Sweet Treats

It seemed rude not to. After lunch a sweet treat was needed and these hit the spot.

Back Streets

This morning I went out early for bread and croissants from a local bakery, they made a delicious start to the day. I can hardly wait til breakfast time so I can do it again.
As it was early the streets were quiet except for a few traders getting set up in the market square. I walked through this narrow passage and decided to capture the calm of the city before it wakes up...

He's the Big Cheese

So today I have been in Versailles, I had gone to see the new LDS Temple which has been built just outside the city. It is a beautiful and elegant design in keeping with the historical architecture all around.

But while I have been here I have spent some time trying my hand at street photography. I think I have one or two decent images but I can't share them just yet as I only have my phone to work with. So the picture I have shared today is on I snapped on my phone. The market here in Versailles is absolutely amazing and walking around the stalls this display of cheese caught my  eye. Determined that I would post something today in spite of being away from home I took a quick shot using my phone. I hope you will agree it's a nice picture and give a flavour of the street market here in town.

Tomorrow I am going into Paris to meet up with some very special friends but after lunch I will have another go at photographing people on the streets. I will let you know how that goes. I'm

A Carpet of Blue

Yesterday I commented that I was a little disappointed at first by the lack of bluebells in Boilton Wood. A few minutes into my walk however I was treated to this beautiful display. The early morning sun cast some gentle shadows and lit up the lovely blue carpet of delicate flowers.

There are so many flowers and so much blue it really lifted my spirits on this wonderful woodland walk.

If you are feeling down, or at a loose end this weekend why not get out into some woodlands wherever you are and see what treats nature has in store for you. I promise that it will be worth the effort. 

In The Ancient Woodland

Over the past few days hopefully you have enjoyed my posts of woodland creatures (if you haven't seen them why not take a few minutes to have a look). The main reason though that I had got up early to go to Boilton Woods was to see the display of Bluebells. 

I was a little disappointed to begin with as I walked down the steep wooded path because there was not the expansive carpet of flowers that I had hoped to see. However as I walked further into the woodland I was treated to a fantastic display of flowers spreading up the wooded hillside. 

I have some great pictures to share and as a teaser I have decided to post this beautiful picture of an isolated group of three stems. I love the way the morning sun lights up the delicate bells and the way the blue flowers stand out against the soft green mossy log. If you like this shot (and even if you don't) please come back tomorrow to see some more from my early morning photo shoot at Boilton. 

Kestrel

This is an adult male Kestrel, it was perched on top of a tree surveying the area for prey. 

I love birds of prey and since I was small Kestrels have always been a special bird for me. I loved the story/movie Kes and for a long time I would imagine having my own Kestrel, perhaps one that I raised from a chick. I have always loved to see them hovering along the side of the road or above the hedgerows with such grace.

They are fairly small and delicate looking and in this shot you can see what looks like a mayfly just above its head, that and the buds at the ends of the branches give a sense of scale.

Not long after this shot was taken the bird was disturbed by some kids running by and it flew off but I had really enjoyed watching him at fairly close quarters.

Songs From The Wood

I never tire of photographing Robins. They have such great characters, they're bold, inquisitive and sometimes cheeky. I love these shots because of the lighting, the texture of the mossy log and the green and blue background from the massed bluebells on the slope behind.

I know lots of you like to see these pictures too so I will keep on snapping Robins whenever I get the opportunity.

In The Undergrowth

I was really excited yesterday to capture the picture of the Roe Deer that I shared in yesterday's post. But not long after I was able join a small group of photographers who were gathered near a collection of logs and fallen branches and I was equally as thrilled to capture these shots.

It was obvious that someone had put some seed down and there were lots of tits, robins and chaffinches popping down to feed, even the odd nuthatch. As well as the bird life however we were able to spot this cute little Bank Vole. He was clearly taking advantage of the free food and although he was very shy he kept popping out of his hole under a log to munch on the seeds and nuts. I love way he clutches the seed in his tiny paws.

It required a good deal of patience to get a decent shot because he moved so quickly and would disappear from view for long periods of time, several of my fellow photographers moved on after a while but patience and persistence paid off and these two photos are among the better ones. It also shows that we need to pay more attention to the little things, we notice birds all the time because they fly around us but the undergrowth is teeming with life, it is just harder to find.

