Time for my annual trip down to Rose Bruford College in Sidcup, Kent, where I sit on an exam board for reasons lost in the mists of history. But I don’t mind going down, and it’s always good for a photo opportunity thanks to being located in the middle of the very pretty Lamorbey Park, the natural life of which has graced this blog before (like the parakeets, and the fly agaric). So here’s some more.
There seemed to be a lot of ducks around this afternoon, including this line of at least 15 in a row here (this is only part of the posse). Then again there were a lot of pigeons around too. Perhaps there has been an escalation in the ongoing Hebden Bridge pigeon-duck conflict. These guys certainly look extra-attentive.
“Hey baby. You’re cute. Wanna come see inside my shell?”
“Actually I’m more interested in how we both ended up six feet up a stone wall…”
I can’t believe there’s anyone who would wish ill will on ducks as a species. They aren’t aggressive, they don’t crap on your head, they’re good-looking and they pose very readily for the camera. What’s not to like?
Some creatures, like birds, seem in my experience to not like having cameras shoved in their faces. But insects don’t generally mind. The problem with capturing them is that they don’t stay in one place for very long. My technique largely involves setting the shutter to continuous capture then hoping the auto-focus does the work. I like this shot, though — also because of the overdwellings captured in the background, very Hebden Bridge.
This frog virtually demanded that I did its close-ups….
When are there enough geese for a gaggle? Will four do? When does a gaggle become a flock? Pictured on the canal at Hebden Bridge station this afternoon.
Slightly unsatisfactory because the head of the one in front is a little out of focus — probably it was moving for a peck when I pressed the shutter. Otherwise I like this photo — the graffiti in the background sets them off quite well I think. And I like the way the one in the rear is clearly fluffing up its ruff and giving me the big ‘piss off’ message.
Being 42 