Crufts 2014

Unusually for us, we visited Crufts on a day other than Gundogs  - this year Terriers and Hounds though we did spend time in the gundog section of Discover Dogs. Also had a couple of sessions in the Arena - the usual manic Flyball and some Agility. More Terriers and Hound portraits to come!!

Hallgrimskirkja Reyjkavic, Iceland

 Four views from the top of the Hallgrimskirkja, the tallest building in Iceland  (244 ft). The bell tower is accessible via an elevator, providing  views of the city. The church has a stylized concrete exterior inspired by the distinctive basalt formations found throughout Iceland. Hallgrimskirkja's interior is simple but very attractive. The huge organ, built in Germany in 1992, has a 50-foot-tall case and 5,275 pipes.

Flight from Akureyi to Reyjkavic

 Early morning flight back to Reyjkavic gave some dramatic views of the icy landscapes in the interior of Iceland. The second to last image was taken from the plane as we came into land; the last photo is from the top of the Cathedral.

Northern Lights at Myvatn

Monday March 3rd.  We went to bed on Sunday night - our last in Iceland, believing there to be no chance of an Aurora display that night as there was thick cloud and some snow showers. At 3.30am the telephone rang in the room as the Northern Light display had started. Hurridly unpacking tripod and warm clothes from my case, went outside to witness another great display though this time in the more traditional green with small amounts of purple. We had to leave the hotel at 6.30 am so there was only a limited time to photograph them this time.

Return Journey to Myvatn

We drove back from Husavik to Myvatn in beautiful late afternoon light, giving great contrasts and colour to the landscapes.

Birds of Husavik, Iceland

 Sunday 2nd March: We enjoyed 4 hours bird watching at Husavik on the north shore. There were  some very smart Long-tailed Ducks together with numerous Eider playing in the surf together and four Harlequin Ducks. A small flock of Snow Buntings flittered around the rocks where a large flock of Purple Sandpipers were roosting occasionally taking off and circling the harbour. Fulmars skimmed the waves and there were several Black Guillemots in various phases of plumage.

Husavik, Iceland

 Husavik on the north coast  of Iceland is a centre for whaling trips. The wooden church was built in 1907. It was snowing when we first arrived but the clouds broke up giving some attractive views of the harbour. The group spent some time on the harbour wall looking for different sea birds.