Al Fresco

When you need to clear your head a little Al fresco dining in the beautiful English countryside can help.

A Life On The Ocean Waves

So I have posted these not because they are particularly great pictures, although they are quite nice particularly the second one, but because they have a degree of nostalgia attached to them.

A few years ago my youngest son was lucky enough (at least I think he was lucky) to be chosen for a place on a tall ships training cruise from South Wales to Northern Ireland and then into Liverpool and this was the ship he sailed on. 

Then during our recent break in Hampshire we went to Portsmouth to visit the Historic Dockyard and in the marina we spotted this ship and so I got a couple of pictures. To think of my 15 year old son (as he was at the time) climbing the rigging and walking out along the spar over the waves fills me with a mixture of emotions but mostly pride. 

Growing up I often imagined running away to sea having read lots of adventure novels about sailing and shipwrecks but as much as I would love the adventure my life didn't go in that direction so when I get close to ships like this I get a little buzz of excitement and I start to imagine a life at sea.

New Growth

I have always liked photographing ferns as they emerge, I love the way they unfurl from such tight little buds to form such lush plants. I love the richness of the colours in this shot too.

Brighten Your Day

Sometimes you just need something simple to lift your spirits. I love yellow so this close-up of Autumn Hawkbit with a covering of raindrops really works for me...

Deer Stalking

During my recent trip to the New Forest with my youngest son we stopped off for a walk at a place called Whitemoor just outside Emery Down. We hoped to spot some wildlife but apart from a few ponies there wasn't very much to see and after a heavy rainfall the ground was water logged so finding a good path was a little tricky. 

I had almost decided to turn back so that we could try our luck in a different spot when we spotted a lone fallow deer in the distance. We carefully worked our way around the edge of the woodland to see if we could get close and as we did so we realised that there was a small herd of deer on the far side of a clearing and this made us even more determined to get as close as possible.

It was really difficult as the land was really boggy and we had to navigate our way crossing a couple of streams, all the time conscious of the fact that any noise might spook the deer and  any photo opportunity would be lost. We found a good spot just on the edge of a small copse and I was able to get these shots. We were still a bit too far away though and as we edged closer the deer became alerted to our presence and skipped into the trees where they stayed as if taunting us.

I like the first picture because there is a carefree feeling to the shot of the young deer at play, the second picture was captured at the point the deer became aware of us and they are poised to make their escape.

It was a great experience stalking the deer as we did and getting this close and while these are technically not the best pictures I am happy with them as a reminder of the day.

Fat Cow

I did think about calling today's post something like "nice rack" but that would be tacky and beneath me, another option was "Moo!" but this cow was silently chewing so that didn't seem appropriate either. Now as I am writing I realise that "Fat Cow" is a misnomer too because this is in fact a bull but never mind...

I really like the black and white shot, and although the pictures are almost identical, taken just seconds apart I think it is a more effective image in black and white with greater contrast. I know that not everyone will agree with me on that but perhaps it is because I am colour blind in the first picture the bull is not as clearly defined as in the second because the browns and greens merge too much and while I like the picture it just doesn't work as well for me.

This fabulous beast lives in the New Forest and grazes on the pasture just outside of Brockenhurst. If you have ever been it is likely that you will have spotted this Bull or others like it as they are a fixture of the place. It is a place that I love to visit and where I have some very nice memories.

Echinops

I liked the picture of the bees feasting on the Echinops yesterday so I decided to post a few more images of this amazing flower today.

I like the first shot, taken from a low vantage point it gives the impression of balloons floating away. 

I also really like the third shot getting in close to show the detail of the spiky blossoms.

I can't decide which I like best, do you have a favourite? If so leave a comment below.

Three On Top

This fabulous plant is an Echinops. The spiky seed head has a curly flower coating which quite clearly provides a feat for bees as you can see from this shot with three busy bees feasting on the nectar. There is barely enough space for them but they were too busy to notice...

Coming In To Land

I can never resist posting pictures of yellow flowers and this is a stunner. It is Hypericum forestii a plant more at home on a Chinese mountainside but here in Ness Botanical Gardens it was attracting a host of bees.

As you can see in the second picture this bumble bee was drawn to the bright colours and tasty nectar and was just coming in to land as I captured the shot.

Symbol Of A Nation

This is such a stunning bird with its bold yellow, shimmering blue and shades of green through to black you would think it would be hard to miss but in the shade of the foliage it was actually quite hard to spot. At least at first. 

