Highlights Day One Mallorca

 It is difficult to choose just a few images from our first day birdwatching in S'albufera. The Black-Winged Stilts were very territorial though always seen off by the even more aggresive Avocets. There are Nightingales everywhere and a very vocal new species to be photographed - the Great Reed Warbler. Kentish Plover and Little Egret complete the set.

England's Green and Yellow Land

Wonderful views on our flight from Stansted to Mallorca yesterday. We passed right over our hotel and the Nature Reserve that we have come to spend our week exploring. Still some green in the Mallorca landscape but the browns already predominate.

Beacon Hill Fort Harwich

On Saturday afternoon, we had a guided tour of Beacon Hill Fort, Harwich, a ruined military fort built to defend Harwich. It is a scheduled ancient monument and the present owners are working hard to make it safe to visit after years of neglect
The first fortification built during the reign of Henry VIII site was abandoned within ten years. The site accommodated Harwich army and militia camp during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars era, and was a naval signal station. In the 19th century, prior to the building of the Breakwater, sea erosion swept away much of the site and the Harwich Redoubt was completed 200 yards to the north in 1810. After World War I, the fort was disarmed and sold but, in 1940, it was bought back into service and a twin 6 Pounder gun position and director tower were built.  The Beacon Hill site also from time to time housed anti-aircraft guns and torpedo tubes.The fort was finally decommissioned in 1956 on the dissolution of coast artillery in the United Kingdom.

Close Up on the Garden Jungle

One of the advatntages of having a wild garden is the amazing diversity of small beasties that share it with me. Here a few flies, shield bugs, bees (female and male Hairy Footed Flower Bee) and spiders. 

Dovercourt in Monochrome

It is difficult to resist converting images of the cast iron etc structures at Dovercourt into black and white images so here a few that I like in different light conditions (all Lightroom conversions).

Dovercourt Iconic Lighthouses

We visited the Dovercourt lighthouses on Friday evening and morning and evening on Saturday. Here a few of the shots as taken - difficult to adjust colour on my laptop.

The cast-iron lighthouses were built by Trinity House in 1863 and were used until 1917 to guide ships around Landguard Point - when the two lighthouses were aligned it showed you were on the right course.