Mont St Michel

More from Normandy today... here are a few shots of Mont St Michel. It was a bustling maze of steep narrow streets up to the monastery at the top. I enjoyed the visit as it was a place I had wanted to visit for many years however I think I got the biggest buzz when I saw it from a distance for the first time and I think the last of today's pictures is my favourite by far.

Sunset Across The Sea

Two similar shots today, offering slightly different views of the sunset over the sea, looking out from the beach at Granville in Normandy.  

These pictures were taken in the summer of 2006 using a Konica digital compact camera.  I was pleased to be able to capture the sun as it appeared directly above the small island in the distance.  The low evening clouds also add some drama to the scene and meant that I could shoot directly at the sun without washing out the image.

Blowing In The Wind

Normally  I would try to avoid lens flare however every now and then it can work to good effect as I think it does in today's pictures of this reed head with its seeds ready to blow away on the wind.

Woodland Wonders

I am sure that everybody is familiar with the old idiom "You can't see the wood for the trees" and walking through this old woodland I found lots of interesting pieces of wood in various stages of decay.

I love the way the bark is peeling back from the rotting branch in the first picture, with the different textures and the way the afternoon light brings out the patterns.

In the second image I can see a face, surrounded by a golden mane of flowing hair.  

The third picture shows the importance of the bark as a protector of the tree.  Here you can see that although the wood has completely decayed the bark has remained intact.  it is now home to some of the many bugs and insects that live on the woodland floor.

The fourth picture is of a decaying stump which looks to me like a helmet from an ancient suit of armour, or perhaps a bit like one of the Moai monoliths on Easter Island.

The final picture is of a woodpile built from the cleared branches from the woodland floor. The reason I took it was for the rich colours.

Woodland Birds

When I am out in the woods I very often struggle to see the birds because I am colour blind so looking up into the tree tops I am sure that I miss a great deal in spite of their beautiful plumage... However I managed to capture this lovely Great Tit as it took a brief pause on its flight through the trees.

The Nuthatch is one of my favourite woodland birds, I like the orange and grey of its feathers and I like the black mask giving something of the appearance of a bandit.  This little bird was visiting a cache of seeds in a small hollow in the tree trunk.  It was quite difficult to get a steady shot in low light conditions as he was constantly on the move but I don't think these are too bad.

Reeds and Abstract Reflections

On the one bright and sunny day we have had in ages I went back to Mere Sands in the hope of getting some shots of birds in good light. However there were hardly any birds there to be seen.  Thinking that my luck really has been bad recently I sat and looked out across the lake and was struck by the colourful reflections and so I decided to make the most of my day out and take pictures of something different.

In the first of today's pictures I like the colour of the reeds which shone gold in the sunlight. The second shot is of tree trunks reflected in the gently rippling water, looking at it now I think like the bottom half of the picture more than the image as a whole because there is greater distortion and more abstract quality.

The third and fourth images are of the same area with more reflections of the trees and the sky visible through the naked branches. These are much more abstract images than the first two and it is the richness of the colours and the patterns which make these pictures my favourites.

Woodland Reflection

Just one picture for today, the focus of this image is the reflection of the trees captured in the small pool of water collected in a rotting branch. It was only visible from a couple of angles and would have been easily missed so I was pleased to capture this most unexpected reflection on what was a fairly dull day.

Good Grebe

By the time I got round to the last hide at Mere Sands to see the grebes the light was really poor and that has affected the quality of these pictures which are not as sharp as I would have liked.  The birds in these shots are a Great Crested Grebe and a Little Grebe. In spite of the atrocious weather they were undeterred as they patrolled the lake in search of a meal. They really have quite impressive fishing skills and they dived for a long time, often resurfacing some distance from the original dive.

I saw both come up with fish but was unable to capture the moment because I had had to close the window to the hide to avoid a soaking as the rain lashed down. I did manage to get a little wet but it didn't spoil my day out.  I hope that when I go back I will get some better shots of these cracking little birds.

