Classic Views at Bamburgh Beach

Not the best lighting for our visit to bamburgh Beach. Here a few views using slow shutterspeeds and/or foreground interest to try and make the most of the 'classic' views.

Seasonal Check on Toft Wildlife

It is interesting to see how species vary from year to year in their appearance and abundance. The Marbled Whites in 2012 and 2013 weren't  recorded in our local meadow until mid July but since then, every year it has been around the 28th June and this year similar (June27/28th). There are fewer this year at the moment in the evening roost but they have spread further including one in our garden. Other species doing well are the Small Heath and Large Skippers. Other records for the garden to compare - Dragonflies - less abundant than last year - around 20 Chasers emerged (focus-stacked example here) and so far 4 Southern Hawkers- hopefully more to come. Empis flies have been particularly abundant as this pair here - a strange mating procedure where male brings female a tasty morsel to suck on while he is busy at the other end.

Cragside Northumberland

Rain threatened all morning last Wednesday but fortunately we managed a whole dry morning to explore Cragside, a wonderfully eccentric National Trust property. I didn't get further than the grounds which are spectacular. The house and gardens are the work of William Armstrong - Victorian inventor  and landscape genius. It was the first house in the world to be lit by hydroelectricity. The gardens are incredible with one of the largest rock gardens in Europe leading down to the Iron Bridge and an arboretum with the tallest Scots pine in England.

 

Northumberland Coast Through In-Camera Double Exposures

All but the fourth images are double exposures. I don't think all of these work but enjoyed playing and seeing what could be done with the limited double exposure setting of the Fuji X series cameras. 

 

Guillemots on Staple Island

I spent most of our time on Staple Island on Monday morning trying to photograph the Guillemots in flight. They breed on vast colonies on the island and it is difficult to see how they pinpoint their mate when returning with fish. 

Cragside Formal Gardens

Yesterday on a damp and sometimes rainy day, we visited National Trust Cragside. Photos from the house and surrounds to follow but here a few plants etc from the formal gardens. The rain didn't deter one couple from enjoying the magnificent (well would be on a clear day) view from the lawn.