Pitstone Hill Chilterns - Winter Silhouettes and Landscapes

An enjoyable walk in the cold with a cloudless sky at the weekend over Pitstone Hill near Ivinghoe Beacon in the Chilterns.

 

Silhouette of a friend with their dog....

 

...and with luckily placed aeroplane vapour trails.

 

Silhouette of a walker with some miles to go with dusk coming.

 

Misty view lit by the watery sun as it goes down.

 

Later after the sun had dropped below the horizon.

London - Old BBC TV Centre at dusk

This beautiful sky caught my eye last week. Not the best quality photo from my pocket camera.

 

NW Scotland - Evening Sunrays

Back to June 2016 again, and a couple of photos of the sun breaking through a gap in the clouds over the sea

 

Chanory Point Moray Firth - Bottle Nosed Dolphins

A wet day in the west of Scotland in June 2016 meant a drive to Chanory Point

on the Black Isle for drier weather and a possible sighting of the Bottle Nosed Dolphins that live in the Moray Firth (the most northerly dolphins in the UK).

 

Timing our arrival an hour after low tide, apparently a good time to see the dolphins, we immediately saw a dolphin breaching out of the water from the car. Grabbing the camera and trying to set it up as a dolphin passed close to the shore. I managed to get this shot.

 

The dolphins moved away, with what I took to be a youngster breaking out of the water...

 ....with an adult in close attendance.

 

Over an hour a number of dolphins passed the point, but not in a playful mood, I only being able to take photos of fins and tails.

 

Many of the passes were in the middle of the firth with Fort George in the background.

Tring Reservoirs Marsworth - Swans in Flight

A recent trip to Tring reservoirs one very bright morning.

 

My luck was in as these two Mute Swans swung into view.

 

One swung round appearing to head pretty much at me standing on the bank of the reservoir.

 

Looking directly at me....

 

....it flew past.



 

Earlier three swans bathed in bright sunlight flew against the dark background of an ivy covered tree, causing a distinct contrast (not the easiest to photograph without either burning out the swans or over-darkening the tree) 

Scotland - Landscape Light Contrasts

On a grey June day the sun broke through at Newton of Ferintosh, north of Inverness at the edge of the Black Isle.  Stopping the car in a side road, I took these landscapes towards the NW and the hills and valleys surrounding Garve in the far distance.

 

A view more to the West



Lively Sheep

Photos of a small flock of sheep in November 2016 that were in quite a playful mood.

NW scotland Gruinard Bay - Red Deer on the Beach

I was surprised to find these Red Deer strolling on the beach at Gruinard Bay during my visit in June 2016.

 

Wing Countryside - Just after Sunrise

Photographs taken just before Christmas of the countryside between Wing and Mentmore Buckinghamshire just after the sun had risen.

A flock of Lapwings (proper collective term "deceit" or "desert" of Lapwings).





St Albans - A Winter's Day

Photos of a visit to St Albans Abbey and park as the sun was going down on this cold and crisp day

 

 The low sun illuminating the windows in the Abbey.

Tree Silhouette



 

Iced over pond

 

Joggers silhouette



 

The abbey bathed in the golden light.



Magpie Rhyme

Family of Magpies in the tops of trees at Marsworth Reservoir, Tring

 

One for sorrow....

 

Two for joy....

 

Three for a girl...

 

Four for a boy....

Five for Silver.



Didn't see Gold.

Christmas Greetings

Church Lock Grove Buckinghhamshire and Puttenham Hertfordshire - Frozen Canal

Freezing morning during the clear and cold snap on the last day of November this year.   Two days of this weather had caused the canal to freeze overnight which gave me an opportunity to take some more photographs of the canal, initially at Church Lock at Grove, and a little later at Puttenham Hertfordshire (not to be confused with the Surrey village of that name).

 

The Grand Union Canal at Grove as the sun was beginning to break through the early morning mist.

 

Narrow boats at Puttenham...

 

....with narrow boats awaiting repair.

 

Frost on the cobweb at Grove.

Ice on the canal at Puttenham....



 

... with a Mute Swan finding the conditions challenging as it half slid and crawled to a small patch of open water next to a habitated narrow boat, hoping to be fed.

Finally I spotted these frosty leaves lying on the worn stones by the side of Church Lock.  Reminded me somewhat of Bugs Bunny