A Chance Encounter

I had planned oo getting up really early this morning to go up to Boilton Woods near Preston. Every morning I have been waking at around 5am and so I thought it would be easy for me to get up and at the woods for just after sunrise. So confident was I that I didn't bother to set my alarm. Of course that was a mistake and I didn't wake up til 6.20. I managed to get to the woods around 7.45 so much later than hoped but not too late to enjoy the early morning sun.

The main reason I had gone was to try and photograph the bluebells and also some birds as it is a great spot for both at this time of year.

I met another photographer who lived nearby and who had been there since just after 6, he happily told me about the early mist and the  Brown Hares and Roe Deer that he had seen on the field near the car park, he even very kindly showed me a couple of shots that he had captured. Of course I was pleased for him but I was quietly kicking myself for having missed a good photo opportunity.

We spoke about the deer but I didn't expect to see one. 

I went on to take some pictures of bluebells and put some seed down to attract some birds in a shady spot and then as I was sat on a bench to change lenses out of the corner of my eye I caught movement less than 30 feet away. I looked up to see this beautiful Roe Deer. I was still changing my lens at the time so had to be really quick and then the deer skipped off through the trees and I thought I had completely lucked out. As you can see however luck was on my side, just briefly because it paused in a small clearing just long enough for me to catch this one shot. You can see that it is poised to move and having glanced towards me for the briefest moment it took off up the hillside and into the trees. I was so thrilled to see it, even happier to get a shot and really pleased that the one shot I got was half decent too.

The rest of my morning was a success too with shots of several species of bird including a Kestrel and also pictures of a Bank Vole and a Wood Mouse as well as lots of the gorgeous bluebells. I can hardly wait to share them.

Woodland Bandit

In the shady woodland the colours of this little Nuthatch seem a bit muted but he really is a handsome fellow with his blue-grey and buff plumage. 

This shot is the right way up, I haven't tilted or turned the image at all it is as the bird was, sneaking around the trunk of the tree looking for seeds and berries. Of course there were no seeds or berries on the tree but there were plenty to be found on the ground and on a feeding table nearby. But as I was also there armed with my camera this fantastic woodland bird was taking a cautious approach. Given that the banding around his eyes look a bit like a burglars' mask the stealthy approach seems quite appropriate.

Courtship

Ok so I know this isn't the sharpest image but I was so pleased to capture this moment that I wanted to share it. It is after all undeniably cute.

I had been watching the bird on the right flying about collecting seeds and stuff and then noticed the other fly up to this high branch where the other bird joined it and offered tasty morsels of food. I was puzzled to see this as clearly the birds are both adults and anyway it is a little early for Blue Tits to be fledging. I wondered if perhaps the bird on the left was from an earlier brood but of course it is only April so again that would not explain this behaviour.

I spoke about this to a friend who regularly has Blue Tits nesting in their garden and they reported having recently witnessed similar behaviour so I decided to do a little research. I found an old research article which discusses this behaviour in detail and if your are interested it might be worth a look. 

It makes sense that while birds are nesting one adult bird will gather food and feed the partner who is sitting on the nest but here feeding behaviour away from the nest is part of the courtship rituals and is regarded as an important step in strengthening the bond between the adult birds. Perhaps it is the Tit version of taking your love out to a fancy restaurant.

Little Grebe

While I was trying to capture the shots of the Long Tailed Tits shown in Monday's post I was met by another photographer who told me that he had just observed a pair of Little Grebes swap places sitting on a nest and suggested that if I stopped off at the nearby hide I would get the chance to spot the birds for myself.

I love these little birds so I took the advice and went to the hide with hopes high. It was a bit of a blow when I arrived as the grebe was nowhere to be seen. It was a good job however that I am patient because after a while he popped up and swam around a bit so I could grab some shots.

This is such a cute little bird and he spent almost as much time under water catching insect larvae and tiny fish as he did on the surface. I love the determination in the first of today's images, and the clear reflection as he swam towards me. In the second shot I think he was teasing me as he was partially hidden by the reeds around the hide.It was definitely worth spending time in the hide and while I was there I made up my mind that I would come again.

Understated Beauty

This little beauty is Prunella modularis, a Dunnock.

They are regular visitors in my garden feeding on the seeds that get tossed to the ground from the feeders. They're not brightly coloured and are similar to sparrows in many ways and so could be easily overlooked.

