In The Engine Sheds

I am not an engineer by any means but for me there is something magical about a workshop, the grease, the sounds and smells and the cheerful banter of the mechanics/engineers and hopefully today and over the coming days I will be able to convey some of these sensations in the pictures that I share.

After my day in Whitby I went next to Grosmont in the North York Moors, specifically the engine sheds and home of the North York Moors Railway. Here there were numerous engines in different states of repair and people hard at work on what seems to me to be as much a labour of love restoring giant locomotives from times past and preparing them for use on the railway between Whitby and Pickering.

I like the first picture of the engineer concentrating on his work, completely focused and seemingly oblivious to the noise all around him.

In the second picture an engine is being prepared for the day's running and before long it was building up a head of steam.

Fun At Sunset

Having walked around the abbey (see yesterday's sunset pictures) I set off back down the hill towards the town in the hope that I would capture some more shots of the sun as it set over the North Sea.

As you can see from the pictures above I wasn't disappointed.

I love the first image which is a candid shot of some people who were obviously enjoying the evening as much as me. I wonder what they were thinking as they danced. I was lucky to share this moment and capture the shot, it made me smile then and posting it now has made me smile some more.

You can see from the other two photos how the sky became a deeper orange as the sun dipped lower. There were several other photographers out taking advantage of these beautiful scenes and I am sure you will agree it was an evening well spent.

Right Place, Right Time

Yesterday's picture of the harbour at Whitby was taken on the way up to visit the Abbey. Of course at that time of day the abbey was closed to visitors so these pictures were taken from just outside the walls. 

It was a beautiful evening and I was really glad to be there. As the sun set the sky had a beautiful and warm orange glow which was in contrast to the cold stone of the abbey walls. 

I was lucky enough to be able to capture the sunburst through one of the arches, it was only a fleeting moment so I was pleased to be able to get this shot.

Harbour Sunset

I haven't posted for a few days as I have been otherwise occupied but I have managed to get lots more shots which I will be able to share in coming weeks.

Today however I am returning to my selection of images from my recent visit to Whitby along the North Yorkshire coast.

I love this view of the harbour looking down from the 199 steps that lead up to the famous abbey. It was a lovely evening at the end of a great day and watching the sunset was a special treat. I live on England's west coast and so I am used to some spectacular sunsets across Liverpool Bay and the Irish Sea. I was somewhat surprised that I could watch the sun set into the sea from this spot on the east coast.

Whitby Harbour

I recently managed a very brief break from everything and I headed over to Whitby on the Yorkshire coast.

It is some time since I was last there but each visit has some good memories attached and this was no different. It was a really hot and sunny day so landscape photography wasn't really on the cards but as evening approached the light changed and there were some great photo opportunities.

Whitby is built along the banks of the River Esk as it flows into the North Sea and the sunlight and reflections made for some nice images, I hope you will agree.

Big, Bigger, Biggest

I think that this flower is a white Cosmo and it is really stunning especially when you get up close and see the detail. That is the beauty of using a macro lens, you can get in really close and bring out the fine detail that otherwise you would miss.

There is so much beauty in this flower from the delicate white petals with their gently scalloped edges, the folds where the petals meet in the centre and the colours and shapes in the central cluster of stamen and the tiny grains of pollen.

Apparently they are a big hit with bees and butterflies, I can see why.

Roses are...

Is rose a colour, is it a fragrance or is it a flower?

Of course it is all three but it isn't one single colour, one single scent or just one type of flower there are many different colours  and varieties of rose all of them beautiful and today's selection of photos showcases just a few from the gardens at Rufford Old Hall.

A Fleeting Visitor

So for today here are two more shots of the beautiful Kingfisher that I had waited so long to see. I love the poses but wish a) he had stayed still and b) that I had had a more steady hold of my camera. Nonetheless it was a real treat to capture these images and a joy to be able to share them with you...

A Thousand Flowers...

