Across the Harbour and out to Sea

 Ostensibly these photos are all of the same view, taken from the same spot on the pier at the bottom of Tate Hill in Whitby. All were taken within the space of one hour, probably less, but you can see how dramatically the sky has changed in that time. Ok, so the black and white images may give the appearance of a more stormy sky than it actually was but the cloud cover was certainly much thicker in the earlier shots.

At the same time the sunlight from behind me remained fairly constant lighting up the wall of the east pier, and the two lighthouses.

I like the way the sunlight also catches the seagulls in the first image as they flock around the lighthouse, I think the birds, the people on the pier and the brooding clouds add a sense of drama to that image. I think the song "The  Seabirds" by The Triffids goes well with this first picture.

Lighthouse

 So not just one, but two different lighthouses and two what I initially thought were lighthouses or beacons but on closer inspection may be lookout posts. 

The harbour walls at Whitby, when seen from above resemble a whales' jawbones in reference to the towns long history as a whaling port. As well as their aesthetic appeal the walls play a crucial role in protecting the port itself from the ravages of the North Sea.

On each wall there is a stone built lighthouse the one on the north side of the harbour is taller that the one on the south side, and at the end of each pier/walkway there is a raised tower with a small cabin on top which offer views out to sea.

You can see from these images that the sky over the sea was threatening bad weather however for the duration of my visit (apart for one brief shower) the rain was kept at bay by a strong onshore breeze.

Harbour Walls

 While seated on a bench overlooking the harbour at Whitby I spent some time watching people walking along the harbour wall across the small beach in front of me. As I did so I realised that with the layered clouds above and the weathered patterns on the stone walls this would make for an effective image. Add to that the people walking by I thought they would make great images.

Although in the first image the colours show off the richness of the stone really nicely I think the black and white images are better. Il like the lone figure walking, hands in pockets, his head slightly bowed, and illuminated by the sun which was fairly low in the sky directly behind me. I wonder what he was thinking as he walked alone, I could come up with a number of different storylines.

I was really pleased when the couple in the second image actually stopped in the frame and started to point at something off to my right, one shielding his eyes from the sun so he could more clearly see what he was being directed to. Again this scene lends itself to all sorts of potential storylines and makes this, in my mind at least and effective image. 

I 

Ruddy Turnstone

 I had been watching a small group of these birds feeding on the rocks at the bas of the harbour wall in Whitby. They were using their beaks to flip over the seaweed in search of a meal. It was quite mesmerising watching them as they were so focused. What I hadn't realised however was that there were more of them on top of the harbour wall just a few metres away and it seems like they were hoping for handouts from the people walking by.

I was able to capture several nice shots of them and have selected just a few to share with you.

They are seemingly quite tame but also constantly on the move. These birds are still in their winter plumage, in the summer they have very distinctive markings, much bolder browns and a lot more white on the heads.

Turnstones do not  breed in the UK, apparently there is only one possible recorded breeding event and that was in Scotland in 1976. Those that do visit the UK will breed in Northern Europe, Greenland and NE Canada. For a small bird they are very hardy and have been known to live to 22 years of age.

Morning Glow

I really love the warm glow in the sky above Lake Superior in this shot. It was a great day to get up early to enjoy the dawn and I hope you agree it was worth it.

Cloudy Cumbrian Skies

Here we are again, on the edge of the Cumbrian Fells near Millom. Today's pictures focus on the cloudy skies (perhaps a common feature in this part of the country) but over the next few days you will see that the clouds gave way to a beautiful sunny clear evening.

The first picture shows the view from the campsite as I was pitching up around about 4pm. It looked a bit ominous but fortunately it did not develop into anything.

The campsite was along a narrow lane referred to on my Sat Nav as "the alley" but known locally as "the frying pan".  The story behind the name is that about 100 years ago a man staying in a guest house on the lane had stayed out late at a local pub.  He returned very late in a drunken state and then slept late in the morning.  The landlady having had a disturbed night refused to serve the man breakfast and as a consequence he killed her.  He was hanged for his crime in Carlisle.

The second picture was of clouds forming over Ulverston, they were quite dramatic, and I like the way the big Cumulus cloud rose up through the other layers of cloud.

Picture three is looking inland across the marina with a glimpse of the old harbour wall. The original harbour wall collapsed sometime around 1900.  This a result of the old mine workings under the sea bed having caved in.  The current marina was formed in 1905 when the "new" sea wall was built.

The final picture today is more about the shadows cast on the mountainside by the clouds and the glimpse of light breaking through.