Black and White Wednesday

Last Wednesday I managed to drag myself out of the comatose state of exhaustion I have spent most of my recent days off in, for long enough to get out into the countryside for a walk. It has been too long. Too long without hearing birds, and feeling mud underneath my feet and TOO LONG WITHOUT TAKING PHOTOS!

So what that it was raining and cloudy and dark…that just gives an excuse to take some photos in black and white!

 

I’m thinking of entering this next photo into Wildlife Photographer of the year…

 

I mean, if this photo can win because it ‘captures the essence of the hare’ could you say that I was capturing the essence of the pheasant?! (image from here)

How to go for a walk…

…Will, Anna, Becky, Hannah, Josh and Rachel style!

 1. Peruse a map of your local area and notice that one of the nearby hills is called Welshie Law. Don’t worry, it doesn’t matter that the surrounding land could be a midge infested bog, this is an adventure! And it’s called Welshie, you have to climb it!

2. Arrive at the tiny village of Yarrow to begin your walk, only to find that there is a huge funeral being held there and that every sensible parking space is taken.

3. Drive out of village. Do perilous three point turn in farm gate. Lose hub cap.

4. Park inappropriately at the side of the road and awkwardly walk out of the village avoiding eye contact with the steady stream of mourners walking the other way.

 

5. Find hub cap at the side of the road. Decide it would be too embarrassing to run back to the car past the mourners so carry it on the walk instead.

6. Find path.

 

7. Act out the Christmas story to keep yourself amused (only advisable if you’re walking with children’s workers)

 

8. Remember half way up the hill that you’re ridiculously unfit. Feel like legs will fall off. Dump all bags on the ‘fit one’ (read: Josh)

 9. Remember that the big bottle of insect spray you bought especially for the trip is still back at the cottage. Proceed to be attacked by flies.

10. Admire the amazing view from the top of the hill. Feel like it was well worth the toil after all. Eat lunch, take photos, play Frisbee.

 

11. Walk down other side of hill and realise you have lost the path. Consult map. Trespass on farm property and worry you are about to be shot by farmers.

 

12. Finally make it back to the inappropriately parked cars and head home, happy.

 13. Eat cake

Birthday Fun at Blwch Nant yr Arian

Top 5 Photographic Memories – Wildlife

You have probably noticed that I love wildlife photography. I love the challenge it poses because it’s often so unexpected and you only get a few seconds in which to catch something special. Josh and I try and get out into the countryside as much as possible and as a result so many of our wonderful memories hinge on wild places and wildlife. It’s wonderful to have some photos to help us treasure those memories.

1. Dolphins in Pembrokeshire. June 2008

 

This isn’t a particularly good photo but it just reminds me of fulfilling one of my ‘do before you die’ wishes. While camping in Pembrokeshire we took a boat out about 23 miles into the Irish sea and eventually came across a pod of dolphins which swam and jumped around the boat for about forty minutes. It will be something that I remember for the rest of my life.

2. Starlings in Aberystwyth. February 2005

 

During the Autumn and Winter months thousands of starlings roost underneath the pier in Aberystwyth. If it’s raining the starlings will quickly swoop underneath the supports, but if the weather is fine they will mass together in their thousands and perform amazing acrobatic air displays. This photo reminds me of eating fish and chips while watching one of these displays with Josh when he came up to visit me when I was at University. We have only been going out for 8 months and hated being apart. That week we spent together was very special.

3. Ynys Hir Lizard. June 2008

 

This was taken on one of the first proper trips I had out with my new canon SLR last year. I had to crawl so slowly to try not to scare the lizard and managed to snap two frames before it darted away. I doubted whether either would be any good as I had been balancing on one leg, but amazingly this one was great and sent me into a bookeh induced euphoria for the rest of the day. I will always remember that day as we saw so much good wildlife without even looking for it.

4. Woodmouse in Wiltshire. November 2008

 

I know, a woodmouse can’t exactly be described as a top wildlife spot, but what is special about this one is that I managed to share the experience with my young Nephew. We were lagging behind the rest of the group on a walk when I heard a scuffling in a nearby hedge. We carefully moved closer and saw this little chap just sitting there. We managed to get very close and then just crouched there watching. I could tell my Nephew was holding his breath and was spell bound. Very special.

