Oystercatcher Aqua Study - Series

A late evening walk down to the other strand and these arty shots happened on their own due to the low light / long exposure. I just went with it. The only editing done here is a minimal crop, the levels and a slight colour balance to ensure continuity with all four images.

Sometimes simple is best.

Starlings

How many times have I gone on the watch for murmurations back home in East Anglia?!!!

There's me standing at my sink here in West Cork, and I have the local starling congregation looking back in at me!

It may not be a full blown gathering but still wonderful to watch them fly from wire-gathering to wire-gathering, until finally - poof!

They're gone for another day.

Little Egret

You looking at me?!!

Yep, I'm a Little Egret or in Latin Egretta garzetta and I live in the tidal lagoon at Rosscarbery in Ireland. The town is right on the Wild Atlantic Way, the world's longest defined coastal touring route, so I'm sort of used to having people stopping and looking at me, although I'm still a bit nervous when the cameras come out.

The tide is just on its way back in but before it reaches this spot, there is just time to pop along to do a bit of fishing - now that I've finished my session of must-do preening in the winter sunshine of course.

Now, there is a bit of a technique to fishing and these big yellow feet of mine come in particularly useful.

You see, I paddle about in the shallow water and as I do, I jiggle my foot about in the mud at the bottom, which hopefully will release some tasty morsels from their secure resting place.

Sometimes I have to go back and forth a bit.

But I'm always keeping my beady eye open for that tell-tale movement, aaaaaaand...

...Bingo!

Smart eh?!

Photography Weekends

Well, it has been a quiet week in terms of my blog following the daily postings during my August Challenge. (Thank you for all your support there) However, I haven't posted anything here as I have been busy with not only the usual shoots for clients but preparing for and launching a show in Design Essentials for the month of September. (More on that in another post) But there is one more thing I have been busy with - preparing to open my West Cork doors for Photography Weekends.

As many of you know, I am fortunate to be able to divide my time between life in East Anglia and escaping to West Cork. I have also had many of you comment on how lovely it looks and how much you too would love to visit. Well now I'm offering you the opportunity to do just that!

For three weekends during October, I will be hosting exclusive three night photographic breaks for beginners and improvers in a home from home environment. Group sizes are limited to four and will be fully escorted and inclusive. There will be opportunities to try many different aspects of photography whilst enjoying a holiday in this beautiful part of Ireland. The highlight of the weekend will be a trip out whale watching (weather permitting) with Cork Whale Watch, just as the season for cetacean activity is approaching its peak.

The long weekends run from Saturday to Tuesday on the following dates:

SB01 Saturday 11th — Tuesday 14th October 2014

SB02 Saturday 18th — Tuesday 21st October 2014

SB03 Saturday 25th — Tuesday 28th October 2014

NOTE: weekend two is now sold out, there is availability on weekend three and limited availability on weekend one.

For more details, go to my website and look for West Cork Photography Weekends in the Photo Courses section. If you would like to book, I recommend you don't hang about as interest has been keen since I first mentioned I would be offering these breaks and there are limited places. If however you won't be able to make it at short notice, then don't worry - I'm planning to expand the selection of breaks in the Spring and run similar breaks next Autumn (although they won't be at the same special introductory price next year!)

Only £475.00 per person*

Don't delay! Book today, or share this post with anyone you think would love this special opportunity.

Look forward to hearing from you!

Day 27 - August Challenge 14

Challenge - "Oldest used building"

Suggested by - Kay via Twitter

"That time again!!! Love the challenges last year! May I set u the challenge of Uttlesford's oldest building? And to confirm, a building still in use and not a ruin."

Having lived in this cosy corner of North Essex for almost 30 years, I have come to know many of the local landmarks and features. One such landmark being the incredible Prior's Hall Barn at Widdington. With this area of Uttlesford being rich in medieval buildings, it's no surprise to find this barn - one of the finest surviving examples of of its type in the East of England, and I couldn't but fail to be impressed on the occasions when I have visited it.

"But?" I hear you say...Yes, I know, it is old and not a ruin but is it in continual use? Well, no, but over the other side of a flint wall adjacent to the barn is another surprise. Prior's Hall Farm is a beautiful family home, full of charm and character, and under the blue skies this morning it looked friendly and inviting. Clearly a building with history, and a history which I wanted to find a little more about as I had been directed to it by a local historian, indicating that it could well be the oldest (continually) inhabited building in the area, if not in England. With a heritage possibly dating back to the late tenth or early eleventh century, this building of saxon origin, pre-dated the beautiful medieval barn by four hundred years or so. Hard to believe - but there was evidence. Maggs, the lady of the house was so kind as to point out the features that had led previous owners and historians to determine it's heritage.

