Taexalia » Photography

British Weather Photographer of the Year

Taexalia — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 19:01:49 +0000

Weather. We talk about it. We moan about it. We live our lives, even in the 21st century, largely at the mercy of it. It never ceases to surprise us, and it can grind our lifestyle to a halt with the merest dusting of snow.

If, like me, you have a camera and an ounce of creativity (and I firmly believe that everyone has at least an ounce), then get yourself outside and take some pictures of British Weather. Why? Well for a start it will give you another excuse to moan about the weather as it probably won't do exactly what you want it to right at the moment you want to take the picture... the wind will blow the daisy, the raindrops will just stop, the sun will create just too much of a glare (OK that's unlikely this summer!) or the dragon you saw in the clouds will change into a blob. But get out there with your camera anyway, exercise your creative muscles and simply enjoy the world around you.

Once you have an image, or images, pop on over to the British Weather Photographer of the Year competition and give yourself the chance to win ten grand. Yep, that's right, half an hour in the outdoors and a couple of minty's on the puter and you might find yourself £10,000 richer courtesy of Lloyds TSB.

Competition Info

The competition runs from 13th April to 30th September 2010, with judging of the 12 finalists taking place in November
Photographs must be taken in the UK
Entrants can submit as many photographs as they wish
Entrants are required to:
- be 18 or over
- be a UK resident
- have the right to use the images
- read the full Terms & Conditions

If you don't want to enter, aren't in the UK or just love me and my blog to bits, then feel free to simply vote for my entry, Angelica Solstice, so I can buy myself a new camera and some sweeties.

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British Weather Photographer of the Year originally appeared on Taexalia on August 15, 2010.

Waiting For The Sun

Taexalia — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 11:04:50 +0000

Waiting For The Sun originally appeared on Taexalia on July 28, 2010.

Buzzard

Taexalia — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 18:50:54 +0000

Did you know every Buzzard has a unique pattern under it's wings?

Buzzard originally appeared on Taexalia on March 5, 2010.

Birds

Taexalia — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 14:38:40 +0000

Birds originally appeared on Taexalia on February 25, 2010.

Is It Spring?

Taexalia — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 14:40:24 +0000

I'm hearing this question all over the place as people wish the moments away looking for something better. I look for signs of new life emerging - the snowdrops and winter aconite shine their carpets of hope amongst the decaying humus of the woodland floor, the owls and foxes make eerie night noise as they mark territory and call for mates, buds on trees seem to swell a little more and my flowering redcurrant is uncurling leaves...

The wheel is turning, but the Carlin/Cailleach has not loosed her hold yet, today she is still washing her plaid in the Coirebreachan and laying it's white sheath over the land...

Buddha sits in the garden, laughing as Jack Frost leaves his calling card, reminding us that each moment is what it is...

Is It Spring? originally appeared on Taexalia on February 24, 2010.

Sunscapes

Taexalia — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 09:30:42 +0000

Sunworship with my camera...

Sunscapes originally appeared on Taexalia on February 24, 2010.

Plants

Taexalia — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 16:48:34 +0000

A collection of photos of trees, plants and flowers that have caught my eye...

Plants originally appeared on Taexalia on February 23, 2010.

Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes)

Taexalia — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 14:34:51 +0000

Some of my photographs of foxes collected into one gallery...

Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) originally appeared on Taexalia on February 21, 2010.

Coasting

Taexalia — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 00:38:00 +0000

Bass Rock Firth of Forth

We have been enjoying the beauty and solitude of the North Berwick beach recently. Here the Bass Rock shows herself nude, without the mystical white veil of 140,000 gannets that live and breed on the island between February and October. It is an eerie sight to twiddle with the cameras at the Scottish Seabird Centre and find little more than bare rock... But look to the other cameras and you will see the antics of seal pups and their parents at this wonderful time of year.

Coasting originally appeared on Taexalia on December 7, 2007.

See Birds!!

Taexalia — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 18:59:00 +0000

Suspecting disappointment, we decided to abandon an attempt to sample the Hovercraft. We felt time would be better spent making our way out to North Berwick to take advantage of our new membership at the Scottish Seabird Centre.

We arrived in time to discover that we had just missed a train and had around 50 minutes to wait, so we had a lovely cheese and ham bagel for breakfast in the station and enjoyed the hustle and bustle of Waverley.

The train wasn't very busy when we boarded and we enjoyed a pleasant cross-country trip to North Berwick. The weather was showing off for us with bright sunshine here, blue sky there, a black looking front over there and haze over Fife. I don't think I've ever looked out at the Firth of Forth from any vantage point and thought "the weather is boring"...

On arrival in North Berwick, we decided to head for the Scottish Seabird Centre via the wee used bookshop. I found a book by Mollie Hunter that I'd never seen before, she wrote The Haunted Mountain which was a particular favourite of mine as a child. I also picked up a book of ghost stories from the Lake District (I hunted all over the Lake District for folk tales/ghost stories and did not find a single volume!).

