Obviously the title for today's post relates to just the first picture. Later this year I will be going to Canada and for some of the time will be camping with friends in Sleeping Giant National Park. Last weekend I discovered that North Wales has it's own Sleeping Giant as can be seen in the first shot which is of the tip of Anglesey as seen from the beach at Gyrn Goch.
The next three pictures are focused on a group of three rocks but from slightly different viewpoints. I like the sheen on the rocks, I like the motion in the water and the soft colours in the sky. These pictures were taken just after the sun had finally dipped below the horizon giving a pinky glow.
As the sun went down the sky turned from pinky blue to rich golden yellow setting the sea on fire with golden reflections.
It was so relaxing to watch the sun sinking down towards the horizon.
For my second camping trip of the year I headed off to Gyrn Gogh on North Wales' LLeyn Peninsula.
I pitched my tent on the cliff looking out into the Irish Sea and then went down onto the stony beach to watch the sunset. It was Earth Day and I hadn't got up early to take pictures of the sunrise but I did manage to get some nice shots of the sun going down.
When I arrived the sky was quite overcast but as time passed the clouds cleared and although it was quite chilly I had a really pleasant evening.
I hadn't realised that the Jay is actually a member of the Crow family. Perhaps because it is so colourful it doesn't really fit the profile.
I have seen several Jays before but never close up like this and I was thrilled when I saw this one fly down and settle on a fence not far in front of me and as I was lining up to take a shot I was convinced it would be a perfect shot. Just then however an early morning jogger came up the path and the bird flew away. I was so annoyed. I was just turning my attention back to the squirrels though when the Jay returned and he sat just long enough for me to get these three pictures.
In the first image he was just about to take off and then he landed on a nearby tree. From the second picture it is clear that he was aware of me being there and he seems to be taking in an interest in what I was doing.
All in all I am really happy with these shots and I hope you like them too.
I was able to take several pictures of the red squirrels at Formby during my early morning visit and got chatting to another photographer from Essex also taking advantage of the quite and early morning sun to observe these stunning little creatures. Sadly the light didn't last too long and dog walkers and joggers sent the squirrels into the tree tops out of harms way.
Most of the time the squirrels were scampering around in search of food barely stopping but every now and then one would pause and nibble on a nut and I was able to capture the moment in these classic poses.
For anyone growing up in the UK in the 1960's will know about the Tufty Club hero of numerous road safety "films" and information leaflets. He was created in 1953 and by the early 60's there were more than 2000 Tufty Clubs nationwide with a membership of more than 2 million by 1972.
I was never a member and I didn't realise that Tufty still exists but apparently he does and in 1998 the character was "immortalised" in a ceramic figure.
So apart from the fact that Tufty was a Red Squirrel why am I drawing attention to this particularly British phenomenon? Well there is a real irony that a creature such as this is used to represent road safety, because from my observations of the squirrels at Formby they dash across the paths and roads without bothering to Stop Look or Listen or to Look Right, Look Left and Look Right Again relying on their speed to keep them out of danger, so they are hardly the best example to follow, no matter how cute they are.
Anyway, a couple of weeks ago I got up nice and early to get some shots of the squirrels before the crowds arrive. The red squirrel population at Formby was decimated in recent years due to a virus but with careful management the numbers are increasing and so I didn't have to wait too long before a these little beauties showed up.
Majestic really is the perfect adjective for these Magnolia flowers. I love these flowers they emerge from a beautiful furry bud and they bloom for just a short time. I love the colour and the shapes in these pictures and in the third shot we have one of nature's hearts which I always love to find and share. These flowers were also particularly fragrant adding to the beauty something which can't be shared in the image.
One thing which has always puzzled me is the colour "magnolia" and I remember as a child my parents picking magnolia paint when they were doing a spot of decorating at home. It just looked white to me, I thought it was just a fancy name and I didn't realise then that there was a plant which had given the paint its name. But then when I look at the different varieties of Magnolia I see a whole variety of colours and shades and it bothers me that "Magnolia" isn't a colour. It's like saying "Rose" or "Peach" are colours, they're not. Perhaps it's just me, because I don't see colours the way other people do, maybe I'm just being pedantic because I can deal with precise colours like red, green, pink, yellow etc or even shades of those colours (even if my perception of them is different) but if someone describes a colour to me in terms of Magnolia or Rose it means nothing to me because I can't visualise it.
Anyway I'm not quite sure why I went into that since the purpose of the blog is to share my photos but you have more than you bargained for with a little insight into my mind. If that freaks you out just scroll back to the images and normal service will be resumed.
