Slow Down

 As I am writing this and selecting photos for today I am listening to the new album by Yann Tiersen Rathlin From A Distance/The Liquid Hour. It is very mellow and full of beautiful compositions, well worth a listen. I will be going to see him perform the new album in Liverpool tonight so I am really looking forward to that. Anyway the title of the blog fits well with the music and fits with the images below too.

The scene in these photos is Glencoe Lochan which we reached after a decent walk from the campsite, following the Glencoe Orbital Walk. I took several shots from different points around the lake but have just chosen these two for today, maybe I will come back to some of the others another time. If you look on Google Maps the lake is almost completely dry so I was very pleased to see it was full when I visited allowing me to get some long exposure shots of the lake and its surroundings. These were both about 2 second exposures using an ND filter to help smooth out the surface of the lake (it was a little breezy) and get these beautiful reflections.

There is a clear path around the lake and this part of the walk is very accessible (the woodland walk we took was less so but very enjoyable) and there were several people out enjoying the weather. I was pleased to be able to slow down and really take in the surroundings and to capture images which I think show off this location at its best. You can tell that spring is well under way with the fresh colours of the trees and in the reflections.

It was so good to visit here with my brother, making memories. I can think of a few people I would happily share this spot with.

GET ON WITH IT!

 At the start of April I got to go camping with my youngest brother in Glencoe, in the Scottish Highlands. I had never stayed in this part of Scotland before and so I was really excited as I prepared for this trip. The weather was perfect with clear skies the whole time and despite strong winds at night and freezing overnight temperatures (only minus 4C) I don't think I stopped smiling the whole time I was there.

The scenery is beyond amazing and the big sky is something you don't experience living in or close to cities around the UK. 

Normally whenever I go away I plan meticulously, I have a clear idea of where I want to go, what I want to see and what I hope to photograph. I love the planning process and I feel great satisfaction when everything comes together. I don't like leaving too much to chance however I like to think that I am also quite adaptable so if circumstances change then I can change with them. For this trip, apart from picking the campsite I made no plans at all and that was actually quite a freeing experience as my brother and I just went with the flow. 

On the Saturday afternoon we drove along the edge of Loch Leven to Appin we walked across the Jubilee Bridge and around the bay. On a review of the walk it mentioned views of Castle Stalker so I was keen to see that and I admit I went a bit mad taking lots of different photos of the castle. As soon as I saw it I recognised it from a movie I have watched many times. I sent a quick snap to my family's WhatsApp chat and received a swift reply from one of my sons "Get On With It!". I was really pleased that he had recognised the castle as the one which features in Monty Python and the Holy Grail. We watched it so many times when my kids were growing up, so much so that we could recite large parts of the script at mealtimes and even now snippets of the dialogue from the film enter our everyday conversations.

As you can see below I have photographed it from different angles and vantage points, while I was there a couple of other photographers were out doing the same and one guy turned up to capture the scene in oil paint. 

Castle Stalker

Stand Up

 Some people have commented that the pebble stack in my last post resembled a woman in a large skirt cradling a baby/child, which is what I noticed when I first created the stack. Even though it was unintentional it really does look like that and I was really happy with the way it turned out. It would be impossible to recreate it and I like that the image is unique.

I went on to build a second stack which is is probably more simple in that it is a pile of stones balanced with no special feature but within the landscape it looks really effective and the light play through the water in some of the images is quite cool.

I have included one shot of the background too to provide greater context to the overall setting.

It can be fun playing about on the rivers edge, you should try it sometime.

I have questions...

I love being outdoors and every day I try to get out for a walk. Usually that means in my local area and I will walk between 3 to 5 miles. I maintain a brisk pace and if I am on my own I will have my headphones on and listen to music. The scenery doesn't change too much but the weather does and with the changing tides the walk along the sea front the view is always good. I see lots of people along the way, some other regular walkers; old retirees like me, couples, dog walkers, young mums with kids on scooters, bikes or in prams. Many will return my smiles and say hello while others head down are less keen to engage.

Today was no different however as I was walking along I startled by some joggers who approaching from behind ran so close to me that they almost hit my elbow as if oblivious to my presence. This annoyed me the first time it  happened and even more the second time, Why did they lack basic spatial awareness? Am I invisible? and then as I walked on I started to wonder about other things; Why when I offer a cheery "good morning" do some people just look away? Why when I catch someone looking directly at me and I smile do they scowl and pretend they haven't been caught out? why do some people walk along with their phones on speaker and have conversations that everyone else can hear? As I walked on I noticed that I was starting to feel grumpy and I shouldn't let things like this bother me, I will continue to smile and say hello, and I will try to notice things that will lift and inspire me. What I did notice this morning was a beautiful male pied wagtail in breeding plumage strutting "proudly" and "hopefully" in front of a potential mate, and I also spotted the first pair of Swallows that I have seen this season, swooping low over the beach catching flies and I look forward to seeing more as they arrive over the coming weeks.