This is a Montserrat Oriole which is the national symbol of the island of Montserrat in the West Indies. It was at risk of extinction following the devastation of its habitat as a result of a volcanic eruption in 1990. Fortunately as a result of the conservation efforts of Jersey Zoo and subsequently other conservation partners there is now a safety net of captive bred birds.

This is a male Oriole, he is more striking than the females which have olive green plumage. They are adept at building fantastic nests using their finely pointed beaks. The nests are basket shaped, woven in the shade of banana leaves which protect them from rain and sun.

Look Mum, I'm up a tree!

This cute little fella is an Andean Bear cub and was one of the reasons for my decision to visit Chester Zoo. I wasn't entirely sure I would get to see him but I was lucky because he was out with his  mother enjoying the fine summer sunshine and exploring the enclosure. He was turning over stones and rolling around and climbing the tree. He went to the very top with ease, it was coming down, as he is in this picture that seemed to give him more of a problem. It was very entertaining and a great photo opportunity.

Ugly Bug

I know this is really not a very pretty picture but nonetheless it is a fascinating shot of the fly which landed on my t-shirt. For a one-handed shot I am pleased with the clarity and detail and that is why I am sharing it.

Predators

Today I am posting a couple of shots of wildlife in the New Forest and I know that lots of people won't be too keen and some may be surprised that I have even posted them. If you are squeamish then look away now. Alternatively scroll down, you have been warned...

So both of these shots were taken during my first afternoon away in the forest. I had gone for a short walk and first of all spotted this female slow worm crossing my path. It really is a beauty and I couldn't resist taking a closer look. It was a bit tricky to get the shot because I had to hold the lizard in one hand and take the shot one handed. I think I did alright.

The second image is of a Labyrinth Spider. I had gone over to look at the massive web which was spread out over the grass and bracken and I spotted a grasshopper trigger the web and this spider pounced from it's funnel at the base of a plant. On this occasion it wasn't quick enough to catch its prey and he didn't hang around very long before scurrying back into his hideaway.

Striking Birds

I have had a hard time in the past getting half decent shots of these birds because the places where I have seen them they tend to swim too far out or they seldom stay still for long and they will dive for ages and come up in a completely different place.

In the spring they perform beautiful courtship rituals using their elegant ruff to show off and attract a mate, and they dive down and collect nest materials also in an effort to prove that they have good breeding potential. I hope one day to be able to photograph that behaviour because it really is spectacular.

For now here are a couple of shots of a pair that were serenely swimming at Longton Brick Croft in Lancashire. I have been there a few times in the past and while I have always enjoyed my visits there has never been very much to photograph so I was pleased on this occasion to capture these images to share today. They were a fair way off so I have had to crop these pictures a bit but I'm fairly pleased with them.

Adorable

I have often said how patience is an essential trait for a photographer and it really is, however today I have given in to impatience. 

I have still got loads of pictures from my visit to Ness Gardens to share and I haven't even started on my shots from my trip to the New Forest or the Historic Dockyards all of which I am really excited to post here on my blog, however today I went to Chester Zoo for a couple of hours and got some great shots that I just had to share as soon as possible.

The zoo has a number of new additions including a baby Andean Bear and a baby Black Rhinoceros and there were other critters that I had not seen on previous visits including the painted dogs and porcupines so I was keen to pay them a visit.

If you have followed my blog you will know that the Red Panda is just about my favourite animal and so whenever I visit the zoo I pop over to say hello. I think you have to agree this is such an adorable creature, he is a level of cute that tops everything else and is guaranteed to raise a smile. When you look at these pictures you will hopefully understand why I had to share them.

Where's Lenny?

So the title of today's post is slightly cryptic but will make sense to anyone who watches the cartoon The Simpsons.

"How?" I hear you ask...

This lovely yellow flower is Sedum caereleum and the variety is "Carl". In The Simpsons Carl's best friend is Lenny so having posted these pictures of Carl I pose the question where is Lenny?

I don't have any pictures of Lenny but a little bit of research means I can share a link to the RHS website where you can see pictures of a Hibiscus variety that is called Lenny 

Anyway back to Carl, you can see from the first image how the flower head is actually a mass of tiny star shaped flowers with little coiled stamen. 

I am really happy with all three of these pictures and hope that you enjoy them.

Fade to Green

There is so much about this flower that I love, the soft delicate petals curled around waiting to unfurl and reveal the heart of the flower, the soft white outer edges that gradually fade into green that looks like it has been applied in fine brush strokes, the shape like a candle flame and the way it stands out against the lush background. It is almost perfect but if you look closely at the left hand side you will see half way down a slight crease which shows how fragile this lovely plant is.