"Thimble weed", "Stink Fox" or "Wood Anemone"
Four different names for the same flower, whatever you know it as here are some lovely shots of this flower that appears in early spring creating a lovely blanket of white, green and yellow.
I wasn't able to post anything yesterday as I was camping in North Wales and had no internet access. I was able to get some good shots though so I look forward to posting some in the near future. I still have a few more from Ness Gardens to share and I also have some from last weekend which should be a real treat.
So when you saw the title of today's post were you expecting mammals?
Well the first shot is of some emerging Cowslips one of my favourite wildflowers. They used to be extremely rare and I remember the first time I saw them growing on the bank of a dyke in Lincolnshire back in 1979. It was lovely to see these growing in the meadow at Ness Gardens.
The next flower is a Marsh Marigold, so no animal reference there but what a lovely flower it is and a great close up of the centre. As the name suggests these flowers grow in wet boggy ground and I got wet feet in order to get this close.
The final shots are of North American Skunk Cabbage, these are really interesting looking plants which also prefer a wet and boggy setting on the fringes of ponds and streams. Apparently these plants were used extensively as a medicinal plant, seasoning or magical talisman by some tribes of Native Americans. It is not edible raw as the roots are toxic and the leaves can burn the mouth but the leaves can be dried and used in soups and stews. However the name Skunk Cabbage gives a strong clue to the fact that these plants smell absolutely disgusting so even if they add flavour to soups and stews you would need a strong stomach to get over the smell. Best just to admire them from a safe distance.
I really really love Bluebells. I have some very happy memories of walking in Bluebell woods in Kent with my parents many years ago and I love to see a massive spread when the flowers are in their prime.
When I was at Ness Gardens recently there were only odd patches of them so I couldn't get a nice shot of a big spread so if that's what you like as well then have a look at this link which is a great picture of bluebells near Preston (and if you like that picture have a look at some of the other pictures of flowers by the same photographer, they're really very good).
For these shots I got right down to ground level and risked getting stung by the emerging nettles but it was worth the risk because I think they're great shots.
I could have called today's blog "Serendipity" or "Perfect Timing" but instead chose the Latin name for these lovely native wild flowers. Apparently today (April 19th) is Primrose Day.
I had no idea when I selected the pictures but doing a little bit of research I discovered that today is the anniversary of the death of the British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli and these were his favourite flowers. It is reputed that Queen Victoria regularly sent him bunches of Primroses and now each year n the anniversary of his death bunches or primroses are laid at his statue in Westminster Abbey. So purely by chance the pictures are a fitting post for this particular day.
I tried to identify this cute little fungus but all I could find was "Tiny Umbrella Fungus"
It was really tiny and was hidden away in a crack in a tree. I have seen similar fungi before but usually in groups of different size and usually they are bigger than this particular specimen. The first image is slightly larger than life size while the second picture is greatly enlarged. It shows the surface which at first appeared smooth actually has a frost like coating. It would have been easy to miss this so I am glad I didn't and that I got to share it...
There really is something about spring and these pictures show it. I love the delicate buds and the way new life springs from once barren looking branches. I also like the way plants can resemble other things from nature.
I don't know what the first plant is but it is soft and fresh and I like the way the tips of the leaves come together in a way reminiscent of finger tips.
The next shot is of a hazel bud which was part of a living arch. The soft furry buds look more mammal than tree.
The final two pictures are of pussy willow and again there is a soft downy quality as well as a gentle spikiness to these buds a bit like a caterpillar
Araucaria araucana or Monkey Puzzle (or Chilean Pine) to be precise.
The Monkey Puzzle Tree at Ness Gardens is probably the biggest and best specimen I have ever seen. For a shot of it in full have a look at this link.
While it is quite spectacular in full I find the detail much more interesting with the twisted rope like branches and succulent spiky leaves. I also like the alien seed pods which were only growing on one side of the tree. There is so much going on in this tree.
I was going to call today's post "Lawn Flair" because Daisies and Dandelions add flair to lawns however for those who want a neat and manicured lawn these colourful flowers are unwelcome intruders and so I chose a different title...
While I can understand how Daisies and Dandelions would be out of place in some gardens they really are among my favourite flowers and so we shouldn't overlook how beautiful they are and even humble weeds have their place.
I have never really been that keen on Hellebores but I now know that that is because I had never seen a really good specimen.
If I am honest I am not too keen on the first one in today's selection, I think it's a good enough photo but I'm just not struck by the flower itself.
The next three however I really like. I love the rich dark colour (even though I can't tell what colour it is) and then the green and cream of the central crown. It is really a thing of beauty so I now have a different impression of Hellebores.
