This week’s task…..
Show us careful — a photo taken with care, a person being careful, or a task or detail requiring care.
May I present a Feeding Frenzy and give a word of warning to Mr. Mallard….”Be Careful!”
Even a while later the Black Headed Gulls were still after Mr. Mallard!
That’s All!
See Ya xx
This is about one seagull called Greystar. The first post about him can be found here…
https://elleturner4.wordpress.com/2013/12/19/thursdays-special-9/
So here he is with his beak full and a certain uncertainty about how to eat it!
Awkward angle for a meal!
“Think I’ll sit down!” Greystar said with little conviction that this would help at all!
Then he’s joined by another gull, Blackspot, with the unpleasant intent of stealing his bread!
Blackspot the Blackheaded Gull swooped in….
…and made off with poor old Greystar’s bread, whilst Blackspot’s pal, Fringewing, brought up the rear to catch any spillage!
And off they flew….
Poor old Greystar…..
That’s All!
See Ya xx
Meet Greystar the Black-headed Gull
Flying high on the lookout for dinner
When scanning the water he saw some bread
And thought “Dive! Dive-I’m onto a winner!”
He entered the lake with a splash
And pecked up the large piece of bread
It was a bit too big to fly with
So he jumped up the side instead!
Greystar began to wonder
If he’d bitten off more than he could chew!
He thought that to flap his wings
Would be the best thing to do!
I know you’re all really interested
In whether Grey’s tummy got filled
But you’ll have to come back tomorrow
When all will be revealed!
Thursday’s Special is to be found with Paula at
http://bopaula.wordpress.com/2013/12/19/thursdays-special-expectations/
That’s All!
See Ya xx
Right, so we left Bernard the Black Headed Gull in a right old state because he couldn’t land elegantly in the water which made him the butt of many a joke in the Black Headed Gull Community!
Here he is looking suitably sad….
There’s always a bully about eh? Here he is taunting and teasing poor Bernard from the top of his roof with his cronies hanging about!
“Neh neh neh neh neh!” scoffed Bruiser Black Headed Gull, “Bernard the Bellyflop!”
Something in Bernard snapped at that moment…..
The gang of 8 became quiet until Gull 1 (as he was known to his friends) heard something behind him…”Cor blimey!” he said….”Duck!!”
‘Duck’ was of course in response to Bernard flying terribly low overhead as opposed to the dear little creature that I love so much!
It was at that moment that the clouds cleared and angels voices were heard as Bernard drew all his strength and determination about him…..
Could he do it?
Could he land without bellyflopping?
He spread his wings magnificently and things looked good!
He landed and managed to keep his chin out of water!
He settled…..
….and turned! Bernard you little beauty!
You do have to wonder though if any of the Black Headed Gull community actually cared very much!
But to this day, Bernard much prefers the shallows!
That’s All!
See Ya xx
Bernard the Black Headed Gull was not having much fun…..
Apart from the fact that his feet were cold and sitting on the metal rail was going to cause dreadful personal problems further down the line, poor Bernard was an emotional wreck!
Although the water was glassy smooth and very inviting…..
….Bernard knew that for him, to ever land properly and with the skill of the other gulls would be a most definite unexpected surprise to all the gulls (and himself) at the River Thames in Marlow!
He winced as he remembered previous water landings…..
There was always another gull nearby to catch him landing most ungracefully…..
….and gulls being what they are, they spread the news of all disasters of the landing variety for poor Bernard!
Added to that there was always a larger audience around to humiliate him!
There are 8 gulls and 8 pairs of legs but they just don’t seem to match up!
Poor Bernard the Black Headed Gull!
Perhaps something unexpectedly good will happen to him tomorrow even though the challenge of ‘unexpected’ finishes today!
Come back tomorrow and see what happens!
That’s All!
See Ya xx
I’ve been wanting to use these photos for a while and am very pleased to be joining Cee’s challenge this week…
http://www.ceephotography.com/2013/03/27/cees-fun-foto-challenge-lines/
Another cold day by the canal in Bedfordshire….
A Gull’s see saw perhaps?
“Cor my feet are cold!” said Gabriel Gull to Gail Gull, who sadly just continued to look disinterested in anything he had to say!
And I just wanted to pop this photo in..
That’s All!
See Ya xx
I have a tale for you!
Some of us live in magical places and don’t know it…
Where things are not as they seem!
Meet the Pekings…
“At least with all the flooding in these fields we can give each other a little more space!” said Darren Peking, thinking of the days of his carefree duckhood.
Really-all the Pekings were interested in was making themselves looking glamorous…preening and primping themselves to within an inch of their lives! Just trying to out pretty each other!
