Proper heart in the mouth stuff from The Red Arrows who always pull in the crowds.
Sunday, 29 July 2012
Wing Tip To Wing Tip
Red, White & Blue
The Red Arrows, being as patriotic as it is possible to get and showing off their incredible skills above Swanage Bay.
Into The Blue
Swanage Bay must be just about the purfect place to watch The Red Arrows. The natural amphitheatre gives incredible views and today we had beautiful blue skies for most of the display.
The Red Arrows are big stars of The Swanage Carnival and the crowds this year are estimated, by the Police, to be 80,000.
Saturday, 28 July 2012
Picturing Purbeck
Huge thanks to the lovely Faith Eckersall for writing a double page spread about Purbeck Footprints for todays Bournemouth Echo saturday magazine.
Thursday, 26 July 2012
An Honest Mistake!
This is my first Cuckoo sighting and as such I think I can be forgiven for thinking this was a Sparrowhawk!
Now hang on, wait a minute, I couldn't get close and it is a lot more streamlined when it flies than I would have thought! And it flew close to the ground....
Anyway, now I am home and checking the pictures I realise that playing a Sparrowhawk call was not the brightest thing to do!
A Single Dartford
Just the one Dartford Warbler to be seen (is this a female, a youngster or have I got it wrong?) but they are another bird that I enjoy taking photographs of.
Light, Shade, Light, Shade, Light Shade
I am having a great deal of fun watching the Barn Owls, they are incredible birds.
Plenty of photographs, but I am struggling with the changes of light, this means I will have to keep going back.....shame!
Tuesday, 24 July 2012
Follow The Screech
As if the evening needed to get better, we finally found the Purbeck Barn Owl. These have been at the top of my hit list for years.
In fact not just the one Barn Owl, but an adult and a youngster!
The Sun was sinking behind the hills far too quickly, making any shot difficult, but junior decided to sit in a tree for a while and scream for his dinner.
(It didn't take too long to find which tree!)
We stayed watching the birds, as they hunted, long after the sun had set and found it very hard to leave!
Good Evening
The first proper, blue sky evening for a while and there really was only one thing to do.
The evening light shows of our Roe Deer perfectly and, although I have taken hundreds of shots just like this one, I can't resist it.
Any time spent with these wonderful animals is pure gold.
Monday, 23 July 2012
Not Always Slow
For such a slow creature, the Slow-worm can really shift when it wants too.
Even my legendary 'wounded slug' impression didn't stop this one from wriggling away.
Sunday, 22 July 2012
More Gatekeepers Than Gates
There were plenty of Gatekeepers around but even though the Sun was having trouble breaking through the clouds, they were very flighty!
It was good to finally see so any butterflies and dragons taking to the wing.
Size Issues
Now, this was huge! While all the other dragons were small and delicate this one was the size of small plane!
Gold-ringed of Common Hawker? I'm not sure so I will leave it to the experts.
Saturday, 21 July 2012
Smaller Targets
I find it far too easy, on a sunny day, to sit in the grass and take dozens of photographs of Grasshoppers!
These have always been a favourite of mine and it makes a change not having to walk miles to find them.
They are also not as annoyingly quick as Dragonflies.
Onlookers
It seems like ages since we managed a good, dry walk and this morning's wander didn't disappoint.
Although the Sun hadn't quite started to burn off the clouds and one wrong footstep put you up to your shorts in mud, we had a fine time.
First shot of the morning was of a rather beautiful and just as curious young Sika, who conveniently stood in a clearing.
Monday, 16 July 2012
A Minor Disturbance
That was me, I'm afraid! The Buzzard was quite happy to sit in a field watching the cars go by but didn't want to hang around when I pulled over.
The light wasn't great which meant that I couldn't get any speed, but I quite like this one.
Less Noise, More Food
Screaming, as only a hungry Peregrine can, meant that all the local pigeons disappeared from the cliffs in a flurry of small grey feathers.
Sunday, 15 July 2012
Sunshine On The Castle
A little bit of late afternoon sun always looks good on Durlston Castle.
