puzzling reflection

So can you tell what is reflected here in this pool?

It is a happy Humboldt Penguin on parade at Chester Zoo. I like the reflection of the penguin but I also like the way the ripples light up the penguins underside.

Cats and Dogs...

I have recently posted a lovely photo of a cheetah but yesterday when I went to the zoo I managed to get some really great shots the first of today's offering being one.

The second shot is a dog, a Bush Dog and they are unbelievably cute. Apparently they have a very wide range in the wild but they are extremely rare so to see such a healthy group at Chester Zoo is really nice.

Whose Shadow?

You may have noticed that I haven't posted anything for a week, what with Christmas and various other things on my mind I just haven't got round to it.  So I thought that I would start up again with a little puzzle. 

Can you work out whose shadows you are looking at in this picture?

Scroll down for the full image...

Of course, it's a couple of meerkats soaking up the last of the days' sunshine. It really was very cold out there today so you can hardly blame them. They're just so cute. I have a few more pictures of them to share among some of the other creatures I snapped this afternoon so come back and have a look over the coming days.

Sea Defense

On the beach at Aberaeron these defense prevent erosion. It is interesting that the pebbles on the right hand side which is more exposed to the effects of the waves are small compared to the stones on the more sheltered left hand side which are much larger.

New Bridge

This wooden footbridge spans the Afon Aeron (that's River Aeron for non Welsh speakers) in the pretty seaside town of Aberaeron in Ceredigion. It was taken in the middle of the afternoon but as it is mid December the light was fading fast and the colours weren't too crisp so I think a black and white image is more effective.

ARSE!!!

I was going to post something nice and cuddly but then I got some news I didn't like so apologies for the language but Arse!!!

It's still quite a good picture tho.

Cards? I don't think so!

Well you wouldn't play cards with a cheetah...

Sorry I know it is a dreadful joke. 

I love cats, even though I won't have a pet one (so nobody ask) and I love big cats even more. My favourite is a close tie between a Jaguar and a Snow Leopard but not far behind is the cheetah, It is so beautiful, it has such poise and bearing. It is so powerful and ready to leap into action to chase down its prey. At the zoo the cheetahs enclosure is being refurbished and improved so they have been moved to a smaller temporary enclosure which meant I could get really close, it was amazing. It was always on the move so I was thrilled to get such a good clear shot, even through the wire.

I Want One of These

I mean seriously this is so cute, who wouldn't want one?

King of the Jungle

This majestic lion is looking rather thoughtful but just moments before this shot was taken he was roaring fit to bust a gut and he had chased one of the lionesses off what seemed to be his favourite spot. But once he had asserted his dominance he strolled off to a quiet spot to lay down. Some might say "typical" others my say "impressive", you decide... 

A Somnolent Posture

When I was younger I used to enjoy listening to the monologues of Stanley Holloway and in particular the stories of Albert and the Lion which I memorised.

When I was at the zoo and I saw this lion laid out on this log I recalled the line "He lay in a somnolent posture with the side of his face on the bars..." The lion in the poem was Clarence and obviously a "he" and the lion in this shot is obviously a "she"  but it definitely fits the bill.

It's A Hoot

I have always loved owls and these two specimens at Chester Zoo are quite stunning. I love the serene pose of the Ural Owl in the first image but my favourite of the two is the Northern Hawk Owl with its piercing gaze. While the Ural Owl sat serenely watching the world go by the Hawk Owl was always alert, keeping its eyes on me at all times.

You've gotta love a Robin

So there I was walking around the zoo, I had spent about 40 minutes watching the Red Pandas and after getting a few decent shots I was heading over to look at some owls when this noisy little Robin flew past me and settled on a post just off the main path. I hadn't intended to take any pictures of it, after all Robins are everywhere and I didn't go to the zoo to look at common garden birds. But I do love Robins and I know there's a few of you out there who would say "you've gotta love a Robin" and just look at him, he was watching me so intently it seemed rude to ignore him. I love the pose  and I like the way the blurred background with the shaft of light highlights the bird perfectly. 

Just as it would have been rude not to take the shot it would be rude not to share it, so please take a few moments to enjoy this beautiful bird and I hope that like me, your day was just a little bit brighter for seeing it.

Look Into My Eyes

I can't decide whether this elephant looks happy or sad. I am slightly surprised how small its eye is in comparison to the size of its head. I think it makes a great photo though.

Rhinoceros unicornis

I said yesterday that I would be posting more images from my brief visit this week  to Aberaeron, however today I had an opportunity to use my membership of Chester Zoo (thanks kids for my birthday gift) and spend a couple of hours taking photos. It was cold and grey so fortunately (for me) the zoo wasn't very busy which meant I had time to watch some of my favourite animals without lots of distractions. 

I didn't tour the whole zoo, I will have plenty of opportunities to go back, but I spent some time watching the Red Pandas and some of the big cats. For today however I have chosen a shot of an animal I haven't photographed before; the Indian Rhinoceros also known as the greater one horned rhino. The zoo has some Black Rhino, a baby was born there in January this year but this is the Indian Rhino and it looks quite prehistoric with its heavy armoured hide. It's not pretty but I think it is magnificent.

White Lines...

Earlier this week I had to travel to a small village in Carmarthenshire in Wales for work. It was a long day but with 8 hours total driving time through some stunning scenery it didn't feel like work, but don't anyone tell my boss. Along the route I was excited to see lots of my favourite bird of prey, the beautiful Red Kite, but sadly I didn't get chance to photograph them.

I did however stop off at the little seaside village of Aberaeron and although the light was pretty poor I had a really good time taking pictures down on the beach and around the streets and harbour and as you can probably guess I will be sharing some of my favourite shots from the day. I am hoping that I have to go back to that area again in the new year and hopefully then the light will be better.

Today I have chosen this picture of a pebble, it really stood out with the lightning flashes which are not etched on the surface but run right through the stone. I think it looks really cool.

Winter Gold

As winter approaches you don't really expect to see brightly coloured flowers but on Thurstaston Common lit up by the rising sun I found this beautiful gorse in full bloom. I am always surprised by how delicate the flowers are compared to the violently spiky foliage.

Layered Landscape

I really love this picture, I love the hard and soft layers, I love the cold frosty rocks in the foreground, the trees lit up by the rising sun and the mist separating the hill in the distance, and then I love the layers of colours in the sky with the peachy glow.

It was a lovely morning and I think this picture captures it really well.

Frosty Moss

Looking down as I walked across the common I saw this clump of frosty moss and what I think is a variety of Ganoderma fungus. It looks rather like a colony of coral.

As The Sun Rises

Sunrise on Thurstaston Common on a very cold and frosty morning. 

Frozen Oak

This little oak shoot was springing up through the grass and I was surprised to see it because the oak tree I have in my garden has already shed all of its leaves.

I love the frosty coating and close up it looks like tiny grains of salt or icing sugar.

On Frozen Pond

I was fascinated to see the intricate and varied patterns etched in the ice on a small pool of water collected in the uneven surface of the bedrock on Thurstaston Hill. I have cropped the image slightly to remove some blades of grass in the bottom corner because they were a distraction from what I wanted to share.