Precious Songbirds

British songbirds are in decline and apparently Canada has a similar problem.

I spotted this little beauty when I stopped off at Silver Islet, it was hoping around in the scrub along the shore, and it had a most beautiful song. I have tried to identify what species it is and hopefully I have been successful. I thought it might be a species of warbler but it's not I wondered if it was a wood thrush but it's not. It is in fact a song sparrow. It certainly isn't the most colourful bird but it really is a cute little character.

In my search to identify it I came across a very short video from Feb 2016 which highlights the decline in songbirds and the first bird in the clip is the song sparrow and although it is only very brief you get to hear a bit of this birds' beautiful song so click on the link and take a few moments to watch.

Smarter than the average bear

Sticking with the wildlife here is a great shot of a magnificent Black Bear... enjoy

Old Yellow Legs

I am stepping back in time a little bit for today's blog. I have mostly been posting landscapes (though not exclusively) over the past two weeks and so I thought I would go back to some wildlife shots.

I have shared a similar shot of this Lesser Yellow Legs previously but its such a lovely little wader that I wanted to post another. It was nice still evening and the light was perfect. I love the way the light reflected off the water makes the birds white breast glow.

Mountain Stream

Yesterday's post was going to be my last from my visit to Snowdonia last weekend but then I decided to post this last shot.

I love the shape of Pen Yr Ole Wen and the shadow of Tryfan cast by the low sun. 

Path to Llyn Idwal

At the end of our walk I turned to take a last look at the path down the mountain and noticed how beautiful the wall and gate are.

In the distance to the left is Tryfan at 918m. On this particular day it was cold and icy in places but in spite of the clear and bright conditions there were very few people climbing/walking its slopes. I remember my first visit to Tryfan about 20 years ago, it was really cold and covered in thick snow. I had trekked to the top with a group of friends and on the far slope on the way down we tobogganed part way on our rucksacks. Perhaps not the most sensible or safe method for descent but a heck of a lot of fun. 

Making a Splash

I love this shot of the lower slope of Glwyder Fawr overlooking Llyn Idwal. I love the rugged slopes, the thin streak of snow lingering on the distant ridge and the clear blue sky, I also love the super splash courtesy of my rock throwing daughter to whom this shot is dedicated.

Icicles

These icicles have been formed from water splashing from a mountain stream onto an overhanging branch of heather. The rocks are glistening with ice too.

Pen Yr Ole Wen

I love this view of pen yr ole wen on the right looking along the Ogwen valley towards Anglesey in the distance.

This is the seventh highest mountain in Wales at 978m or 3,178 feet. 

Cool Blue

On Saturday I posted an almost identical view to this but in black and white. I think it is a great shot but I can't decide whether I prefer the colour or the black and white image so I would like to know what you think, please leave a comment below or on the facebook page to say which is your favourite.

Frozen!

In just about every puddle and small crevice in the rocks along the way during my walk on Saturday there was a frozen puddle and in some there were intricate and interesting patterns.

The colour in this image comes from the slate. The strange shape is from air trapped beneath the ice, it is a bit like the shed skin of a snake or some alien creature, or perhaps it resembles the shape of the intestine. Whatever you can see it is an interesting pattern which was worth taking the time to photograph.

Snowdon Reflection

Today I went out to Snowdonia with my daughter. Our intention was to walk part way up Snowdon but there were so many people there it wasn't really appealing so we went to Tryfan instead. It was really cold, the sky was beautifully clear and the light was perfect so I think I got some great shots.

This was the first shot I took today testing the settings and it was still set for monochrome, all the other shots I took today were in colour but I thought this works really well so I decided to post it before going through some of my other favourite shots of today.

This is just a small lake with a reflection of Snowdon (the mountain in the background)

Commitment

The tide was high and these two guys were carrying on regardless of the fact that the fish just weren't biting.

They were after cod and had been fishing for an hour or two and apparently because there was too much fresh water in the river they'd caught nothing. In spite of the cold and wind they were determined to stick it out for a few more hours yet. I hope their efforts were rewarded.

Windy Promenade

In spite of the miserable conditions there were plenty of people out "taking the air". Perhaps in some ways it actually was the wild conditions which drew people to the shore to watch the crashing waves. 

When I was on my way back to my car I turned and saw the distant clouds rising up and rolling in. I thought they made a dramatic image especially with the white highlights.

Winter Plumage

This is an adult Black Headed Gull in winter plumage. Because it was such a grey day and because the plumage is white and shades of grey I decided to to shoot this in black and white which I think really works well. 

The only problem with that is we miss the only bit of colour which is the scarlet beak (also tipped with black) and so to give added value here is a cropped image of the beak, in glorious colour...

The Rock...

...Perch Rock to be exact.

This is the fort and lighthouse at New Brighton on a very wild and windy Saturday

World Heritage Site

A little while ago I was asked if I had any pictures of the Liverpool waterfront and I realised that I didn't so this weekend I went down to the riverside to practice getting some shots of the skyline. The sky was really overcast, it was very windy and it was bitterly cold so far from ideal conditions but I think the clouds make a dramatic backdrop.

The skyline along Liverpool's waterfront have changed dramatically over the past 20 yearsor so with the development of high rise hotels and apartments, the museum of Liverpool and the Open Eye Gallery, modern architecture contrasting with the elegance of the famous "three graces".

I will be going back to take more pictures another day, but hopefully when conditions are a bit brighter.

Ferry Terminal

I was trying to think of a catchy title for today's post but the ones I came up with didn't really fit so I have just called it what it is. This is one side of the ferry terminal at Seacombe on the Wirral side of the Mersey. It is also home of the Spaceport museum.

