Tulip
Close-up of the perennial Tulip, flushed pink and with petals just beginning to curl.
Chinese padlock
Spotted this padlock holding a chain together at a field’s gate and loved the Chinese characters that are stamped into its metal surface: above in English is written “Made in China” so is this just repeated beneath in either Mandarin or Cantonese (I’m presuming that’s the two languages used and sorry if I’m wrong)?
Gull on a mission
A common Gull gliding over Ogden Reservoir, its eyes scanning for any tasty morsels that may be available either on the surface of the water or on the bankside.
The Church of Saint Mary, Balderstone
A black and white shot from Tandle Hills from the fields below the Monument and across towards the Church of St. Mary at Balderstone in Rochdale. In the forefront are three Cows: one Cow has its head down busy munching away at the grass, oblivious; the second Cow is flopped down with its back to me, lounging around without a care in the world; but the third Cow has spotted me taking the picture and peers sneakily over from just behind its friend’s bottom!
No flies on me
A Cluster Fly sits and warms itself on a Birch tree’s bough in the early morning sun, waiting until it’s time to buzz on to pastures more rotten…
Golden Sycamore sunglow
An Indian summer’s blaze from late last year illuminates this Sycamore tree’s dying leaves and suddenly, has infused them with a burnished sunglow of golden brilliance so beautiful that one forgets, just for an instant, the Winter chill in the surrounding air…
Easy does it now…
A mountain biker takes his life in his own hands as he descends the steep rear hill down from the Tandle Hills’ Monument: one little error and those steps are ready and waiting to take your tumble from bad to even worse!
Top Cat
Spotted an old farm Cat taking a minute from the daily chores of sleeping, eating and killing to soak up a bit of sun. The Cat definitely looked like he’d lived a rough-and-tumble life, what with his nose scar and extra fur for outside living, but it was the way he glowered at me through those black slit pupils as I wandered past that told me in no uncertain terms here was the ‘Top Cat’ of the area!
The Dandelion rises
A close-up shot of the yellow flowering head of the Dandelion, the stalk beginning to kink as the weight of raising the many hundreds of florets towards the sunshine and passing insects takes it toll.
Long-tailed tit in silhouette
Snapped one cool Summer morning as the sun was just beginning to rise and this Long-tailed tit was roving through some trees next to Ogden Reservoir, away from its flock. I managed to capture (completely by accident) the point when the tit started to call for the others – as its beak is slightly open in mid-song – and as I was shooting down upon the scene, the water surface of the reservoir became the perfect background to highlight the bird’s silhouette.
Stretch the Horizon 