This little chap was one of a number of regular visitors to my campsite in the summer, morning and evening at mealtimes he was never far away.
Although he would approach quite closely he was still very wary but a welcome visitor.
I love our British wildlife and getting up close to any wild creature, even something as "common" as the Chaffinch is always a thrill and should never be taken for granted. Earlier today I was listening to a song "No Longer There" by The Cat Empire, it poses the question what will you leave behind for the generations that follow you? It's great song so click on the link and have a listen.
There is so much in our world we should cherish but so much that we destroy and we need to take better care of things or one day even common species will be harder to see.
I love this shot of the sunset across the Fylde coast and Morecambe Bay that was taken during a recent camping trip. My son thinks the picture would be improved if I added a few Tie Fighters and that way it would resemble a scene from the Star Wars Force Awakens.
I love the colour in the sky and the golden edge of the low clouds over the horizon where you can make out the silhouette of the wind turbines in the bay. In spite of the warm colours it was a cold night but I always love camping and that was a lovely night to sleep out.
One of the things I love about camping is the fact that it brings you close to nature, or in this case it brings nature close to you.
Every morning and evening when my son and I returned to our tent in the New Forest and sat out to enjoy a meal in the sun we were visited by a nuthatch and a family of fledgling Chaffinches. They would come and sit in the bracken and cheep noisily helped along by the scraps we fed them. Well they were so lovely we couldn't resist.
I have decided to share a landscape shot today. I know that not everyone likes landscapes but I like the way this one of Hawthornthwaite Fell in Lancashire. I like the way the shot is framed by the tree in the top corner and I like the shadows of the clouds across the fell and of the tree on the field which give the picture different layers and depth. I also love the fresh shades of green.
This was the fell (alongside Nicky Nook Fell) which overlooked the campsite where I stayed for a couple of nights last week. I needed a break away and this was just what needed.
A week ago I spent a night camping in the Lake District, just north of Keswick and with a view of the snow covered Skiddaw. It was a bit wet underfoot and with a cloudless sky the temperature plummeted once the sun went down. That being said it was a lovely peaceful night and I enjoyed sitting by the fire watching the flames.
I chose the title for today's post as it is a song by Nick Cave which I really like.
I took a number of shots of the fire and I have selected a few for today's post. I love the random shapes and patterns, I also love the way random puffs of flame rise above the fire and then just disappear.
Looking at these pictures different things stand out each time, I hope you enjoy these shots.
In the coming coming days I will share some of my other images from my trip, including some of the night sky.
Here in the UK these birds would be called Divers but in Canada they are Loons. They are quite beautiful when fully grown and just cute as downy chicks like this one. They have the most haunting cry which can be heard from miles away.
I was out on the lake in the canoe when we came across an adult and this juvenile and as we paddled closer so that I could get a clear shot the adult bird tried its hardest to distract us and lure us away from its chick. We got as close as we dared without being too close and then we allowed ourselves to be lured away by the adult. I couldn't get a proper shot of the adult bird though because it was constantly on the move and kept diving below the surface and popping up in a different spot and then when it was satisfied that we were no longer a threat to its young it flew back to where the young bird was swimming and they paddled off together. Although it was slightly frustrating and I couldn't get all of the shots I wanted I was really impressed to see such good parenting.
I've been away camping for a few days and not able to post anything but I've been getting loads of photos which I can share in the weeks ahead.
Today's first picture was taken on the morning I left for the camping trip as I went for a short walk. These beautiful flowers added extra brightness to the morning, they're in a beautifully tended garden at Heritage Park overlooking the Sleeping Giant at Thunder Bay.
This second picture is a view of the Sleeping Giant as seen from Marie Louise Lake in the Sleeping Giant Provincial Park, there will be lots of different views that I will share because it was always changing. This particular picture was taken on a really calm morning just before a trip out onto the lake in a canoe. Again there will be more of these adventures in the coming weeks, after I've had time to sort through all my pictures but please come back to see...
As the sun went down the sky turned from pinky blue to rich golden yellow setting the sea on fire with golden reflections.
It was so relaxing to watch the sun sinking down towards the horizon.
