Novice of Nature

Lyme Park, Nr. Buxton

2011-12-30T10:59:00.000-08:00

My other half and I decided to go to Lyme Park...which was extremely expansive, I don't think you could go round it all in one day. Although there was no snow where we are, I was amazed how much snow there was at Lyme Park.....children were out sledging down the hills, memories ! It was just getting dusk, when, to our amazement we came across the Stags....what a truley wonderful sight, and I was so pleased I took an image before the light failed completely.....Wonderful day !

The sun just dipping in the sky

Sunset

Watchful Stags

The stark trees of winter

A view across the grounds

Halstead, Kent

2011-12-21T03:59:00.001-08:00

I have just returned from a visit to see my son "down south" and was amazed to get these images at the back of his garden. I think they most definitely get a different weather forecast than we do up here !!I have now returned...... to leaveless tree's, and a fairly barron garden, although on the bright side.....the stinging nettles and weeds have all died off !

Quince

Wild Toadstools

Red Berries

Remaining Apples

"The Eyes" nature reserve

2011-09-06T08:50:00.000-07:00

It was a lovely day......so a walk with my son and Grand-daughter seemed like a good idea. I have no idea what sort of frog it was (or indeed a toad) so if anyone else has any idea, I would be pleased to know.

Frog

Llandudno

2011-09-06T08:37:00.000-07:00

Just a few images taken at Llandudno.....unfortunately most of the day was spent dodging the rain, even though it was quite warm.

Common Gull

Llandudno Pier

Wild flowers

Lymm Dam, Cheshire

2011-03-12T11:49:00.001-08:00

A lovely afternoon walk to Lymm Damm....practically on my doorstep, but a first for me. It was a very gloomy day, although not that cold. I will certainly try to get back here on a sunnier day...it has great potential.!!

Lymm Dam

Cormarants

Mallard Ducks

Swans

Goathland, Yorkshire Moors

2011-01-12T01:55:00.001-08:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE.
Owing to the weather and usual winter virus's I have not been out and about of late.
So it was very nice to go to Goathland, although it was a drizzily day.
As we are fans of the series "Heartbeat" it was lovely to actually see where they had filmed it.....all we needed was some 60's music belting out from the car radio !!

Silverdale, Lancaster

2010-12-14T07:08:00.000-08:00

We spent an absolutely wonderful day...which was unexpectedly mild, considering we had only just thawed out since the snow!!
I could not believe how the sea appeared like a sheet of glass, hardly a ripple. We did go exploring along Silverdale to find the caves, and we didn't even need a coat !A really enjoyable day....
Sandside and Mallard Ducks.

Arnside

Silverdale and caves.

York/Scarborough.

2010-11-24T05:00:00.001-08:00

We were still holidaying in York.....and my best friend and I decided to go to Scarborough for the day, although our journey was a bit thwarted by thick, dense fog
until we reached the coast-line, but well worth it.....there was Scarborough lanquishing before us in brilliant sunshine !! A trip to Robin Hood's Bay and Whitby
were a must too, especially as they were reasonably nearby. Another lovely day for this time of year.
Whitby

Robin Hood's Bay

Sunny Scarborough

A Squirrel gathering nuts?

York

2010-11-20T05:48:00.000-08:00

A lovely midweek break was in order to dash our winter blues...so we headed off for
historical York. It was like stepping back in time as far as the buildings and old fashioned shops were concerned, from before The Romans to present time, all leaving their mark on this historic town and surrounding areas. There seemed to be evidence of history everywhere we went. These are just a few images.....to be continued !!
A truely magical place.

Hedgehog

Cliffords Tower

Museum Gardens

York Minster

Autumn in The Lakes

2010-11-03T03:53:00.001-07:00

It was another visit for us to the lakes, one of our favorite places.....this time I was hoping to get images of all the autumn colours. It was not very nice weatherwise,
it was somewhat misty and the threat of rain hung in the air, so a lovely day...but not for photography ! Although a lot of trees had started turning, I think it was a bit early, but I also did not want to leave it too late either. It would be nice for us to come back if we get a bit of snow....wait nd see !!

Glasson Dock, Lancashire

2010-10-23T11:32:00.000-07:00

It was a lovely sunny day today...but very chilly! Nice to get out into the fresh air though. We first stopped off at Glasson Dock...to look at the boats on the lake (and a rum & raisin ice-cream).It was lovely and peaceful, despite the wind-chill factor. After that we stopped off at Ravenglass, which is where I took the image of
the Cattermerang....as I had never seen one up close before, nor had I seen a pink Poppy either !! Lovely day for the time of year.

Ravenglass

Glasson Dock

Glasson Dock

Beswick Swan

A Pink Poppy

Wastwater ,Western Lakes

2010-10-13T10:57:00.000-07:00

Another trip back to The Lake District....this time it was the western lakes, which is not very commercialised, so it was somewhat deserted. I don't think I have ever been to anywhere as stunningly breathtaking as this!! It was an unusually lovely warm day for the time of year and the sun played a big part in bringing out the sheer beauty of the colours. A truely wonderful day, in beautiful surroundings and shared with my best friend.....A day I shall never, ever forget!!

Last Remnants of Summer

2010-10-09T05:27:00.000-07:00

I shall look back fondly at these images taken just a few days ago....I was really surprised that they were still busy at this time of year. I shall just have to content myself to seeing them again next spring, which at the moment seems a long way off. These insects were taken in the garden.

Busy Bee

Speckled Wood

Tortoiseshell

Hardrow Force, Haws

2010-09-23T10:33:00.001-07:00

A delightful couple of days were spent strolling around our lovely countryside,
in glorious unexpected sunshine.
The waterfall was particularly stunning, although we were covered in mud, but it was well worth it.
Beeston Castle was well worth the long climb.....and the spectacular views when reaching the top...you could see clearly across seven county's, it was a completely panoramic view. A great couple of days !!
Beeston Castle.

Hardrow Force

Woodwell, Silverdale.

