ABOUT ME

I live in a camper van with a West Highland Terrier for company.
My passion is creating images but it is a work in progress.
I am always willing to share what knowledge I have and can be contacted through the comments on this post or e-mail ADRIAN
ALL IMAGES WILL ENLARGE WITH A LEFT CLICK

Wednesday 17 August 2011

PORTRACK NATURE RESERVE (17/08/11)

This is a place I really enjoy a wander round. It could do with a hide or two. I suspect it had them in the past but they get trashed by the local wildlife. Even the platform in the reed beds has been dismantled and that was a good place for Damsel Flies. It still is but there were none about today. Even the ‘Wot One Can See ‘Ere’ board has gone walkabout…………A robust approach to the vandals is required………..I’ll drop an e-mail to Dave the Ditherer. If he has resumed his holidays he can soon zip back and sort them.

On our stroll we pass the Whitewater slalom course which is being upgraded for the Olympics…….they are not coming here but at least the area will benefit from a what promises to be a grand venue for paddlers. It’s still not finished but they are getting there.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA   The gates are in, most of the grass is in so a bit of tidying up and the job is done. The funny shadows are chain link fencing to keep the wildlife out.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA  Whilst on with the refurbishment they have installed four Archimedes Screws. The old Greek designed them for pumping water but here they are run in reverse and use the head of water provided by the Tees Barrage to generate electricity. They are not pretty but far less intrusive than wind generators. A little imaginative painting and lighting and they could become spectacular with water splashing down them. Odd…..the mesh fence doesn’t show on this one………….I wish I knew why because the same phenomena occurs seemingly at random when I visit bird prisons.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA The view over the reserve with Middlesbrough on the skyline and I promise this is the last…………for a while!

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA  Planet Middlesbrough. This I like, they are better with tall bits breaking the skyline.

On to the reserve. There were no seals in the Tees. No Blackheaded Gulls or Terns so we wandered inland. I make it sound like miles……..it’s a couple of miles round trip on flat tarmac paths.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAYoung Lapwings, there were more than ten……I wasn’t  in the mood to use my toes! I’ve enjoyed this summer. It’s so much more enjoyable walking and saying there’s a Lapwing than thinking Oh! There’s bird with a daft haircut. The second one is cropped but will stand a click…………..just! By the skin of it’s beak.

Now onto flowers…………..heavily processed flowers. Walking is enjoyable and necessary for the dogs but lugging gear is a pain in the foot. I get my moneys worth out of what I snap. here goes.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA My least favourite first……The Tansy…………….Okay it’s crap but it did inspire the others.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA The Astor. This is the best.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA Marsh Ragwort. In retrospect I could have dodged the foliage a bit more and cropped in tighter. I need an editor.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA Dyers Greenweed…………..I hope!

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA Common Reed. I thumped the red channel on this but still failed to get the impact of these beautiful seed heads. Got my planet head on that’s why!

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA   I can’t even hazard a guess………..this is worth a click though as it has magical wee yellow bits in the middle of each flower………..the stamen I seem to recall they are called. They are so good that a macro outing for they/them (can’t decide) alone is on the cards.

It is getting cloudy now………heavy rain is forecast for tomorrow. If it appears I’ll do a screen grab tutorial on planets. This new way is easy………….half a days work in my previous methods.

I’m really tired now so as Zebedee said at the end of The magic Roundabout it’s time for bed. Brian the snail was my favourite character. I have seen the original French version when working in Les Sables D’Alone. Le Manege Enchante. It was called if I remember rightly. It has loads of accents scattered about the title. It’s time for bed and I can’t be bothered looking for them in Word and then dropping them back into Live Writer.

Enjoy what’s left of Wednesday. Is anyone else getting prompts from Google to add AdSense? If so. Is it annoying to see advertisements? I’m all for a free pint but have always considered blogger recreation, a hobby, a means of honing my skills as a wiretr and potografer.   If you enjoy some of the posts then that is a bonus. Izz dooos like plenty of hits and comments though. Vain devil that I am. 

18 comments:

  1. Hi Adrian, I think your yellow flower is melilot - crush it between finger and thumb and if there's a strong smell of new-mown grass, that'll confirm it. The last one is scarlet pimpernel - if you go back for close-ups don't leave it too late in the day - the flowers tend to close at about 3pm. Take a look at the ripe seed capsules too - they are hemispherical and come apart around their equator, just like those globes with a map of the world on that were around when I was a kid...

