Formation Flying... Keep Up Back There!

 I am told (via Google lens) that these ducks are Gadwall and my perusal of various guide books suggests that is correct. In one RSPB guide they are described as "a rather undistinguished duck" but in another RSPB guide they are described as "elegant, exquisitely marked birds at close range". It has a similar appearance to a Mallard but is smaller in size, they are seen in much fewer numbers than mallards so I am quite pleased to have witnessed this small flock flying around at Mere Sands Woods in Lancashire.

They were quite a way off so there is not much detail unfortunately but what I really like about these images is the shapes of the birds in flight as they swoop and turn looking for a good place to land or rather splash down. 

You can see that many of the birds have open beaks and as they were flying they made quite a racket. I wonder what they were communicating to each other, and which bird was leading the conversation, I noticed that the bird at the back in each photo was not joining in and perhaps they were being told to keep up!

Tranquil

I have visited this spot at Glenridding on Ullswater a few times. Last year I visited early morning when it was -6 C there was a thick fog and the edge of the lake was frozen. These boats were barely visible.

On my most recent visit there was a light breeze and the surface of the lake was  covered with small, even ripples. The light was not very good because of the low cloud but I had came here with a particular image in mind. I wanted to get  a nice even image with a degree of symmetry and I knew that I needed a good reflection. I used a 2 second exposure and I layered two ND filters to flatten out the ripples and create a smooth surface for the reflection and then in Lightroom I have adjusted the contrast to bring out the detail in the sky.

Overall I am really happy with this image and it is pretty close to what I had set out to achieve when I set out at the start of the day. I also got to try out a technique for long exposure that I hadn't really tried before so I would say it was a successful day out.

Old Stones

So yesterday I shared a picture from inside the stone circle at Castlerigg looking out towards Helvellyn. It is such a mysterious and magical place.

Today I have chosen another shot from inside the circle, focusing on four of the stones but giving the image different treatments in post processing.

One of the great things about digital photography is the range of tools that are available that mean you can turn a photo from a simple record into a piece of art. I do always try to get the image a close to what I want in camera but then I will use Lightroom or photoshop to make some minor adjustments to get the scene as close to what I saw on the day. 

In the first image I have tried to stay faithful to the scene although I have adjusted the contrast slightly and emphasised the dramatic sky.

For the second image I have converted the original to black and white and used a pre-set in Lightroom to create a more punchy image.

For the final picture I have used masks in photoshop. Originally I used the mask to show the background in colour and leave the stones in black and white but while that was quite effective the stones just looked grey and that could have been taken for their natural colour so I chose to highlight the stones against a monochrome background for what I think is a really striking image.

Portrait of Mother Hill

So for today I decided to get out and do some hiking, something I haven't really done too much of for a while and I headed off to where my hiking adventures began about 30 years ago in the Derbyshire Peak District.

I chose a circular walk starting from the village of Castleton to the top of Mam Tor and along the ridge dividing Edale and Hope Valley. It was a great day out with some absolutely stunning scenery. The walk is billed as the 10th most popular walk in the UK and although it was a weekday, because it was New Year's Eve there were a lot of other people out enjoying the hills too so it wasn't the quiet getaway I had imagined but it was fun nevertheless.

I decided to shoot this view of Mam Tor reflected in a small roadside pool in portrait mode and landscape mode. I had to be patient because although the water was calm when I arrived a couple of dogs went in for a paddle. After a few minutes though they moved on and I was able to get these lovely reflections.

It was such a relief to see the top of the hill bathed in sunshine because when I first arrived  the whole ridge had been enveloped in fog and I had worried that I was in for a cold and damp walk with no views at all. 

2019 has ended well for me, let's hope that 2020 gets off to a good start too.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Place Fell

Here is another shot from my recent visit to Ullswater. This view shows Place Fell which overlooks the lakeland villages of Glenridding and Patterdale.

It rises 262m above the lake with an elevation of 657m above sea level, so not particularly high but from the top it will offer great views of the lake and of the Helvellyn range.

I was quite happy to sit here on the waters edge and enjoy this stunning view.

A Head of Steam

The weather this weekend and last has been awful and so I have had no real opportunity to get outdoors with my camera and as a consequence I haven't posted anything for a little while. If you missed my last pictures of the Kingfisher do make sure to take a look as I was really excited to get those shots.

For today;'s offering I have stepped back in time, to July 2017 to be exact, when I had stayed near Whitby and took some time to visit the North Yorkshire Steam Railway workshops at Grosmont. It is a fantastic place to visit and you can see the dedicated mechanics and engineers at work restoring the magnificent locomotives from years gone by.

I love the powerful steam engines but I also like the newer diesel engines that replaced steam.

Looking at these images I have some great memories of my time there and I hope these pictures convey to you some of the power and majesty of the great locomotives.

The Loveliest View In The World

I haven't posted anything for about 10 days (I have been working on a calendar of British Birds for 2020) and so I thought I would come back with something special and I hope you will agree with me that this picture fits the bill.

You may think I am over stating things by describing this as the loveliest view in the world but those are not my words but the words of the leading art critic of the Victorian Era; John Ruskin (he was also an artist, social thinker and philanthropist). He described this view of the River Lune as seen from the churchyard of St Mary's Church in Kirkby Lonsdale in Cumbria as being"the loveliest view in England, and therefore the World".

A painting of this view by JMW Turner described "priceless possession" was sold at auction in 2012 for £217,250

Well beauty is in the eye of the beholder so you may disagree with that statement  but I am sure you will agree that it is pretty spectacular indeed. It is certainly a great view of the English countryside. This picture was taken after a few days of heavy rain, local roads were flooded and lots of water was coming off the hills raising the level of the river which was flowing extremely fast rushing towards Devil's Bridge about a mile down river.

In some ways this view reminds me a bit of the view of the Wye Valley from Symonds Yat Rock which I think could compete for the title of loveliest view... but then I would say there are other views that could compete and I am sure you will have your own candidates, why not leave a comment with your suggestions.

Conquering Hero!

As the day was drawing to an end after a long hike to the top of the Sleeping Giant the light was fading, legs and feet were aching and there was a threat of rain or possibly snow. But every step through the forest was as magical as the first step at the start of the day and the atmosphere in the forest was truly wonderful.

I love these pictures as they really capture something of that atmosphere. They could be anywhere but these shots remind me that we conquered the Giant.

Oh Deer!!!

I have been to Dunham Massey a few times in the last three or four months, the last time was during the rutting season when there was lots of action but the light was rubbish and so I didn't really get the shots I had hoped for. All the same I got some nice pictures that I shared at the time.

With the promise of better weather today I got up early and set off with my camera and high hopes. It was pretty cold so I wrapped up warm and donned my wellies and I walked several  miles, some of it through very muddy conditions but I enjoyed every minute of it. I would have stayed longer if I could and although I took lots of pictures I will definitely go back.

I think the shots I have shared today are proof that my early start was not in vain. I have lots of other, even better shots than these so please come back over the next few days to see some of those.