2010-08-24T04:56:00.001-07:00

It was a beautiful day and we decided to go for a ramble through the woods in Silverdale. We stumbled across Woodwell, which is where natural, chrystal clear water runs down the rock face and collects into a well. It was a very out of the way spot and must of been the only source of drinking water for the village many, many years ago. A lovely little gem!

Just a few images taken from the garden to remind us of summer.(or lack of it)

Ribchester, Ribble Valley

2010-08-12T10:00:00.000-07:00

An unexpected windy but sunny day found us back to Ribchester in the Ribble Valley.
Below are images of Ribchester Roman baths and ruins.Ribchester has a very long history dating back to the Bronze Age. The Roman baths and ruins were part of cavalry
fort called Bremetennacum. Originally built in wood as far back as A.D. 72/73 by the
twentieth legion and rebuilt in stone in the early 2nd century.It is really nice to step back in time and soak up the atmosphere and survey the lovely views.

Around The Ribble Valley

2010-08-10T01:44:00.000-07:00

Today we decided to explore The Ribble Valley and just go with the flow. Our first stop was Clitheroe Castle which is an early Norman castle set on an isolated crag jutting out of the Vale of The Ribble. It was lovely to walk round something so historic and steeped in history....and lovely views of Pendle Hill.....renowned for its famous witches!
In the afternoon we stopped of at Whalley Abbey......most of this Abbey was still intact even though building was started in 1340 and completed in 1388. The last Abbott was a John Paslew, unfortunately he was involved in a rebellion against the
ecclesiastical policy of Henry V111 and therefore John Paslew and a certain number of monks were executed in the year 1537. I did feel a bit spooked here, I thought I heard the monks in prayer.....but it was probably the wind !!

Pendle Hill.

Clitheroe Castle

Little Moreton Hall, Cheshire.

2010-07-31T10:01:00.000-07:00

I could not resist stopping here at Skelwith Bridge which is in the lake district. The sun had shown one of its brief appearances, so I took advantage of taking these
very idylic shots of the sun dappling on the water.......very tranquil!

A visit to Little Moreton Hall was our quest today....and well worth a visit. This beautiful Tudor building was built in the early 1500's and a testament to its architecture, although walking around inside was a bit haphazard due now to the uneven floors and walls. It remains one of a few surviving moated Tudor structures.

Gawsworth Hall, Gawsworth, Macclesfield.

2010-07-20T09:19:00.000-07:00

After a somewhat miserable start to the day we were delighted that the sun came out just as we approached Gawsworth Hall. It was a beautiful Tudor Manor in lovely, picturesque surroundings. Gawsworth Hall even had its own chapel where marriages were performed, it was first licenced in 1836 and still used by the Richards family today.

Peckforton Castle, Cheshire

2010-07-15T11:57:00.000-07:00

Over the course of a few days, we came across Peckforton Castle, Cheshire quite by accident...but it was a beautiful spot with equally beautiful grounds. Imagine my surprise when we came across these birds of prey, although some were tethered, they seemed to enjoy the attention. We then watched as they were let go to show off their hunting skills, unfortunately the dull skies did not produce good flight shots...oh well, always another day. I took the image of the Peacock as we were walking back to the car. Altogether it was a lovely place to visit, and better weather than was predicted.

Ullswater Lake. Lake district.

2010-06-22T07:06:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed another couple of days at The Lake District and surrounding area.....Ullswater is a really beautiful spot....I did not know where to look first, we were surrounded by magnificent scenery. A Glorious few days well spent!

Sunderland Point. Lancaster Peninsular.

2010-06-22T06:52:00.001-07:00

These images where taken over a period of two days at Sunderland Point. Very beautiful country side and lovely weather to go with it, although a bit cloudy at times. I was petting what I thought was a Cow for ten minutes until I walked away and realised it was a Bull! We walked a fair way to Sambo's Grave....who was an African slave who died as he reached our shores, back in the 17th century....he was aged around 60.....People still keep his grave in good order to this day.

Some more views

2010-06-03T13:32:00.001-07:00

Ruskin View. Kirkby Lonsdale

Out and About

2010-06-03T13:13:00.000-07:00

St.Patricks Church, Viking Graves. Heysham

The sun was out and showing great promise... so I thought it was about time to take some more images. After spending four beautiful days visiting Grange-over-Sands, the Peak District, Windermere and other places of interest we had leisurely strolls, glorious sunshine, stunning scenery all accompanied by a well informed partner......Fantastic!

The "Eyes"

2010-01-30T08:49:00.001-08:00

2010-01-30T08:49:00.000-08:00

2010-01-30T08:04:00.000-08:00

It looked a nice sunny day today,although there was a cold, crisp nip in the air. I did see quite a lot of birds, Blue Tits, Coal Tits, Robins, Blackbirds and a pair of Bullfinches (who are regulars to my garden) unfortunately they were not very co-operative when I tried to get closer for an image. I took several scenic shots though, which I will put on later......I seem to have a problem with resizing at the moment....and I thought I had cracked it!

Happy New Year to you All

2010-01-05T06:52:00.000-08:00

A very cold day today, but lots of pure virgin snow.....I took these images this morning near Woolston Eyes NR. It almost took my breath away, it looked so beautiful.There is yet more snow to come too! An exhilerating start to the day.

Nearly a white Christmas

2009-12-22T13:36:00.000-08:00

Just the sort of day to blow the cobwebs away....these images were taken on the outskirts of Manchester, it was extremely cold (-5)but the breath-taking scenery was worth it. One of my dogs wanted to get in on the lime-light as well, he enjoyed himself catching snowballs! A good day was had by both the two legged and four legged variety.

When the mood takes

2009-12-20T10:16:00.000-08:00

There is not a lot to see at the moment, bird-wise, due to the bad weather conditions, So I thought I would put some of my paintings and drawings on for now.....and await better days, here's hoping!

