There and Back

A record number of grey seal births at a Norfolk beach shows a "major change" in behaviour as the animals become used to humans, marine experts have said. The 1.5 mile (2.4km) stretch of dunes at Horsey has hosted 1,018 births so far this winter compared to the previous winter when there were 804. (BBC report) We had been here on a previous visit but decided we would like to see them again. It is a worthwhile trip if you have never seen them. Mother rushing to protect her pup (and herself probably) from approaching bull. Keep away from my pup please! Mothers defending their space by putting herself between the bull and her calf. Mothers and pups, a joy to watch The big males just kept pestering the females, in or out of the water Grey seals have grey and brown fur, sometimes with a pattern of blotches; no ears visible; long muzzle; nostrils parallel; larger and darker than common seal, with flat or convex profile to its head

Our rear garden was a source of frustration from the time we moved in to our bungalow. Although we made the most of the space as it was and had a small lawn with a few plants, it was not as we would have wished. As well as the garden needing some reconstruction, the conservatory  was small and the worse for wear, so the two things came together in 2016 with a grand project, captured here on a few images. The results - well see below! Starting point - the small conservatory and the steps and slabs which dominated the area. Facing the other direction, we have the area that Rosey turned into a small flower/lawn area. This is how it finished, thanks to a lot of hard work by Rosey. Then, time to move on..... Demolition time! Where has the conservatory gone? plus all the furniture? What a lovely fence! Someone is preparing for action by the looks of the building plant beginning to appear. Re-construction has started as our new conservatory ta

Just looked out of the window and sitting on the lawn was this Sparrowhawk having just brought down his prey which was still struggling to get away. Brutal as it might seem, this is nature and repeated millions of times all over the planet by numerous creature, every day. Images taken with Nikon D5500 and Nikon 18-200 mm lens. Home      Forward        Back

Today we decided to walk along the coastal path and just soak up the glorious day. This looked like a lovely long beach with the prospect of a walk along a short part of the Coastal path. We were not disappointed as, on a glorious day, we arrived at Sandymouth. As you can see, there were very few people about, apart from the odd couple walking along the Coastal path like us, toward Northcott Mouth.  A walk back along the beach was planned but was abandoned when, on composing this picture, we were surprised by a fast incoming tide and ended up with very wet feet. It was funny though!  The reason we were taking picture of this particular rock formation was the apparent presence of `coral` formations on it? Anyway, back up onto the cliffs and trying to dry out the feet on the way back.  This little creature posed for a few moments.  A cup of coffee and a sandwich of crab (a bit disappointing), and we made our way toward Welcombe Mout

There were a few places that we had earmarked for today and the first ones were really just plucked from the map - `Picturesque village.` Well, we had to have a look at that one! The village in question, on the edge of Bodmin, was Altarnum which had this wonderful packhorse bridge, and a magnificent church, perched at the top of the village. Well worth a visit. A packhorse bridge is a bridge intended to carry pack horses (horses loaded with side bags or panniers) across a river or stream. Typically a packhorse bridge consists of one or more narrow (one horse wide) masonry arches, and has low parapets so as not to interfere with the horse's panniers. Multi-arched examples sometimes have triangular cutwaters that are extended upwards to form pedestrian refuges.  Packhorse bridges were often built on the trade routes (often called packhorse routes) that formed major transport arteries across Europe and Great Britain until the coming of the turnpike roads and canals

Set on a large natural mound, Launceston Castle dominates the surrounding landscape. Begun soon after the Norman Conquest, its focus is an unusual keep consisting of a 13th-century round tower built by Richard, Earl of Cornwall, inside an earlier circular shell-keep. The tower top can be reached via an internal staircase but once reached, offers breathtaking views of the historic town and countryside. (See below) Once the administrative headquarters for the Earl of Cornwall, it was a significant location where control could be kept over the various estates in the area. The castle has a colourful history as a prison of which George Fox, founder of the Quakers, was the most famous prisoner. He suffered harsh confinement here in 1656. Launceston Castle was also used as the base for the Cornish Royalist defence of the county Prince Charles was officially proclaimed Duke of Cornwall at Launceston Castle in 1973. As part of his feudal dues there was a pair of white gloves,