Tuesday, 28 August 2012
Monday, 27 August 2012
Paddling In The Rain
Sometimes it is a shame when the weather forecast is correct even though we got off quite lightly.
The rains came, right on cue, but there are always people wandering along the beach.
Everything was starting to look particularly grey when a couple of Black Headed Gulls settled down for a quick paddle and added a bit of colour.
Sunday, 26 August 2012
Crocodiles, Sharks & Turtles
Durlston Bay, with Peveril Point to the north and Durlston Castle to the south is one of my favourite places. It has changed a lot in the last 150 million years or so and although you may be lucky enough to find their teeth or bits of shell, you are no longer at risk of bumping into Crocodiles, Sharks or Turtles.
Wind Power
I do like to see 'dramatic' skies and, as the clouds started to build up, that is just about what we got today.
It didn't take too long before the sky was completely white, but at least we had sunshine for a little while.
The Lookout
A single Buzzard, sat in a tree keeping an eye on something that was just out of my sight.
A few shots later, I carried on only to find three more Buzzards making a meal of a dead Rabbit just twenty feet away!
Before I could raise the camera up for a shot, all three took to the skies and disappeared.
Reflexes of a cat, that's me!!
Thursday, 23 August 2012
...And....Pounce!
This is one more from my encounter with the young Foxes a couple of evenings ago. I have seen them since, but the light has not been as good as this.
Dragons And Flies
There are plenty of Dragons and bugs about at the moment, the trick is to find a bit of Sun for them to pose in!
With another damp weekend forecast, I might have to take up knitting!
Evening Sing Song
Competing for my attention and doing a very good job at it, the Robin sang its little heart out while I watched the Foxes.
Barely missing a beat for over an hour, this one and at least two other were making quite a racket!
Monday, 20 August 2012
Look Into My Eyes
As he got closer, I found myself holding my breath, waiting for that terrible moment when he sees me and runs off.
I know it is going to happpen, just a matter of time of course, but when it does I feel a sense of loss that is totally out of proportion to what has gone on.
Mighty Hunter
A beautiful, warm blue sky evening with a slight breeze and the sound of countless Grasshoppers and Crickets was just about perfect.
The meadows are being cut, flushing out small rodents and making it easier for the Kestrels to grab a meal.
A fine practice ground for a curious, young Fox too, with two keeping me amused for quite a while.
Sunday, 19 August 2012
Above The Mist
When it was time for the fireworks, the mist had well and truly settled.
I didn't have a tripod, which made for quite a few wobbly shots, but I quite like this one.
The explosions lit up the sky and coloured the mist from the top down.
It really makes me wish that I had been better prepared.
Mists And Dark Clouds
The mist and low cloud that had stayed with us for most of the day, made a half-hearted attempt to clear just before the Sun went down.
By this time, of course, I was supporting the Lifeboat by eating lots of food anf trying to reduce their beer stocks.
This is my favourite kind of fundraising.
Swanage Lifeboat Week 2012
Swanage Lifeboat Week has almost fnished and yesterdays fund raising events seemed to go very well.
Music, beer and a bbq meant that I was never going to go too far from the action but apart from that, it is always good fun watching our lifeboat crew enjoying themselves.
Time & Tide
A full week without the chance to pick up the camera is just about unheard of, but that is what has happened.
No walks, no talks, no pictures, no time!
Still, the sun is out today and I have nothing planned, time for a wander, I think...
Saturday, 11 August 2012
Tis Dragon Season!
And there are plenty around! It is good fun trying to get an 'odd' shot of these, something a bit different! But until I get that shot, this is a plain old 'head-on' shot!
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Considering that we do not have that many species of Dragonflies, I wonder why I struggle to I.D. them.
These are another great subject though, and always fun to photograph.
And The Award For Fluffiest Tail Goes To...
And The Award For Fluffiest Tail Goes To..., a photo by julian sawyer - Purbeck Footprints on Flickr.
Another of our super-cute Sika youngsters with finest, fluffiest white tail in the Purbecks.
