March has been and gone...another birthday passed and Spring is now upon us...my favourite time of the year as I have probably said before. The month started with wind and rain; the local flashes were full of seasonal flooding and the thin, winter light reflected off the surface like a mirror to the seasons. As the month progressed the levels gradually fell but have now risen again due to storms in the west. This ever changing habitat is a delight to observe throughout the year and the high water levels provide habitat for many over-wintering birds. BUT... I wish they would fall now because I want access to my favourite walk which is currently under two feet of water!
Personally the highlight of the month was making contact with an old school friend - someone I haven't spoken to for over 30 years (where has that time gone)... sometimes social media provides us with great joy...
Photographically I am slowly getting my mojo back. Winter was difficult for me this year with little motivation and a creative block... Spring brings new life and it appears to be re-invigorating my desire to burn pixels again...long may it continue. As an alternate outlet for my creativity (such as it is) I have returned to playing the guitar much more than I have been. An endless source of calm and serenity - to assist me I have obtained a new 12-string and am planning to teach myself the mandolin... wish me luck with that... Music from my friends old and new can be found accompanying my slideshows, sporadically posted on my Facebook and Flickr pages...
So... what did I manage to capture this month? Well to start with I had a short trip to the flashes, looking for birds...
Black-tailed godwits (Limosa limosa) flighty on the flashes...
...new friends arrived...and joined my old friend...
One evening I watched my son Quinn having an imaginary lightsabre battle and was taken with his movements - he obviously has been studying the battles in the Star Wars films and is a good mimic. So, turning down the lights and using a slow shutter speed I captured...
The results are always going to be a surprise, but I was delighted to have captured his shadow...
One of my favourite group of plants - especially in early spring are violets... several different types plus hybrids, they can be tricky to get a positive, accurate ID... in my garden I have two different species - self seeded in the lawn and on the gravel...
Common dog-violet (Viola riviniana) - the most common of the wild violets...
The three images above are sweet violet (Viola odorata) the only scented violet we have...flowers can be a variety of colours especially white...
The onset of spring provides opportunities to shoot early emerging invertebrates...
Bee-fly (Bombylius major)
Garden bumblebee (Bombus hortorum)
Green tortoise beetle (Cassida sp.)
Honey bee (Apis mellifera)
Peacock butterfly (Inachis io)
As a final selection...some of the commoner wild flowers that take advantage of early spring sunshine...
Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa)
Colt's-foot (Tussilago farfara)
Dandelion (Taraxacum agg.)
Field speedwell (Veronica persica)
Groundsel (Senecio jacobaea)
Lesser celandine (Ficaria verna)
Red-dead-nettle (Lamium purpureum)
White dead-nettle (Lamium alba)
That is it for March...April should bring more subjects to shoot... let's hope...
Peace to you all out there...
TTFN
Personally the highlight of the month was making contact with an old school friend - someone I haven't spoken to for over 30 years (where has that time gone)... sometimes social media provides us with great joy...
Photographically I am slowly getting my mojo back. Winter was difficult for me this year with little motivation and a creative block... Spring brings new life and it appears to be re-invigorating my desire to burn pixels again...long may it continue. As an alternate outlet for my creativity (such as it is) I have returned to playing the guitar much more than I have been. An endless source of calm and serenity - to assist me I have obtained a new 12-string and am planning to teach myself the mandolin... wish me luck with that... Music from my friends old and new can be found accompanying my slideshows, sporadically posted on my Facebook and Flickr pages...
So... what did I manage to capture this month? Well to start with I had a short trip to the flashes, looking for birds...
...new friends arrived...and joined my old friend...
One evening I watched my son Quinn having an imaginary lightsabre battle and was taken with his movements - he obviously has been studying the battles in the Star Wars films and is a good mimic. So, turning down the lights and using a slow shutter speed I captured...
The results are always going to be a surprise, but I was delighted to have captured his shadow...
One of my favourite group of plants - especially in early spring are violets... several different types plus hybrids, they can be tricky to get a positive, accurate ID... in my garden I have two different species - self seeded in the lawn and on the gravel...
Common dog-violet (Viola riviniana) - the most common of the wild violets...
The three images above are sweet violet (Viola odorata) the only scented violet we have...flowers can be a variety of colours especially white...
The onset of spring provides opportunities to shoot early emerging invertebrates...
Bee-fly (Bombylius major)
Garden bumblebee (Bombus hortorum)
Green tortoise beetle (Cassida sp.)
Honey bee (Apis mellifera)
Peacock butterfly (Inachis io)
As a final selection...some of the commoner wild flowers that take advantage of early spring sunshine...
Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa)
Colt's-foot (Tussilago farfara)
Dandelion (Taraxacum agg.)
Field speedwell (Veronica persica)
Groundsel (Senecio jacobaea)
Lesser celandine (Ficaria verna)
Red-dead-nettle (Lamium purpureum)
White dead-nettle (Lamium alba)
That is it for March...April should bring more subjects to shoot... let's hope...
Peace to you all out there...
TTFN