... well not quite

this is White Yarrow Seed or Achillea millefolium a wildflower which produces these beautiful crisp white clusters of tiny flowers. I haven't posted anything for a few days so thought that this was a good way to mark my return. I like the natural heart shape of the flower head

An Interesting View

Yellow is my favourite colour (see yesterday's blog for a good example) but purple is a close runner up even though it is a colour I often have trouble identifying. I know that might sound odd but it is true, there are so many subtle variations of purple and it is a colour that confuses me. That being said it is a rich and rewarding colour and when I see it in nature I am drawn to capture it.

When the colour is combined with shape and texture then it is really special. Today's first picture is a good example. Getting in close to see the detail it isn't immediately obvious what the original subject is, and although you might try to puzzle out what it is it is also possible to simply enjoy the colour and interesting shapes.

It is in fact the flower of a thistle as you can see from the picture below. It has such a beautiful crown sitting on top of the bulbous green head.

Thistles are often regarded as weeds but they are really beautiful and add extra colour and interest to meadows and woodland paths.

Dewdrops

Walking along a path alongside a meadow the grass, shrubs and flowers were all laden down with raindrops from an earlier downpour. The petals of this yellow flower were particularly heavy with droplets giving the petals the appearance and texture of tissue paper.

I was glad that the rain had stopped because it meant I was able to get some great pictures.

Froglets

When I started my blog back in September 2014 my first shot was of a small frog that I found on a wonderful trip to the New Forest in Hampshire, one of my favourite places to be.

Today's offering is of two tiny froglets that I spotted on my recent walk around Mere Sands Wood. On a previous walk there had been hundreds of frogs hopping across the paths, risking all to get to the ponds and meres. It was quite a challenge getting around the woods without stepping on one.

On Monday there were fewer frogs but as I had my macro lens attached I was able to get a few shots as you can see above. It was quite tricky to be honest as I had to keep moving my left hand with the frog on it and to hold my camera steady and shoot one handed. 

I hope you will agree that the results are worth it. You can see how tiny the frogs are as they are smaller than the middle section of my index finger and they are really very cute.

Buzz Buzz Buzz

So yesterday I posted a picture of a beautiful hoverfly on one of these flowers and if you didn't see it I promise it is worth taking a moment to have a look (click on this link).

Today here is a honey bee busy at work gathering pollen, as you can see he is covered in the stuff. Talking to one of the staff members at Rufford Old Hall (where this shot was taken) I learned that over the last winter the halls' colony of bees disappeared but a new colony was brought in and this little chap is playing an important role in creating honey to be sold in the gift shop and maintaining a long tradition of bee keeping at Rufford.

Bugs Life

I love macro photography because it means you can get in close and see detail that you would otherwise miss. Flowers are great with delicate petals, stamen and pollen for example and of course they are magnets for insects like this beautiful hoverfly.

Bugs can be quite tricky to photograph because they rarely stay still for very long and if they are in flight you need good light and a very fast shutter speed as well as a degree of luck to get the perfect shot.

Of course when they do settle on a flower for a little while you have to be ready to capture the shot. When I took this picture the light was fairly poor so I used a small hand held torch to illuminate the subject meaning I could highlight the shiny body and the glass like wings.

I guess the hoverfly uses its colour scheme to deter predators by tricking them into thinking it is a wasp or bee packing a powerful sting but they don't. They can go about their business pollinating flowers undetered.

Rail Strike Bonus

No one likes a rail strike, however much you might sympathise  with the cause the disruption is always a little too much to bear.

Today's strike on Merseyside was no different and it meant that I had to make an unplanned trip taking my daughter to university. I had a few hours to kill so decided to head over to Mere Sands Wood, for a photo session.

I had been there last Friday and in the hope of seeing a kingfisher I'd sat for three hours in a hide with a couple of other photographers having been told one was a regular visitor. Sadly on that occasion I was unlucky.

I have seen kingfishers before but I have never been able to photograph one.