Nice weather for Ducks

2009-11-05T10:40:00.000-08:00

After much debating as to whether we should chance the Wirral or not, we decided to throw caution to the wind. (it was windy too)I managed to get some wonderful images of the waves crashing over the sea wall at the life boat station at Wallasey....the tide was very high... needless to say I looked like a be-draggled rat after five minutes! We then headed for New Brighton and found some waders roosting on the Pontoon...there were Dunlin, Turnstone, Redshank and at the front some very sleepy Purple Sandpiper's all huddled together braving the very squally elements. New Brighton was almost deserted, not quite the weather to be out in, but I found it quite exhilerating.

New Brighton.

2009-10-28T14:08:00.000-07:00

A glorious day was in the offing and we headed for New Brighton Beach. It was very mild for this time of year....just right for walking along the beach in the hopes of finding some waders. We found a very obliging Bar-tailed Godwit and after walking down to the Mouth of the River Mersey, I took some images of the Oystercatcher's basking in the sunshine. Here also, was a juvenile Cormorant, looking very splendid as it spread its wings. I hope there will be a few more unexpectedly gorgeous days like today before winter truely settles in.
Cormorant.

Bar-tailed Godwit.

Bar-tailed Godwit.

Oystercatcher's.

ASHTON
After leaving New Brighton, we headed for Ashton Park (recommended by a nice gentleman).It was very picturesque....a little gem tucked away and worthy of some scenic shots, I also took images of a Greylag Goose that happened to follow me around, and I could not resist the cute little Grey Squirrel busy nibbling on an acorn. A lovely little place!

Ashton Park.

Ashton Park.

Grey Squirrel.

Greylag Goose.

Autumn on the Wirral

2009-10-24T12:25:00.000-07:00

A trip to New Brighton was on the cards today, even though the forecast was rain....better to be out in the fresh air than in. After a somewhat expected soggy start, the sun showed it's warm autumnal glow through the broken cloud. I took a few scenic shots of Perch Fort rock and surroundings, the beach unfortunately was devoid of any waders that were photographically in range, even so......it was a nice refreshing warm breeze, enough to put a spring in your step! We headed for Hoylake and were rewarded with a number of Knot,Oystercatchers, Redshank and the Common Gull, Herring Gull and Lesser Black backed Gull. When we got back to the car we saw a Sea King helicopter heading in the direction of New Brighton....I couldn't miss an opportunity to capture it as it whirled just over our heads. All in all, an unexpectedly very good day.
New Brighton.

New Brighton.

Common Gull (Hoylake).

Redshank (Hoylake).

Oystercatcher (Hoylake).

Knot (Hoylake).

Sea King (over Hoylake).

Kite County .

2009-10-18T09:47:00.000-07:00

This morning we decided to go to Denbighshire to see if we could catch a glimpse of the Red Kite. It was more or less murky when we left... and things did not improve much as we neared the hills, blanketed in black cloud and swirling mist. It was still worthwhile .....I saw quite a number of Red Kite flying just above the trees along with a fair few Raven, although poor light made them not very photogenic.It still was a lovely sight to see. I contented myself with some scenic shots with the small camera. I particularly liked the shots I got at Afon Aled, which I took on the bridge looking down over the ravine. At Pentrefoeles, I walked along the stream which is reputed to be the home of a pair of Dippers, unfortunately they were not at home today. My last shot was taken at Denbigh Green....I could not believe my eyes at seeing a house in the middle of a round-a-bout!!

Glasfryn.

Glasfryn.

Pentrefoelas.

Pentrefoelas.

Pentrefoelas.

Afon Aled.

Afon Aled.

Llyn Aled.

Denbigh Green.

Parkgate.

2009-10-07T13:13:00.001-07:00

A couple of quiet hours,late afternoon at Parkgate were the order of the day...even though the sun had gone in. We had not been there long before the Barn Owl put in an appearance, giving us lovely displays as it glided in front of us. Also we saw the Ring-tail Hen Harrier which at one point was being mobbed by the Barn Owl with a great acrobatic show. As I was watching them, two Short-Eared Owls also did a fly-pass.......not bad for a couple of hours well spent!

Inner Marsh Farm.

2009-10-05T13:20:00.001-07:00

The sun was shining this afternoon...so a good opportunity to try again for the two juvenile Long-billed Dowitchers. Unfortunately, the sun was in the right place but the Dowitchers were too distant, especially after they had been spooked by a ringed-tailed Hen Harrier at least three times.....even so, it was an awesome sight! Also showing well although briefly was a Water-Rail and Curlew Sandpiper. I did however manage to capture the Greenshank and Snipe just before the sun was dipping down to set...nice afternoon.
Greenshank.

Snipe.

Norfolk.

2009-10-02T10:39:00.000-07:00

Back to what we feel is our second home.....in Norfolk. It was a mixed bag weather wise, but at least it never rained! The Pink-footed Geese were an absolute delight to watch as they came in V formation in their hundreds, wink wink noises were heard everywhere! Just a shame that it was cloudy when I took photos of them.
We decided to see if we could find the Common Crane at Horsey...so after an early start and many vigiles in numerous fields,we eventually found two tucked up in the corner of a corn field. They gave some pretty good views and seemed quite content for us to take images of them. I thought they looked very majestic and I felt honoured to have seen them. On our last night I took this picture of the sunset over Hunstanton.... beautiful and sad to be saying goodbye. (for now).
Curlew.

Egyptian Goose.

Pink-footed Goose.

Pink-footed Goose.

Common Crane.

Common Crane.

Common Crane.

Wheatear.

Stonechat.

Hunstanton.

Morning on the Wirral.

