fun and games

 7th March 2021, Rothbury, 9am

The Rothbury moors are full of beautiful nature like these bracket fungus and moss

The dogs had a lot of fun jumping over a ditch.  Even old Daisy got involved...

We were warm but there was snow on distant Cheviot.

The makers of this ancient wall are long forgotten...

happy place

 6th March 2021, Warkworth, 9am

inland sun

 5th March 2021, Longhorsley, 7am

Watching the sunrise from inland for a change.

Meanwhile the spaniels were relaxing after their walk...

..

 

last frosty

 1st March 2021, Rothbury, 9am

One last frosty morning?

a blue anniversary

 28th Feb 2021, Warkworth, 9am

Beautiful blue seascapes today.  The sand has been scoured and a very low spring tide left pools of bright water reflecting the sky.

Despite the day of blue skies, calm seas and acres of patterned sands, I chose to photograph a rusty boiler on a shipwreck. (The low spring tide and shifting sands have revealed more of this shipwreck than I've seen before). I love the colours and textures and they hold a beauty in themselves. Also the old boiler could tell a story or two about the crew who stoked the fire with coal on many journeys across the sea. 

It seems likely this is the remains of a trawler from North Shields called "Premier" which ran aground at Birling Carrs on 25th February 1902 - 119 years ago almost to the day!

Later, from high on the dunes, I saw another photographer lining up the same photograph...

having a whale of a time

 26th Feb 2021, Howick, 7am

Got here in time for sunrise (but it's getting early these days!)

I was chuffed to see a flash of green as the sun first broke the horizon.  This is a rare phenomenon caused by the atmosphere.  I've never seen it in all my years of sunrise watching in Northumberland.  There's no photo I'm afraid.

I think these are twite.  They posted themselves very neatly on the tree.  There were goldfinches, yellowhammer, stonechats, linnets... all sorts of songbirds flitting about as well as curlew calling from the beach and a silent barn owl getting a late breakfast in the long grass.

Some views from the drone.

On our way back to the car I was keeping an eye open for porpoises when I saw a waterspout a few hundred metres out - A whale!  I got this one low quality image as he kept surfacing every few minutes (which means he was diving quite shallow).  I later met an expert who confirmed it was a humpback whale which is currently hanging about the Northumberland coast.

can't stand still

 25th Feb 2021, Alnmouth, 7:30am

Two people and their dog stand and watch the sunrise out over the ocean. 

A painter might observe the scene and paint it as they see it. 

But for the photographer the medium is the capture of an actual moment. 

And so it is that the scene may be not quite as they saw it if someone in the photo decides to turn and walk off down the beach just as they press the shutter button!