5. Butterfly. Aberystwyth

 

I just like this photo, and it reminds me of all the hot summer days that I have spent lying in fields of long grass and wild flowers, staring up at the sky while butterflies flit around me.

Pubs, Elephants and Bogs

Yesterday Josh and I went for a nosey around Tregaron, and a very nice day it was too.

I had heard there was an elephant grave there so I was very excited. Apparently in 1848 ‘Batty’s Menagerie’ visited Tregaron. One of the elephants quenched its thirst in the local river, but unfortunately then died due to lead poisoning, and was buried in a field behind the local hotel.

Unluckily for me all I could find was a big stone (I’m not sure if it was meant to be a grave stone or not), unluckily for you it wasn’t worth a photo.

However I did get some nice photos on our subsequent walk around Cors Caron, which is a large raised bog system near Tregaron. Definitely worth a visit if you’re in the area, although I did do my knees in crawling around on the boardwalks trying to get the photos, so remember your knee pads if you’re planning to do the same!

This is what we end up doing most of the times we go for a 'walk'. The perils of living with a bug enthusiast!

Enjoying Sunny Wales

My family came to visit

we went to Aberaeron

then we went to New Quay and walked along the coast path

...it lived up to its name of being the best place to see dolphins in the UK (that dot is one!!)

It was a perfect summer's day. The End.

I’ve got measles

Okay…actually I haven’t. But it’s less embarrassing telling people that than having to explain that I actually went out moth trapping without any insect repellent on and now I look like I have been attacked by a marauding toddler with a red marker pen. At least they have faded a bit this morning!

Last night we attempted moth trapping again. After our complete failure last time we figured it could only get better…and thankfully, it did!

We had been given permission by the warden of a nearby forestry commission site (Nant yr Arian if you know the area) to go and trap ‘after hours’ so we set off about ten, and arrived just as the light was dying in the sky.

Nant yr Arian is at the head of a valley and so the view was spectacular. It was one of those moments when the camera really can’t catch the magic of the light over the misty valley floor and the hills behind, with the smell of the woods and heath and the sound of calling of sheep and other night-time creatures.

Then, to top it off a barn owl swooped down to our right (just as I was taking the above photo actually) and flew off up the valley, framed by the orange sky. Beautiful.

Pesky Midges

Then it was down to the moth trapping. Now, I’ve got to be honest – moths aren’t my favourite creatures. Sure, there are some amazingly beautiful moths and it’s interesting to learn more about them, but many are brownish and look pretty much the same as each other to me.

However, I do LOVE how passionate Josh gets about moths and butterflies. He has self taught himself to such a high standard and to hear him getting really excited about little brown moths that most people would walk straight by makes it worth getting bitten to death by midges any day.

Ants in your pants!

We visited Yarner Wood on Dartmoor today. Even though I grew up on Dartmoor I have never visited the reserve before. My only memory of it is when it was almost destroyed by a huge fire twelve years ago, which was luckily stopped just before it reached the woodland. We lived miles away but we could still see the leaping flames right over the horizon. I was convinced we were going to be burnt in our beds so eventually had to be sent to my room with the curtains closed!!

Today everything was bursting with spring beauty.
However, you couldn’t look up at the canopy for too long without looking down to find your legs covered with ants! There are loads of nests throughout the woodland and that meant in places the paths were crawling with the insects, which made me paranoid for the whole day as I was sure I had ants up my trouser legs!

We then drove up onto the moor and climbed a very cold and windy Tor. On the top we found two letterboxes, which are an old fashioned version of geocaching. It’s basically like treasure hunting – you just follow clues to try and find boxes hidden all over the moor which contain a rubber stamp and a book which you sign. It’s good fun, and often leads you off the beaten track and into some of the most beautiful areas of Dartmoor.

 And then it was off to Widecombe-in-the-moor for a Devonshire cream tea!