Natural Wonder

 Over two nights in May I was able to fulfil a dream of observing the night sky properly. In the UK there are very few true dark sky areas and my previous attempts to observe the sky at night have been hampered by clouds, light pollution and poor timing. 

So on a recent holiday in the United States I was able to time a camping trip in the desert near Page AZ at the time of a new moon and with clear conditions.

On the first evening I concentrated on a start trail because there was a little cloud in the southern sky. I wanted to include the covered wagons as part of the foreground so I have managed to locate Polaris in the top left of the shot so the stars sweep upwards from the desert floor. Additional lighting was provided by people returning to the campsite and lighting everything up with their headlights. This image is a stack of around 270 images.

On the second night I had hope for clear skies so that I could point my camera south to get the milky way arching across the desert. However as the evening wore on heavy clouds gathered and I went to bed a little dejected feeling that an opportunity had been missed. However at 2am I woke up to answer a call of nature. As I stepped outside the tent I experienced such a sense of awe and wonder as I saw the sky as I had never seen it before. There were no clouds and there above and in front of me was the biggest expanse of star filled sky I forgot that I had needed the loo and set up my camera to capture a few shots. 

Whenever I look at my photos I think I could have done better, or I wish I could have framed it differently... however I am so happy that I got to see this and these images will serve as a reminder of that wonderful experience and the feeling of wonder. I hope that one day I will be able to capture something similar but if I don't I can still say that on this trip one of my ambitions was achieved.

Living on the Edge

 I don't think I can say much about these shots, other than it was so exciting to be able to get close to these beautiful creatures. They really are such special birds. I am always amazed at how hardy they are given how small they are and the life they lead, 8 months out at sea, 4 months on a rocky island in a burrow underground.

In a few weeks when their eggs hatch these birds will be on a constant round of fishing and feeding the little pufflings, who when they have fledged effectively just hurl themselves off the cliff into the air and they too will very soon head off out into the wild ocean.

Simply Snowdrops

 After my experimental film yesterday (which I was super happy with and hope you will take a look at if you haven't already) here are some more conventional shots of snowdrops as promised.

There is something special about these little flowers that come up so early in the season. It is still winter and yet they herald the start of spring. They can form impressive carpets of flowers which is why yesterday's images were so effective. But, they can also look stunning as individual plants or in small clusters as you can see in the pictures above.

Other woodland flowers that are coming through right now are cyclamen and aconites which are also really beautiful but they do not have quite the impact that snowdrops do. Soon we will see crocus, daffodils and then bluebells and then we will know that Spring has really arrived.

A Burst Of Colour

 There have been many times when I have spotted small flocks of Goldfinches darting from  treetop to treetop, chattering away and felt tormented because they have always proved to be incredibly difficult to photograph.

I was excited when I heard this chap singing away and hoped to get a decent shot but for a while I couldn't spot him. After a few minutes however I caught a glimpse and slowly, I crept towards him hoping that he would stay still long enough.

Perched high up he caught the early morning sun perfectly, showing off his brilliant plumage. I say "he" because although the females have similar plumage they are slightly duller and have less red on the face so I am fairly confident this one is a male.

These are fairly common birds across the UK and although intensive agriculture has led to reduced numbers garden feeders have helped to maintain the population. Although they are quite common I still count it as a privilege to have got such lovely pictures.

The oldest recorded age for a Goldfinch is 14 years which seems pretty  good for such a small and delicate creature. 

In the 19th century they were popular cagebirds with 132,000 birds a year being caught in Sussex alone for this purpose. I think I would much rather see them in the wild, on the wing or up a tree than in a cage. 

A Carpet of Colour

 

I thought for today's post I would share a riot of spring colour with this carpet of beautiful Crocuses.

As I said the other day being so early in the season there was not a great deal of colour throughout the gardens at Bodnant as most flowers/plants are only just "waking up". However walking along one path towards the dell there was this vast array of crocuses, interspersed in a few places by daffodils creating the appearance of a wildflower meadow in summer.