Delia found she could dry her tail varnish whilst fluffing her breast feathers!
Whilst he would never admit to it, Darren was secretly pleased that he had found an outlet that sold ‘male tail varnish’, and also was pleased that he could fluff his feathers at the same time too!
Even when they were forced to be in the same pool they ignored each other and continued with their personal grooming!
Until one day….
“I’ve had enough!” quacked Darren in a petulant voice, turning his head sharply towards Delia…..”You, Delia Peking, are a duck I no longer want any truck with!” And with that he was off!
Gulliver Gull watched….
From high in his golden sky…he watched….
Gulliver decided to make a difference and spread his gold…..
…..right down to Delia and Darren, who from that day were never apart willingly (only when Delia was shopping or Darren was playing football!).
Ah!!!
That’s All!
See Ya xx
I tried a new ‘thing’ (technical I know!) on my camera and that is the ‘take loads one after another’ facility.
It’s your lucky day as I am about to let you see some of the results!
These are taken in Marlow, Buckinghamshire (where my dear mama lives), down by the riverside (as the song goes!).
Enough parenthesis already!
“Oh she’s back again!” shouted Grenadine, “You remember her, the one with the camera…what’s she going to do now there’s no black swan to take all her attention? I suppose she’ll just have to put up with us instead!”
Oh dear, what a bitter outlook Grenadine!
“Oy!” shouted Gavin to Gail as he posed the ‘Angel Wing’, ” What are you doing?”
“Who me?” answered Gail a little breathlessly, “I’m going to be the first gull to be able to fly backwards….watch!”
Gavin and many other gulls watched with baited breath….
“I’m doing it, I’m doing it!” exclaimed Gail excitedly.
Even Gander the Goose couldn’t take his eyes off her!
It seemed Gail was a trendsetter as other gulls copied her!
Gaberdine Gull had become obsessed with the colour white (even though technically speaking in art, white is the absence of all colour !). She had even managed to dye her feet white and hung in the sky showing all and sundry what she had done!
And I just like this one!
That’s All!
See Ya xx
I went to the canal today, to where I used to walk my dogs when I had them.
The water was still and when I stood still, all manner of small creatures became apparent! Today, however I will concentrate on Sirus Swan….
Really Sirus, don’t be shy!
Look you’re making Gareth Gull shriek up there on the telegraph pole!
“A swan without a head…a swan without a head….a swan without a head!” squawked Gareth to anyone who would listen!
And look who was listening on the other side of the canal….
Ridley stopped nibbling to look at what all the fuss was about….
But by this stage Sirus had decided to pose with every white feather on his body for the next 10 minutes….
“Ok'” said Sirus remembering just who he was, “Do you like my wings up in the ‘protect the cygnets’ sort of way?”
Oh yes I do!
But where are your ‘go faster’ stripes to go with that pose Sirus?
“Hold on hold on'” said Sirus in a muted sort of way, “I need to check I still look fine!”
Oh you do!
But this is my favourite…..
Very beautiful I think!
Sadly, Gareth seemed fairly nonplussed with the whole thing!
That’s All!
See Ya xx
She won’t like me telling you…oh no!
But I’m going to anyway as I am very proud of the fact that my dearest mama is 82 today!
Here she is by the river in Marlow after we consumed far too much lunch!
I said to look wistfully out over the water and she obeyed!
At this point I have to tell you that my large and full belly bumped the camera as I was walking along and changed the settings thus resulting in all the pictures having a strange bluey tint. I have tried to fix this but to no avail as you can see.
I then forced my mother (Yes…on her birthday!) to find things to photograph…..
Voila!
The gulls maintained a strict pecking order over who perched where!
Today Gandalf got the best position!
Meanwhile there was unrest (and perhaps a little boredom) in the stalls as Grendon tried to hatch a plan whilst standing on one leg!
At the lock we found Gwenevere Grebe swimming up and down, perhaps wondering how to get out!
Gwenevere could get up quite a speed and create quite a wake having been blessed with an amazing aerodynamic shape!
She too could look wistfully out over the water!
Some days she cursed having such a long and pointy beak, especially when the itch was just under her chin!
Sometimes, at the right angle, Gwenevere could present her head to look like a perfect isosceles triangle!
One last thing!
I have entered the 6th Rodposse Photography Challenge with the title of ‘Animals’.
Here’s the link if you fancy a look…
http://rodposse.com/2013/02/04/4th-challenger-bubble/
This goes directly to my photo but all the others are there as well.
That’s All!
See Ya xx
Poetry & Photography
"Shootin' from the Hip Photography Tips"
....how I conquered Wordpress...
Life in progress
Life Through My Lens
Looking for birds at home on our farm, and anywhere I travel