But take a closer look and they have some really lovely features. Take this particular specimen feeding on seeds and treats at Mere Sands Wood. I had been looking at a lovely black bird on a bench when this little fellow arrived and I captured several candid shots as it skipped along the edge of the bird table in search of the best morsels. Just look at his red-brown eyes and shiny dark beak, and those orange-brown legs. Dunnocks are often seen on the ground where they appear quite drab and brown but from this angle you can see its beautiful grey head and neck with soft contrasts around the eyes. I love it and hope you do too.

Long Tailed Tit

Over the long weekend I haven't been feeling on top form and so didn't really get out very much and then today when I was feeling well enough to go out to play the weather was rubbish so I had to think hard about where to go.

One place that I love to visit is the Lancashire Wildlife Trusts reserve at Mere Sands, near Rufford and as there are several hides to observe the wildlife I figured that even in the rain I would get a few opportunities for some decent photos. When I arrived the weather had in fact improved greatly and by the time I had to leave the sun was shining and it was a perfect day.

I have recently tried a few times to get a shot of a Long Tailed Tit, they are really beautiful and endearing little birds but constantly on the move so getting a good clear image is really difficult. On the walk between two hides today I saw a small flock of these birds flitting among the bushes, accompanied by a pair of Black Caps (which sadly I didn't manage to photograph) and so I took a few minute to try and get a photo.

As I say they are constantly on the move and this little chap was quite a challenge. In the second of the images he used the upright branch as a perch and although he looks like he was posing for me he was actually scanning the air around him for flies (of which there were plenty) and he would quickly launch himself into the air, catch a fly and then settle briefly before launching another attack.

I really love these pictures and I am quite pleased with the results although I can see some room for improvement. Oh well I guess I will have to go back to Mere Sands fairly soon and try again. Not that that will be a hardship, I had such a lovely time.

Fill your boots

This male Chaffinch was certainly filling his boots at the bird feeding station in Royden Parks' walled garden. He didn't actually stop for very long and so getting these shots was very satisfying. I love the striking colours on this beautiful bird, from the blue grey on its head and beak to the pinks in his cheeks and his brown back and then the bold pattern on his wings.

He really is a beautiful little bird.

Coming to Life

There is something elegant about the sleek tulip bud as it develops and bursts into a colourful flower. The external shell gives the slightest hint of the colour to come.

I like the natural lighting in this shot, it is almost like there is a halo around the flower.

Forget Me Not

I didn't post anything yesterday as I was feeling out of sorts and couldn't really get motivated to choose a picture to share. I'm still not feeling great but I didn't want to let another day go by in case I fall into a bad habit.

I wanted to share something bright and colourful and something that tells us spring is here, and something that will lift my spirits and hopefully yours too. 

These beautiful Forget Me Nots were captured on my recent visit to the walled garden at Royden Park. I hadn't noticed until I posted the image that the central nodes around the centre of the middle flower are white whereas those on the other flowers in this shot are all yellow.

Gulls in Flight

Sitting on the harbour wall at New Quay I enjoyed watching some of the gulls stretching their wings and taking to the air.

Today's images show a couple of juvenile lesser black backed gulls, the first being a year old and the second I think is two years old as can be deduced from their mottled plumage.

They're awesome flyers using the least possible energy as they loop and soar in search of food. In this particular spot they find rich pickings in the scraps from visitors. 

I live the second shot, particularly the curve of the wing.

Undecided

I don't tend to post pictures of people in fact I rarely take photos of people. However today I decided to try something different.

I had stopped off at New Quay on my way back from a work trip to Carmarthenshire. I had hoped to catch sight of some of the dolphins that regularly visit the bay but it turns out I had missed them by about half an hour so I decided to look around for other subjects.

The spring sunshine had brought a lot of people out to the beach and so I tried a few candid shots. I observed this little boy with his parents initially chasing the family dog and then I saw him looking at the water almost as if he couldn't decide whether to go in or not, he was certainly very tempted. I won't say if he did or not, I will leave you to finish the story for yourself. 

Prehistory

I was going to call today's post "An exercise in patience". I have often said that one of the qualities any photographer needs to develop in patience and when you are trying to photograph sites like this, the neolithic stone circle at Castlerigg which attract a lot of visitors it is really hard to get the perfect uninterrupted shot.

