Category Archives: Flora/Fauna

Feb 08 2012
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Daily Post, Flora/Fauna Gallery

Wrapped up against the cold

Wednesday 8th February 2012, 8.45am (day 167)

Wrapped whippets, 8/2/12_low-res

As someone who grew up in the South but now has firmly settled in the North, I do have a certain sympathy for some of the anti-Southern sniping which takes place up here and which is often deserved. However, on this occasion the reason the papers are all saying how crap the weather is in the South, and not mentioning the North, is not some innate metropolitan bias: it’s simply that at the moment the South (being closer to the very cold air settled over Europe) is having bad weather, and we’re not.

Having said all that, there was a deep, damp chill in the air today; these dogs were not the only ones wrapped up  against the cold as the kids walked to school.

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Feb 04 2012
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Daily Post, Flora/Fauna Gallery

Turned cold again

Saturday 4th February 2012, 4.10pm (day 163)

Muscovy duck in snow, 4/2/12

The forecasts have been promising a snowy turn to the weather for a while and today it duly arrived – although it was hardly The Day After Tomorrow. This did not, of course, prevent most of Britain’s infrastructure clogging up as we all fretted about the place, and councils and national government blamed each other for there not being enough gritters. But it’s the same every year.

This bird is apparently a Muscovy duck: not indigenous to the UK (a fuller shot of it is here). Either it’s stopped over for a busman’s holiday, or it’s an escaped pet. I have been told the eggs are very tasty. They’d keep well if laid outside in this weather, too.

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Jan 16 2012
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Daily Post, Flora/Fauna Gallery

Tree stump creature

Friday 13th January 2012, 12 noon (day 141)

Tree stump creature, 13/1/12

First of four days spent in the Lake District, all blessed by far sunnier, drier and (except Monday) milder weather than anyone has a right to expect in the UK at this time of year. There is plenty of detail of the walking aspect of the weekend, and lots more photos, on my other blog.

Today’s shot was nabbed in the woods near Aira Force. I don’t know exactly what this tree stump looks like, but it looks like something. There’s a kind of tentacular thing going on here, with blood-soaked mandibles. Very Mirkwood.

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Jan 12 2012
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Daily Post, Flora/Fauna, Hebden Bridge, Urban scene Gallery

Blackbird in tree

Thursday 12th January 2012, 1.45pm (day 140)

Blackbird in tree, 12/1/12

There have been a run of animal photos lately (and yes, the Norwegian Blue counts!). But I make no apologies for including another one, as it successfully encapsulates a glorious day. And more to come, according to the forecast. Which is good, because I’m going to the Lakes for the weekend – though probably without Internet access, so regular visitors might bear in mind that it is unlikely any more photos will be posted until Monday 16th. I will be back then… never fear.

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Jan 11 2012
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Daily Post, Flora/Fauna Gallery

Cat behind gate

Wednesday 11th January 2012, 8.55am (day 139)

Cat behind gate, 11/1/12

Dogs are too needy, and I don’t do needy. Cats combine beauty with a couldn’t-give-a-toss attitude that I find much more admirable. This one might well have haughtily ignored me on a different day but today it was quite prepared to act as a model. Actually I think it just wanted me to open the gate and let it out, but I didn’t have the key, so took without giving back.

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Jan 10 2012
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Daily Post, Flora/Fauna, Urban scene Gallery

All on our way to work: Royal Exchange Arcade, Manchester

Tuesday 10th January 2012, 7.45am (day 138)

Arcade with pigeon, 10/1/12

Same train in so I pass through the same parts of Manchester at the same time. Off I go to work one way, this guy goes a second way, the bird goes a third. I wonder if pigeons sometimes wake up in the morning with a headache, and just don’t feel very much into the day, but set off anyway through a sense of obligation.

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Jan 06 2012
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Daily Post, Flora/Fauna Gallery

Norwegian Blue

Friday 6th January 2012, 8.00pm (day 134)

Norwegian blue, 6/1/12

Beautiful plumage. But if it hadn’t been nailed to the perch, it would have been pushing up the daisies. It’s run up the curtain and joined the choir invisibule. This…. is an Ex-… Parrot.

Which, no kidding, arrived in our mail today. I bet you didn’t get one.

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Jan 03 2012
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Daily Post, Flora/Fauna, Hebden Bridge Gallery

High water, Hebden Bridge

Tuesday 3rd January 2012, 8.45am (day 131)

High water, 3/1/12

2012 has been a very wet and windy year so far. This picture may look worse than it actually was – these small trees are pretty much on the edge of inundation most of the time anyway – but I hope it does capture the way the water was thundering down through the town this morning.

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Jan 02 2012
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Daily Post, Flora/Fauna Gallery

The last edible thing in the garden

Monday 2nd January 2012, 12.45pm (day 130)

Leek in garden, 2/1/12

Another day spent mostly inside, working, and I saw about 15 seconds’ worth of sunlight today. Fortunately at that point I was outside, getting my one dose of fresh air today, up at our allotment garden (Hebden Bridge being what it is, our garden is a few minutes’ walk away from our house). What to photograph in this one burst of light? Only one candidate really – the last edible vegetable remaining there from last spring’s planting. I like leeks, not just because they taste good but because they just keep growing, and even my black fingers (the opposite of green fingers) don’t seem able to prevent this.

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Dec 22 2011
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Daily Post, Flora/Fauna Gallery

Flying south

Thursday 22nd December 2011, 11.35am (day 119)

Flying south, 22/12/11

I probably come across as someone who disagrees with the way Britain is currently being run – which I admit. But despite it all there are still a lot of things about this place that I really like. One of them is how, after days and days of cruddy weather, you can wake up one morning, even in midwinter, and be immersed in an utterly glorious day. Such a day was today. If we thought it would last, you might even say these birds had made the wrong decision. I suspect, however, they are more sensitive than I.

By the way, another good candidate for today can be seen on my Flickr site, unused because I thought there had been too many HB scenic views and this one was more unusual. I still like it though, both are good reminders of a spectacular morning.

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