TUFTED TITMOUSE STUDIES, CENTRAL PARK, NYC
SEVERAL BORING BIRDS (THAT AREN’T REALLY…)
COLLARED DOVE
PIGEON
COLD PIGEONS
GOOSE
MALLARD
STARLING
SPARROW
WHITE DUCK
COOT
GULLS
“COMING IN TO LAND…” AERIAL LONDON
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…
WINTER SWANS
MONTACUTE HOUSE, SOMERSET (2): A FEW WINDOW DETAILS
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
CONVENTIONAL NEW YORK TRANSPORT
UBIQUITOUS YELLOW 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
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)
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
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
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.
All photographs: Sam Droege and the USGS Bee Inventory and Monitoring Lab
PEAT WORKINGS, COUNTY MAYO
Between Louisburgh, Co. Mayo and Killary Harbour to the south – the boundary with Galway – is a fertile plain. This gives way to an area of wonderful high mountains and loughs, and some of the best salmon fishing in Ireland. The plain is drained by rivers, and is the perfect location for one of Ireland’s great natural resources: PEAT.
The backdrop to the north includes the spectacular conical pilgrimage mountain CROAGH PATRICK, rising more than 2,500 feet almost directly out of the sea. Peat workings can be seen from the main road south, but they are best viewed by taking a side road through boggy countryside to the more remote areas.
In places the cut turf is stacked like old-fashioned corn stooks, in gently curving rows. The effect is of some organic work that the sculptor ANTONY GORMLEY might have dreamed up.
ROLLING HARBOUR GALLERY 