Flying Off!!!

This time in 48 hours I will be in Iceland... Have been busy packing and charging camera batteries etc, so this is me signing off until we get back.. hopefully with lots of good photographs, but more likely with lots of photograhs that could be better!!

Magpie Goose takes a bath

You all know that these birds terrify me. For somereason they absolutely hate me and take extraordinary pleasure is chasing me away from their pond. Today the geese were bathing, although that did not stop one of them from getting out and having a quick nip!!

They're changing guard at Buckingham Palace

Christopher Robin's gone down with Alice......

I am the first to admit, freely admit that I am not the world's best photographer, actually not even the best photographjer in Wandsworth, actually even the best photographer in my street.. and if Jamie keeps improving well....... However I really was hampered today because I was squished face up into the railings with tourists pushing me all around!!

This bit reminded me of that bit in The James Bond film 'Live and Let Die' where they are all marching along behind a coffin, amd suddenly they all start playing 'When the Saints' very uptempo!!

I certainly enjoyed the view though!

and suddenly they weren't synchronised at all!!

Mollie Rose

This rose is named Our Molly and was given to me by a kind friend in memory of Mollie Rose Hatcher. Mollie was a very much loved, and terribly much missed little girl. The rose is nearly as beautiful as she was.

Hiding in my garden

Decided to remove an old chest from the garden to find a family living behind it. They were all helped (reluctantly I may add) to the pond where I am sure they will be very happy. Usually I find these little chaps after I have strimmed the garden, usually minus a head or something, so I am glad that I managed to save this lot

May Day Fair

The May Day Fair at St Paul's Church is a celebration of Punch & Judy shows, but I ot there too early!! These people were getting ready for the big parade... Who can neglect a pearly King.. All together now.. ' Maybe it's because I'm a Londoner...........'

I'm not sure that this chap was ready for the big parade!!

whereas this fella had been ready, got bored, given up and dropped out!

Making music!

and again!

This was a short walk away, but I thought it looked pretty celebatory

well he thought so anyway! Not quite in focus I am afraid, but I was hot and late....

HOWZAT!!

Poor poor Jamie, I finally get to see him bat during a school cricket match. he walks to the crease, I take out my camera, focus and shoot.. and somewhere in all that he is out first ball... Sorry Jamie I will keep my camera in my bag in future!

The Hawk Conservancy near Andover

After a disappointing start at Stonehenge I decided to try again at the Hawk Conservancy. This is a wonderful home to many birds of prey who have either been taken in becasue they are disabled, bred there or sent to The Conservancy when they have been confiscated by Customs. The Bald Headed Eagle is the symbol of the United States of America, and a more beautiful symbol they could not have.

The Fish Hawk Eagle was really entertaining, although difficult to photograph!!

The breeding programme of Red Kites at the Hawk Conservancy has been a wonderful success, and there are now several pairs that have been released into the wild from the Hawk Conservancy. One of them came to join in the presentation. . . . although not this one I'm afraid!!

Hmmm I'm sure this young man is in the wrong place... Haven't we met somwhere before... Oh I bet you say that to all the birds.....

This Secretary Bird truly is a classy bird, She looks just ready for Ladies' Day at Ascot with her hat, her luscious long eyelashes and that extraordinary eyeshadow!!

There were two delightful barn owls that could have stayed all day for me!! My favourite British Bird of Prey!!

The grounds at the Hawk Conservancy are really beautiful and Reg's meadow, planted in memory of the founder of the Hawk Conservancy was a blaze of cowslips.

I'm not sure that Vultures are supposed to be cute, but come on how could you resist this one.. enven if his beak is covered in dead yukky rabbit insides??

Stonehenge - A Piteous story of Sod's Law

About two years ago I realised that English Heritage offered out-of-hours access to the stones at Stonehenge. I took the children along with me then, and we spent a grey, damp(ish) hour at Stonehenge. However the boys were away for the night, the forecast from the BBC was for a HOT HOT HOT Bank holiday and there were bookings available for dawn at Stonehenge. I was hooked, and happily packed up my cameras, tripod, spare SD card etc etc. What I did not take was my raincoat, my raincovers for the camera or my wellingtons. . . . When I woke just before dawn at 5am it was not raining, it was not even drizzling, oh not it was belting down.. proper proper rain. . . . .

OK< so now I am freezing myself, in my pyjamas, at Stonehenge, just me and an equally wet security guard. I decided I was going to have to be brave for at least half an hour, because I couldn't risk the three security guards having got up at 5.30 especially for me, and I was going back to bed after 5 minutes of rain trickling down my back. . .

however although the rain did not ease I was glad to be there, all alone just me and the stones (and the security guard) it was such a privilidge. I just wish it had been sunny with a wonderful sunrise. . . .
However I had taken these when I arrived the evening before. . . . I had wanted to go to Stonehenge on this access tour but the slots had all been taken... and to be honest having seen the forecast I probably would have gone for the morning slot anyway!!

These photos are taken over the fence... and as I am not particularly tall they were taken on tiptoe, standing in the nettles with my arms fully extended above my head.... so I can't really take any credit, if you were going to offer some.....

So what shall I do?? Book again next year?????

Guess what's growing at the bottom of the garden...