Predominantly purple and white these flowers look stunning against the lush green of the grass. It was nice to see that despite recent storms and heavy rain the flowers themselves were not badly damaged and in the sunshine this was a wonderful sight. Some of the individual flowers look stunning set against the blooms around them as they catch the sunlight.

Gyr Falcon

 This beautiful Gyr Falcon was braving the wet weather , although he didn't really have any choice as the heavy rain arrived out of nowhere so I figure it caught everyone out.

This is the largest species of falcon, and they are popular as hunting birds. They have a wide range across Arctic coastal regions, tundra and northern North America as well as what is referred to as the Eurosiberian region.  They have different coloured plumage depending on the area they live.

One final fact it is the official bird of Canada's Northwest Territories...

Death Come Quickly

 

I haven't really been able to indulge my passion for photography for a long time and on the odd occasions when I have been able to get out with my camera I have had limited time and only managed to get a few shots and so I have not regularly posted anything to my blog, it has been in fits and starts. So this past week has been a much needed treat for me. I was able to spend a few days down in Somerset and Devon and along the way I managed to capture a few decent images that I am looking forward to sharing and perhaps sharing the story behind some of them.

On Monday I went to Hestercombe Gardens just outside of Taunton. There are some lovely formal gardens designed by Gertrude Jekyll and Edwin Lutyens in 1908, but there are also some wonderful landscaped gardens which date back to the 1750's with lots of little surprises and hidden gems, such as gothic temples, cascades and alcoves where you can sit and enjoy spectacular views across the garden. 

It was wet and grey when I visited but that didn't spoil the visit in any way. In fact the rain added some extra interest as you can see from the images above. 

I have a few more pictures with a watery theme to come but for today I have a shot of this Geranium robertianum; a species of cranesbill. It is commonly known as herb-Robert, fox geranium, red robin, stinking Bob, crow's foot, squinter-pip and as in the title of this post death come quickly. Apparently it can be used in folk medicine with a variety of benefits; one that particularly interests me is that the smell from the leaves if rubbed on the body will repel mosquitoes. As someone who seems to attract mosquitoes and all manner of bitey bugs that sounds quite tempting although perhaps the smell which is said to be similar to burning tyres may actually drive away more than just mosquitoes.

This is a very unassuming little plant and could have been overlooked very easily but I think it was worth the time and attention to get this shot (and the cropped image too) with the raindrops for added interest. The pink flower stands out nicely against the green backdrop of bracken, I think it is really beautiful.

I have no idea

 I really don't know what this flower is but I do know it looks pretty.

If you do know what it is then feel free to comment and let me know.

Primrose

 

These Common or English Primroses are absolutely beautiful. The yellow flowers are so delicate with the golden centre fading out to a pale almost creamy yellow.

These were hidden close to some moss covered rocks in a woodland garden I was lucky because the sun was shining through a gap in the tree canopy so these flowers were perfectly illuminated.

I think they are gorgeous 

Elegance

 This was a lovely magnolia with the most amazing display of flowers but unlike many other varieties this one didn't have any fragrance. It really is quite elegant though.

Camellia

 I like the rich creamy colouring and the sumptuous texture of the petals but most of all I like the shape of the petals as they open out into this stunning bloom.

Spring Sunshine

 

There were masses of daffodils forming a golden carpet through the woodland garden. It was really beautiful but getting down to flower level and focusing on an individual bloom really shows the flower off at its best. It looks especially good because it is backlit by the sun and it brings a warm glow.

Winter Jasmine

 It is ages since I have been out with my camera and I have been a bit stir crazy. I was pleased the other day when my neighbour told me she had some beautiful winter jasmine flowering in her garden and said that if I wanted to photograph it I was welcome.

Although this flower has no scent it is certainly beautiful and is a welcome splash of colour when everything else is dying off.

