APRIL

My friend told me that there were some otters in the Black water river at the weekend,so I got up early and drove down to the river at 6.30am.It was quite a walk from the car park along the the path to the site I need to be at,lugging all my camera equipment with me was not easy and it did not help that there was a frost and ice at that time in the morning.!!

Having set up the tripod and the spotting scope,the second tripod with the camera and big lens,the other camera slung round my neck,I sat and waited,and waited......
By 9am I was frozen stiff and not an otter in sight,in fact there was nothing  to see other than a heron in the mist and a cormorant up a tree,so I came home,boy  did I need a hot cup of coffee to revive me.
These photos are of the river,taken just after sun up,you can see the mist and the steaming river.Some may say these are not perfect photos,but I like them.

The next pictures are of the Sparrow Hawk which I am pleased to say has returned to our wood again this year.I am looking forward to getting some good pictures of the chicks later in the year now I have some better camera equipment.

I saw on the news that snow is forecast for England this week,I hope we do not get it,I have been enjoying the sunshine and warm weather too much for it to return to winter,snow in April,just too ridiculous.!!
Have a good week.
Carolyn.

SUNDAY IN THE SUN

Last week the weather was beautiful and Sunday was warmer than than our average summer days in June and July and it is still only March.!!
It was too good a day to stay at home so we took off for the coast again,this time to Bally Cotton,a small fishing port.I took some photos but what with the heat haze and the sea mist,it was not good for coastal shots,but I did get some good photos of a cormorant taking off from the sea after fishing for his lunch.

I can not get them up in the right order,this is my third attempt,I give up,the last should be first.
These next photos are of the small fishing boats in the harbor and the Bally Cotton life boat.

You can see what I mean about the haze and the mist,this Bally Cotton light house,best I could get at the time.
Later on we had lunch ,then took the coast road home ,stopping off at all the little beaches on the way.
A lovely day out,lovely weather,what more can you ask for.
Enjoy the rest of the week.
Carolyn.

6 MONTHS TO 17YRS

A question for you.
How sentimental are you with regards to keeping a record of your children's growth and progress into adulthood.??
My son and his wife were clearing out the storage shed yesterday and there was a huge box of shoes.My wonderful Daughter in law had kept every pair of shoes her son had ever had from his first to his latest discarded pair.
It was decided that it was time for them to go,but not until my son had taken some photos to record the collection for the Oliver album--- I invite you to take a look----

Have you any collections to share with us all.??

Yes,these boots are in the photos above.
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The weather yesterday was unusual,sunny most of the time ,interspersed with hail showers.This caused some dramatic skys,the cloud formations were wonderful,but the most dramatic was the rainbow curtain, not a rainBOW,but a wall or curtain of color that fell across the mountains,the photos  here do not show the vivid color or the real extent of  ' the curtain',I could not fit the whole mountain into the shot with the camera I had in the car at the time.

These do not show what I saw,the color across the sky has not come out  well at all,you will have take my word that it was amazing.!!!

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY to everyone in Ireland and England also hope you all enjoyed St Patricks Day yesterday.
Carolyn.

MARCH

Spring has definitely arrived at last,there are flowers in the garden and the wild life is evident on the lake,the garden birds are pairing off and getting their breeding plumage.
The frogs returned ,though I did not get a photograph of them this year unfortunately,the hares are also back in abundance which is nice to see.
Here are some photos I have taken over the last week,a mixed bunch,but at least the weather was nice enough to actually get out and have fun.

The mallards on the lake.

One of the hares.

A gold finch.

Freddie, full of the joys of Spring,though since these pictures were taken he has been to the vet for his little operation and he is feeling very sorry for himself at the moment.!!!!

The next photos are of of my two youngest Grand children,they were given a treat at my sons fire station.

Well thats all for the time  being,hope you are all well wherever you are in the world.
Carolyn.