Stonechat

 For today I am taking a break from the puffin and other seabird shots and have shared a few images of male and female stonechats. I photographed these on Wooltack Point while waiting for the crossing to Skomer. There were lots of songbirds flying about and singing loudly but most were very difficult to spot let alone photograph. With a bit of patience however I managed to get these shots and I really like the colours with the gorse in full bloom as a backdrop. It is very likely that I was close to the nest in these shots because they commonly nest in gorse, and why not? with its sharp thorns it provides a natural protective barrier to would be predators. They lay 5 or 6 eggs and will generally have 2 or 3 broods in a nesting season. That seems like a lot of work for such little birds.

A Heck of a View

A few more from my trip to Pembrokeshire and Skomer. No doubt you you will be excited to see some shots of Puffins, after all that was the reason I went to Skomer in the first place. I have chosen to share some more shots of the spectacular sunset but if it is puffins you want I have included a little teaser below, just keep scrolling...

The pictures above were taken from Woolpack point, the sky genuinely was that gorgeous golden glow which belies how chilly it actually was with the wind coming right off the sea. It was nice to be up on the point on my own for a little while but I was soon joined by a trio of guys who were, like me there to enjoy the sunset at the end of a wonderful day. I think the addition of the three figures in the first two shots really adds something to the scene and I really like the solo guy silhouetted in the third shot. I also like the impact of the single seabird in the fourth image.

Before you scroll down to the final image I should warn you that it is not going to be what you expect. It is not a "cute" shot of a puffin but is instead an example of how timing is everything in getting the shot and is a good capture, even if it makes you groan.

 I had taken one shot of this bird close to the edge of the cliff and as it started to hunker down I thought it might be about to take to the air and I had tried several times to get pictures of these birds in flight. However instead of taking to the air it was heading back underground to its burrow, presumably to sit on its nest and as it did so it jettisoned its load quite spectacularly.

All at Sea

 This week I had the privilege of traveling to Skomer Island which lies just off the Pembrokeshire coast and which is home at this time of year to over 42,000 Atlantic Puffins, over 710,000 Manx Shearwater and a host of other sea birds including Razorbills, Guillemots, Kittiwake, Fulmar and Gannets all of which come to the island as it provides a safe nesting site and abundant food in the local waters on which to raise their chicks. I will say more about the birds and share some of my favourite photos from the trip in future posts.

However before I get onto that I have some shots from the night before that are worth sharing over the next couple of days. I took the opportunity to make this my first solo camping trip of the year and stayed on a site overlooking St Brides Bay and after I had pitched up and got myself organised I took a short walk along a section of the Pembrokeshire coastal path to enjoy the scenery and the sunset.

The first of todays shots was taken from Wooltack Point looking out to sea past Skomer. It was taken at a similar time to the third image which is why the colours in the sky are similar. The second image was taken a little earlier and at the time the sun was still just above a bank of cloud so the colours are not so warm as when it dipped below the cloud and and set over the horizon.

The sea during the evening was pretty calm considering there was a strong westerly breeze, it was much more lively then next day on the crossing to the island.

The ships in St Brides Bay (there were about 10 in all) are oil and gas tankers which have unloaded their cargo at Milford Haven. They remain at anchor until they are dispatched to their next location, apparently they can wait for anything between one week and six months before moving on, all the time with a full complement of crew aboard.

Sea Defense

On the beach at Aberaeron these defense prevent erosion. It is interesting that the pebbles on the right hand side which is more exposed to the effects of the waves are small compared to the stones on the more sheltered left hand side which are much larger.

New Bridge

This wooden footbridge spans the Afon Aeron (that's River Aeron for non Welsh speakers) in the pretty seaside town of Aberaeron in Ceredigion. It was taken in the middle of the afternoon but as it is mid December the light was fading fast and the colours weren't too crisp so I think a black and white image is more effective.

Lake Vyrnwy

Lake Vyrnwy a reservoir in Powys, Wales was constructed between 1881 and 1888, it flooded the village of Llanwddyn with the purpose of supplying Liverpool and its surrounding area with fresh water.  The stone built dam was the first of it's kind in the world.

I am really pleased with these shots, taken in September 2008. The conditions were perfect and with no wind the surface of the lake was mirror calm allowing these fantastic reflections and a great panorama.

These pictures were taken using an LG Viewty mobile phone which at the time had one of the best cameras on a mobile phone. Technology has moved on incredibly since then and I have significantly upgraded my gear. So maybe I will head back when the conditions are right to see whether I can match these images.