Watch the Birdie

On the Saturday morning we headed along the coast to the Norfolk Wildlife Trust bird reserve at Cley.  There were more twitchers than feathered specimens (at least, within photography distance) and a couple of the hides were like Piccadilly Circus. 

The reeds were impressive in IR against a brooding Norfolk sky.

Although we saw several bird species (at a distance!) the only one which performed for us was a rather fine Tufted Duck.

There's always a Mute Swan who is prepared to pose, of course, and Cley was no exception.

Piers of the Realm

By Saturday morning the rain had passed, but it was still grey, cold and very blustery.  We went for a walk before breakfast along the beach to Cromer's magnificent pier.

 At this point we'd worked up a good appetite for the "Full Monty" breakfast at the hotel.

A Wet Weekend in Cromer

In order to celebrate the end of exams (AS levels for Izzi and University marking for Harriet) we went to stay in Cromer for a couple of days.  The forecast was not good, and it rained the whole of the Friday while we were at work.  Driving up we managed to get ahead of the rain for a while, but it caught us up later in the evening.

We took Amber out for a cold and blustery walk before dinner, and the overwhelming impression was that the place was closed and that everyone had battened down the hatches.  Can't say I blame them...

At least the Public Conveniences were open, but there weren't too many takers.

Wedding Belles and Beaux

Saturday saw the wedding of my elder daughter, Frances, to Christopher Boreham.  It was a wonderful day of celebration for the whole family, and even the weather gods smiled on us.  I was allowed to get a camera out before the event and, again, when the official part of the proceedings was over.

Christopher with his "other woman" (niece Millie).

The bridesmaids were Izzi (my younger daughter), Audrey and Katharine.

Izzi again, this time with her boyfriend Michael and my niece, Carlotta.

Lotta has that knowing "look" which means that the recipient is due for trouble at some point...

This is the only wedding I've ever been to where there were one and a half "best men", Toby and Gaunt (I'm afraid I don't know his first name, as everyone refers to him simply as "Gaunt").  Here they are with their respective partners, Madeleine (Mads) and Beth.

Christopher managed to combine his role as groom with that of child minder...

The cake, as with the rest of the wonderful spread, was home made - something which made its cutting even more special.

I'll finish the post with some pictures of the couple, who really couldn't be better suited to one another.  It was a magical day for everyone concerned.

Rods, Poles and Perches

Well, actually, it's a Pike not a Perch, and to my knowledge there were no Poles at Ravensthorpe Reservoir on the opening day of this year's fly fishing season.  Although the aim was to catch trout, this rather fine specimen decided to go for my fly (so to speak).  Photo courtesy of John Caldwell at the other end of the  boat!

What a handsome brute (the fish, not the angler).

Hoar Frost

While I'm in "catching up" mood, here are a few pictures taken on the coldest day of the year so far (11th February 2012) when our outdoor thermometer went below -12C.  There was a fabulous hoar frost that morning, so I took my camera with me when I went for a walk with Amber.

We bumped into two of Amber's mates, Dylan and Bailey, who were also thoroughly enjoying the conditions.

IR Snow in Harston

Only a few weeks after the event, I finally got round to processing some Infra Red pictures of Harston in the snow.  Better late than never, I suppose...

Fowlmere Nature Reserve

Joy of joys: a weekend off from the normal run of family and Camera Club commitments.  The only downside is that I'm suffering from a stinking cold, but then one can't have everything!  The weather was so beautiful this afternoon that I wandered down to the RSPB reserve in Fowlmere - not so much in the hope of seeing lots of wonderful wildlife, but just to get out in the fresh air.

There was a small amount of bird life visible (a handful of greylag geese, a coot, a couple of lapwings and some rooks).  Everything else had probably been scared away by the kids running around, but it was still very pleasant sitting in the hide.

Having run out of feathered subjects, I was forced to look at the plant life (of which there wasn't much).  Luckily the Pussy Willow was in full "bloom", although it was tricky trying to find a clean and sympathetic background.  The two pictures below were shot against a reed bed and a chalk stream respectively, both in shadow.  I think I prefer the blue background, as it complements the yellow pollen beautifully.