Lambing

There was a small farm attached to the Lost Gardens of Heligan, including a field full of ewes and new-born lambs - very new-born lambs. We were lucky enough to find ourselves close to a fence where, about 10 yards away, a ewe had just started to give birth. The 300mm lens was a little bit long for the purpose, and some of the images are rather "up-close and personal" as a result! Nevertheless, it was a fabulous thing to watch as it happened so quickly and with absolutely no fuss (less than 10 minutes from the first picture to the last, based on the EXIF data).

Trying out Ann's 300mm lens

Ann very kindly lent me her 300/4L lens to play with while I was in Cornwall. I have to say that I'm very impressed with the sharpness, although it's a bit long on the 20D with its 1.6x sensor. All the following shots were taken at the Lost Gardens of Heligan, the first two at the hide by the bird feeders, and the second two in a field where lambing was taking place (and I mean actively taking place - photos to be posted later!).

Lost Gardens of Heligan

It must be a sign of age that I now enjoy looking around gardens, and the Lost Gardens of Heligan are a real treat. There's a huge range of habitats, ranging from formal and walled gardens to a sub-tropical "jungle" deep in the valley. It's a popular spot (deservedly) but it's sufficiently large that everyone seems to be swallowed up by the garden - even two coach-loads of Germans who turned up while we were there!



As well as the Spring flowers, there are also large beds of Gunnera (a form of rhubarb, or so I am reliably informed by my botanical spouse). It had just started to sprout, and there was something distinctly prehistoric about the area where this was happening.



The Greenhouse and Potting Shed were also rather fun, although nothing much was going on in either given the time of year.