Sunrise and Sunset

Following the recent wet weather things settled down a bit and cold days with frosty mornings became the norm.The days were very pleasant and it was nice to get out and enjoy the winter scenery.Last weekend there was a fall of snow over the high ground and a trip up to the Lake Disrtict provided some alpine scenery particularly around the Kirkstone Pass area.

However my latest blog concentrates on the magnificent sunrises and sunsets I have seen.I was awake early on a few mornings and from my bedroom window I enjoyed some fabulous skies lit up by the rising sun.They were however fleeting as the sun rose and cloud moved in.The sunset shots below came from Scorton and Lytham St Annes.Iwas driving back home late p.m when I noticed a sunset over the Lancashire coast.I quickly drove up above Scorton village to look out towards Blackpool where the sky seemed to be on fire as it lit up the coast through a hole in the clouds. One afternoon found me at Lytham as the sun was setting and the famous Lytham windmill provided the perfect subject for the camera as the sun set over the Irish Sea.

Thanks for looking in and next time I will feature my trip to the upper River Ribble above Settle to watch the salmon leaping the falls as they made their way upstream . They were heading for the upper reaches of the Ribble to the headwaters where they were born to spawn and continue the survival of the Atlantic Salmon.

Wonderful Whoopers

Recently I made a couple of visits to Martin Mere Wildfowl and WetlandsTrust.I had gone specifically to photograph the arrival of the whooper swans from Iceland.They usually arrive a little later than the pink footed geese and the numbers build up over the following weeks.They did arrive on time aided by the warm and settled weather we have recently enjoyed.

I usually make for the Hale hide as lots of potatoes are put down for the swans and geese in front of the hide.Nice flight shots of the swans can be obtained as they come into land in front of the hide.They also like to bathe and preen following their long journeys and make nice subjects for the camera.

Shown below are some of my better efforts with the camera and I hope you enjoy them as much as I did in taking them.Thanks for looking in and hopefully after the current unsettled and wintry weather goes away I will be able to bring you more from my wildlife exploits.

Great White Egret...Leighton Moss

Last week I made a visit to Leighton Moss to see what was around.A number of Great White Egrets,up to five I believe,had been roosting at Leighton along with large numbers of little egrets.The Great White Egret is a bird that is appearing regularly now in this country and is a possible coloniser as did the little egret some years ago. I saw a couple from Lillian's hide but they were distant and only provided record shots for the camera. Later from the causeway hide I saw another distant Great White feeding at the far end of the reserve and close to the Lower hide.

I hot footed it down to the lower hide and there was the Great White giving excellent views close to the hide.However it soon flew to the other side but eventually came back to fish in front of the hide.

By now the sun was beginning to set after another fabulous Autumn day and the light was perfect to photograph this spectacular bird.It had found a hot spot and was catching small pike.Whilst I was watching it caught four small pike and gave me some great opportunities for the camera.The sunset was also lovely to see and all too soon both egret and the sun vanished.It was a super end to an otherwise quiet day at Leighton Moss.Thanks for looking in and hope you enjoy the images above of this spectacular egret in the late afternoon sunshine.

Rusland Rut

October is the time of the year when red deer come together to mate.It is known as rutting and sometimes involves in fighting amongst rival stags as they compete for the attention of the females.It is an annual spectacle which I like to see and photograph and in the past I have gone to Leighton Moss.I understand that some of the deer have been culled and few are present so this Autumn I visited the Rusland Valley in the southern Lake District.I had good reports that the deer were showing well and so on a couple of occasions recently I visited this lovely part of southern lakeland.

There is a nature reserve at Hay Bridge in the Rusland valley and that is where I expected the red deer to be. A trip onto the reserve confirmed the presence of deer as they could be heard bellowing and roaring in the distance.It was not however possible to get near the deer and so I left Hay Bridge to have a ride around the Rusland valley.The Rusland valley is secluded and very peaceful as it is well off the tourist trail and is a lovely area to explore.One notable feature is the church at the head of the valley where one of this country's famous authors lies buried alongside his wife.

Arthur Ransome was the author of many children's adventure stories and is probably best known for writing "Swallows and Amazons" which was set on Coniston Water.Arthur Ransome had a very interesting life and married a high ranking Russian officials daughter.He was also an excellent fisherman and lived in various houses in Southern Lakeland.I always like to pay my respects when in the area and visit the beautifully situated church at the head of the valley.

On my way back down the valley a group of red deer could be seen not far from the road at the edge of Rusland Moss.There was one dominant stag and one or two young bucks  with around six or seven hinds.I spent an interesting hour or so photographing the deer and was pleased with the results.I did in fact return at a later date and found the deer still in the same location.It was a lovely location on the edge of Rusland Moss and the deer enjoyed the sanctuary of the birch trees and long grasses of this part of the valley. I hope you enjoy my efforts at capturing the excitement of the rut and if you get the opportunity to visit this part of the Lake District you will not be disappointed.Thanks for looking in and tune in for my next trip to Leighton Moss where I had excellent views of one of the Great White Egrets currently on the reserve.