Birthday Treats

It's always a bit strange having a birthday so close to Christmas, but despite the treacherous weather conditions (heavy snow and sheet ice here in West Sussex) I grabbed a couple of relaxing hours away from my desk. An outing with the car was out of the question, but a snowy walk on the local National Trust land was a real pleasure. I was sent some beautiful orchid stems and a huge spray of pink and white blooms. They're so gorgeous I just had to photograph them. Other birthday treats came in the form of some scrummy makeup and some much-needed and greatly appreciated help towards impending hefty business costs, and a fab software upgrade.

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Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, Arundel

The Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust at Arundel is the perfect retreat after a heavy working week. The carpark was more than half full when we arrived, but the centre was tranquil, warm, and comforting. The grounds were well populated with winter migrants and some very tame pheasants, and we were lucky enough to watch a Kingfisher darting back and forth by the lake. The light was a little strange today, there were sudden and brief bright intervals where I could achieve a Tv of 1/1000 at f5.6 and ISO400, and just as quickly the skies would darken and I'd be getting 1/30 sec, not exactly suitable for moving birds!

You'll spot some Nenes in the shots below - Nenes are the rarest geese in the world, but we always see them at Arundel, and they love to be hand fed with the special bird seed available at the centre.

 

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