Running ground to eaves next to the front door was a a band of exposed stonework, and which was mirrored at the other end of this north-facing side of the house. With long thin vertical stones punctuated by long thin horizontal stones (see example e) these features were a clear indication of saxon architecture. The presence of a v-shaped stone window arch and a solid semi-circular arch, now incorporated in an end wall corroborated the evidence.

As I stood in the sunshine in the beautiful gardens, listening to the robin singing in the nearby fruit tree, I chatted to Darrell on the cordless phone that Maggs had handed me. He explained to me more of the fascinating history of this Grade 1 listed building, from involvement with William the Conqueror, to Edward III, to the manor becoming part of the estates of New College, Oxford. All far more involved than I can write here in this short post. As we chatted I looked back at the manor house and clearly there were medieval and later additions, but for me, this fascinating evidence was good enough to allow me to present to you what is probably the oldest, still in use building in Uttlesford, my picture showing you the beautiful detail of the saxon quions, set against the backdrop of the medieval barn.


Today's image and all the other images from my August Challenge will be on display in Design Essentials during September

Tomorrow, Day 28

"Carver Barracks"


My grateful thanks to Darrell and Maggs for allowing me to photograph a corner of their beautiful home, and also Martyn for the inside historical information.

Escape to West Cork

It is the time for our annual May break in West Cork and I can't say how much I have been waiting to get back out here for an escape, after the many things that have been happening during recent weeks.
Our regular, if today, rather bracing walk around the Head blew away the cobwebs and we were once again able to sit and take in the beautiful views, the wonderful colours and the delights of watching gannets diving for fish, just off the rocks ahead of us.

I had simply gone out, armed only with my 24-105 lens and no filters, so the stunning colours are purely as seen.
Could it be any better? Well yes, if the wind would just calm down a bit, there might be the possibility of spotting a minke whale or two off the coast, or maybe even a basking shark, which are currently known to be in the area.
We can but hope.

As well as the stunning scenery, the fresh new growth is taking shape along the verges - the majestic gunnera, the wild garlic, and best of all, the first jewel-like glimpses of the flower of West Cork, the fuchsia.

Ahhhh! I can breathe again.

______________________________

If you too would like to escape and enjoy the delights of West Cork whilst learning the basics of photography, I am announcing that I hope to be running exclusive short breaks in the Autumn.
Details are to be finalised, but if this appeals to you, please do register your interest and I can forward the information as it becomes available.

International Dawn Chorus Day 2014

'Grainy' screen-grab start to the day for the dawn chorus!

It was 4.30am and my iPhone was gently playing 'slow rise' from underneath my pillow. As I came to, I remembered why I had set my alarm so early. Today is International Dawn Chorus Day when everyone is encouraged to 'celebrate nature's daily miracle'.

Whilst there were dawn chorus walks planned all over the country I opted for the lazy way to enjoy the wonderful birdsong, by staying on my home patch, which also meant I could stay in my PJs. Living in a town, it could be thought that birds won't perform with as much gusto as they might out in the countryside but I had no worries this morning. The birds were already well into their performance by the time I had stepped over the perplexed mutt and visiting friend, sleeping in the kitchen. Out into the back garden, the light was just increasing in the east whilst in the west, the sky was still the wonderful deep blue. I set up my camera on the wall and recorded several short burst of birdsong, in the end choosing just a 45 second recording to post here.

For those who weren't up early enough this morning to enjoy their local performance, here is what I enjoyed at 4.40 this morning, in our sleepy north Essex town. So sit back, turn up the volume, click on the link below and enjoy!

Dawn Chorus 4th May 2014 

As I said, I opted for the lazy way to take part in the International Dawn Chorus Day - which meant creeping back to bed for a few more hours, just as the morning light was streaming in through the curtains and the unmelodious, wood pigeon late-comers began their coo-coooo-cooing.
Was it worth the early start? Absolutely!

