of Africa, but I only ever photographed it once, in the Kruger Park, South Africa, thereby qualifying it for the #least theme in today's #BirdoftheDay by @alan678.bsky.social . It's a Greater blue-eared glossy starling.
#photography #birds
#photography #birds
A visit to a Louisiana sanctuary for wounded raptors yielded this picture of a tiny Eastern screech owl, standing on a volunteer's gloved finger. It had injured its wing falling out of its nest, but was healing well. For the #standingonthings theme of #BirdoftheDay by @robcrank68.bsky.social
November 9, 2025 at 8:52 AM
A visit to a Louisiana sanctuary for wounded raptors yielded this picture of a tiny Eastern screech owl, standing on a volunteer's gloved finger. It had injured its wing falling out of its nest, but was healing well. For the #standingonthings theme of #BirdoftheDay by @robcrank68.bsky.social
On the cliffsides of the Albarine river gorge yesterday, the morning sun caught the last few remnants of autumn colour.
#photography #scape #stunday
#photography #scape #stunday
November 9, 2025 at 8:29 AM
On the cliffsides of the Albarine river gorge yesterday, the morning sun caught the last few remnants of autumn colour.
#photography #scape #stunday
#photography #scape #stunday
For today's #BlueSkyArtShow here's a Caribbean #evening - cleaning the pool at the end of the day.
#photography #travel #sunset
#photography #travel #sunset
November 8, 2025 at 8:44 AM
For today's #BlueSkyArtShow here's a Caribbean #evening - cleaning the pool at the end of the day.
#photography #travel #sunset
#photography #travel #sunset
A gang of coots launching a mad dash across the pond, my entry for the #takeoffs theme of today's #birdoftheday by @alan678.bsky.social
#photography #birds
#photography #birds
November 8, 2025 at 8:03 AM
A gang of coots launching a mad dash across the pond, my entry for the #takeoffs theme of today's #birdoftheday by @alan678.bsky.social
#photography #birds
#photography #birds
It's #FirehydrantFriday once more, so here's a pleasant French village scene, immeasurably enhanced by the positioning of its red hydrant next to a 19th century water pump.
#photography
#photography
November 7, 2025 at 10:11 AM
It's #FirehydrantFriday once more, so here's a pleasant French village scene, immeasurably enhanced by the positioning of its red hydrant next to a 19th century water pump.
#photography
#photography
I haven't got a lot for the #fighting theme by @robcrank68.bsky.social for today's #BirdoftheDay, but these two parakeets were having a good go in a London park earlier this year. I don't think they were trying to kiss...
#photography #birds
#photography #birds
November 7, 2025 at 8:43 AM
I haven't got a lot for the #fighting theme by @robcrank68.bsky.social for today's #BirdoftheDay, but these two parakeets were having a good go in a London park earlier this year. I don't think they were trying to kiss...
#photography #birds
#photography #birds
Today's theme from @sabineshutterbug.bsky.social for #PalacesandGardens is a tricky one: #weatherandmood. Not sure I've got it quite right here, but it's the Chateau de Fontainebleau, gardens strangely deserted on an early morning of weak sunshine.
November 6, 2025 at 1:36 PM
Today's theme from @sabineshutterbug.bsky.social for #PalacesandGardens is a tricky one: #weatherandmood. Not sure I've got it quite right here, but it's the Chateau de Fontainebleau, gardens strangely deserted on an early morning of weak sunshine.
Today's #BirdoftheDay theme by @alan678.bsky.social is #lunchtime. The bigger the bird, the bigger the lunch...
#photography #birds #pelican
#photography #birds #pelican
November 6, 2025 at 8:04 AM
Today's #BirdoftheDay theme by @alan678.bsky.social is #lunchtime. The bigger the bird, the bigger the lunch...
#photography #birds #pelican
#photography #birds #pelican
Nice theme of #closeups for today's #BirdoftheDay by @robcrank68.bsky.social. One of my favourite birds is the Inca tern, one of very few birds with a handlebar moustache. This one posed for me nicely...
#photography #birds
#photography #birds
November 5, 2025 at 12:09 PM
Nice theme of #closeups for today's #BirdoftheDay by @robcrank68.bsky.social. One of my favourite birds is the Inca tern, one of very few birds with a handlebar moustache. This one posed for me nicely...
