A day of significant family happenings, but they were all digital and so left nothing to photograph. Meanwhile, out in the world, the week’s fine weather has brought out these buds: they weren’t here a week ago. A year ago today, it snowed substantially in Hebden Bridge, but no danger of that this February 28th.
Piles of frog spawn filled various random bits of water (such as, literally, roadside puddles) on my walk yesterday and an equally huge pile filled the ornamental pond in my in-laws’ garden this morning. Now you’ve seen the size of a frog, right? These rafts of spawn were two feet wide. There must have been mass spawn-laying orgies taking place on Friday night. Wouldn’t we all like to be invited to such parties.
I know I’m anthropomorphosising, but please tell me you see this bumblebee’s grumpy little face… long nose, protuberant jaw, etc. It’s like, “I know it was a nice sunny day today, but bloody hell is it early in the year to get up.” However… respect the pollinators, that’s what we have to do….
The big cat leaps into the sunrise of the urban jungle…. I walk past this sign every time I go to work in Manchester, and one nice thing about doing this blog is that I can see things anew; having never thought of taking a photograph of it before, it made itself rather attractive on this Monday morning.
A day spent working at home whilst a series of bands of rain hurled themselves past outside — although the sun is briefly shining on this shot, illuminating the coming year’s seed potatoes as they start to wake up. We were all cosy in the warmth inside, not looking forward much to going out, if truth be told.
It was indeed a day spent almost entirely at home — and on such days, it is always helpful when one of the local herons turns up and looks photogenic. This isn’t the same one as has appeared multiple times — the colouring is different. And I like it’s slightly misplaced feather right on its crown.
It’s a picture of some aesthetically pleasing trees, honestly. Well, there are enough footie pictures on this blog already, aren’t there?
A male and female blackbird harvest a rare bounty in winter: the crab apples (I guess) on the tree at the bottom of Keighley Road. Not easy to get sharp on a dull grey day with all those twigs to confuse the focus, but it’ll do.
Why head west? Why not south? Well, the valley runs east-west here so I guess they were trying to work out the best route. Anyway I think Canada geese (which these are — Branta canadensis) live in the UK year-round these days, so maybe they were just commuting up-valley to Todmorden.
Back into Manchester for work-related reasons for the first time since 18th December. The Christmas holidays are over for us all. These pigeons ponder the possibility of a dip in the fountains of Piccadilly Gardens, but understandably refuse — it was a chilly day, winter has its bite back to some extent.
Being 42 