I went with my mother a day last week or so.
Firstly, this picture through crocus of what looks like a victorian water tower.
It was fun lying down for that, avoiding all the other crocus around me, and I was indeed attempting a shot with the macro function. But this just… worked, yanno?
Chelmsford and Tufted Duck 3:00 am
I was in conniptions of joy when I noticed two ducks on the lake – a stunning black and white and a browny – weren’t just being very unnoticeable, they were diving. Then I was in conniptions of anger as they wouldn’t stop.
I don’t have many photos of them, and the male will certainly have to wait, but this is a female Tufted Duck.
http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/t/tuftedduck/index.asp
What that doesn’t tell you is that the male is visually stunning. He is a very distinctive bird, and the one on the lake is quite shy; the female will come closer to humans (and other waterfowl). She’s rather nice, she is.
This is his gorgeousness.
They’re both very quiet, though, and easily startled. And if you’ve never tried to catch a diving duck coming back up… well… you have never been so frustrated. ><
It’s also not the most common of birds, either.
Trees 3:00 am
Against the embankment of the viaduct, and the sky, and on the edge of the lake. This platform area is new – it’s for you to sit on and… stuff.
Chelmsford and Sky 3:00 am
… into eternity.
This is from one side of the “lake” in the park in town. What you can see at the bottom is trees, a few houses from across the river directly in front, and to the rght is the aquaduct that the trains run on. Above that is an awful lot of pretty blue sky.
The lake is not exactly a lake. It’s not big enough, and it’s manmade. It doesn’t even have a name – it’s just the lake in central park. It’s stocked with fish, I know, since people fish there, but I don’t know when or how it was made. Mother said, once, that she heard german bombers were trying to hit the viaduct, missed barely, and the bombs made a big hole that filled with water (and since the park already has a river running through it and is in actuality a flood plain, it would fill very quickly).
The shape of it befits that story, although I doubt its truth. It’s an odd triangular tear shape that would vaguely corroborate with a few dropped bombs.
And it is extremely close to the viaduct. Se’rous’leh.
After a factfinding mission that brings me close to annoyance, the only fact I can find is that Central Park itself was opened in 1894. I must find out more! … hm…
Chelmsford and Crocus 3:00 am
I have it, and it is wonderful. It seems to take a bit of practise, as I’m doing better at it than mother, and mother had her camera about a week after mine.
These are crocus at the park. See, the only reason you’re getting loads of birds is that it was winter in January, and in winter the only thing to photograph are birds; in February, early spring, there’s birds and treebuds. But now it’s the middle of spring…
I have a toy. *pats camera* Pretty macro.
Chelmsford and Moorhens 3:15 pm
I’ve realised that was the fiftieth post. Fifty days – I didn’t realise I could keep this up for so long. O.O Of course, posting one a day will inevitably run out, as it is difficult to maintain in terms of photographs and your interest (which I may have lost god knows how long ago), but lets see how long I can keep it up, huh?
Onwards and upwards!
More moorhens; this is a pair in the park near the market. One of several pairs in the park, at that. But I went in on a morning and figured that, because it was darn bright for a february morning and I had my camera on me, why not?
Behind them is the river… *thinks* Chelmer. The river Chelmer. The Can is on the other side of town, and runs through the Bunny Walks. In front is a random piece of dried grass. Oh, and the green stuff is normal grass. ;)
Canada Geese and Goose Park 3:00 am
… A Lot of Goose.
These were all photos taken on the first of March in the year of our Lord 2008. GEESE…..
A close up, managed with half zoom and half leaning-over-the-rail-praying-I-didn’t-fall-in-because-the-camera-is-£160-damnit.
Coots and Goose Park 3:00 am
It makes it very annoying for photos.
Coots. Feh.
This bird was possibily breaking the ten mile an hour swimming speed of the lake. *mutter*
Goose Park and Gulls 3:00 am
They argue.
Also, it’s worth noting, the exact same species as the bird mother photographed ( http://errantmoggy.wordpress.com/2008/02/27/for-you-a-guest-photo/ ) and we still can’t work out what the hell they are.
Goose Park and Mallards 3:00 am
Mallards with attitude. Sometimes I think they’re like punks – they come from nowhere, hang together for a while, then disappear.
He’s definitely a mallard, by the way. I don’t know what these birds are doing to get that colouring, but he was courting a normal brown female duck.