A Series of Phenomena

**By the way, a bit of a celebration here... this is my 500th blog post - hip hip hooray!**

During my trip out to West Cork last week, the weather was kind enough (for once) for me to get out and about with my camera. Although this visit was made for a particular assignment, it was the unplanned shots that ended up being the winners for me. However, I must warn you that you may find some of the following images upsetting.

Rainbows, a phenomenon which never cease to please but it is a case of being in the right place at the right time, so when this one suddenly appeared over Dooneen, as I was going out on a tea-time foray at the end of a glorious day, I was fortunate to be set up with my gear.

Rolling a little further down the hill and I came across the next phenomenon - starlings. There is a small murmuration that happens around Bawnishall most evenings between late Autumn and early Spring. Nothing on the scale of the Fen Drayton show I usually go to watch here in the UK but wonderful none the less.

On this particular evening they were just starting to gather on the wires as I sat watching from the rain protected car, their distinctive chatter confirming their presence.

An hour or so later on my return journey along the Glandore road, the next phenomenon caught my eye. The rooks were noisily having their turn at gathering for the night - safety in numbers and all that. In the trees, along the wires - in the fading light it could be viewed as menacing but for me, a fascinating thing to watch. How they all stay put on a swaying wire amazes me and depending on which way they faced, they carefully adjusted their 'trim'. The overall effect was like looking at a bird-barbed wire (and as I was tucked in on a narrow road, I was getting barbed looks from the passing motorists too!)

A phenomenon which can either be interesting or distressing is cetacean stranding. Live strandings, whilst stressful for the creature, with the right care from trained volunteers they can have a successful outcome. Whales, dolphins and porpoises can be successfully returned to the sea.
Unfortunately, sometimes it is too late for a successful rescue, as it was for this common dolphin, which had been thrown over the sea wall by storm waves at Tragumna.

It was clear that this one, a female, had probably died at sea and was subsequently washed up in the carpark. I didn't know how long it had been there but I took the stance that it would be better to report the stranding to the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group rather than assume it had already been reported.
In the event, IWDG's Padraig Whooley and Calvin Jones had already been on the case and their reporting of it has been logged.

Whilst this may seem a distasteful action in some eyes, this data is important in determining the health, welfare and habits of the cetacean population around the coast of Ireland

By the time I saw this stranding, the carcass had been at the location for almost a week, with the elements and predation clearly having taken its toll. Happily, by the next day, the carcass had been removed.

However, I couldn't help but be amazed at the zipper-like set of teeth.

Finally this phenomenon is practically something that occurs all the time but these unusual waves on 3rd March off the West Cork coast were seemingly appearing from nowhere in an otherwise calm sea. Such was the enormity of the waves, I was able to observe them breaking right over the top of the Fastnet Lighthouse, some seventeen miles in the distance. We shouldn't underestimate the power of the sea, as we have seen, the recent storms hitting the coast and doing millions in damage. However, it also has the power of cleansing by taking some of the unfortunate strandings back out to sea for nature to continue with recycling - you could say, one last phenomenon.

All Too Much

It was all too much!
Not for me - I was enjoying every sun-drenched-Saturday-morning-moment of it.
No, sadly it was too much for my trusty photographer's assistant. Approaching thirteen years old now, she has noticeably slowed down, and particularly so since October when she started to tell us when she had had enough, rather than us calling time on the walks.
It is sad, as having such a wonderful companion for both indoors and particularly outdoors, has provided opportunities to explore our locality in depth and to develop a love and appreciation of the nature and wildlife in special places.

No more so than this particular corner of North Essex, where the gentle undulations of this cosy countryside meet the flat fens of Cambridgeshire. From this part of the Icknield Way, it is possible to see as far as Ely on a clear day.
Despite the sunshine on Saturday, the light was only good enough to pick out features in Cambridge and thereabouts, with the dishes of the Mullard Observatory highlighted in the distant landscape.

Many hours have I sat on the edges of the fields, surrounded by deer-filled woodland, and many times have I blogged and more recently, tweeted about the seasonal changes which I observe here. For me the place and the natural progress of the year are always magical.
As I sat quietly on Saturday, I listened to a whole range of bird song - blue tits, great tits, long-tailed tits - I even thought I heard the 'little bit of bread' of the yellow hammer but the 'no cheese' seemed to be absent. Woodpeckers drummed and crows cawed - this wonderful symphony of birdsong broken only by the unwelcome roar of the big metal birds moving in and out of the nearby busy airport.
These roaring interludes though, were the perfect time to look more closely around me, spotting the first tiny flashes of glorious blue beaming up from the speedwell.