I also tried to think about what pictures I would share in my blog post today. I wanted something that would promote calm so I decided on the following images of a stone stack I built on the banks of the river Coe in Scotland last weekend. I had been for a really good walk in the morning and before heading off to explore more of the area in the afternoon I spent a few quiet moments on the riverside next to the campsite. My aim when I build these things (as I do occasionally) is not to build really high or elaborate stacks but to create an object that fits within the landscape so I try to use the light and the backgrounds to create a finished image and then when I am done I return the stones to where they came from (if they don't fall down first). I think that with the stack in these pictures, taken from different angles I met my objective. Have a look and let me know what you think...

  

Beautiful Plumage!

 I am not referring to the plumage of the Norwegian Blue Parrot made famous by those terribly funny Monty Python chaps, I am of course referring to the plumage of the Hooded mergansers as seen in the pictures below.

I had a short break from sharing pictures due to a brief camping trip in Glencoe (Scottish Highlands) and while I have loads of images to sort through and eventually share with you I am continuing today with some of my wildlife shots from WWT Martin Mere.

I think we can agree that the Hooded Merganser is a very handsome bird. It is a diving duck and like the Goldeneye in my last post has a wide flattened tail which is uses to push itself under water in search of food. It has a long thin beak which is no doubt designed for catching small fish and crustaceans that it likes to eat. The male and female have very different and distinct markings, the male with its black and white breast, head and back with more orange coloured flanks. He looks very impressive with his tufted head fully extended. He also has bold yellow eyes.

The female on the other hand is less striking brown although she has a beautiful chestnut red crest and reddish eyes. 

When they weren't diving for food they spent much of the time circling each other, they make quite a pair. They are cavity nesters often using holes in trees close to fresh water or even in nest boxes.

These pictures confirm what I said in my last post, ducks are not less interesting or less attractive than geese.

Bright Eyes

Well just in case you are wondering, the title of this post does not relate to the famous song written by Mike Batt (of Wombles fame) and performed by Art Garfunkel, and which was used as the theme for the film adaptation of Watership Down. It is about the star of the post, the beautiful Goldeneye. Actually the song Bright Eyes might be better connected to the duck as the lyrics talk about floating on the tide and "bright eyes, burning like fire" which doesn't really apply to rabbits, anyway I digress.

In January a pair of Goldeneye had been spotted on the marine Lake at West Kirby and although I could see them I could not photograph them as they stayed too far out on the lake for me to get a decent shot. At Martin Mere however there are a couple of pairs on one of the ponds and over two visits I managed to get a few shots.

On my most recent visit I was having a chat with one of my sons who expressed his opinion that geese tended to be more interesting and better looking than ducks. I disagreed with this and pointed out a smew which was immediately on hand and also referred him to the Goldeneye which by any assessment is a stunning looking bird.

The male with his bold black and white plumage and vivid yellow eyes is amazing, and even the female which is more understated is still quite beautiful.

They are a diving duck and will disappear beneath the surface in their hunt for food. They have wide tails which you can see in the fourth picture is used to propel them under the water as they dive.

In the final three images I was unsure whether the male was simply taking a drink of water or whether he was displaying to the female (it is spring after all), given that he repeated this action several times I suspect he was showing off.

Looking at those shots I also noticed the ripples in the background which could have easily featured in one of my recent posts, but the focus at the moment is definitely on the wildlife. I have lots more shots of birds from Martin Mere that I will be sharing soon so keep your eyes peeled for my next post.

 

Bad Tempered or Good Parent?

 

I visited Martin Mere twice in March and in the resident collection of birds from around the world there is a pair of Coscoroba Swans, a species native to South America. It is the smallest variety of swan although is larger than most geese, and I think it is a very good looking bird. The female was (as you can see) on the nest, and the male was dutifully patrolling the perimeter warding off any potential threats. He was quite aggressive and I definitely didn't want to get too close. He seemed quite grumpy and bad tempered but I guess you could argue that he was taking his role very seriously and doing his best to protect his future family.

Although unrelated I have included an extra image below, this time of a Moorhen also sat on its nest. It is that time of year and I look forward to seeing lots of new life as spring really gets under way. 

On a different note I wanted to say thank you for taking the time top view this blog. Even though I haven't actually posted anything since 24th January it is really gratifying to see that the blog is generating some traffic. Here are a few stats: In February there were 11,470 visits, in the past week there were 7,480 visits and in the last two days alone there have been 941 visits. I am really happy with that and hopefully this will continue. I don't make any money from this site, it is purely about sharing images that I have taken. So thanks again for stopping by.