2009-09-23T09:03:00.001-07:00

Last night....predicted for the next few days was gorgeous weather, and guess what? ..totally wrong, but not to be defeated I tried to make the most of it. At Meols I managed to capture a lovely Little Egret fishing for food, even though it was very cloudy, it was still worth watching it wading in the little pools. By the time we got to Hoylake the sun was beginning to put in an appearance as the tide was coming in....this is where I caught sight of a magnificent abundance of Oystercatchers and Herring Gulls (at least 2000). Later in the car at New Brighton, I was tucking into a sandwhich and steaming coffee when I spotted a few Sandwhich Turns on the beach...obviously coffee and sandwhiches were abandoned in favour of taking these lucky shots from the car window. So all-in-all it was a very good day!
Little Egret.

Sandwich Tern.

Sandwich Tern .

Oystercatchers @ Hoylake.

Hoylake.

Hoylake.

Spurn.

2009-09-20T15:22:00.000-07:00

What a glorious day for the birds at Spurn in East Yorkshire, which is one of the best hotspots for bird migration....so much so, an overnight stay was warrented!
On arriving at Spurn, after a very early start, it was straight to Sammy's Point for the Woodchat Shrike. This impressive bird (all the way from the Mediterranian)was quite happy just posing for the camera, flying off to catch wasps and bees and then returning to another closeby bush. Also in the same vacinity were, 7 Redstarts, 1 Spotted Flycatcher, a couple of Wheatears and 2 Whitethroat.A lovely sunny end to the day...after a somewhat foggy, misty early morning.
Woodchat Shrike.

Woodchat Shrike.

Woodchat Shrike.

Woodchat Shrike.

Woodchat Shrike.

Woodchat Shrike.

Woodchat Shrike.

Woodchat Shrike.

Woodchat Shrike.

The scenery was so picturesque both at Sammy's Point and the Spurn Peninsular that I had to record the beautiful images that were in front of me. These were just a selection that I particularly liked.It seems such a shame that the sea has reclaimed quite a bit of the land (including a whole village that existed about a hundred years ago). There had been a very high tide early this morning and the road to the Peninsular was closed till it had subsided, who knows how long it will be till this will also be reclaimed by the sea. It really is a worthwhile place to visit and deserves a lot more than 2 days....so watch this space.
Spotted Flycatcher.

Redstart.

Pectoral Sandpiper.

2009-09-13T08:30:00.000-07:00

Draycote Water.

On hearing of a rarety at Draycote Water, Warwickshire,I got up at the crack of dawn to get down there early......and it was well worth it! I managed to get these images of this beautiful juvenile Pectoral Sandpiper. This lovely bird was probably blown in on last week's strong winds...all the way from America. The last time a Pectorial Sandpiper was reported here was in 2005. I felt really honoured to have seen it.It was also very nice to see all the lads and Dianne again.

Inner Marsh Farm

2009-09-11T11:50:00.000-07:00

I decided to pay another visit to IMF this afternoon, as the weather was still very nice. No Merlin today unfortunatly, although it had been spotted earlier. I was still pleased to watch and capture the Moorhen. Also the Black-tailed Godwits still had the lovely warm red of their partial summer plummage. A lovely, peaceful end to the day.
Moorhen.

Black-tailed Godwit,s.

Inner Marsh Farm.

2009-09-10T09:39:00.001-07:00

It turned out to be a lovely afternoon...so I headed for Inner Marsh Farm, as soon as I got there, there was a Wood Sandpiper showing really well in front of the hide, it was bathed in sunlight and showed off its beautiful plummage. A few minutes later a Stonechat settled on one of the reeds in front of the hide as well, and most rewarding of all was a Merlin swooping down onto a Snipe on the island, in full view of the hide, she then continued to tuck into her prey, feathers flying everywhere! A really spectacular sight and a first for me.
Merlin.

Stonechat.

Wood Sandpiper.

Norfolk.

2009-09-04T10:40:00.000-07:00

Here we are again, back in Norfolk! The weather here has been exceptionally windy, but far better than the weather back at home.Our first port of call was Brancaster Staithe harbour....we were richly rewarded with above 80 Ringed Plovers, an abundance of Dunlin,Turnstone, one Little Egret, a Greenshank and a couple of Curlews......and all this from using the car as a hide! A very rewarding day.
Dunlin.

Dunlin.

Ringed Plover.

Turnstone.

Westport Lake.

2009-08-31T02:05:00.000-07:00

The remains of the hurricane was still hanging around again today, with very strong winds and alternate sunshine and showers....not to be put off we headed for Westport Lake in Staffordshire.There, in the S.W. corner of the lake was what we had come for.....an eclipse Ring-necked Duck (drake)...this bird had made the long journey from the east coast of America, blown off course by the hurricane. A very beautiful bird...even though its plummage was a bit rough.....love to see it when it has all its adult feathers. I just managed to get the images of the Herring Gull, a Pochard, and a Common Gull on the lake before the black clouds rolled in again!
Ring-necked Duck.

Herring Gull (juvenile).

Pochard.

Common Gull.

Black-headed Gull.

Peak District.

2009-08-23T11:19:00.000-07:00

As the whole of Cheshire and the Wirral was to be covered in dark clouds and rain today, we decided to go to The Peak District in south Yorkshire...I have never been before. It was totally breath-taking....with the rolling hills all covered in gorgeous purple heather.En-route we saw numerous Red Grouse...flushed from the heather, although not photographable. Also seen were 2 Raven and several Kestrels. I could not resist taking these lovely views from the main road at Woodhead Pass. I would love to come back again, especially when it has just been covered with virgin snow. A very satisfying day!

Norfolk Puddle

2009-08-21T14:23:00.001-07:00

We were in Choseley, Norfolk and sitting in the car, it was a really hot day and we noticed birds dropping down to quench their thirst in a small puddle just yards from us...in fact we saw about 12 different species in about an hour....these are just some of the images I took, considering they were all quite nervous.Later on it was apparent why they were so edgy...a Sparrow Hawk also dropped down in front of us and flew off with its prize...it was somewhat sad, but that's nature I suppose.
Chaffinch / Greenfinch.

Yellow Wagtail.

Whitethroat.

Yellowhammer.

Wirral.