Despite the sunshine, it was still very much a 'wellie-walk' with mutt up to her usual bubble-patting in the puddles, the swirling patterns of disturbed silt highlighted in her wake.

Upon reaching the old farm bath houses (and boy, could mutt have done with the use of one by this stage!), the sun had reached its apex. The carpet of ageing snowdrops still adding a glorious intensity to the light around the derelict buildings. Rare of late, the shafts of sunlight reached in through the broken windows, the frames casting crisp dark shadows on the walls.

On the window sill, the relics of a once useful facility had morphed into a snail-like reminder of the change of pace in this wooded corner of the farm yard.

Who knows what tales the peeling walls could tell if only they could speak?

And as for my favourite resident farm yard ladies, well, a hello had to be made to them too before we set off on the return leg of this gentle three-hour stroll in the sunny countryside, arriving back home just in time for our lunch.

Mutt took to her bed as soon as we arrived home, and slept for hours. Not unusual, except when she did emerge from her sunny sleeping place, it was clear that her front right leg was giving her trouble again. I say again, as a similar action was made after a long walk during our visit to the Cotswolds a couple of weeks back. On that occasion though, she was up and bouncy by the next morning. Sadly, we are now into day three of hop-along-mutt and clearly recovery is going to take much longer now that she is mature in years - and at nearly 90 years old in our terms, it is hardly surprising!

I would like my assistant to be able to come along with me for a good while yet as we have shared many happy hours together, exploring the the nooks and crannies of this, very definitely not TOWIE corner of the county.
For now though it will have to be just a small amble around the block for the fresh air, and it certainly isn't too much for us to give her lots of rest and TLC.


Post script 28.2.14

After a few days of her making no fuss, we eventually got to the reason for mutts lameness...

This thorn had gone straight in, leaving no obvious mark.
Despite checking her pads on several occasions it was only the swelling and weeping that eventually alerted us to the problem.

Fingers crossed now that she is on the mend.

National Nest Box Week

With a brief respite from the appalling weather this weekend, many of us managed to get back out into our soggy gardens, albeit for just a few pleasant hours. Prompted by a friend who mentioned he had cleaned out the nest boxes in his garden, it reminded me I really ought to get around to re-installing a special nest box which had been sitting on a shelf for the past five years. It had been brought from a relatives home when they moved as it was too special to leave behind. I may have mentioned this box before as it is no ordinary nest box. This is a box with a birds-eye view - well, sort of. This box has an internal camera fitted and so any bird taking up residence isn't allowed to be camera-shy.

It was possibly the logistics of the cable run which delayed the setting up of this potentially absorbing piece of kit. However, after five years of thinking about it, the route indoors has become quite obvious and with just enough cable to spare, the connectors are now ready to be plugged into a monitor, situated in the warmth of the house. With a few minor adjustments to the set up, we should be up and running to watch out for the first couple to take up residence - hopefully very soon.

I have written about this today as we are currently in the middle of National Bird Box Week which began on Valentines Day, the day when it is traditionally said the birds start pairing. Certainly it is around now that the blue tits start investigating suitable nest sites and so I hope we may be able to follow a family of blue tits if they choose this as their new home. If these little beauties don't like what is on offer, then maybe another year we will open up the front of the box, which will be an invite to another garden favourite, the robin. It is surprising how birds can be quite choosy when it comes to setting up home. Just a couple of years ago, a blue tit decided to take up residence in this upturned water hopper - not a good move when rain can come straight in through the front door! Needless to say, the nest was abandoned before too long, probably helped along by a visit from the local feline patrol, who sadly are the usual avian bailiffs in our garden.

Whatever, if I do get any interest in this 'CBB' studio nest box I will be certain to keep you updated. In the meantime, it isn't too late for you to go and put up a nest box or two!

Which Way to Go?

There are times when it is difficult to know which way to go. There are too many routes to choose.
That is the time to go on a breathing and thinking-space walk.

Armed with camera plus 400mm, a bag of jelly babies for the sugar boost and a willing four-legged photographer's assistant, I went off for one such walk in my favourite place yesterday afternoon, even if it was rather chilly.
The deer were creeping through the trees, the buzzard 'keeing' overhead, the small birds singing, and every now and then the sun put in an appearance...

...sometimes it is just the right medicine!