Ducks and Drakes

Although mallards are probably the most common ducks we will see in our parks and along our river banks but because we see them so often they are easily overlooked which is a shame because they are truly beautiful.  I am really pleased with the first of today's pictures, the clear image and the lovely reflection show this young female at her best.

I love the flash of colour in the cheeks of the drake in the final two pictures and the water droplets beading on its head is a nice detail. 

In A Flap

So these first three shots are of Goosander, the first two being male and the third female. As part of their preening routine they scratched and rearranged their feathers and then shook them back into position.  I like the  diamond pattern in the first picture, formed by the outstretched wings and the dark feathers of the birds' back.

In comparison to the males the female in the third picture was much more calm and serene. I like the chocolate brown plumage of the head with the white bib which almost looks like a smile.

I took this final shot because it struck me as funny how all four ducks buried their heads at the same time, as if they were camera shy.  Can you come up with a suitable caption for this picture?  if so leave a comment...

And A Robin For Luck

I have been so frustrated recently because it is about five weeks since I was able to get out at a weekend to take some photos and when I saw the weather forecast for today I thought it would be another washout.  However I decided that I would head off to Mere Sands Wood and if the weather turned nasty at least I could take shelter in the hides.

I had hoped to get some pictures of some of our winter visitors however I was told by the warden that due to the unseasonably warm weather the usual migrant species from Scandinavia and the Arctic haven't turned up yet (if they do at all) and so there wasn't very much in the way of bird life and waterfowl to see.

Undeterred I walked around the quiet woodland and had a really lovely day. The light was really poor so getting good shots was a challenge, as you can see from the first two images I had to use a high ISO (10,000) and the resulting images are a bit grainy.  I was however pleased to get the shot of the Grey Heron just as it landed and you can see its wings extended to slow it down and the feathers along the leading edge of its wings extended further to act as air brakes.

The third picture is of a male Goosander, there is not a lot of detail in this picture but I like the reflection and the sense of motion created by the ripples in its wake.

The final picture is my first photo of a Robin this winter, I know that everyone loves Robins so thought I would add it to my blog for today.

I had a great day out, it was peaceful and quiet and although I did have to take shelter against a really heavy downpour I was happy.

Lovely Lizards

Now I know that some people wont like these pictures because of the subject matter but I have always loved reptiles and so whenever I have seen lizards like this I have been more than a little excited. 

They are very timid creatures and really skittish which means it is very difficult to get good photos. I am pleased with these shots though, these lovely creatures were so sleek and elegant and posed just long enough to capture.

Rocky III

Here is my third (and final) selection of pictures of the rock formations at Fontainebleau.  I think these are perhaps the most curious off all.

I am sure that people will see different things in each of these unusual shapes, for example I think the rocks in the first picture look like a pair of otters, in the second one I can see a penguin leaning forwards but in the final image with is the second rock from a different angle I can see the head of a manatee.The third and fourth picture are like a surrealist sculpture inspired by Salvador Dali.  Maybe you can see something different, if so leave a comment...

More Curious Formations

Yesterday's pictures seemed to catch a few people's interest so here are a few more shots of the unusual rock formations from the forest of Fontainebleau.  The rocks seem to rise out of the forest floor and in the third image the rock almost looks as though it has melted and looks like it would be quite leathery to the touch but it's not..

Unusual Rock Formations

Walking through the forest at Fontainebleau, ancient hunting ground of Francois the 1st you will come across many unusual rock formations dotted through the trees and alongside the paths. Some like the second picture have an almost animal form and this has led to speculation that they may be carvings which could date as far back as thirty million years. Personally I am not convinced of that although I do think it is a wonderful idea.
What I love though is the smooth tactile quality of the shapes and the colour of the stone contrasted against the greenery all around.  On this particular day it was slightly damp and so the stone was slippery and glistening.