2009-08-21T13:03:00.001-07:00

Today was one of those days...was it going to brighten up or was the heavy black cloud going to follow us all the way to the Wirral.We reached Leasowe and within minutes the sun came out. There was not really much around, but I did manage to capture these Turnstones against the rocks.Not to be defeated, I turned my attention to the numerous butterflies fluttering around.....the Common Darter dragonfly just sat sunning itself on the wall and was fairly easy to capture, but the Common Blue I had to really chase around and was much harder to photograph.
Common Darter.

Common Blue (male).

Turnstone.

Here and there

2009-07-27T12:23:00.001-07:00

Finally I have finished the painting of South Stack lighthouse..which was taken from one of my photos.

A very mixed bag......weather-wise today,but we managed to duck and dive the rain.
The images of the Med Gull were taken on the Wirral, one was of an adult moulting
and the other was of a first summer....I was very pleased to get the picture of the
Heron..as every time I tried to get near it...it decided to walk away from me, still perseverance paid off to a certain extent.On the other hand I did get some lovely views of the Redshanks...which just stood and posed for me.
Med Gull (adult moulting).

Med Gull (2nd summer).

Heron.

Redshanks.

I was just relaxing on a bench at IMF when I heard the sound of a Goldfinch..I just happened to look up and there was the Goldfinch in the nearby tree, singing its little heart out...not long afterwards the heavens opened again!
On walking back towards the car...the sun emerged again and I spotted a Meadow Brown sunning itself.
The Early Thorn was taken in the garden. Not a bad day!
Goldfinch.

Meadow Brown.

Early Thorn.

Out & About.

2009-07-18T09:47:00.000-07:00

Six-spot Burnet Moth.

After a somewhat soggy morning the sun came out...and so did I. We headed for Moore Nature reserve.....mostly for a stroll, so it was really nice to spot some butterflies flitting by. There was also an abundance of caterpillers, which I later found out were Cinabar Moth caterpillers, very distinctive in colouring and they seemed to be everywhere...this is when I came across the Six-spot Burnet Moth, I thought this was unusal but apparently these moths are day fliers as well as night.
Comma Butterfly.

Comma Butterfly.

Cinabar Moth caterpiller.

Yet another washed out morning but a sunny late afternoon....spent at Inner Marsh farm. It was really relaxing and peaceful and I enjoyed taking these images of the Black-tailed Godwits still in their lovely summer plummage, a gorgeous rusty red colour as the evening sun winked on them.
Young brood.

Black-tailed Godwit.

Black-tailed Godwits.

Chasewater.

2009-07-08T00:17:00.000-07:00

After a brilliant night mothing at Brandon Marsh.....which I thoroughly enjoyed (my first)Thanks to everyone there for making me feel so welcome...We headed to Chasewater in the morning, it is a beautiful place and one I would like to visit again, one for the list!

Garden Moths.

2009-07-08T00:10:00.000-07:00

These are just some images of moths that we took from the garden...The Garden Tiger being quite scarce....a treat to capture.
Garden Tiger.

Barred Straw.

Peach Blossom.

Magpie.

Newark Air Museum.

2009-07-07T23:53:00.000-07:00

On this particular day we were experiencing a spectacular thunderstorm....so we visited Newark Air museum in Lincolnshire......being a lover of aircraft, I was in my element! These were just a few of the images taken. I took the Wessex as my dear old Dad was a winchman on them....memories..I had a lovely time.
Lightning.

Buccaneer.

Mystre.

Wessex.

Pensthorpe Norfolk

2009-06-18T12:26:00.001-07:00

We spent a glorious hot day at Pensthorpe......although we still never got round all of it.....another worthy visit is on the cards! I was really impressed with this wildlife park, beautiful scenery and wonderful birds, all really close......at least I did not have any trouble photographing these litle gems. I can't wait to go again as there is quite alot I missed the first time.......so the second instalment will have to wait till August now.
Pensthorpe Gardens.

Bee.

Sacred Ibis.

Black-tailed Godwit.

Avocet (chick).

Lapwing (chick).

Black Winged Stilt.

Bearded Tit (male).

Ruff.

Titchwell Norfolk.

2009-06-16T12:35:00.001-07:00

A blistering day today.....we walked down past all the hides to the beach (which was near enough deserted) a massive expance of golden sand.....there was the remains of an old air-raid shelter. On route, I took some images of a Four-spotted Chaser, basking in the sunshine, a snail(of what species is a mystery) and two Blue-tailed Damselflies, coupled together in a very long mating session!! I did manage to capture the female Red-crested Pochard and her five chicks....who took all day to swim to where I could see them......A lovely day!
Titchwell beach.

Four-spotted Chaser.

Four-spotted Chaser.

Snail.

Blue-tailed Damselfly.

Red-crested Pochard.(fem with chicks).

Flaming June

2009-06-14T00:03:00.001-07:00

I took this picture of the Silver Y,a particularly attractive Eyed Hawkmoth from the night before we went to Norfolk.Travelling down to Norfolk the weather was a very mixed bag, but fortunately brightened up later.......I took the images of the Speckled Wood and a Poppy at north Norfolk.....with the added bonus of a Red-legged Partridge just standing there, looking at me!
Silver Y.

Eyed Hawkmoth.

Speckled Wood.

Poppy.

Red-legged Partridge.

Bempton Cliffs RSPB.

2009-06-02T11:13:00.000-07:00

Another beautiful hot day... at Bempton Cliffs with the added bonus of a refreshing breeze......It was well worth watching the Gannet's rising above the cliffs on the warm thermals....pretty hard to catch on film, but not as difficult as the Puffins, of which I never even got a shot of......I managed to get the Razorbills and Gannets on the side of the cliff and the Guillemot......all precariously balanced on the tiny ledges of the cliff wall. A very scenic place.....loved the views over the cliffs......can't wait to revisit this wonderful place again.
Cliff View.

Cliff View.

Gannet.

Gannet.

Guillemot.

Razorbill's and Kittiwake.

Garden Moths.

