Dover Boxing Day craziness

Today we went to watch the
usual mad midday dashing into and
out of the sea in Dover harbour.
It was cold enough just standing watching!




























....then home for some lovely hot soup!
(p.s. How is this for quick blogging?)

Some pictures from in and around Quito

As I may have mentioned to some folk (!) I
planned to go to Ecuador in this year of my 40th
birthday. So I did. My chosen holiday was :














and was focused on birdwatching in these areas,
Ecuador being a major hotspot for biodiversity in
general and birdlife in particular. Ecuador, the size
of Italy, is home to something like 1,500 species
of birds (Europe has about 600!) In the two weeks
I spent there the group I travelled with saw
over 500 species. With some difficulty at times I saw
most of this number sometimes ablbeit fleatingly!

This was the group on my holiday. The photo
was taken with us stood along the line of what
the original French surveying team had determined
was the Equator. GPS proves them to have been
a few meters out but never mind that.














On the left is William Perez, our excellent tour
leader whose energy and enthusiasm was unflagging,
as were his efforts to ensure we all saw and appreciated
the birds he was seeking out for us. He works for
"Neblina Forest"(http://www.neblinaforest.com ) the "Ground Agents" for Naturetrek,
the UK based company organising this tour
(and numerous others!) . From the right of the picture
are Tim, from Hampshire, Patrick from Rotherham,
Faline and Colin from Surrey, Pete and Jill from Essex,
and then me!
I should also give credit to our driver, Luiz, who negotiated
the ups and downs of Ecuador with confidence-inspiring skill.

Here follow a few of my photos from around Quito, to give a
impression of the place.

I could not resist taking this shot as we passed by in our
minibus.
















From the window of "Hotel Quito", a clear morning view
towards Pichincha, an inactive volcano.














Also from "Hotel Quito", a view of Cotopaxi
in the misty distance














A final view of Cotopaxi, taken from the aircraft
as we flew from Guayacil, back over Quito at altitude
on our way home.

Westonbirt visit (part 1)

Yesterday I decided to have a walk to Westonbirt
Arboretum from Alderley, a village beyond Wooton-under-Edge.
Having followed a little of the Cotswold Way, I joined the "Monarch's Way"
up a pleasant valley towards Tresham.
Here I encountered this little fun guy (!)


Moving onwards onto the windy Cotswold flatland,
with misleading blue sky (it was starting to turn hazier)
I enjoyed the slight bleakness of this stonewall scene.
A contrast to the riot of colour awaiting me at ...


Westonbirt Arboretum.














more pics in part too!

Westonbirt (part too!)

Now you may be wondering if I had all this splendour
to enjoy alone (or perhaps your not that daft....)








Yes, the place was heaving!
Not everyone, however, had a camera in their hands....



Let me try some arty close ups now...











or to take a slightly different angle on tree photography...



Finally, leaving the bright colours behind,
I'll let the fungi have the last say......

Views from an Early Morning Walk

Being inspired to get out for a walk early this morning I went up onto Stinchcombe Hill.
Here I found some Harebells in flower.....

....and got this atmospheric view over towards Cam Peak and the Long Down.............then I returned home ready for breakfast!

Down Darwin's Way

On my way back from visiting Dover for mum's birthday I stopped off, near Orpington, to visit Down House, the family home of Charles Darwin. It was in this house and its gardens that he mulled over (for years and years!) his ideas about a theory of evolution. I pulled into the carpark in time for a spot of lunch and whilst I chewed on my sandwiches I spotted this interesting shot through my car roof! Any dark spots you can make out are not blemishes on my car but aircraft queing up to land at Gatwick!

Anyway, here is the house....
...and here a view from Darwin's "Thinking Path" (with his greenhouse visible beyond the hedge) along which he walked three times each day, rain or shine, regular as clockwork.
It was interesting to visit and see some of the various specimens he collected, books he refered to etc. etc. But its not a huge house, so hardly a "whole day" sort of place to visit. I timed my visit very neatly, as just as I left a coachload of tourists arrived!

Canoeing with Ian

Visiting the Ferndowners this weekend, the weather on Saturday was just great for a spot of canoeing at Highcliff. So while Lyn popped into to a shop Ian and I went on down to the beach and set up camp...
with clear views out towards the Isle of Wight
...of a small group sailing further out to sea as Ian got the boat ready.......
...and towards Christchurch harbour off to the right as he "zipped" himself in....
......then off he went, leaving me to amuse myself and have a bit of a swim.
When Lyn arrived we had a spot of lunch. Then it was my turn, forwards........
.............backwards...........
...............riding on the crest of the waves......
.....then all the way to Christchurch and back (well, actually not. Next time maybe!)
A fun time was had by all, in fact.