When I arrived there was one other photographer there with his camera set up on a tripod and as I was setting up he commented that we could be there a while. Of course there will be lots of people enjoying the site and that is fine but with a bit of patience and careful timing it should be possible to get a decent shot as people walk behind the stones.  However on this particular day there was one  group of people who stood on the far side of the circle talking. They kept looking over at us as we patiently waited to take the shot and it really felt like they were deliberately testing us. They did eventually move off out of shot but only after the couple on the right of this image sat down on one of the stones and unpacked their picnic lunch. Now I thought that was inappropriate just because it didn't seem right in such an ancient site but it was also incredibly annoying as it spoils the shot to some degree.

I know that you will probably be thinking well that's just hard luck and that yes I need to be more patient and that is fine. You may even think that if I want the perfect photo without people getting in the way I should get there early. As it happens that is what I plan to do next time however I also met another photographer that day who had been up at the stone circle at 3.00 am to capture shots of the Milky Way and even then he says there were several people about and so even an early start won't guarantee my patience won't be tested. 

Anyway I am sorry, I have moaned for long enough and if you have stuck it this far thank you for your patience. Perhaps you should also take up photography I think you have something of what it takes...

As I said this is a shot of the Neolithic Stone Circle at Castlerigg near Keswick. The snow covered fells in the background are from left to right Clough head, The Dodds, High Rigg, Great How and Helvellyn. Even with the other visitors I really like this shot and I will definitely be going back in the hope of some even better shots.

Skiddaw from Derwent Water

I was up fairly early after a cold night under the stars and got down to the shores of Derwent Water before the crowds arrived and before the sun got too high in the sky. I think it was well worth it too because the view was stunning and I was able to get some nice undisturbed shots ( I wasn't so lucky later in the day at Castlerigg but that's another story).

When I arrived here there was another photographer setting up his gear. He really was committed to his art as he had his tripod set up in the water and he was dressed in waders so he could get the perfect angle for the shot. With the blues sky, thesnowy capped peaks of Skidaw reflected in the cold lake and the highly varnished lake cruiser being prepared for its days work I think there was a perfect combination for a stunning image.

I wasn't as well prepared (at least not to get wet) as my fellow photographer but I was equally as committed. To get this shot I needed to go out onto a jetty into the lake. It was closed off and there were signs warning against using the jetty as it was under repair. I wasn't going to let that stop me though and decided that it was worth the risk if I could get a great shot.

In my opinion the risk paid off, what do you think? 

Meet Bo and Co...

I love otters, they're so incredibly cute. Seeing them in the wild is wonderful but very difficult so seeing them in the zoo has to be the next best thing.

These are part of the Asian Short Clawed Otter family at Chester Zoo, these were super excited as it was feeding time and as well as some tasty roach they were chomping down some delicious Crayfish. 

A Trio of Nymphs and Fairies

So I realise that some of you will be thinking "where are the fairies?" but of course you know they are well hidden and you will probably never find them.

A bit like the first of today's butterflies which is an Indian Leaf Butterfly or Dead Leaf Butterfly which is so well camouflaged that unless I had stopped to take this close up would probably have been easily missed.

The second image is a close up of another Common Mormon similar to the one I posted yesterday.

The final image is of one of my favourite butterflies the Giant Wood Nymph. I love the contrast of the crisp white and bold black that work so well together, gorgeous!

ps if you spot a fairy let me know :)

I give you... Butterflies!

Yes indeed, here are a couple of beautiful butterflies just for you.

The second is a Tiger-Striped Longwing from Central and South America, I love the colours and striking pattern and I like the fine detail of the white spots on the trailing edge of its secondary wings.  It is really stunning.

I have saved my comments on the first specimen for a reason and anyone who knows me will know why I found this interesting.

The first is a Common Mormon from across Asia. I thought this was a really interesting name for a butterfly and I wondered why it had earned this name. Apparently it is because there is just one variant of the male of the species but there are three female variants and it is an allusion to the early Mormon practice of polygamy (now discontinued of course). 

I am unable to tell you whether this is a male or a female but it is a real beauty with its dusky black wings with silvery stripes and little red highlights. 

Come back tomorrow and I will have some more butterflies to share with you...