Until today...

I had been waiting for a while with very little to see and was almost at the point of giving up when I saw this little gem fly across in front of me and then settle on this perch. He was only there for about 30 seconds so I had to act quickly to get this shot. I managed to get a few pictures but I am going to save the others for some point in the future.

Last summer I got to photograph hummingbirds for the first time and today I got to photograph the iconic kingfisher. Hopefully I will have more opportunities in the future but I am sure I will never forget this fantastic first. 

Overlooking Liverpool Bay

For today I have chosen two panoramic shots taken with my phone's camera.

The first was taken yesterday morning when I stopped for a short break during my cycle ride along the Wirral Coastal path. The tide was just coming in I think and there were a few people out walking or running and enjoying the early morning sun. I don't think the frames have stitched together perfectly in this shot but all the same it is a terrific view looking out across Liverpool Bay towards North Wales and the Burbo Bank wind farm.

The second shot was taken this evening right at the water's edge shortly after low tide and a few hours before sunset. I have never walked out this far before (about a mile and a half) except to Hilbre Island which you may just make out on the left of the shot, and I was so glad I made the spur of the moment decision to do so. The view is fantastic and I am so glad that I live so close to the sea so I can enjoy it whenever I like.

Sometimes It Is All Just Black and White

I took these shots of different parts of the Grevy's Zebra to highlight the unique and intricate patterns of stripes.

I wonder if you can work out from looking at each picture which part of the zebra they are from. I will give you a clue; the fourth one is the head. You will have to work the rest out for yourselves, leave a comment if you think you know.

Crested and Green

I have posted pictures of the Crested Green Lizard before, but  thought this pose was quite interesting also because of the unusual white top lip. It is not a moustache or the froth from a cappucino, rather it is the last remnant of skin as it had almost completed shedding its old skin.

Bali Starling

These beautiful birds are so rare I thought I would share three pictures .

The Bali Starling is a native of, yes you guessed it Bali where they are critically endangered. I knew very little about them until I spoke with a keeper at Chester Zoo who told me about the conservation program at the Zoo. In 2005 there were just 5 pairs of these birds in the wild in Bali but following a captive breeding program Chester Zoo and others were able to release birds into the wild taking the population up to 500 which was a promising start to help the preservation of the species. Sadly greed has resulted in a further decline in numbers to around 100 birds thanks to poachers who take the birds for private collectors. It really is so sad that some people have so little respect for nature that they would risk the total demise of a whole species. 

I know that there are many people who dislike zoos for keeping animals in captivity but the Bali Starling is a great example of the value of zoo breeding programs.

Pink

Each of these buds resembles a miniature tulip, but of course they're not tulips. I have called the post today Pink but actually I have no idea what colour these flowers are, when I asked I was given at least 3 different answers so I have settled on pink.

Small and Delicate

Last week I spent a couple of hours at the zoo and I began by taking some pictures of some of the flowers around a few of the animal enclosures. I got a few strange looks from some of the zoo'z visitors, perhaps they thought I was missing the point when there were monkeys and all manner of other creatures to see. However I am always on the lookout for a good shot and that means not always going for the obvious.

I don't know what these particular flowers are but I hope you will agree they are very pretty. Each individual flower is really tiny but they are perfectly formed and combine to make a lovely plant.

More Than A Pile Of Rocks

The last of my stacking photos, two different views of one and a third which is a combined stack and balance.

I recently read an article complaining about stone stacking and arguing that photographers should leave no trace and while I agree that in some locations it may have got out of hand and in sensitive locations it may be irresponsible and damaging to the ecology however on a rocky beach I don't see that it does any harm and they won't stand for long before returning to the natural chaos of the beach.

I really like the form of the first stack, it has a birdlike quality and it looks good looking right or left.

The final stack/balance was the most challenging even though it is not very tall, the challenge being to get the two uprights to remain upright and balance the top two stones. It was a relief to have it remain standing.