2009-06-02T10:48:00.000-07:00

A night for mothing......These are just a selection of moths that were caught last night....I particularly like the Elephant Hawkmoth, what a beautiful colour...it could put a few butterflies to shame and such a pity we can't see these lovely creatures at their best during the day. The White Ermine was another particularly stunning moth too...Others caught were the Lime Hawkmoth and the impressive Peppered Moth.....looks like it will be another night for moths later on this evening....heres hoping!!
Lime Hawkmoth.

Elephant Hawkmoth.

White Ermine.

Peppered Moth.

Gronant North Wales.

2009-06-02T10:28:00.000-07:00

Another scorching day at Gronant......we spent alot of time looking at the Little Tern colony.....there is reported to be over a hundred breeding here, although we did not see very many as they were nesting....this is the only tenuous hold in Wales! To think they have made the long arduous journey from the west coast of Africa. I also took a picture of this Southern Marsh Orchid....not at all like the usual Orchids....but beautiful none the less. I caught this image of a Meadow Brown....warming itself in the glorious sunshine.
Southern Marsh Orchid.

Meadow Brown.

Marbury Park, Cheshire.

2009-06-01T15:06:00.000-07:00

We had a beautiful leisurely stroll round Marbury Park.....it was a scorcher to-day !I especially loved this tree bathed in sunlight.......I also took images of a squirrel.......minus the Mission Impossible theme tune to it! Not as many butterflies as I thought there would be......and the ones that were....were faster than me, so I was particularly pleased to get the image of a Wall butterfly......more images to follow...time to apply the calamine lotion....

Norfolk

2009-06-01T14:57:00.001-07:00

I was sitting on a wall enjoying my ice-cream when I saw this anchor in front of me......so I cleared the long grass in front of the anchor and took this shot. The two horses have been looking forward to the lumps of sugar and apples that I provide, and really do look like they relish them!!

May 8th

2009-05-08T12:28:00.000-07:00

These images are of Blakeney harbour and Wells harbour, purely because I thought they were both very pretty, picturesque places to capture. I was pleased to get this little Yellow Wagtail on the grassy slopes of Hunstanton cliffs from the car window..... as we were travelling back one early evening.
Blakeney Harbour.

Yellow Wagtail. Hunstanton (cliff top).

Wells Harbour.

29th April. Norfolk

2009-05-02T14:22:00.000-07:00

My Mallard ducks have decided that I should feed them at 5 a.m. !.....on seeing the little ducklings, I have not got the heart not to, besides the sun is already up and beckoning.....We walked along the beach at Hunstanton and I took some images of the Fulmars perched against the burnt orange cliffs.....wonderful, quiet and peaceful (apart from the cries of the Fulmars of course) Everyday I have passed this field at Burnham, where three horses are kept, so I have been feeding them apples everday, I think they are expecting me now (or it might be wishful thinking).
Hunstanton cliffs.

Fulmers on Hunstnton cliffs.

Feeding the Horse.

Mallard with brood.

Apr 28th Creake Abbey.

2009-04-28T12:33:00.000-07:00

This was a quaint little place I came across called Creake Abbey.....in the lovely village of North Creake. The Abbey was first used as a small hospital and almshouse which was attached to a church.....known as St. Mary of the Meadows in 1206. Thirteen poor men were to recieve food, clothing and shelter. In 1231 Henry the 111 raised the status of the priory to that of Abbey. Much of the church was destroyed by a raging fire in 1408, unfortunately, soon afterwards a plague killed everyone.....the sole survivor being the Abbot....he later died in 1506. I really enjoyed soaking up the atmosphere.....nearby was a lovely babbling stream......it was idylic.....postcard perfect !

Apr 27th Norfolk.

2009-04-27T12:31:00.000-07:00

Woke up at 10 past 7 this morning to a really sunny day and the sound of quacking outside the caravan.....I was greeted by the sight of a female Mallard duck and her little ducklings as soon as I opened the window.......what a wonderful vision to see first thing! Our excurtions took us to Blackney first...where I took the images of the Red Crested Pochard and the Mandarin Duck...these were taken in a Wildfowl collection.........As w drove past Burnham, I happened to see two Deer running in a field, I only managed to capture one on film though. Looming black clouds.....and rain stopped play! But there is always tomorrow....
Deer.

Red Crested Pochard (drake).

Mandarin (drake).

Mallard (with brood).

Apr 26th Norfolk.

2009-04-26T12:41:00.000-07:00

Holidaying for a week in Norfolk.....beautiful place, beautiful scenery and a wide variety of stunning birdlife. For our first day we went to Titchwell RSPB NR....I captured the Pheasant on top of one of the picnic tables....too good a shot to miss !En route, I also took images of the windmill, Avocet and harbour at Thornham before the clouds and showers decided to descend on us.....I hope to capture more images tomorrow (weather permitting)....forever hopeful !!
Burnham.

Pheasant.

Thornham Harbour.

Avocet.

Apr 20th Moore NR.

2009-04-20T13:33:00.000-07:00

Went to Moore NR this afternoon...it was a really hot day( well, the hottest day so far. )I had a leisurely, slow, saunter around trying to capture images of just some of God's little creatures. A very relaxing and satisfying afternoon......
Rabbit.

Gadwall.

Speckled Wood.

Green-veined White.

Apr 18th South Stack, Anglesey.

2009-04-18T14:42:00.001-07:00

South Stack.

Yes, you've guessed it.....another glorious, sunny day! What a picturesque place South Stack is, it has everthing...a wide variety of bird life, magnificent scenery, great walks and panoramic views....(the image of the cliffs was a 400ft sheer drop) what more could you want?. I would highly recommend it as a great day out...
South Stack Lighthouse.

Sheer Drop.

Ellin's Tower.

Llama.