I really like this structure with its futuristic design. Would it surprise you to know that this actually overlooks the carpark. 

Wild Weather

I dont think it matters where in the world you are there has been some pretty wild weather conditions and here on the North West coast we've taken a bit of a battering. 

We didn't get the now that was forecast but we've had really strong winds, heavy rain and it has been bitterly cold. Add to that a full moon and a 10 metre high tide it made for some pretty dramatic conditions.

I had been down to the riverside to take some pictures of the Liverpool waterfront and I then headed off to New Brighton to look out to where the Mersey joins Liverpool Bay in the Irish Sea. The lighthouse is the Fort Perch Rock Lighthouse and it was taking a bit of a battering. The sea, as you can see was really wild and the clouds make quite a dramatic picture.

The wind was bitingly cold and it has taken the rest of the day for me to get warm enough to sort through my pictures and do this post. Hope you enjoy it.

Vapour Trails

This lovely view of Ladybower reservoir was taken from the site of the old vicarage for Derwent Village and looking towards where the village originally stood before the valley was flooded.

It was a lovely spot and the light was fantastic. However this spot appears to be on the flight path for numerous airlines as can be seen from the many vapour trails criss-crossing the sky. There was no chance of getting a shot without them so I decided to make them a feature of the picture.

European Black Vulture

Just look at this handsome creature. Vultures have a bit of a bad reputation as dirty scavengers but they actually serve a vital role in protecting the environment; by feeding off carcasses they help stop the spread of disease. 

There is so much power in this beak and jaws and that piercing gaze just goes right through you.

I watched this one feeding on what looked like a leg of mutton or goat. It ate everything, not just the muscle but the tendons and sinews, picking the bones clean.

Happy Families

How much cuteness can you stand?

This family of short clawed Asian Otters were the most cute creatures at the zoo, they were running around squeaking and generally having a fun time and the adults were being the most attentive parents the whole time. 

I think this makes a fabulous family portrait.

Chinese Water Dragon

As with yesterday's post I know this wont be to everybody's taste but I love this gnarly reptile.

Red Tailed Racer

Back to the zoo for today's post and this beautiful snake.

The lighting in the vivarium wasn't great and the snake was quite well hidden so I didn't get the shot I had hoped for but it is still not too bad. This is a Red Tailed Racer, also known as a Red Tailed Green Rat Snake or to be technical Gonysoma oxycephala. Now I know that this isn't everybody's taste but next time I go I will try for some better shots because I think this is a real beauty.

A Gentle Ripple

I loved this view and I took a shot with the water dead calm but as I was moving along the water's edge I stepped in the water making a slight ripple and so I decided to take another shot but one where I deliberately created a ripple and watched it slowly spreading out across the surface of the reservoir. While I really liked the image with the perfect reflection I thought the small rock centre left of this image combined with the ripple extending out from where I stood added extra interest to the image.

Beneath our feet

Along the route around Ladybower reservoir there were several frozen puddles. The ice wasn't particularly thick but it made a really satisfying crunch and crackle as I stood on it and a bit like jumping in puddles breaking the ice was irresistible.

Before breaking this ice however I too  a few moments to get a photo. I love the different colours, the leaves held captive and the stripy patterns of the ice crystals across the surface. 

Frozen Edge

Yesterday's picture showed a fantastic reflection on Ladybower reservoir and clear blue skies, bright with winter sun. But it had been at least -4C overnight and in spite of the sun temperatures remained below freezing all day and the shallow edges of the lake still had a thin crust of ice which made a pleasing crackle as I stood on it. I liked the jagged edges of the layer of ice and the patterns of the bubbles trapped beneath and that is what you are looking at in today's shot.

Mirror Image

So today I got to go out and play and conditions were perfect.

When I started with my first DSLR my favourite lens was a Sigma 10 - 20mm super wide angle zoom but when I traded up to a full frame camera the Sigma would no longer fit as it used an EF-S mount rather than the EF mount on my current camera body. I have wanted a replacement for some time and having saved a bit of cash I was able to treat myself to a Canon 17 - 40mm f4 L series. 

What a lens... It is now my new favourite lens and I am definitely going to get some use out of it.

I went down to the upper Derwent Valley in Derbyshire and took a stroll around the Ladybower reservoir, one of a number of connected reservoirs in the valley and as you can see from today's picture the water was mirror calm and the winter sun (following a very cold clear night) gave a perfect light.

This shot was one of the last of the day although I have a number of good images to share.

Just a word of advice always check the settings on your camera at the start of any shoot, and throughout the day too. Unfortunately I had somehow altered the resolution and didn't realise until it was too late and I have a number of nice but poor quality images that I cannot use. I know I can go back another day but I will be lucky to get such good conditions the next time. Oh well never mind eh! Enjoy this shot and the others that I will share...

Snake in repose

I tried to remember the species of snake in today's picture but even though I only took the shot earlier today I have forgotten what it is. 

Even so it is a lovely snake and if you zoom in the detail is great.

Not your average cow...

These beautiful cattle are Banteng, a rare species of forest dwelling cattle from south East Asia.

Fortunately I didn't have to travel that far to see them as there is a small and growing herd of them at Chester Zoo. The adult is clearly not interested in me but the calf was definitely posing.

Sun Worshipper

It was really cold at the end of my day at the zoo, in spite of the cloudless sky and bright sun so I was really glad that I had gone prepared and was wrapped up nice and warm.

My last stop of the day was to see the meerkats and they were all out, sat on the highest ground to capture the last rays of the day and what little warmth it offered. It meant that they were still enough, for long enough to get some nice shots.

Easy Tiger

Here's a fantastic shot of a beautiful Sumatran tiger...