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  2. Lovely posts. It is shameful what they're coming to, making the place "a wildlife no go". The rest is superb.

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  3. Phil, many, many thanks. I used to run on plants in the old days. Thanks to you I can now wander and identify some of them. It gets harder......like the maths I used to do....there are endless variations. Not too surprising look at the number of dog, cow and sheep breeds.
    I'll give it a squeeze and let you know. I'm going to give the Scarlet Pimpernel a good seeing to I love looking at the little and the large. Those middling ones tend to be easier.

    Bob, there is some serious pond life round here. I am liberal enough not to blame them.
    This area used to be the Tees river bed and became an artificial oxbow when they dug the Tees navigation. If schools sent the less bright to work here they would learn and not destroy what they had created. Way beyond most teachers I'm afraid.

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  4. I love Scarlet Pimpernel but it's one of those erratic annuals that disappears for years on end. I'd ask how you did the planet Middlesborough one but I wouldn't understand the answer! Great creation.

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  5. John, never have I had such interest since colour popping I'll do a Seeing To. This method is the cheap and nasty way. Your big brother has the software just follow the words and music.......I only use PS Elements but it is magical. I should have cropped more from the bottom of the image. I don't like swirls in the middle.
    Scarlet Pimpernel....a magical wee flower. Well worth a macro.

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  6. Some lovely shot here, as always, Adrian. I love those low light flowers and your planet shots are a lot of fun.

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  7. Hilary, as you know I love your flowers....hey I'm a slow learner.........now I know the trick. Planets are much morer difficulter. I'll do a post tomorrow.

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  8. Hi Adrian...Well I don't know where to begin...
    so I am going to the end....AdSense..yes!!
    For me there is knowing more annoying on blogger than to see a blog "blogged down" with advertisements...and those who follow everybody that they can to prompt then to come to their blog for them to get the "click for cash"..grrr
    I agree with you totally for blogger purpose!!
    Got that out of the way!!
    Annnnyway!!
    Planet Middlesbrough is the best yet...
    The Common Reed "red thumped" : } and Aster I like...Tansy to fussy!!
    The wee little plant is a darling!!
    I do wonder if you have a touch of A.D.D.
    Check out through Google..Bob & Tom the ADD song if you get a chance between taking naps! : }}}
    Grace

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  9. Le Manege Enchante is waking up old memories...loved all these silly animals with their accents...a pity youngsters are attracted to gameboy instead of simple and refreshing programs such as this one!

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  10. Looks like a lovely place Adrian.... if only we could keep the ferals under control.
    Really enjoyed your images.

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  11. Love the flowers,can't pick a favorite,they are all good.The planet is such fun,breaking the skyline works well with this one,fabulous.
    Carolyn.

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  12. Best planet yet Adrian. Love this one; must be the clouds.
    The grass, or Common Reed, is a cracker too.

    As for the adds, nah! I had that little message too.
    Keep blogs add free.

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  13. Grace, No adverts for me. I'll stick with vanity publishing.
    Had a listen to the ADD song...............Yeah that's me to a Tee. I love the way my mind jumps about. Sometimes I can't write fast enough to remember what I was writing when I started.

    Dee Bee. It was a smashing little programme. Narrated in the UK by Emma Thompsons father.

    Andrew, thanks........it is very good and extends both sides of the river. I prefer the north side.

    Carolyn, Thanks.........I'll leave the planets orbiting happily for a while.

    Keith, I agree. Ad free it will be. I think this is the best. I'll stop as they will only go downhill from here.

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  14. Loved your nature walk pics..
    and narrative of.
    Oh and Planet Middlesbrough, great!

    Down with ads. Keep blogs ad free!

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  15. Laura, thanks............I agree but felt momentary greed. No advertisements on this blog.

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  16. Thats the best I've seen Middlesborough looking although one could be forgiven into thinking that it is a bomb coming into land !!
    Adsense .. I think I'll stay poor, stick to my principles and not sell out to this yet. I get loads of hits from stuff like this but I'm not sure if the adverts would be relevant to a varied blog ... hot dates in Portmerion or party nights in Middlesborough !!

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  17. Great images there Adrian.

    Planet Middlesbrough is excellent. [;o)

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  18. Jay, there are a whole heap of things wrong with Middlesbrough but to me it has a perverse beauty. I agree blog land should be advert free.

    Trevor many thanks.....it could be better but I've the concentration span of a gnat so maybe not.

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