Stage Fright

I know that Robins are really popular with a lot of people. There is something very special about them and they're definitely one of my favourite birds. I love listening to their beautiful song, whenever I hear it it makes me smile and feel really good. 

I have called today's post Stage Fright because this little chap was singing beautifully and I managed to get a few shots with its head back and beak open trilling away and then he just stopped. My son suggested that it was because he realised he was being photographed hence the title. While it works as a funny title I can exclusively reveal that he was simply pausing for breath and soon after the second shot he started singing once again. Beautiful!

A Blue Tit

Always a favourite of mine, the Blue Tit. Such a dainty little bird with pretty plumage.

While this one was flitting back and forth to the different feeders, filling up on nuts and seeds I spotted another little Blue Tit flying around gathering moss and feather obviously to line a nest. 

At one point I also heard a knocking sound which at first I took to be a woodpecker but looking around I saw that it was in fact another Blue Tit pecking away to enlarge the entry hole to a nest box on the wall of a shed. This surprised me and impressed me at the same time to see such a tiny bird customising the nest box to fit its purpose and make it more accesible.

A Great Tit

On Saturday I had planned on going to Bodnant Gardens in North Wales, desperate for some spring colour but I woke to the sound of pounding rain on the roof and my mood became as grey as the clouds as I realised that my planned photo shoot was not going to happen.

Later in the day the skies cleared and the sun came out. It was too late to travel to Bodnant but I wanted so much to get out so decided to go somewhere closer to home and hit upon the idea of the Walled Garden at Royden Park. This is a local gem and although the park is a favourite with families and dog walkers the walled garden is a secluded and often over looked spot and whenever I have visited in the past I have found myself alone or just joined by one or two other visitors, Saturday was no exception and in the afternoon sun it was a perfect spot.

It is stil very early in the season and there weren't too many floral specimens on display (there were a few which I will be sharing in due course) but I spent some time watching the birds visiting a corner of the garden where there are a number of feeders set up to encourage the wildlife. 

Today's picture is of a beautiful Great Tit that was taking almost as much interest in me as I was in him. He perched for a few moments, just long enough for this shot, before flying to feed his pretty little face.

Meet Athena

I have had an extra special visitor in my home overnight, not everyone was as excited as me to welcome Athena the 3 year old Boa constrictor but she is such a beauty and I enjoyed making friends with her albeit very briefly.

I took a number of shots last night but the lighting was really not good enough and although one or two images were not too bad I was keen to get some better pictures to share, so just after lunch we went out into the sunshine and as Athena warmed up her beautiful colours came to life. 

She proved quite an attraction as passers-by stopped to observe and say hello and Athena patiently took all this in her stride (if you can say that about a snake, perhaps "in her slide" would be better).

In the first of today's images you can see the range of exquisite colours, from the shades of brown and black that you might expect to the salmon, pink and shimmering blue that are probably more of a surprise. 

Although she is young and quite slender Athena is all muscle and very strong and you can feel this as she moves with such precision and control and as she holds her head forward to survey her surroundings.

In the second image you can see clearly her eye and the way the pattern on the side of her head continues into her eye completing the effective camouflage. You can also see her "moustache" which is a nice feature.

The final shot today took some patience. I was really keen to get a shot of her deep blue tongue but as she was almost constantly moving getting the focus right and hitting the shutter at just the right time. I think with this one I got it spot on.

Skiddaw Under The Stars

Camping at Lanefoot Farm in Thornthwaite was quite an experience and the views of the night sky were quite spectacular.

These two shots were taken from the lane in front of the farm. The first shows the snow covered peak of Skiddaw ( Englands 6th highest mountain at 3,054ft). The alien glow to the left of the image is most likely from traffic on the A66.

The second shot is looking towards Helvellyn (Slightly higher at 3,087ft). The orange glow is from the town of Keswick.

Both images were shot using my Canon 17 - 40mm wide angle zoom using a 30 second exposure. This has allowed just enough of the landscape to be visible and to bring out the stars. The long exposure also gives the clouds a soft, fuzzy almost ghostly appearance.

This was quite early in the evening, later on the galactic centre of the Milky Way would have been visible, although from this spot the light pollution would have spoilt the view. I met a guy the next morning who had been up at Castlerigg Stone Circle at 3am  getting some stunning images so that maybe a trip I will plan in the future.