Rolling Harbour

AN OSPREY WITH ITS CATCH

Published on February 13, 2014 by Rolling Harbour4 Comments

The Osprey is one of relatively few bird species that can be found both in Britain and in the Bahamas. This picture was taken by a friend on ABACO last year. It swooped into the sea, snatched a fair-sized bonefish (note the distinctive deeply forked tail), and carried it to a convenient utility post for lunch.

Photo credit: Woody Bracey

I’ve never seen an osprey that close anywhere. Some years ago we watched one take a large salmon from the mouth of the River Spey and carry it off held characteristically ‘fore and aft’, but we had no camera with us. My best shot was also in Scotland in the very early days of digital cameras when 4mb and 2x zoom was considered amazing. Here it is, in all its majesty…

TUFTED TITMOUSE STUDIES, CENTRAL PARK, NYC

Published on February 10, 2014 by Rolling HarbourLeave a comment

SEVERAL BORING BIRDS (THAT AREN’T REALLY…)

Published on February 6, 2014 by Rolling Harbour2 Comments

COLLARED DOVE

PIGEON

COLD PIGEONS

Pigeons

GOOSE

MALLARD

STARLING

SPARROW

WHITE DUCK

COOT

GULLS

“COMING IN TO LAND…” AERIAL LONDON

Published on February 3, 2014 by Rolling Harbour5 Comments

It’s always interesting to get a new viewpoint of a city, for example London. A plane is perfect for that, except that planes bound for Heathrow are generally flying too high for anyone to do more than spot the general layout and the main landmarks. Photos are unlikely to be worth bothering with, even if your have a window seat. However, London City Airport offers more opportunity. Flying in last week, I realised it might be worth getting the iPhone out to see what I could do with it through the mist and cloud. The answer was, take rather poor pictures. Then I thought about turning them black and white. Suddenly they took on a new look, both old-fashioned and rather intriguing. I thought so anyway, so here they are.

THE SHARD

TOWER BRIDGE with CITY HALL

THE THAMES & DOCKLANDS

THE HSBC BUILDING (CITY MELTDOWN…)

MILENNIUM DOME

THAMES BARRIER

SWANS UP AND SWANS DOWN…

Published on January 31, 2014 by Rolling Harbour2 Comments

WINTER SWANS

MONTACUTE HOUSE, SOMERSET (2): A FEW WINDOW DETAILS

Published on January 27, 2014January 27, 2014 by Rolling Harbour6 Comments

WINDOWS 1598

‘EXTRA CURLY’ MONKEY TAIL WINDOW STAYS

A MORE HUMBLE DWELLING IN DORSET WITH HAM STONE WINDOWS

THE PARK AND LONG RIDE IN JANUARY SUNSHINE

“I GET AROUND”: TRANSPORTS OF DELIGHT IN NEW YORK

Published on January 23, 2014 by Rolling Harbour3 Comments

CONVENTIONAL NEW YORK TRANSPORT

UBIQUITOUS YELLOW CAB NYC Transport - New York Cab

PRIVATE CAR (BUT DON’T STUPIDLY PARK AT COLUMBUS CIRCLE)

“TOURIST TRAP” IN CENTRAL PARK

NEW YORK WATER TAXI (BROOKLYN VIEW)

STATEN ISLAND FERRY (THE BEST FREE RIDE IN THE WORLD

CIRCLE LINE FERRY ( TAKE A TRIP RIGHT ROUND MANHATTAN)

LESS CONVENTIONAL METHODS

ROOSEVELT ISLAND TRAMWAY

Two minutes of excitement crossing high over the East River. See THE LIGHTHOUSE & the newly restored BLACKWELL FARMHOUSE (1796), possibly the oldest private house in New York City

BUDWEISER LORRY

ON THE GOOD SHIP AMBROSE

TALL SHIP (in fact a training vessel, so you won’t get very far)

PRIVATE GIN PALACE (LIMITED AVAILABILITY)

LEFTFIELD – FOR SPECIALISTS ONLY

CONTAINER SHIP (or maybe a tug)

ICE-BOUND BARGE IN THE EAST RIVER

ICE-BOUND BARGE IN THE HARBOUR

DREDGER (OR HELICOPTER – OR ON GULLBACK)

GIN PALACE WITH FANCY MASCOT…

CUTE AND MONTACUTE: A STATELY HOME IN JANUARY SUNSHINE (1)

Published on January 21, 2014 by Rolling Harbour7 Comments

Montacute House is a late Elizabethan country house in Somerset, and is considered to be one of the finest houses from the Elizabethan era. It has survived almost unchanged. It was built in the 1590s from local ‘ham stone’ from the nearby Ham Hill quarries, a jurassic limestone known for the beauty of its honey-gold colouring. It remained in the Phelips family until the early c20, and became one of the first National Trust properties in 1927. By then it had largely been emptied of its contents. Today it houses an important collection of pictures from the National Portrait Gallery. Unsurprisingly the house and its grounds are much used for films and TV costume dramas.

A sunny day in early January was the perfect time for a family expedition to Montacute, including Genevieve (18 months, cute) who was more interested in the fish in the pond than anything else.

In between two pavilions are gates onto a long ride stretching far into the distant parkland

The Phelips Coat of Arms above the front door

A ‘welcome’ message that I suspect is not an original feature…

Adornments on the garden walls, the first presumably a fountain in days gone by

Part 2 will show some of the architectural detail of Montacute, and more of the gardens

FACE TO FACE WITH BEES: MORE AMAZING MACROS

Published on January 17, 2014 by Rolling Harbour2 Comments

Following up my last bee post, here are some more amazing macro shots of bees from Sam Droege and the USGS Bee Inventory and Monitoring Lab. This time, it’s up close and personal…

This is in fact a jumping spider, but I just couldn’t leave it out… All photographs: Sam Droege and the USGS Bee Inventory and Monitoring Lab

BEES IN FLIGHT: AMAZING MACROS

Published on January 14, 2014January 14, 2014 by Rolling Harbour6 Comments

My general rule is to try to stick to posting my own photos, with occasional illustrative borrows. But rules are made to be broken, and sometimes images that are so astounding that they are irresistible are made available online. The Guardian website showed some bees from the USGS Bee Inventory and Monitoring Lab that are compelling… here are a few ‘in flight’, from their massive reference library of bee species. If you hover over each image, you’ll get the ID and location of the bee.