Looking at Yew

I have been feeling a little under the weather this past week so hadn't been out for a few days so today I headed out to Chirk Castle near Wrexham in North Wales to look at and possibly photograph the display of snowdrops .

On the way there I almost turned back due to a heavy snow storm but when I arrived although the conditions were very changeable it was definitely worth the effort of getting out and as well as some shots of the snowdrops (including some experimental images) which I will eventually share I got a range of other images from the castle and grounds which I am really pleased with.

The best display of snowdrops is found in the "Pleasure Ground Woods" and on the entrance to the woods there is an old yew tree. I was struck by the depth and the detail in the ancient bark and took the above shot to showcase some of the detail. As I looked more closely at the image I noticed a chilling face so I rotated the image and cropped it slightly to bring the face into focus as you can see in the image below. It looks to me like an alien face either with the creature's own hand covering its mouth or perhaps being restrained or silenced... I hope you like this as much as I do.

 

Wrong Turn

Thinking about a title for today's post my son suggested Wrong Turn after the slasher movie of the same name. I have never seen the film but at first it seemed appropriate as this might be the type of cabin deep in the woods where all your nightmares might come true.

However although it is rather tumbledown and in need of a bit of fixing up it also has a bit of character and perhaps it is not so scary at all. Especially when you spot the slightly comical face on the wall looking out over the neatly cut lawn. Just off to one side out of shot was a small group of whitetail deer quietly grazing which would also suggest that this is not so scary. But then, come back after dark and it might be very different...

Not Gloves for Foxes

So for today I wanted to share this picture of a woodland glade with a mass of beautiful foxgloves. It was really nice walking along the edge of the woodland and looking out across the open fields and farmland and then as I turned back into the woods I spotted this lovely quiet and secluded spot which provided a nice splash of colour in contrast to the varied greens.

Then just as I got back to the car park I used the last space on my memory card for the second of today's images. Again this is a beautiful purple foxglove. I have had another go at choosing a monochrome background and highlighting the colour in the flowers, it was quite fiddly given the shape of the flowers and my limited skill with this technique but after several attempts I don't think this is too bad. Let me know what you think.

Fledgling

My recent posts of songbirds have proved quite popular and on Saturday I set out to capture some more wildlife shots. The forecast was for rain so my original plans had to change, I was keen to get out but didn't want to get wet so I settled upon Mere Sands Wood where I knew I would be able to shelter in one of the lake side hides.

On arrival I noticed a sign stating that a pair of kingfishers have been spotted around my favourite hide and so I went there first and set up ready with my finger excitedly on the button. Sadly I didn't spot any kingfishers, in fact from that hide there was very little to be seen so I moved onto a different hide in the hope of seeing some kingfishers or a bittern but after a rather long time with nothing much to see I set off for a walk in the woods.

It wasn't a total washout and I did manage to get a few decent shots. Today's selection was one of the last pictures I took on the day and I have to say it is one of my favourites (I may well share another view of this bird in a day or two). At first I wasn't sure what it is but it is of course a juvenile robin. It really is a beauty isn't it. 

I have learned that when robins fledge they stay on their parent's territory for a while and because the adult birds are so fiercely territorial they retain this lovely speckled brown plumage until they are old enough to fend for themselves and defend a territory of their own, otherwise they would be driven off by their parents and their chance of survival would be slim. 

Songs From The Wood

I never tire of photographing Robins. They have such great characters, they're bold, inquisitive and sometimes cheeky. I love these shots because of the lighting, the texture of the mossy log and the green and blue background from the massed bluebells on the slope behind.

I know lots of you like to see these pictures too so I will keep on snapping Robins whenever I get the opportunity.

A Chance Encounter

I had planned oo getting up really early this morning to go up to Boilton Woods near Preston. Every morning I have been waking at around 5am and so I thought it would be easy for me to get up and at the woods for just after sunrise. So confident was I that I didn't bother to set my alarm. Of course that was a mistake and I didn't wake up til 6.20. I managed to get to the woods around 7.45 so much later than hoped but not too late to enjoy the early morning sun.

The main reason I had gone was to try and photograph the bluebells and also some birds as it is a great spot for both at this time of year.

I met another photographer who lived nearby and who had been there since just after 6, he happily told me about the early mist and the  Brown Hares and Roe Deer that he had seen on the field near the car park, he even very kindly showed me a couple of shots that he had captured. Of course I was pleased for him but I was quietly kicking myself for having missed a good photo opportunity.

We spoke about the deer but I didn't expect to see one. 

I went on to take some pictures of bluebells and put some seed down to attract some birds in a shady spot and then as I was sat on a bench to change lenses out of the corner of my eye I caught movement less than 30 feet away. I looked up to see this beautiful Roe Deer. I was still changing my lens at the time so had to be really quick and then the deer skipped off through the trees and I thought I had completely lucked out. As you can see however luck was on my side, just briefly because it paused in a small clearing just long enough for me to catch this one shot. You can see that it is poised to move and having glanced towards me for the briefest moment it took off up the hillside and into the trees. I was so thrilled to see it, even happier to get a shot and really pleased that the one shot I got was half decent too.

The rest of my morning was a success too with shots of several species of bird including a Kestrel and also pictures of a Bank Vole and a Wood Mouse as well as lots of the gorgeous bluebells. I can hardly wait to share them.

Old Wood

I have posted pictures from Silver Islet before (and no doubt will post more in the future) but one part of the community that isn't generally noticed is the cemetery. This is because it is secluded within the forest at the end of a short trail (approx 1km) and it is overgrown and decaying; a hidden relic of the villages' past.

Some of the graves have headstones and others are marked by simple wooden markers and some of the plots are enclosed by small wooden fences like the one in this picture.

We visited on a hot and sunny day but even so there was a certain chill as we walked among the graves and it was particularly moving as we read the inscriptions on the few stones that were legible, especially when we found the grave of a ten month old child underlining how challenging conditions must have been for the settlers in Silver Islet back in the day.

I like this picture because of the rugged look of the old wood and the mossy growth which adds extra depth and texture.