Waterfall

Today I am going back to July 2011 for this shot of Torc Waterfall in County Kerry in the Republic of Ireland. It was one of the few moments during my week in Ireland that it wasn't raining. It was a nice walk up to the waterfall, I love the colours and the atmosphere in this shot.

Blue Salvia

This beautiful and delicate looking flower is a variety of Salvia (Salvia macrophylla I think).


It has lovely  soft tissue like petals with a covering of tiny hairs. I really like the colour too. Each stem has an abundance of flowers and the contrast against the green background is quite stunning. I have chosen a nice macro shot though to really show off the best of this wonderful flower.

Hot Lips

Today's flower like yesterday's is a variety of Lamiaceae which are part of the mint or deadnettle family.

This particular plant is Salvia microphylla "Hot Lips" and it is easy to see how it gets the name.  I wonder if the name was also inspired by the character Hot Lips Houlihan from the movie and TV show M.A.S.H. 

Whatever the inspiration this is a lovely little flower and deserving of a place in my daily blog.

Nature's Jewels

I called today's post nature's jewels because I think these lovely delicate flowers are like earings. They also resemble little birds or perhaps colourful flying fish.

They are really delicate and small and easily overlooked but well worth a closer look to see the speckled pink flowers nestled against the lush green foliage.

The plant is a variety of LAMIACEAE called Bollota pseudo-dictamus that goes by the common name of False Dittany.

A Feast Of Yellow

Following on from yesterday's pictures of a bumblebee today I have this gorgeous hoverfly for you. 

I know that gorgeous might seem an unlikely adjective for a flying bug but with its shiny metallic thorax, glassy wings and intricate compound eyes this bug is a little beauty. 

Add the brilliant yellow flower into the mix and these are fantastic shots even if I do say so myself.

Hard At Work

So I had gone to Ness to photograph the summer flowers but of course where there are flowers there are also going to be bugs and with my macro lens and a lot of patience I can get in close and get some great shots.

Today's selection shows a beautiful bumble bee hard at work gathering pollen from Actaea simplex "Brunette" a hardy herbaceous perennial with flowers almost as soft and furry as the bee itself.

I am really happy with these shots, not just for the clarity of the images of the bee with its strong colours and glassy wings but also for the bokeh in the first picture and while I tend not to blow my own trumpet I am sure you will agree they are pretty darned good.

Verbena

I have photographed this type pf flower before but didn't know what it was but after visiting Ness Gardens I now know it is Verbena. I love the purple flowers and if you zoom in on the the first image you will see that the centre glistens and has fine filaments and the petals appear to have a dusting of something shiny which glitter as the sunlight hits them.

Sea Holly

Today I have left Whitby behind and these pictures were taken during a visit to Ness Botanic Gardens.

I thought these were a variety of thistle but apparently it is Sea Holly or Eryngium maritimum which has been described as "a Thistle with style". They are certainly striking plants and with their vibrant blue they look great against the background of wispy grasses.

I spent a few hours wandering around the gardens so you can be certain that I took lots of photographs of bugs and flowers and of course I can hardly wait to share the pick of the bunch so please keep coming back to see for yourself.

Lighting The Way

As I said yesterday during the final part of my visit to Whitby I took a short trip on Whitby's old lifeboat. 

We went out to the marker buoy and then back. Even though it wasn't all that far it was a lot further than the other pleasure trips which seemed to hug the shoreline and I could see the importance of the buoy and the lighthouse to mark the safe channel back to port.

Guardians of the Sea

After my visit to see the Steam Locomotives at Grosmont (see previous blog posts) I went back to Whitby to take a short boat trip on the old Lifeboat which has been saved from decay and used as a pleasure boat and to promote the work of the RNLI.

As you leave the harbour you pass by the lifeboat station and the current lifeboat which was purchased at a cost of £1.2 million. The RNLI is a vital service run by volunteers and funded entirely via donations. Apparently this boat was paid for by a very generous donor who walked into the lifeboat station and asked how much a new boat would cost, she was told the cost and she promptly wrote a cheque for the full amount. What an amazing gift to the people of Whitby who will rely on this service to save lives at sea along this beautiful stretch of coast.

All Aboard!!!

Here are the last few locomotive shots for the time being. To keep up with the puns in some of the comments on yesterday's post I have to say I was totally stoked to get these shots, I was literally on the right track for the first one but as excited I was I didn't get steamed up with the whole experience.

Sorry, that was a bit painful I know but we have my youngest brother and my oldest school friend to blame for that. If you can come up with any other crazy puns feel free to leave a comment.

Anyway I love these pictures, they invoke some great memories and I hope that you enjoy them as much as me.