Jackdaw

The first syllable of the name of the jackdaw (Corvus monedula) is onomatopoeic, being akin to the bird's call that is frequently transcribed as "tchack". The second syllable, "daw" is the old (at least fifteenth century) name for black, crow family members, especially the jackdaw, and also given on the basis of their "cawing" call. English church towers and spires, offering the cliff-like nesting sites favoured by jackdaws, are locations where the bird is often found. The jackdaw in the photograph was at the very top of a churchyard yew tree a few yards from the church tower.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon P900

Motorcycle reflections

The onset of spring brings with it sounds that are less frequent in winter and that will increase in volume and frequency as the weather gets warmer. I'm not referring to bird song, but rather, to motorcycles. I get the impression that today a majority of motorcyclists choose that form of transport as a hobby or past-time rather than a means of transport. It's my further impression that this is a pursuit mainly of older men who not only love to burnish their steed but also like to increase the volume of sound that it makes. Walking through a carpark recently I passed a large motorcycle with a glossy sheen that proclaimed its owner's passion, and I took this photograph of the gleaming metalwork and my reflection.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2

Illustrated front doors, Tewkesbury

On the basis of a couple of recent walks around Tewkesbury in Gloucestershire I have come to the conclusion that the fashion for painting an illustration on your front door is spreading. The leftmost door above has, to my recollection, been painted for a couple of years. However, the rightmost appears to be recent - or at least I haven't noticed it before. On the day I photographed these two doors I saw another newly painted example featuring a couple of silhouetted giraffes against an orange sky. Is this a local phenomenon or is it country-wide? Or even world-wide?

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2

Cyclamen flowers

Over the winter months a few pots of cyclamens have brightened our conservatory. Though they look like delicate plants they actually thrive in lower temperatures. Now, with the days lengthening, the sun higher in the sky, and other colours coming into view in the garden, I set out to photograph the pink flowers against their multicoloured backdrop. A macro lens with a shallow depth of field achieved the somewhat "dreamy" image that I sought.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Olympus OMD E-M10

An adventurous Canada Goose

Canada geese are pretty widespread in the UK. Many large stretches of water have a flock, and many people consider them a pest. They are an introduced species that has flourished and some say they have usurped the habitat of native species. Introduced species often have to adapt to the particular cicumstances of their new home and, prior to taking this photograph, I would not have counted the Canada goose as one of those. But perhaps the ability to land on a roof ridge and stand there at length surveying the surroundings is an evolutionary adaptation in the making. It's certainly something I've never seen before.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon P900

Window sill planters

This house opens on to the public pavement on Barton Street, Tewkesbury. It dates from the late eighteenth or early nineteenth century and has a plain, though not unattractive, brick facade laid in Flemish bond. I photographed it for the way the owner had decorated each window with potted box shrubs. It's a device that adds to the interest of the facade, and is all the better for featuring just one type of plant rather than many.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon D5300

Cherry plum blossom

A small amount of blossom has been in evidence since the second half of February. Much of it is in gardens in the form of the popular cherry plum (Prunus cerasifera "Pissardii"). In some respects, like the snowdrop, this blossom can be a false harbinger of spring. However, it is now (in early March) being joined by the wild blackthorn and this is a clear sign that at least "meteorological spring" has arrived.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2

Foggy churchyard

Churchyards in the UK are often havens of tranquility and wildlife. On a foggy day these qualities are accentuated as the number of visitors is usually fewer. We came upon this contemplative couple as we passed through St Mary's churchyard in Ross on Wye. Were they observing a squirrel or a green woodpecker? Perhaps they were reflecting on the information on a gravestone. Or maybe they were just having a quiet breather during their lockdown walk. Whatever the reason, they added a visual focus to the arch of trees and so a photograph as we passed by.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2

Foggy pond

We are at a time of year in Herefordshire when both fog, and sun in a cloudless sky, closely co-exist. For the purposes of enjoying a walk in late February and March my wife and I prefer the sunny day. However, for photography there is possibly more to be said for the fog. The perfect blue sky is quite limiting from a photographic perspective and I'm much happier when there is cloud to add interest to the sky. The photograph above was taken late in a walk around Ross on Wye at a point when the fog looked like it might soon be burnt off by the sun, and the modest pond took on a more interesting character in the mist.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Nikon D5300

Watery play park

The younger children's play park at The Ropewalk, Ross on Wye, has a nautical theme. On the days when the River Wye overflows its banks it seems very appropriate.

photo © T. Boughen     Camera: Lumix FZ1000 2