ROLLING HARBOUR GALLERY

COMMON SEALS IN THE STOUR ESTUARY, RAMSGATE, KENT

Published on October 19, 2014 by Rolling Harbour2 Comments

The estuary of the River Stour (“Store”), Kent lies between Ramsgate and Pegwell Bay a short distance to the south. Common seals can reliably be found near the mouth of the river, sunning themselves on the banks. These seals come in a variety of colours. In September some of this season’s pups could be seen growing up among the adults. To be frank, although I took plenty of photos of these lovely creatures looking appealing and / or in amusing poses, the end results were disappointing. Partly, a rocking boat made sharpness difficult to achieve but mainly the adult seals just looked like bloated sausages lying in an unattractive landscape of mud and coarse grass. Here are a few pictures that were spared deletion…

PIED WAGTAILS, OCTOBER, DORSET

Published on October 10, 2014 by Rolling Harbour4 Comments

We are lucky enough to have pied wagtails – usually just one pair – in the garden every year. They raised a family and for much of the summer there were 4 patrolling the roof ridge. Recently, prolific evening fly hatches have provided them with great sport as they hawk for the insects from the roof, fluttering briefly into action and returning to their perch. On some evenings they have been joined by up to 2 dozen other wagtails, and for half an hour at dusk they have looped and swooped round and round, eating on the wing. I wondered if there was a collective noun for wagtails to go with the charms, murmurations, murders and parliaments that other birds are awarded. The only one I found was in a jocular list by a determinedly downbeat birder, who applied the term ‘a permanent narcissism of wagtails’.

Pied Wagtail Dorset 8 Pied Wagtail Dorset 7

SANDWICH SHARING: IMAGES FROM A CINQUE PORT

Published on October 6, 2014October 6, 2014 by Rolling Harbour4 Comments

Sandwich is a cinque port, along with Hastings, New Romney, Hythe and Dover – we had some warm family ~~disagreements~~ discussions about these until someone managed to get a phone signal and look them up. The town has a large number of medieval buildings, and we enjoyed a quick look round recently when we were staying nearby.

THE FISHER GATE (1384) on the quayside Sandwich - The Fisher Gate 1384

THE BARBICAN (and toll house) Sandwich - the Barbican

THE TOLL TABLE, 1905

Although viable vehicles using an internal combustion engine had only been in existence for about 6 years (and were few and far between), steam vehicles were not uncommon. It’s surprising to learn the variety of transport methods still catered for in post-Victorian England. I’d like to have possessed a ‘wain’. And a ‘chaise’, for that matter.

RIVER STOUR at the quayside, with the swing bridge road that now leads to the Barbican

IS THIS FOR REAL? (looking at the modern screws, I concluded not)

ST PETER’S CHURCH (C13 / 14), now in the care of the Churches Conservation Trust

MEMORIAL IN ST PETER’S CHURCH with ambiguous tribute

SANDWICH WEAVERS (1500) a home and workshop used by Dutch workers in the c16 Sandwich Weavers 1500

THE SWING BRIDGE OVER THE STOUR

The quayside was used for army embarkations for wars with France

Too good to miss (from a Kent Events website)

‘SHEEP MAY SAFELY GRAZE…’: PASTORAL DORSET

Published on September 16, 2014 by Rolling Harbour4 Comments

For six years we had our neighbour’s 3 alpacas in our paddock. Advantages: they mowed the grass and were decorative. Drawbacks: they caused a lot of damage by digging and from their peculiarly toxic waste; and were annoyingly passive / aggressive. So we moved them off, spent last winter filling in all the holes with a ton of topsoil and re-seeding, followed by a programme of regular harrowing, mowing and rolling to make the field ready for our son’s wedding on midsummer’s day (where we had our own reception a few ~~years~~ decades ago).

Now what? The answer is: sheep. Peaceful, munching grazers with no obvious drawbacks. A young farmer in the village has put 7 pregnant Poll Dorset sheep in the paddock. Result: pastoral scenes, evenly cropped grass, and a damage-free field – with pre-Christmas lambs in prospect. Dorset Poll Sheep 7

The Dorset breed of sheep comes in both poll and horn varieties. Here are specimens of each kind photographed at a recent show in Dorset. The breed is hardy (as befits Hardy country), and unusually they can lamb 3 times over the course of 2 years, making them a productive option for a young farmer building up his flock.

GULL STUDIES, WEST BAY BEACH, DORSET

Published on September 12, 2014 by Rolling HarbourLeave a comment

A collection of seagulls of various ages strutting their stuff on the beach at West Bay, Dorset

MEADOW BROWN BUTTERFLY, DORSET

Published on September 9, 2014 by Rolling HarbourLeave a comment

GATEKEEPER BUTTERFLY, DORSET

Published on September 4, 2014 by Rolling Harbour2 Comments

The Gatekeeper is (yet) another butterfly species that I have photographed this year for the first time in our garden in Dorset. There are several possible reasons for this: I haven’t bothered to notice them before; I have noticed them, but confused them with the similar meadow browns I do recognise; I have become more observant and butterfly-aware since we restored the garden and planted a lot of bee / butterfly / moth attractant plants; the species is in fact new to the garden, perhaps for the previous reason. Anyway, whichever is right, they suddenly arrived in the garden / I finally recognised this ‘new’ species in early August. Here are some.

THE FIRST GATEKEEPER I NOTICED THIS YEAR Gatekeeper Butterfly, Dorset (1st of the year)

SUBSEQUENT SIGHTINGS

SWALLOWS (ADULT & FLEDGLING) IN DORSET

Published on August 31, 2014 by Rolling Harbour4 Comments

A few photos taken in July and August of swallows in Dorset. Our recently installed upgraded electricity cables are ridiculously large, but at least they provide a solid perch for the birds. The adult swallows shown are followed by a young trainee swallow nabbing a passing insect; and some cute fledglings including one (penultimate) who decides to call for its food the easy way – and the compliant parent… Swallow, Dorset 13 Swallow, Dorset 2 Swallow, Dorset 15

A SELECTION OF SUMMER BEES IN DORSET

Published on August 26, 2014August 26, 2014 by Rolling Harbour2 Comments

This is a small selection of bees visiting a Dorset garden during the last month or so. The favoured flowers have been Hyssop, Lavender, Alium and Cosmos. And if anyone knows the name of the pale bee in photo #4, I’d be pleased to know – it’s a real beauty.