There and Back

Izobelle is growing fast, and these are a few images over a two week period in the second half of March 2014. A watchful, or dreaming Izobelle Let's kick the ball  Am I putting enough soil in Nanna?  Look Grandad!  Watching Grandad trying to photograph me.  Like this?  Time for a snack on the trampoline.  Home

One of the birds that is on the hit list of possible the majority of people interested in the natural world, is the Bittern. On 4th March 2014 we visited RSPB Minsmere, one of our favourite sites because of its diversity (the Scrape to the sea front). One particular hide, which is on the edge of the reed beds, is known as the bittern hide, and for good reason. We had not been there very long when our bird appeared really close to the hide and we were able to get a few images - magic! A description by the RSPB: `The bittern is a thickset heron with all-over bright, pale, buffy-brown plumage covered with dark streaks and bars. It flies on broad, rounded, bowed wings. A secretive bird, very difficult to see, as it moves silently through reeds at water's edge, looking for fish. The males make a remarkable far-carrying, booming sound in spring. It's very small, reedbed-dependent population make it an Amber List species. It is also a Schedule 1 species.` Read more   ...

Walton is a traditional seaside town on the east coast, unique in that it is surrounded on three sides by the sea. Its three miles of gently shelving sandy beaches facing south-east stretch from Frinton to the Naze. To the north, the sea sweeps round the Naze into the backwaters, known as Hamford Water, and the Walton Channel stretches right down to Walton Mere, only 300 yards from the main beach. The Naze, as well as being a natural open space, is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) famed for its fossils found in the Red Crag cliffs. As well as these glorious natural features, Walton is known for its pier – the second-longest in the country – its yacht club and marina, and its iconic tower at The Naze from where panoramic views can be enjoyed of the Walton backwaters, Harwich and Felixstowe and the Suffolk coast.  The coast of East Anglia is always subject to erosion and the day of our visit to Walton demonstrated the effects which a stormy period on the Nort...

We expect to have January as a cold, sometimes snowy, month. There are things to photograph which are interesting, and often just eye catching, such as these cobwebs in fences and railings.  Cobwebs adorn the railings and nearby fences  The first showing of snowdrops on the roadside  Believe it or not, these Velvet Shank Fungi (Flammulina velutipes), spotted on a nearby tree.  And an image of a tree in the mist. First image in the mist, second one on a sunny day with a NIk Effex filter applied.  Home      Forward       Back

Not too far from Pickering is Dalby Forest and the Bride Stones. Today this was our destination, a walk in the forest. It is on the southern slopes of the North Yorkshire National Park. It was a glorious day - we have been so lucky at it is November! A memorial to the "lumberjills" - the women who worked in forestry during World War Two As we entered the forest we saw this sculpture, so we had to investigate! Later, a little investigation revealed its origins: The sculpture is a steel fabrication of a felled tree and two lumberjills. Some 9,000 British women were recruited to work in forestry during the war.  The lumberjills carried out heavy work, felling trees by hand, working in sawmills, loading trucks and driving tractors. The timber was made into telegraph poles, road blocks, packaging boxes and gun butts for the war effort, and even crosses for war graves. Sculptor Ray Lonsdale won the Forestry Commission competition to create a lasting memorial t...

When visiting the yorkshire Dales, one of the `must see` places is Malham Cove. It is a spectacular 80 metre high limestone cliff and is one of the most popular natural features to be found in the Yorkshire Dales.  This our destination for the day. We parked in the village of Malham, and set out to walk to Janet's Foss, a small waterfall which carries Gordale Beck over a limestone outcrop topped by tufa into a deep pool below. Lone tree on our route to Janet's Foss The pool was traditionally used for sheep dipping, an event which took on a carnival air and drew the village inhabitants for the social occasion. The name Janet (sometimes Jennet) is believed to refer to a fairy queen held to inhabit a cave at the rear of the fall. Foss is a Nordic word for waterfall, still used in Scandinavia, and is presented in a number of cases in England as 'force'. From Janet's Foss we walked along a fairly well used pathway until we were in sight of ...