Sunday 7th February 2021, 12.50pm (day 3,454)
More waterfowl. Then again, more snow. Recurring themes, but everything is recurring. Overhead cables of whatever kind are usually an irritant, but I don’t mind them here.
Geese and snow
Being 42
Life, one day at a time
Tag Archives: birds
Duck shake
Saturday 6th February 2021, 11.10am (day 3,453)
I wouldn’t usually put up a shot that was so out of focus but it certainly sums up the weather, and it made me smile that I had captured this duck shaking off the rain that fell constantly today. A smile was needed — life is run, at the moment, according to the whim of the weather and this was the most depressing of ‘weekend’ days thanks to the rain. A shame I couldn’t call this page ‘drake shake’ though.
Pigeon parliament
Wednesday 13th January 2021, 3.35pm [really] (day 3,429)
Correctly, it is owls that gather together in parliaments. But when do you ever see more than one owl together? The term seems to better fit these pigeons, sat on top of the Big Ben-style clock that graces what used to be a hotel in the centre of Hebden, now it’s apartments. Like all stopped clocks, it gives the right time twice a day.
Duckwatching
Friday 13th November 2020, 3.25pm (day 3,368)
As government policy and public fear continue to ravage our lives and economies, I speculate as to what kind of future awaits, and ahead there’s an old-man version of me that just wanders through our empty town each afternoon to spend time watching the ducks. They are peaceful, good-looking creatures, they clearly have some basic society, with obvious couples, occasional spats and arguments, and an ability to understand and make use of the dynamics of water flow for their own personal edification. This duck seems proud of her own drake and watches the other two parade past in much the same way as might a haughty woman sat outside a café. To my eyes, anyway. There is little else to look at right now.
Stay away from my girlfriend
Wednesday 23rd September 2020, 4.25pm (day 3,317)
A choice today. Do I go with the more artistic and in-focus portrait of the jackdaw alone, or this group shot? Let’s do this one. It’s funnier. The duck appears quite cheerful about the jackdaw’s attention — but the drake is definitely giving his rival a dirty look.
Mother keeps an eye out
Sunday 7th June 2020, 2.30pm (day 3,209)
These kinds of things are universal, aren’t they. I probably had a similar look when seeing Joe off into town that first time.
This was taken on the Rochdale Canal in Mytholmroyd, making this the first time there have been two pictures in a row from outside of Hebden Bridge since March 10th and 11th.
Sale deferred
Tuesday 28th April 2020, 11.35am (day 3,169)
As predicted yesterday, the weather did change, into cold, damp greyeness. All very depressing, especially at the moment. It’d be nice to think this shop can open soon and restart its sale, but it ain’t gonna be next week or anything, is it. Meanwhile, the ducks get on with life and wonder what the jackdaw wants out of them: an alliance against the pigeons maybe?
I haven’t been producing many photos lately for understandable reasons but this is the first time since lockdown began (March 17th basically) that I have managed a photowhack — meaning, this was the only photo taken today.
Duck couple
Friday 20th March 2020, 8.55am (day 3,130)
“Where have all the humans gone, duck?”
“I have no idea. But isn’t it quiet. And isn’t the air feeling clean?”
Abort, abort!
Friday 17th January 2020, 1.45pm (day 3,067)
If this fake owl sitting at the top of a building on Bridge Gate ever did deter the local pigeon troops from settling there, it’s long since stopped working. In fact, this photo was supposed to be of a whole bunch of them sat around and on it. But a second before I clicked the shutter, one of those intangible signals went through them all and off they flew, leaving me just with these last two in take-off mode. But I like it, as it makes it appear as if they have in fact decided to abort a landing — maybe, just maybe, because of the ‘owl’.
Five geese
Tuesday 24th December 2019, 11.05am (day 3,043)
These geese entered my viewfinder then began all lining up at the side of the canal for no reason I could establish for a minute or two. Then I realised they were getting to the side because a narrowboat was coming down. So these guys/geese are probably just looking irritated because they had to shuffle out of the way. Still, it could be worse — many of their relatives will be on dinner plates tomorrow.
