My April Challenge - Day 30

There were various things that I wanted to try to achieve with this challenge. Rather than just close-up shots, I wanted some wider shots showing lots of flowers and the animals who live among them.

Well, the weather has been against me much of the time but today was the best weather we have had for a while so I went out snapping. Today I am going to post extra to make up for the lost opportunities of the last few weeks.

Firstly, another close-up. We have hundreds (maybe thousands) of Dog Violets. They are so pretty. I really wanted to take a shot of a clump of violets but that did not work out so here is a close-up instead.





Next, the bluebells are really disappointing this year. There are probably only about half the usual number. They started to flower in mid-March but stopped when the weather changed back to winter. They don't seem to have recovered. This is the best wide bluebell shot I could manage.





Finally, those animal shots. There are lots of pheasants around at the moment and their colours are brilliant.





While I was out with the camera, I came across 2 muntjacs. Sadly, I had my landscape lens on so I could not zoom in closer. This photo shows one of them. The other is behind the big tree on the right!




None of these are brilliant shots, but the best I could do in the time I had available and it was very windy.

My April Challenge - Day 29

On the home straight now . . .

If anyone had said today's weather was going to be worse than yesterday, I would not have believed them. I was wrong. There has been torrential rain for most of the day. In the late afternoon, there was a bit of brightness, so I rushed out to try to get today's shot but it was quite windy.

This is a shot that I was hoping to get. This Azalea has been in bud for some time and I have been waiting for it to open. When it is fully in bloom it is a mass of yellow flowers and the scent is amazing. I could wait no longer. Here it is just starting to flower.

The purple/blue in the background is actually a carpet of bluebells.

My April Challenge - Day 28

I definitely chose the wrong month for this challenge. It's official - the wettest April for many, many years! Today was no exception - rained almost all day and when it did stop, it was so dull that (flower) photography was impossible.

Yet again, I had to pick something to photograph indoors. I am a bit fed up with low key photographs so thought I would try high key which I have never attempted before. Not sure whether it worked but here it is, a floret from a beautiful bright pink Rhododendron.








I was very distracted today by a little bird which obviously had a problem. It was a tiny little Goldcrest, a baby I think. It was walking up and down the window cill of my office window. If disturbed it would fly off and immediately come back.

It was very nervous and not still for a second, so it was difficult to get a photograph. The weather was so bad and dull that I had to use a high ISO, so the photos I took are a bit noisy.

This little thing was there all day and seemed to be trying to get through the window. When I went outside, I realised that it could see its reflection and possibly thought it was its mother.

I don't know what happened to it. The mother was nowhere to be seen and it was very distressed, but there was nothing I could do, except hope that it found its way back to its mother. Fingers crossed.

My April Challenge - Day 27

I am longing to get out to do some outdoor shots, but the weather is against me. Very heavy squally showers on and off all day today and just too windy.

I rescued this Greater Stitchwort from a very heavy downpour. Happily the rain did not wash off all the pollen. This is one of my favourite wild flowers - so small and delicate.

I could not make up my mind which shot to post today. I have a rather nice close-up shot of the flower head, but I think the lighting is more interesting on this one. I just wish the flowerhead was pointing downwards slightly towards the camera.








My husband has just come in and said he prefers the other shot, so I thought should post that one too. Here it is. Any takers for this one?

My April Challenge - Day 26

Gale force winds and heavy showers interspersed with short sunny intervals. Not good weather for outdoor flower photography.

The Lilac bush was getting a hammering in the wind, so I cut off a branch to photograph indoors. I am reasonably pleased with this one.

My April Challenge - Day 25

Torrential rain and gales today but the sun broke through on two short occasions around lunchtime. Definitely April weather.

Two shots for the price of one today. I tried a close-up of a daisy with the Raynox again. It is okay but I find it rather lacking. The lighting is not really clever enough. So, I tried another shot with a bit of PP. I very rarely do much PP except for removing blemishes, tweaking the levels and sharpening so I would appreciate feedback about whether anyone thinks it works or whether it is a load of rubbish.

My April Challenge - Day 24

The weather was a bit better today but still a bit breezy for decent flower shots. I managed yet another blossom shot. This time it is Wild Cherry which is different from the pink blossom of the Japanese Cherry that I posted the other day. I find it amazing that these blossoms are distinctly different. This one is quite delicate with yellow/orange anthers on the tip of the stamens.




If Sandra is reading this - notice the diagonal!

On another subject - we heard the first cuckoo last weekend and I saw the first Swallows today, so someone thinks summer is here!