We got to the Centre and flashed our card and went downstairs. @ was most excited to see Puffins as he was working on Sunday and missed out. I took him to the Craigleith camera and he began searching. We soon learned that there were few Puffins to be found because there were people on the island - we spotted some of them on the camera and they were having a bad hair day.

After a little twiddling with the cameras we did spot some Puffins in the water and @ was Happy. I was too of course. It's such a great place - always something good to see.

Unfortunately the Puffin numbers on Craigleith Island have suffered and last year it became apparent that their burrows were being blocked by a new plant. It seems the warmer winters have allowed Tree Mallow, a plat usually found in the Mediterranean, to flourish and the result is the Puffins cannot access their burrows when they return to breed. Last winter saw the first stage of a five year plan to try and eradicate the plant from the island - basically groups of volunteers go out and cut it down. I put my name on their list to volunteer to help once the Puffins leave in the next few weeks.

We wandered back outside and were half thinking to see if we could get on a boat trip, but our feet led us out onto a wee outcrop we have never explored before. It was lovely and peaceful and I know I'll be going back there. We had a close encounter with one of the residents...

Heading back to the harbour, we discovered that the Sula II was sailing in about 20 minutes. But we didn't have any money. So Allan power walked into the town to find an auto-teller, he returned with a few minutes to spare feeling Very Old and we clambered down into the boat.

Now, the Seabird Centre is brilliant. If you ever go to North Berwick then you MUST visit the centre. But then you MUST get on one of the boats and see things from a different perspective! It is something else as the boat speeds out towards the Bass Rock and the birds in the air around you change shape. Instead of Herring Gulls you realise you are seeing Gannets! I was so excited I was saying "Hello" to each and every one! The mature five-year old beside me was calm and collected in comparison.

There were more Cormorants and Shags around too and we saw some Puffins in the water, and we even spotted a beautiful Grey Seal who watched us pass with her deep, dark eyes.

As we approached the rock we could see and hear more Gannets:

Every white dot is a Gannet - there are 140, 000 on the island and I expect you to count and see! According to our driver, Gannets have been using the Bass Rock as a nesting site for 2,000 years. They seem to really like it.

Those wingspans can reach 6' (about 1.8m)!

We were about 20 feet away from these birds and if you look, you can see some of the chicks with their fluffy down. There are also a couple of pairs billing - Gannet kisses basically.

I think they have the most beautiful face and beak markings, as if someone painted each one with a fine brush before sending them out.

Definitely the best £8.50 I have ever spent - except I didn't because today was my official birthday

See Birds!! originally appeared on Taexalia on July 26, 2007.

Taexalia » Photography

British Weather Photographer of the Year

Competition Info

Waiting For The Sun

Buzzard

Birds

Crow eating Smarties

pic7.jpg

Crow

Greater Black Backed Gull

Starling

Dunnock Male

Raven Corvus corax (photo credit @)

Fieldfare (Turdus pilaris)

Mistle Thrush (Turdus viscivorus) Holding Court

Mistle Thrush (Turdus viscivorus)

Buzzard

Crow Family

Young Crow Take-off

Mother Feeding Young Crow

Grey Heron

2010_0208-blackbird

Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo

Northern Atlantic Gannet Morus bassanus

Northern Atlantic Gannet Morus bassanus

Gannetry Bass Rock

Gannetry Bass Rock

Gannets

Buzzard

Eider Duck on nest

Isle of May Puffin

Puffin Isle of May

Puffin Trio

Is It Spring?

Sunscapes

Burntisland Winter Sun Firth of Forth

Burntisland Winter Sunset

2009_0131sunrise-dragon.jpg

Sunrise Over Edinburgh From Portobello Beach

Portobello Beach Sunrise

Portobello Beach Sunrise

Firth of Forth Sunrise at Portobello Beach

Firth of Forth Sunrise at Portobello Beach

2009_0131-inchkeith-sunrise-portobello

Solstice Burntisland Beach

Solstice Burntisland Beach

Sunset Burntisland

Red Sky Warning

Midwinter Sun

Midwinter Sun

Midiwinter Sun Worship blue

Midiwinter Sun Worship

Midwinter Sun Trees

Midwinter

Celebrate The Sun

December Sunrise

Dancing Trees Dusk

Sunset

Sunset over Lily's Pond Alyson's Orchard New Hampshire

Plants

Heather in Forest of Deer

Fly Agaric

Fly Agaric Fungi Amanita Muscaria

Herb Robert

Dandelion Clock

Scots Pine and Silver Birch

Winter Silver Birch

Beech Tree at Fetternear Estate

Beech Tress at Fetternear Estate

Fungi ~ Turkey Tail

Turkey Tail Fungi

Forget Me Not

Snowdrops and Winter Aconite

Winter Aconite (Eranthis)

Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris)

Lesser Celandine (Ranunculus ficaria) closed flower

Lesser Celandine ~ Ranunculus ficaria

Lesser Celandine (Ranunculus ficaria)

2010_0305-buds

Sea Campion (Silene Uniflora)