Today's pictures were taken December 2012 in Utah. Mount Timpanogos in the first picture is 11,641ft.
Deer Creek Reservoir in the following pictures was just beginning to freeze around the shoreline. I took the final picture because as I was driving past I could see mist rising off the surface and in the distance it is possible to see a cloud forming.
That day was also memorable for me because I saw a Bald Eagle perched on a fence post by the side of the road. When I was choosing pictures for today I realised that at the top of the last photo I snapped an eagle in flight, I hadn't noticed it before today so when I spotted it (tiny as it is) I was quite chuffed.
With snow and ice one of the main features on the news bulletins I thought there would be some good photo opportunities but locally there has been absolutely no snow.
I thought however that it would be topical to post some wintery pictures today so I have selected these shots of icicles taken in Utah in December 2012. I like the windblown array in the second picture and in the last three I like the way the thorns and pine needles have been encased in ice in a way I had never seen before.
I like all of the pictures but if I had to choose a favourite I would say the third one although it is not an easy choice. Let me know what you think in the comments below.
Having posted some pictures of bees yesterday I had a look through my folders and found these shots of bugs feeding on pollen in the gardens at Powys Castle.
These pictures were taken using the macro feature on a Tamron 70mm - 300mm lens, They were handheld and so not as sharp as I would have liked and I imagine that had I had my Canon 100mm macro lens I may have got some better shots. All the same I'm sure you will agree they're not too bad.
At the front of my house I have a lovely lavender plant growing in an old chimney stack. It has been growing for years and it every summer it is a mass of fragrant blossom, and blossom attracts the bees.
Taking photos of bees is not at all easy as they rarely stay still long enough to get a really sharp image.
Today's pictures were from my first attempt to photograph bees using my 100mm Macro lens. I have to be honest most of the shots I took that day were rubbish but I have managed to pick a couple that I am relatively happy with. This summer I hope to get a bit more practice.
The first shot is of another Blue Tit the other two are of a Great Tit which was noisily chirping away to warn other birds of my presence but it seemed quite happy to stay close by as if watching what I was doing.
I really had a good time watching the birds and capturing these images but I was even more convinced that I need to save up and invest in a bigger telephoto lens. I'm thinking a 150mm - 600mm lens will probably be on my shopping list to get even closer and hopefully better pictures in future
In the meantime I hope you have enjoyed today's photos.
I think that like the Robin the pretty little Blue Tit is another beautiful and interesting bird with lots of character and charm. They're more skittish than the Robin so getting a good shot requires a little more patience. Their feathers have an almost fur like quality as can be seen in the second picture which is a crop of the third photo.
I am quite pleased with today's pictures. Certainly worth the wait. Tomorrow I will have a few shots of another popular garden/woodland bird.
Let me know what you think in the comments field below...
Today's pictures follow on from the shots of the Robin I posted yesterday. This squirrel was just as cheeky and inquisitive as the Robin was but seemed perfectly at home in the walled garden at Royden Park.
I think in the first picture it looks as though the squirrel is doing the actions to the song "The Wheels on the Bus". The second picture is a crop from the last of today's pictures, I chose to post that to give you a closer look at his cheeky face.
I hope you like the pictures, please feel free to leave a comment.
For those who have tried to post comments in the past without success I think I have solved the issue which meant comments disappeared so from now on I should be able to see what you think.
Always popular the Robin is a beautiful bird and with its inquisitive personality cannot fail to charm us all.
These pictures were taken in the walled garden at Royden Park in Wirral earlier today, it was bright and sunny but very cold and this little chap was foraging for a tasty snack. It also sang a cheerful song as it sat in the tree and really helped to lift my mood. I hope it works for you too :)
So if you liked yesterday's pictures, and I know that a lot of people did, I am sure that you will like the three pictures I have posted today.
These were taken on the same day as yesterdays pictures in Delamere Forest. The frost created a magical atmosphere, coating every tree and blade of grass. The frozen pond in the third picture looked firm enough to walk on but it would have been a shame to disturb such a beautiful scene.
I like the frozen spider's web. Webs often make interesting pictures especially when covered with morning dew and this frozen one is no exception. It is a shame that it was incomplete but i guess the freezing had made it more fragile.
Let me know which is your favourite and why...
Having spent most of the week on the beach I have moved inland now, to Delamere Forest to be exact. These pictures were taken on New Years Eve 2008 and were among the first taken with my canon 450D. As you can see it was a particularly cold and frosty morning with a thick coating of frost on just about everything. There was mist hanging in the air creating a slightly eerie backdrop to everything and robbing things of colour. The robin in the second photo was just about the only colourful thing to be seen.
I love getting out in all weathers and in every season and these pictures show that there is so much beauty in all conditions. Tomorrow I will have a few more pictures from this session which I hope you will enjoy too.
For today, here are a few more shots from Caldy beach. I found these posts really interesting as you can probably tell and so I have taken a number of pictures from various angles. I hope you enjoy them.
I was lucky with the last photo because as I turned around the sun burst through and illuminated Hilbre Island which previously had been barely visible on the horizon, demonstrating that it helps to be in the right place at the right time.
Three more pictures from the beach at low tide. I have more to share over the next couple of days.
These are more of the posts exposed by the receding waters with a view across the Dee to North Wales. You can also see the weather front approaching from the right bringing sleet and rain.
I think these pictures work well in either colour or black and white but I think picture two is more atmospheric. Let me know what you think...
I have lived in this area for over 20 years and in that time I think I have visited this part of the coast just once before. It is a really interesting stretch of beach with some stunning views across the Dee and into Liverpool Bay.
Although it was cold and a wintry storm was approaching I was able to get some great shots down on the beach.
I really like each of todays pictures for the colours, the shadows and the ripples. I also like the blurred background and shallow depth of field.
Before I move on to show you some of the coastal pictures I took yesterday (which I am excited about because some of them are fabulous) I wanted to share a few more from Caldy Village. The three shots today are of what I think is the church hall. I am assuming that is what it is because the pathway to the entrance comes from the church yard. It was built as you can see in 1883 in a Tudor style. Clearly it is not as old as many of the other buildings in the village but it was obviously built to fit in with the architecture around it.
I have chosen a mix of colour and black and white, both of which I think show the building to good effect. In the second picture I particularly like the shadow of the bracket supporting the lantern, because of the angle of the sun it is slightly elongated but it almost looks like a mirror image. I hope you like these pictures, feel free to leave a comment below.
Caldy Village lies next to West Kirby and overlooks the Dee Estuary and the Flintshire coast. Although the area known as Caldy has become spread out and boasts many sumptuous houses, the village centre itself is very small. It dates back hundreds of years, the house in the first two pictures having been built in 1702 and the house in the final image was built in 1683.
One of my preferred cycle routes takes me through the village and along the nearby coastal path. I have often admired the houses here and today during a bright spell as a storm approached from the Irish Sea I took the opportunity to take a few photographs to post here.
I hope you agree with me that the rich colour of the stone feels warm even though it was actually bitterly cold. The winter sun as seen in the third picture although very bright, did nothing to warm me up.
Tomorrow I will share a few more pictures of the village and then over the next few days I will post some photos taken along the shoreline.