There were plenty of people around too which is always a good sign.
(it took quite a while to get a 'people-free' shot)
Eye Contact
The Durlston Peregrines have done well again this year which is great unless you happen to be a pigeon.
We saw two along the cliffs this afternoon, screaming the place down.
There is always something special about taking pictures of Raptors, but I'm not sure why!
Friday, 13 July 2012
Swanage 2012
Roads were closed and hundreds of people were on the streets for the second time in just a few months. We are getting quite used to this in Swanage and it will happen again in a couple of weeks for the carnival.
This time though, it was the turn of the Olympic Torch as it made its way through town being carried by a very smiley young lady.
There was a great atmosphere and everyone seemed to really enjoy themselves.
Tuesday, 10 July 2012
More Of An Isle
When the rains fall and the lowlands flood it is easier to see how the Isle of Purbeck got its name.
The western boundary, hidden somewhere amongst the hills around Lulworth, becomes the only dry walkway and would not have been an easy trek.
Some roads still flood when the rain is heavier than usual but there are always altenative routes. Most of which don't involve getting your feet wet.
Swanage Lifeboat Raft Race 18th August 2012
Swanage Lifeboat Week 2012 runs from the 10th to the 19th of August this year and deserves all the support it gets.
For more infomation, check out : www.swanagelifeboatweek.org.uk
And if you are brave enough:
www.swanagelifeboat.org.uk/lbweek/downloads/raftrace2012.pdf
Honest, It Was This Big!
After catching and struggling to eat a rather impressive fish dinner this Cormorant spent the next hour bragging about how big it was!
Monday, 9 July 2012
Hammer Time
As the clouds cleared, spirits lifted with them. Skylarks, Whitethroats and Yellowhammers all erupted into song and all was good in the world.
Strange what a little Sun can do!
From Emmett's To The Pool
There is plenty to see when you walk to St. Aldhem's Head, once the clouds have lifted and the rain has stopped, that is!
The coast path takes you down from the Head, into the valley and then back up to Emmett's Hill.
Once at the top, stand on the edge and you are treated to a fine view of Chapman's Pool, several hundred feet below.
Sunday, 8 July 2012
So, Who's Hungry?
A little Sun, a few Swallows, and lots of fun.
Great to watch and lovely to photograph!
Diary Of A Stuntman
Via Flickr:
6.00am: Wake up
6.30am: Eat breakfast and make a lot of noise
7.00am: Eat breakfast and make a lot of noise
7.30am: Eat breakfast and make a lot of noise
8.00am Prepare for the dangerous 'fly though the open window' stunt
8.01am: Window closed
8.02am: Headache
The Starling, a lovely bird but with no concept of the practicalities of double glazing!
Saturday, 7 July 2012
Waterproof?
I like Starlings, always have done, even when they wake you up at six o'clock on a Saturday!
These photos don't do the birds justice as their colours, in the right light, are stunning.
I prefer the youngsters though, not as colourful but with a striking black eye slash that shows up very well in the dry!!
Not A Fan Of The Rain Then?
One of the chaps who came on a very wet walk with me a couple of months ago said "there is no such thing as the wrong weather, just the wrong clothes".
True I think, but he was also very good company, which makes a big difference.
This Starling, on the edge of the group, looked extremely fed up with the weather and its family!
Wake Up Call
It wasn't just the rain that woke me this morning, but also our gang of rowdy Starlings. They have been happily costing me a fortune in bird food for the last few weeks and are now bringing the kids along.
Tuesday, 3 July 2012
Two For Dinner
Two young Whitethroats waiting for dinner. Imanaged to get quite close, but had to shoot through a hedge, hence the blurred edges.
Lovely birds to see though.
The Bees Are Back
Lovely little flowers these.
Bee Orchids are starting to pop up and although they are not easy to find, it is well worth a hunt.
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I missed the Sun this morning, not because I was late but because the early wander was done and dusted by the time the clouds cleared. When...