Apr 13th.Moore Nature reserve

2009-04-13T14:43:00.000-07:00

Another absolutely gorgeous day....almost sunbathing weather! (17 degrees) We walked to all three hides in search of the Iceland Gulls.....we did manage to get a glimpse of them, although this was at a fair distance. I managed to get some images of the Little Grebe,Coot and Canada Goose. On my gentle amble back I spotted some wild mushrooms (or it could of been toadstools) As the sun was still warm later that day we dropped in at Meols in the hopes of catching the Spoonbill that had been reported there....we were in luck!.....I managed to get a shot of them, although they were at a distance....this was my first encounter with these lovely birds.

Apr 5th Meols, Wirral

2009-04-06T11:53:00.001-07:00

The start to another beautiful day, we decided to visit Meols today.....which was another first. It was a nice small peaceful haven.....I took a few shots of some landed boats....merely because they appealed to me ... and a couple of Redshanks as the tide was retreating, seeing as they were so obliging.

Apr 4th Draycote Water, Warks

2009-04-06T10:30:00.000-07:00

This was my first visit to Draycote Water...indeed Warwickshire...I was very over-awed by its sheer beauty and serenity and it was a gorgeous sunny day too! My first photo was taken from the visitors centre...what a lovely view, my second image was as we walked to Toft Bay. We managed to see a Green Winged Teal (all the way from America) although we could not manage to get a picture. We did however manage to get images of the Red-Necked Grebe and some Great Northern Divers. I had a smashing day and met a lovely bunch of birders, who made me feel extremely welcome....many thanks....On the way back we dropped in at Middleton Hall..hoping to see the Cattle Egret, we never got any shots though, just a passing glimpse, although I was quite pleased to get a shot of these Highland Cattle (minus the Cattle Egret of course).

Mar 29th Inner Marsh Farm

2009-03-30T03:23:00.001-07:00

A gloriously sunny day at Inner Marsh Farm......I saw 12 Avocets on the first pool in front of the hide....most of them furiously feeding. On walking back I saw 3 Wheatears and a small Tortoiseshell sunning itself on a rock. I sketched the Wheatear and Avocet and have added these too......just for a change. Tried to get the Chiff-Chaff....but it was a lot quicker than me!!

Mar.20th Leasowe.

2009-03-20T13:20:00.001-07:00

Leasowe seems to be one of my favourite spots...not just for the sheer beauty..but the wildlife and tranquility...so here are some shots that were of interest to me.

Mar. 19th Burton Marsh.

2009-03-19T12:29:00.000-07:00

Spring has really sprung, it was another glorious day and really warm....So I took photos to depict the first signs of spring...a few daffodils, a spring lamb, a gorgeous Peacock butterfly and a toad....not quite sure what species the toad is!(would be grateful for any-one letting me know)

Mar. 18th New Brighton.

2009-03-18T13:26:00.000-07:00

It was a beautiful spring day with not a cloud in the sky and a temperature of 14 degrees.It was lovely just taking a leisurely walk.I took the picture of the lighthouse from a different perspective......and low and behold managed to find where the Sanderlings were hiding....A totally glorious day..

New Brighton 16th March.

2009-03-16T15:06:00.000-07:00

This was a view of the pontoon, where waders come into roost when there is a high tide. The Redshanks, Purple Sandpipers, Dunlin and Turnstile......all roosting together.

This was a view from the hide of the feeding station at Moore.....two Mallards enjoying tne sunshine.

Leasowe Lighthouse. 6th March

2009-03-06T10:29:00.000-08:00

Leasowe Lighthouse in all it's glory.

This Beautiful male Stonechat at Leasowe.

Boating lake at New Brighton,,,minus the Med-Gull!

A view of New Brighton Lighthouse.

On the way back I could not resist taking this picture of a horse.

Woke up to another beautiful day, so headed off towards Leasowe Lighthouse.
On our approach we saw at least 8 Stonechats (3 male and 5 female) flitting around the field, although there may have been more. What gorgeous, delicate little birds they are!
Also seen were 14 Curlew, a good many Oystercatchers, a good number of Redshank, a lone Buzzard, 18 Black-tailed Godwits and a Snipe flushed from the field.
We stayed till at least 1.p.m. As it was still sunny we headed towards New Brighton to see if we could get a view of the Med-Gull, but no such luck! We had a really good walk round as it was like a spring day and quite mild. What an unexpectedly glorious day....

Inner Marsh Farm. 5th March

2009-03-05T07:53:00.000-08:00

A view from the Hide.

Teal.

Black-tailed Godwit.

Sunny again this morning, so we headed back towards IMF, we arrived about 8.30. From the hide we saw a Hen Harrier gracefully gliding low across the far marsh. On the pool in front of us we saw 3 Ruff, 2 Spotted Redshank,and about 24 Golden Plover, still half asleep. There was also at least 86 Black-tailed Godwits,14 Redshank, a very close male Reed Bunting and 7 Buzzards circling overhead.
A Cormorant also made a flying visit, but was immediately ousted by the local Gulls! One O'clock arrived at the same time as the big black clouds and sleet...an improvement on yesterday though....so can't complain...

Inner Marsh Farm 4th March

2009-03-04T05:36:00.000-08:00

A view from the hide looking over the pool and woods.

Glorious sunshine this morning, so we were up and out for 8.30. There were 2 Buzzards circling across the woods as we walked towards the hide.On the pool in front of the hide there were 4 Ruff,2 Water Rail, a Redshank, 14 Black-Tailed Godwits and a good many Teal.On the far bank was a lone Curlew,plenty of birds were also seen on the pool behind, amongst them were an abundance of Shelduck, 18 Wigeon and 5 Pintail. A Fox was even seen in the woodland as well! Although the pictures were in bright sunshine, it snowed quite heavily a couple of hours later....oh well...always another day.

Moore NR

2009-03-02T06:27:00.000-08:00

A few tranquil images.

