What a mad month we have had for weather...the Brits favourite subject! We have swayed dramatically from frosty to mild; from calm to windy and from dry to flooding - seemingly on a day to day basis. Sympathies go out to those worst affected...must be hard constantly battling the elements with little or no rest-bite.
Over here in the Fens we have had it relatively easy...the rain in the west comes here via the rivers and we have the Ouse Washes to store it before it is discharged into the Wash; at it's peak, the washes were 90% full and the site was pretty spectacular...
This ancient flood plain willow has survived this level of flooding for many years...the rot in the central bowl provides great habitat for insects, bats and plants...not to mention mosses, lichens, algae and liverworts...
Flooded fields with willow scrub on the slightly high areas...
Late afternoon sun and still water provides great reflections...
One of the things the Fens are renowned for...BIG skies...
To allow access to isolated houses this raised footbridge has been constructed over the flood waters, although when I work down here I regularly bump into a couple of elderly ladies who tell me tales of the past...there used to be a ferry across here long before the road and foot bridges were built...
The main road built high on concrete pilings over the floods...
My favourite picture this year so far..although appearing to be in monochrome this is actually in colour...shooting into the sun on this occasion has left us with hardly any colour...
The final image from this selection is a sunset... again the colours are really muted but the lilac in the sky is just a delight...
I feel lucky to have this just a couple of minutes walk from my house...
In addition to the watery theme; as I mentioned before we have had some wintry weather... not much but a bit...
Arable field in frost...I see this field every morning...look out for it later!
Ice on the flood water... the two old ladies told me tales of skating parties in the past... one still had her father's skates...
Sunrise...over still waters.
Our drive to school turned magical by an air frost.
Puddle ice...I am fascinated by the shapes formed by ice...
Whilst exploring the fields near my son's school I happened upon a small, disused orchard...in winter the photo opportunities are limited but still there if you look...
Chinese lantern...
Tripe fungus on an old apple tree...
An old shed in the orchard; surprisingly it has a number on the door...
A pair of fruit pickers steps abandoned against the apple trees... I was taken with the colour against the muted greens and browns...
Of course I continue to submit to the agency... and to post on Facebook and on Flickr - please feel free to visit my sites...
The unusually mild weather has had mixed fortunes for wildlife - whilst there has been plentiful food around, the lack of penetrating frosts means that many species will suffer from parasites and other ailments...
Blue tit, active amongst the willows.
Malevolent coot...something in the gaze that says "Don't mess with me!"
House sparrow; another bird in decline, although there are decent populations around the farms on the fen... always a delight to see this species, so associated with human habitation.
A curious mute swan...just caught this individual in mid-preen.
Ramshorn snail shell; taken on a piece of stone by my pond in the garden.
A sure sign of the slow turning of the year...snowdrops in my local church-yard.
Juvenile starlings feeding on pasture. Really like the speckles and that gorgeous bottle green. Sadly a species in decline, their numbers increased during the winter by flocks from the continent.
Again from a local church yard - winter aconite. A splash of colour amongst the leaf litter.
Finally, two more images from this past month... I like both for the atmosphere they portray (I hope)...
Cow parsley...several months early - the mild weather giving certain species an opportunity...one that it may regret...
Recognise the field? Yep it's the same one as before...I picked out this mature hedgerow poplar with my 300mm lens, the long focal length compressing the perspective. I really like the light here...and the feel of the image...
And that about wraps it up...
Hope you all have a great month of February - don't forget Valentine's Day... and I shall see you next month with hopefully some spring-like images...
TTFN...
Over here in the Fens we have had it relatively easy...the rain in the west comes here via the rivers and we have the Ouse Washes to store it before it is discharged into the Wash; at it's peak, the washes were 90% full and the site was pretty spectacular...
This ancient flood plain willow has survived this level of flooding for many years...the rot in the central bowl provides great habitat for insects, bats and plants...not to mention mosses, lichens, algae and liverworts...
Flooded fields with willow scrub on the slightly high areas...
Late afternoon sun and still water provides great reflections...
One of the things the Fens are renowned for...BIG skies...
To allow access to isolated houses this raised footbridge has been constructed over the flood waters, although when I work down here I regularly bump into a couple of elderly ladies who tell me tales of the past...there used to be a ferry across here long before the road and foot bridges were built...
The main road built high on concrete pilings over the floods...
My favourite picture this year so far..although appearing to be in monochrome this is actually in colour...shooting into the sun on this occasion has left us with hardly any colour...
The final image from this selection is a sunset... again the colours are really muted but the lilac in the sky is just a delight...
I feel lucky to have this just a couple of minutes walk from my house...
In addition to the watery theme; as I mentioned before we have had some wintry weather... not much but a bit...
Arable field in frost...I see this field every morning...look out for it later!
Ice on the flood water... the two old ladies told me tales of skating parties in the past... one still had her father's skates...
Sunrise...over still waters.
Our drive to school turned magical by an air frost.
Puddle ice...I am fascinated by the shapes formed by ice...
Whilst exploring the fields near my son's school I happened upon a small, disused orchard...in winter the photo opportunities are limited but still there if you look...
Chinese lantern...
Tripe fungus on an old apple tree...
An old shed in the orchard; surprisingly it has a number on the door...
A pair of fruit pickers steps abandoned against the apple trees... I was taken with the colour against the muted greens and browns...
Of course I continue to submit to the agency... and to post on Facebook and on Flickr - please feel free to visit my sites...
The unusually mild weather has had mixed fortunes for wildlife - whilst there has been plentiful food around, the lack of penetrating frosts means that many species will suffer from parasites and other ailments...
Blue tit, active amongst the willows.
Malevolent coot...something in the gaze that says "Don't mess with me!"
House sparrow; another bird in decline, although there are decent populations around the farms on the fen... always a delight to see this species, so associated with human habitation.
A curious mute swan...just caught this individual in mid-preen.
Ramshorn snail shell; taken on a piece of stone by my pond in the garden.
A sure sign of the slow turning of the year...snowdrops in my local church-yard.
Juvenile starlings feeding on pasture. Really like the speckles and that gorgeous bottle green. Sadly a species in decline, their numbers increased during the winter by flocks from the continent.
Again from a local church yard - winter aconite. A splash of colour amongst the leaf litter.
Finally, two more images from this past month... I like both for the atmosphere they portray (I hope)...
Cow parsley...several months early - the mild weather giving certain species an opportunity...one that it may regret...
Recognise the field? Yep it's the same one as before...I picked out this mature hedgerow poplar with my 300mm lens, the long focal length compressing the perspective. I really like the light here...and the feel of the image...
And that about wraps it up...
Hope you all have a great month of February - don't forget Valentine's Day... and I shall see you next month with hopefully some spring-like images...
TTFN...
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