Tarn Hows and Yew Tree Tarn

Today's pictures are a return to the Lake District for a few reflections.

The first shot is of Tarn Hows, there are some really good vantage points for some lovely views I think that on a sunny day this would be a great spot for a picnic after a walk around the lake.

The second image is of Yew Tree Tarn  which sits in the valley between Tarn Hows on the road from Skelwith Bridge to Coniston.

The last two pictures are from River Brathay between Skelwith Bridge and Elterwater which is an area I have visited a few times in the past. A couple of years ago I went on a short camping trip, when I stayed near Chapel Stile and got up at the crack of dawn to walk along the river and take pictures as the sun was rising.  It was a really memorable trip and these pictures and the pictures I will post tomorrow bring back some good memories

Mossy Rocks

I love the colours and textures in these rocks and I like the contrast between the fast flowing water in the first picture and the mirror smooth water in the final image.

Ripples and Reflections

It was a cold and wet morning in the lakes and I was really lucky to get the first shot of Tarn Hows so still with a fairly sharp reflection, you can just make out the raindrops breaking the surface and just moments after taking this shot it poured down and the reflection disappeared.

In the second shot of the log extending into the lake you can see a white area in the distance which is not ripples it is actually ice. In the final image you can also see that the surface of the lake is frozen for quite a distance and although it looks thin and would not have held my weight it was thick enough that a stone thrown onto it skimmed along the surface.

My favourite images today are the first and fourth, leave a comment and let me know yours...

Meet My New Friend

If you like robins then today you are in for a real treat...

Whilst walking up Tom Gill and around Tarn Hows I paused for a short while in the shelter of a rocky ledge to get out of the rain. As I stood there this little robin flew down and approached me.  I didn't have any food for it and so it quite happily searched for insects in the moss and leaf litter. He seemed to pose at times and let me get really close.  He even sat and watched while I changed lenses from my 24 - 105mm to my 100mm macro. With that lens I was able to position my camera just inches from him and he didn't move, he even seemed to take an interest in what I was doing. I have zoomed in for a real close crop in the fourth image so that you can see how clearly defined the feathers are down to the black whiskers either side of his beak and around his eyes.  If you look into his eyes you can see me reflected there too.

Tom Gill

After a week of pictures from Preston's Avenham Park I have moved on to a different part of the country today.  With the promise of dry and mild weather conditions I headed up to the Lake District.  Of course it being the Lake District the weather forecast didn't really count for anything and when I arrived at my first planned destination at Glen Mary Bridge between Skelwith Bridge and Coniston it was absolutely heaving down.  After a short delay I decided to head out anyway and I walked up to Tarn Hows via Tom Gill which is a series of waterfalls from Tarn Hows down to Yew Tree Beck. 

It was a fantastic walk up the path alongside the beck and I took my time getting a number of shots, so over the next few days I will be posting several more which I hope you will enjoy.