Apple Blossom Time

I only have a small garden but there is room for a couple of fruit trees which are a real joy all year round.

Today's blooms are apple blossom from the espaliered apple tree that borders one side of the garden. It is a James Grieve variety a variety that dates back to 1893. The first year the tree produced just one apple and it was quite an event harvesting it and sharing it around at home. Each year there is a growing crop and the fruit is nice and sweet. But I think the apple blossom is really beautiful with a very delicate fragrance. Its lovely to think that each of these blooms has the potential to develop into a delicious apple.

Lockdown Fun

Although I still have lots of pictures I could sort through and share from past shoots I thought that today I would try something I have never tried before and I am really pleased with the results.

For these shots I used my 100mm macro lens and my ring flash and I set up a mini studio on my dining table with two small spotlights to add extra highlights. I hadn't really used the flash properly before so my first challenge was working out how to synchronise the flash so I could use a fast shutter speed (1/1250ms to 1/2000ms). Once I got that sorted I used a medicine syringe to drop water into a bowl filled to the brim. It was a case of trial and error to get the droplets in the right spot and to fire the shutter at the right time.

I was able to create a lot of interesting effects; I will share a few more over the next few days but for today enjoy these. I think they are really cool!

Hydrangea

These Hydrangea were growing in a shaded dell above a stream. I had never looked so closely at Hydrangeas before and I noticed how delicate and beautiful they are.

Anemone

I am not sure exactly what variety this is but I am fairly sure it is a type of anemone.

Whatever it is it is beautiful and when you take a closer look it is really quite complex with lots of tiny buds and delicate fronds making up the central disc.


Update:  It has been pointed out to me that this flower is in fact a Cosmos not an anemone and so I wanted to set the record straight.

Coming to Life

The other day I shared a couple of shots of a bracken heart which I think looked quite lovely. Today I have selected another shot of some bracken coming into life but from a side on perspective.

I just love the way this plant develops from tight little green balls, coiled up, covered in fine tendrils, slowly unfurling one stage at a time until it produces lush green fronds giving ground cover and a haven for birds, insects and small mammals. Even from a static image I think there is a real sense of movement or at least potential to spring into motion at any moment.

I like the lighting in this shot too, moments before I had tried to capture an image but a cloud had passed in front of the sun and so the fern was in shadow but as the sun appeared from behind the cloud so this lovely curl became illuminated giving light, and depth to the image.

You Know Spring Has Arrived When...

This morning we were blessed with beautiful clear skies and glorious early morning sunshine. It was a cold start to the day but definitely worth the effort of getting up and out early to capture the early sun on theses beautiful bluebells in the Gorse Covert at the RSPB reserve at Burton Mere.

I always look for the emergence of bluebells to signal that Spring has truly arrived. I have lots of happy memories of walks in woodlands where there were carpets of native bluebells and although this display is not as dense as some of those I grew up with it is still heartwarming and a boost to the spirits.

Fero da prora

This is such an iconic image from Venice.

The fero da prora is the ornament on the prow of the gondolas and as well as looking nice it is truly functional and the shape itself is symbolic.

The Fero is there to act as a counter balance to the gondolier who stands at the back of the gondola. That surprised me because it doesn't look that weighty but as it curves around the whole front of the boat it is more substantial than it appears at first glance.

A little research revealed that the S shape represents the Grand Canal that flows through the heart of the city, the six prongs facing forward represent the six districts of Venice while the prong pointing backwards apparently symbolises the island of Giudecca and the curved top represents the Doge's cap, while the inner curve at the top is said to symbolise the famous Rialto Bridge

In between the six prongs there are three additional items which represent the islands of Murano, Burano and Torcello.

So what I thought was just a nice ornament actually is so much more, I am glad I took a few moments to find out and hopefully you will appreciate that effort.  More importantly I hope you like this picture as much as I do