I just can't look at these little chaps without smiling! It would have been nicer if he had turned around though!
Friday, 10 August 2012
No Flies On Me!
There are few things quite as cute as a young deer and the local Sika really fit the bill.
Far more curious than our Roe deer, these chaps are a pleasure to watch.
The Coast Watch
The view from Durlston, across the bay to Peveril Point and beyond is pretty special.
The Coast Watch station on the point is manned by volunteers who scan the seas in search of trouble!
Sunburn
One of my favourite subjects to photograph are the Grasshoppers! There are plenty around at the moment and they come in all different shapes and sizes.
Thursday, 9 August 2012
Small Skips
Even though I really enjoy using my macro, I find it impossible to leave the house without my big lens. On days like today, when macro is pretty well the only option I have to carrying an extra couple of kilos of ballast for no apparent reason. One day I will learn to leave it at home....perhaps.
Hide & Seak
Hedbury, one of the long abandoned cliff quarries that scar the Purbeck coast is home to a number of Wall Lizards. As with all of our reptiles, they are great fun to photograph.
I spent quite a while playing with this one until it decided that company wasn't all that good.
Traffic Jams?
A walk along the Purbeck coast was on the cards this morning and the weather was just about perfect.
Bright sunshine, big blue skies and a very slight cool breeze made the walk easy, and a pint at Durlston Castle rounded things off very nicely.
Wednesday, 8 August 2012
Like Ships In The Night
There seems to be plenty of yachts on the water at the moment, perhaps it's the Olympic effect or maybe the cost of fuel!
Either way, I think they look a lot nicer than motor boats and they are far bit quieter.
Into The Blue
It seems a long time since we had blue skies like this, but I have the next couple of days off to go wandering and so I have high hopes.
This was one of a couple of Peregrines that we saw last weekend, they are a regular sighting along the Purbeck coast these days, which is not a bad thing at all.
Monday, 6 August 2012
Number 28
The Nuthatch, number twenty eight on the list of birds that have had dinner in my garden.
I am still not used to having a garden and so everything that pops in makes me stupidly excited!
Rabbit For Dinner?
One of yesterday's young Kestrels decided to try its newly learned hunting skills on a Rabbit!
As you can imagine, nothing much else happened but it really upset the Rabbit!
This is cropped quite a bit...
Sunday, 5 August 2012
The Purbeck Airshow
Two young Kestrels stayed airborne for hours today, with mum keeping an eye on them from afar!
They kept their distance, flying close to the towering cliffs, and bothering the local mouse population.
Secret Places
The beach is busy, which is always good! The streets and roads are looking busy too, which means a much needed injection of cash into our The Purbeck.
Even when we have plenty of visitors there are still places to go to get away from the crowds.
Saturday, 4 August 2012
The Hunt Goes On
I have now decided that finding the Barn Owls after such a long time looking was the easy bit!
Taking shots of these incredible birds is not at all easy.
One of the big problems I find is that I enjoy watching them 'live' so much I don't want to ruin things by staying behind the view finder!
For this reason and for many, many others, I am still looking for 'The Shot'.
“I am intrigued by the smile upon your face, and the sadness within your eyes”
“I am intrigued by the smile upon your face, and the sadness within your eyes”, a photo by julian sawyer - Purbeck Footprints on Flickr.
Strange things, Toads, but they obviously know something that we don't!
How else would you account for the constant smile?
I always enjoy stubbling across any of our reptiles and amphibians probably because they are so easy to overlook.
Thanks to Jeremy Aldana for the quote, by the way.
Wednesday, 1 August 2012
Sun And Showers
Although we have lost the cloudless blue skies and most days have the threat of rain, there are still a few chances to get out and about.
Summer Coats
At this time of year the Sika really are looking their best.
They are not difficult to find on The Purbeck and if you are lucky, you can get quite close.
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Quiet but never silent.
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Slip, Slide And Away , a photo by julian sawyer - Purbeck Footprints on Flickr. These are the kind of shots I would have liked of the wild ...
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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...
