As I mentioned in the previous blog the Marsh Harriers made many fly-pasts.... I continue to try to get a good photo, but at the distances involved my 'little' camera struggles - certainly compared to the many huge lenses you see. Nice memories though of a good day.
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| Note the female Harrier behind the tree. |
A trip down to Leighton Moss - this time to see the Lesser Scaup and enjoy more Bitterns booming and hear the first Chiffchaffs....and there were many - the first sounds of spring.....and the Marsh Harriers put on a good display too...
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| Lesser Scaup - female and male in the foreground. |
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| Moorhen. |
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| Parading Mute Swan. |
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| Gadwall. |
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| Pochard. |
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| Pintail. |
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| Great-crested Grebe. |
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| Marsh Harrier. |
Today, a flying visit to Teesdale to meet up with friends, for a wak from Low Force to High Force. An early start was rewarded with a really lovely view of a Short-eared Owl sat on a fence post at the top end of the Dale, before we descended to Langdon Beck. We had a very pleasant walk along the river and lunch at the Langdon Beck Hotel - ham and cheese toasties are recommended! Then after we had said our farewells a chance to photograph the Black Grouse in the field adjacent to the hotel - lovely to see. Lots of displaying Lapwings and plenty of Kestrels too - a superb light - only made possible by the indigo sky and sun and the probably arrival of rain. Good to be back!
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| Short-eared Owl. |
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| Low Force. |
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| High Force. |
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| The main task for the day - keeping this one from launching himself into the fast flowing river! |
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| Black Grouse - and below.... |
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| Leaving the Dale. |
A lucky break in the weather for a good walk down the beach ....nice to get out to the mussel beds and Sabellaria reef. Thanks to Tom for the photos - I had Rowan!
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| Mussel beds and Cumbrian fells. |
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| Sabellaria reef. |
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| Sabellaria...Honey-comb worm. |
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| Good skies... |
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| Rocky, me and Rowan. |
Having created a range of papers - time to play cutting them up and stitching ...
To be honest, having chosen a peat bog for my theme, I have struggled as there are no obvious geometric shapes or vertical lines ....but the discipline of doing this is good and has definitely forced me into abstraction!
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| I like this one the most ...using the forms of bent over grasses and water layers of peat and vegetation. |
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| This one was using all the techniques - the foregroung couched htreads representing Molinia. |
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| The water/pool reflects the mountain ...and the rushes are reflected... |
#fibreartstaketwo #debbielyddon #sensingplace
As part of the course I am doing, I have been experimenting with flour and water paste to create textured papers. I created the usual patterns - mark making in the paste with a comb etc, but really liked the ones where I used heather to create less controlled and more place-related patterns. These papers will be combined with others into collages to create a sense of place -hopefully!
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| Marks made with heather... |
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| ..and marks made with a strip of card ... |
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| I like the changes in tone and the movement in these - time to do more! |
#fibreartstaketwo #debbielyddon #sensingplace
Following enjoying making caterpillar books, I made a collagraph book. I didn't expect it to be any good, and as I was making it healf-heartedly when busy/distracted, I didn't take a photo of the plate or whole print. Nor did I concentrate enough to use the correct paper! The book though has its merits. I like the way it isolates unexpected compositions that you can't plan for. Working in one colour highlighted tonal differences and textures. So it will be a technique that I shall revisit - when I have dedicated time!