#photography #birds
#photography #birds
November 5, 2025 at 7:10 AM
The last colours of autumn somehow catch fire when you play around with #ICM - intentional camera movement. Here's a woodland scene from this morning - no filters, no AI, just a touch of contrast, a slight crop, and a whole lot of experimenting with hand-held vertical shifting
#photography #scape
#photography #scape
November 4, 2025 at 6:21 PM
The last colours of autumn somehow catch fire when you play around with #ICM - intentional camera movement. Here's a woodland scene from this morning - no filters, no AI, just a touch of contrast, a slight crop, and a whole lot of experimenting with hand-held vertical shifting
#photography #scape
#photography #scape
Lots of good-looking entries for today's #BirdoftheDay theme of #rock, set by @alan678.bsky.social. Here's a nice rock from me (oh, and sorry about that Pied Kingfisher with its lunch slightly obscuring the view of the rock....).
#photography #birds
#photography #birds
November 4, 2025 at 8:42 AM
Lots of good-looking entries for today's #BirdoftheDay theme of #rock, set by @alan678.bsky.social. Here's a nice rock from me (oh, and sorry about that Pied Kingfisher with its lunch slightly obscuring the view of the rock....).
#photography #birds
#photography #birds
November 3, 2025 at 4:23 PM
So many #worst shots I could post for today's #birdoftheday theme, but the pain from this one lingers: the only time I've ever snapped a Goldcrest. Just after I took this useless shot it hopped into the clear - but I'd lowered my camera and a second later it was gone. Bah.
#photography #birds
#photography #birds
November 2, 2025 at 3:33 PM
So many #worst shots I could post for today's #birdoftheday theme, but the pain from this one lingers: the only time I've ever snapped a Goldcrest. Just after I took this useless shot it hopped into the clear - but I'd lowered my camera and a second later it was gone. Bah.
#photography #birds
#photography #birds
Autumn turning to winter - but still beautiful. Walking near my home in south-eastern France.
#photography #autumn #scape #stunday #backlit
#photography #autumn #scape #stunday #backlit
November 2, 2025 at 8:41 AM
Autumn turning to winter - but still beautiful. Walking near my home in south-eastern France.
#photography #autumn #scape #stunday #backlit
#photography #autumn #scape #stunday #backlit
Some wonderful photos of #grebes about today but I'm going with the alternative #BirdoftheDay theme of #finches. Here's a Diamond firetail (you can see where it got its name). Thanks to @robcrank68.bsky.social
#photography #birds
#photography #birds
November 1, 2025 at 4:01 PM
Some wonderful photos of #grebes about today but I'm going with the alternative #BirdoftheDay theme of #finches. Here's a Diamond firetail (you can see where it got its name). Thanks to @robcrank68.bsky.social
#photography #birds
#photography #birds
November 1, 2025 at 10:52 AM
This is either a scary Bald Ibis or a chicken in a #Halloween mask. Either way, he seems to be #hiding behind a rock, thereby fitting in a single shot both themes by @alan678.bsky.social for today's #Birdoftheday !
#photography #birds
#photography #birds
October 31, 2025 at 2:07 PM
This is either a scary Bald Ibis or a chicken in a #Halloween mask. Either way, he seems to be #hiding behind a rock, thereby fitting in a single shot both themes by @alan678.bsky.social for today's #Birdoftheday !
#photography #birds
#photography #birds
I'm a bit late for today's #birdoftheday theme of #oddangles - but here's a pair of Inca terns squabbling over fishing rights (at least I think that's what they were doing....).
#photography #birds
#photography #birds
October 30, 2025 at 5:56 PM
I'm a bit late for today's #birdoftheday theme of #oddangles - but here's a pair of Inca terns squabbling over fishing rights (at least I think that's what they were doing....).
#photography #birds
#photography #birds
"We can't go on meeting like this". It was standing room only on the back of a South African impala for this group of red-billed oxpeckers. I love the way the birds all appear to be listening to their leader. For today's alternative #BirdoftheDay theme of #funny.
#photography #birds
#photography #birds
October 29, 2025 at 1:27 PM
"We can't go on meeting like this". It was standing room only on the back of a South African impala for this group of red-billed oxpeckers. I love the way the birds all appear to be listening to their leader. For today's alternative #BirdoftheDay theme of #funny.
#photography #birds
#photography #birds
Good timing, @alan678.bsky.social, you want #gulls and I came home from our local ponds yesterday with about 200 flying gull shots to sort through. Here's one of them with a nice autumn backdrop.
#birdoftheday #photography #birds
#birdoftheday #photography #birds
October 29, 2025 at 8:28 AM
Good timing, @alan678.bsky.social, you want #gulls and I came home from our local ponds yesterday with about 200 flying gull shots to sort through. Here's one of them with a nice autumn backdrop.
#birdoftheday #photography #birds
#birdoftheday #photography #birds