Monthly Archives: August 2015

Staple Island Guillemots

Posted on by
2

The one thing that hits you when you step onto the Staple Islands, apart from the stench and noise and other seabirds, is the vast number of guillemots all closely  huddled together on the surrounding cliffs.  Perhaps this is a tactic employed to deter predators as you have to look very closely to spot their young.  As an adult arrives back from sea with its catch it is initially quite chaotic as they try to find their spot (a needle in a haystack comes to mind).   Regularly patrolled by hungry gulls who are after an easy meal, the loud and unique sounding  roar  of the vast colony as the Gull gets close is magical.

Guillemots
Guillemots
Guillemots
Guillemots
Guillemots

© [John Mallaney] and [www.johnmallaney.com], [2015]. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to [John Mallaney] and [www.johnmallaney.com] with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Serval Cat

Posted on by
4

Here are a few shots of a Serval cat taken at the Cat Survival Trust in Hertfordshire.

Serval Cat
Serval Cat
Serval Cat

© [John Mallaney] and [www.johnmallaney.com], [2015]. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to [John Mallaney] and [www.johnmallaney.com] with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Shags

Posted on by
4

Here are a few head shots of the somewhat strange looking shag taken on Staple Island, Inner Farne.

Shag
Shag
Shag
Shag

© [John Mallaney] and [www.johnmallaney.com], [2015]. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to [John Mallaney] and [www.johnmallaney.com] with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Cornflowers

Posted on by
Reply

A threatening grey sky cannot defeat this low level shot portraying the magical colour of cornflowers speckled with the occasional poppy.  This sea of blue was noted whilst driving along the M25 and had to be visited whilst the opportunity remained.

assbb

© [John Mallaney] and [www.johnmallaney.com], [2015]. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to [John Mallaney] and [www.johnmallaney.com] with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Mandarin Ducks

Posted on by
Reply

Here are further shots of Mandarin ducks taken at the Grand Union Canal near Wendover, Buckinghamshire

Mandarin Duck
Mandarin Duck
Mandarin Duck
Mandarin Duck
Mandarin Duck
Mr & Mrs Mandarin

© [John Mallaney] and [www.johnmallaney.com], [2015]. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to [John Mallaney] and [www.johnmallaney.com] with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

A Puffin Beakful

Posted on by
1

Here are a few shots of puffins with beakfuls of goodies for their hungry pufflings taken on Staple Island, Inner Farne.  These  puffins were the lucky ones as most returning with beakfuls of sand eels bore the brunt of the much larger and sand eel-thieving gulls. ‘Tis a hard life indeed.

Puffin with a beakful
Puffin with sand eels
Puffin with a beakful
Puffin with sand eels
Puffin with a beakful

© [John Mallaney] and [www.johnmallaney.com], [2015]. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to [John Mallaney] and [www.johnmallaney.com] with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Puffins in Flight

Posted on by
7

Here are a few shots of puffins in flight taken at Staple Island, one of the outer group of the Farne Islands in Northumberland, England.

Puffin in Flight
Puffin in Flight
Puffin in Flight
Puffin in Flight

© [John Mallaney] and [www.johnmallaney.com], [2015]. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to [John Mallaney] and [www.johnmallaney.com] with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Blenheim Palace

Posted on by
1

Following up from my post on the 23 July showing the palace and grounds, here are a few shots of inside the palace.

Blenheim Palace
Bust of Sir Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Churchill’s birthplace
Blenheim Palace
Blenheim Palace
Blenheim Palace
Blenheim Palace
Blenheim Palace

© [John Mallaney] and [www.johnmallaney.com], [2015]. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to [John Mallaney] and [www.johnmallaney.com] with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Snow Leopard

Posted on by
Reply

Here are a few shots of one of  the worlds most elusive cats, the superb Snow Leopard.  Taken at the Cat Survival Trust in Hertfordshire it would simply not be possible to see such a fantastic looking cat as they tend to be found amongst high rugged mountain landscapes in Asia.  Sadly,  they are now critically endangered due to the decline of their natural prey (goats, cattle, yaks etc) and the fact that at one point their fur was highly sought after.

Snow Leopard
Snow Leopard
Snow Leopard
Snow Leopard
Snow Leopard

© [John Mallaney] and [www.johnmallaney.com], [2015]. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to [John Mallaney] and [www.johnmallaney.com] with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.