We woke up this morning to really bright sunshine (2nd March) which I hasten to add was not forcast, so we were on our way by 10 past 9. We had a nice trek through the woods to our first hide, I was taking snaps with my camera all the way, in case the sun decided to go in.
On the lake we saw 14 Shovelers, 10 Godwits, 4 Pair of Teals, a male Wigeon, 2 Buzzards, a Long Tailed Tit, 8 Little Grebes, a Goldfinch and 2 Jays. Unfortunately the sun went in about noon, but it was a good morning well spent.

Inner Marsh Farm

2009-03-02T06:11:00.000-08:00

A somewhat cloudy view of one of the pools.

This was our first visit to Inner Marsh Farm (26th Feb)
I particularly liked this place, it was very tranquil and teeming with wildlife. A must for when the weather gets a little better and different birds migrate to here.
We walked a fair way to our first hide, which overlooked a lake, these are just some of the birds we saw..........A Ruff, 12 Redshank, at least 48 Pink Footed Geese, 2 pairs of Pintail, a Teal, 29 Curlews, 5 Black Tailed Godwits, a lone Stonechat, 4 Buzzards, a Sparrowhawk, several Shovelers and a pair of Bullfinches. It really was well worth the visit, and well worth many future visitations. A beautiful idyllic spot.

New Brighton

2009-03-02T03:12:00.000-08:00

We headed up to New Brighton to try and catch the Med Gull (18th Feb)but it was as elusive as ever, although we did manage to get some shots of a Black Tailed Godwit, a Turnstone and quite a few Redshank.The tide was still well out so we had some fish and chips in the car to warm us up and descided to call it a day here. Fortunately we were just driving past some grassland when a flock of gulls flew down near the round-a-bout, and there nestling amongst them was the Med Gull ! Thank goodness for a small pack of stale biscuits in the glove compartment, which we threw up for them. After a very noisy free for all we managed to get quite a few good shots of the Med Gull, and all purely by chance.
We then carried on back to Parkgate as the light was beginning to diminish, As soon as we had parked up 3 Short Eared Owls came flying towards our vicinity ,we also saw a Hen-Harrier, a single Ringtail, 2 Little Egrets and 2 Stonechats. A long, but very satisfying day !

New Brighton

2009-03-01T08:56:00.000-08:00

To-day we went to New Brighton (14th feb), which is a pretty little seaside town. It was a mixture of both sunshine and cloud, but quite warm when the sun poked through the clouds...We saw 5 Purple Sandpipers, and roughly about 70 Sanderlings. Further along we saw some Turnstones and quite alot of Oystercatchers. I can't wait to see these birds in glorious sunshine and their new plummage.

Back to Parkgate in the afternoon to see 4 Short-eared owls, 5 Little Egrets, a Peregrine Falcon which was very close to us, the wind was beginning to really whip up at this point with an easterly chill but we still managed to catch a glimpse of a Stonechat and 3 Hen-Harriers before returning to the car for a somewhat luke-warm coffee!

Thurstaston Beach

2009-03-01T06:49:00.000-08:00

A view that caught my eye at Thurstaston , near the visitors centre.

This particular day we went to see if we could get some shots of the Twite, who seem to be very elusive at the moment, the weather not being particularly nice either. Although we never caught a glimpse of the Twite we were not disappointed. We managed to capture some Wigeon, Pintail, Curlew, Turnstone, Knot, Dunlin, 500+ Black-tailed Godwits and at least 3000 (give or take one or two) Oystercatchers
After a spot of lunch and hot coffee we went to Parkgate, it was about 3 p.m and the light was starting to go, but we were rewarded with 3 Hen-Harriers who came very close to the wall, and 3 Short-eared Owls, one of which posed on a pole for about 6 minutes. A lovely formation of rather noisy Pink-footed Geese flew past as well. As the light was begining to fade even further we saw a Barn Owl, and 5 Little Egrets. A really good day !!

West Kirby Marine Lake

2009-03-01T06:27:00.000-08:00

I had never been to West Kirby Marine lake before, it is a beautiful place to have a good walk around.As soon as we pulled up in the car we spotted the Red breasted Merganser's bobbing up and down right next to the wall, they were so close........there were four male and 4 females. We also spotted 400+ Knot's, 500+ Oystercatchers, at least 50 Black-tailed Godwits and some very sleepy Turnstone's. Later on that day we went onto the boat slipway and watched the Dunlin, Sanderling, Curlew, Redshank, and Shelduck as the tide was coming in. It was amazing to see such a variety of birds in one place, and topped off with lovely scenic views.......what more could one want !

Warrington, Cheshire

2009-03-01T01:26:00.000-08:00

On the 24th Jan, we heard that there were some Waxwings very local to where we live, five minutes later we were watching them come down from the trees to feed on the berry bushes.It was an awesome sight, although the Waxwings are very nervous we did manage to get quite close to them. We went again the next day and saw them in the same place as the day before, this time it was in quite good sunshine. We noticed one of the Waxwings had been ringed, how lovely to know that it had come all the way fom Scandinavia!

Ainsdale Beach,Cheshire

2009-03-01T01:00:00.001-08:00

It was a lovely reasonably sunny Sunday (25th Jan), but very, very windy! We walked along the beach for about 10 minutes until we heard the very distinctive tingling sound of the Snow Bunting. We found 5 flitting backwards and forwards amongst the sand dunes. as the beach got busier we lost sight of them, unfortunately. I also nearly lost a boot in the quick-sand too! We had a great day and a much deserved hot coffee.

Rhos-on-Sea

2009-02-28T12:26:00.000-08:00

Whilst travelling to Rhos-on-Sea, Conwy, it was a very cold, cloudy day.(24th January). Thankfully the sun peeked through every so often, it was nice to see the sun dappling on the water. This was my first introduction to looking at the bird-life that was to be seen on the beach.........I found it fascinating, although I have always had an overall love of nature. Imagine my excitement of seeing such birds like the Purple sandpipers,Dunlin, over 200 hundred Oystercatchers,Redshank, Knot, Ringed Plover, Curlew and Rock Pipet, all these birds going about their daily rituals,with myself witnessing it at close quarters. A very rewarding day!!