Bad Tempered or Good Parent?

 

I visited Martin Mere twice in March and in the resident collection of birds from around the world there is a pair of Coscoroba Swans, a species native to South America. It is the smallest variety of swan although is larger than most geese, and I think it is a very good looking bird. The female was (as you can see) on the nest, and the male was dutifully patrolling the perimeter warding off any potential threats. He was quite aggressive and I definitely didn't want to get too close. He seemed quite grumpy and bad tempered but I guess you could argue that he was taking his role very seriously and doing his best to protect his future family.

Although unrelated I have included an extra image below, this time of a Moorhen also sat on its nest. It is that time of year and I look forward to seeing lots of new life as spring really gets under way. 

On a different note I wanted to say thank you for taking the time top view this blog. Even though I haven't actually posted anything since 24th January it is really gratifying to see that the blog is generating some traffic. Here are a few stats: In February there were 11,470 visits, in the past week there were 7,480 visits and in the last two days alone there have been 941 visits. I am really happy with that and hopefully this will continue. I don't make any money from this site, it is purely about sharing images that I have taken. So thanks again for stopping by.

Old Masters

 

So I may have gone a little over the top with the number of pictures for today's offering but I couldn't help myself. To be honest I could have shared loads more images of these beautiful flying machines.

This is the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight performing a flying display at Rhyl in August. I have been privileged to see these fly on many occasions because I used to live very close to where they are stationed at Coningsby in Lincolnshire. I would hear the sound of the Merlin engines and rush out of the house to see them overhead, it was always a joy.

Of course the history of these aircraft is sad as many pilots were lost and it is a fitting tribute to see these planes preserved. The Lancaster is the only flying example of the plane in the world.

I remember stories that my dad told of watching these planes in action above the south coast of England where he lived during WWII which were exciting and frightening at the same time. 

Something Is Brewing

I posted a similar shot to this a few weeks ago, that picture was taken using my smart phone and I have a number of others taken using my camera, this is one of my favourite reminders of this phenomenal weather. It was so thrilling watching this storm approach over the Sleeping Giant and then sitting in the shelter of the tent as the rain hammered down. 

Today marks exactly two years since I started my blog and in that time I have posted pictures almost daily. In all I have posted 671 times only missing when I have been ill or on holiday without a good enough signal and I have been committed to keeping this going to share some of my favourite pictures. I have done it because I love taking photos but also because the feedback I receive has kept me going. Through this blog and social media I know that my pictures have been viewed many many thousands of times by friends and by strangers all around the world, in places I never imagined. For everyone who has ever taken the time to view my pictures and read my comments I am extremely grateful

If you have followed me for any length of time you will know that I have posted pictures from a range of different genres or styles demonstrating my overall enthusiasm for photography. Wherever I go I am looking for photo opportunities and while some might say I should try to enjoy the moment I feel that by looking for the image I am actually getting so much out of every day.

I am always looking for ways to improve my skills and I have decided that I need to develop a greater focus on one particular area of photography and so I am starting a new web page under my real name with an emphasis on Wildlife and Nature where I will be showcasing what I think are my best wildlife shots so far in searchable galleries, and of course I will be adding new pictures over time with a little more attention to the technical side of the the image rather than the story behind the shot (which is what this blog is about) and hopefully as I pay closer attention to this I will make big steps forward. 

I will continue to take pictures wherever I go, whenever I see something that catches my eye and I will continue to try different things from time to time and with that in mind I will continue to post daily pictures to this blog so I really hope that everyone who has supported me so far will continue to do so. I will post a link to the new site here once it is up and running and I hope that you will all stay with me on my journey to becoming a better photographer.

It's a Gift

Today is a milestone for me because this is my 100th blog post and I have decided to make a special offer to mark the occasion.  So take a look at the pictures then read on for details...

So today's pictures are of High Force in Forest-in-Teesdale.  It is a spectacular sight most times but after heavy rain it becomes a raging torrent and the noise is incredible as the River Tees thunders over the falls.  The first picture is actually of a small stream which feeds in to the Tees, here I experimented with a long exposure to get the milky effect.  Getting shots of the falls themselves was tricky as I had to climb over the fence to get to the rocks which were treacherously slippery, then I had the spray to contend with, it was like being in the shower and the spray on the lens caused the autofocus no end of difficulty.  Hopefully you will think the effort was worth it.

Now for the announcement you have been waiting for... I have now been blogging for 100 days consecutively and in that time my blog has been viewed all around the world, in the UK, Canada, the USA, in Russia, Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Nigeria, Morocco, Australia and all across Europe.  I am so happy that it has taken off so well and hopefully this will continue.

To celebrate the 100th post I wanted to do something to say thank you for the support that people have given me so I am going to give away a mounted print of one of my pictures.  To be in with a chance of receiving this offer please either retweet the link on Twitter or share the link on Facebook saying which of the pictures you would like to receive.  For every tweet or share on Facebook I will enter you into a draw and on New Years Eve I will pick one lucky person at random, the more tweets or shares the more opportunities to win and there will be four more posts between now and the draw itself so come back every day and get tweeting and sharing, and good luck .

Remembrance

With today being Remembrance Sunday and as I go to a memorial service I wanted to post early so that this is up for the whole day.  Over the next few days I will post a few more images in commemoration of those who have given so much so that we can have the freedoms we enjoy today.

This particular memorial is above the stairway in the entrance to Fountains Hall and was put as personal tribute to members of the family who had died in service but the sentiment goes out to everyone who made the same sacrifice.