Tag Archives: walks

May 7 2012

Rare Sighting

On yesterday’s walk I was going to keep the camera in the case. I was suffering with a bit of a hangover and wasn’t in the mood. I said to Stephen that it would take something unusual for me to it out.

A short time later a Bull Finch popped up onto a nearby beech tree. They are a rare sighting here and don’t sit long as they are a shy bird. I even had to change the lens first and was surprised when it sat long enough for me to get a few shots!

As I had the camera out, I took a few more.

A badger set under the roots of a beech tree.

A buzzards seemed to be following us around.

If you look closely you can even see the hailstones that made it  take to a perch.

Sometimes being a parent isn’t easy!

Willow

Taking off from Ards Airport, small planes only.

May 6 2012

Oldest Settlement in Ireland… Probably

I had to drive to Nendrum Monastic Site the other day for a thing in work. My trusty camera is never too far away.

This place dates back to the 7th century when they built this settlement on an Island in Strangford Lough. In 1999 they found the remains of 2 tidal Mills during a dig. It’s a bit out of the way but a lovely spot to visit.

This is a few photos of the road down to the site.

Some info on the site.

The remains of the round tower.

View out towards Skettrick Island.

The Ballydorn Lightship, now the home of Down Cruising Club

The remains of Skettrick Castle.

The remains of the sun dial on the Church. The time was wrong 🙂

The Church

The Tower again, or what’s left of it!

This is what the Tidal Mill used to look like

This is where they were found.

Hope you enjoyed your trip back in time 😉

May 5 2012

Dundrum Coastal Path

Managed to stop here for a few minutes the other day just to unwind. My wife Allison can be seen taking in the view on what was a very warm but hazy day. It would appear that only the locals know about this spot. One of these days I’ll have to walk the length of it for a better look.

Also spotted an apple in flower along the path.

May 1 2012

Sunday Signs!

On my usual Sunday walk I couldn’t help but notice just how often we came across signs telling us what not to do. I’m aware signs are helpful but I am getting a little tired of being ‘SHOUTED AT’ in capitals everywhere we go. For example….

and this one was kinda hard to miss!!

This was the only one I liked for obvious reasons 🙂

OK rant over, here are some more calming photos taken on the walk.

Wild primrose

Would love to know what this is..

A close up of the flowers

and now for the wildlife, Spotted this Pheasant in a recently planted field.

A Buzzard circling overhead.

Gulls

Mallard Ducks in flight

Hooded Crows

Evil looking crow 🙂

Pied Wagtail

Wood Pigeon

The hardest one of all was trying to capture a photo of a House Martin in flight. These are the only two that look even half right.

and this big fella to finish. He was keeping a close eye on my dogs.

Apr 8 2012

Happy Easter

Happy Easter, and as it’s Easter Sunday, I’m not taking my usual walk. However, here are a few from last weekend that I haven’t shared as yet.

I was just talking to Stephen on the walk about how you rarely see wild Primrose any more and about 100 yards later we see this 🙂

On Easter Sunday Scrabo Tower is a busy place to walk as many people attend a Sunrise service and in the afternoon many local children, mine included, roll their eggs down the hill.

Stephen snapping away

Gorse/Whinbushes covering the quarry face

Blackthorn in Flower

The next Rory McIlroy, Darren Clarke , Fred Daly or Graeme McDowell.

Northern Ireland is the promised land for golf’s best players 🙂

This is Scrabo Golf Club. A tight course!

Some of Strangford Lough’s 365 Islands

Patchwork Quilt, County Down

Wild Flowers

Scrabo is famous for it’s bluebells. These are among the first to appear.

Blackthorn Hedge

Spring is Sprung

Doggie Dust Trails 🙂

Amazing trunk on an old Hazel

Mar 26 2012

Yesterday’s Walk up Cavehill

Had a lovely walk with family friends and dogs up Cavehill yesterday morning. Sadly the view over Belfast City was obscured by haze but that’s better than the usual cold rain we normally get up there!

Looking up to the destination, McArts Fort.

The Cave in Cavehill.

Belfast lost in the haze.

Following the dogs, brothers can be seen in the distance.

Last years Haws and this years buds on a Hawthorn.

Jackdaws nesting on the cliff.

What’s that strange shape on the fort?

Two brothers acting like complete eejits 🙂

Stephen, aka Bonsai baker, with Belfast lurking somewhere behind him!

Cliff top dog, Heart in my mouth!

Looking down over Belfast zoo.

Some nice flowers emerging, no clue what they are though!

Mar 19 2012

Yesterdays Walk under Blue Sky

Some may think it strange to mention a blue sky. but it’s a real rarity here! I think it’s now safe to say that Spring has arrived. Plenty of flowers to share. Here’s the usual offering of photos to entice you to the Ards Peninsula.

Feb 26 2012

Today’s Dander

This morning we walked from Ballyholme in Bangor to Orlock Point. This is the next part of the coast line past were we normally walk. Here’s a map.

Compared to the Baltic weather experienced in my garage last weekend, today was actually very mild indeed.

Plenty of flowers appearing early

Groomsport

Lookout at Orlock

Ivy creeping up a rock face

Dry stone wall

My two dogs making some pigeons take to the wing 🙂

Stephen finds something to photograph

I follow suit

The finish line

My two older brothers lagging behind 😉

Feb 12 2012

Sunday Walk Inspiration

Here follows my usual offering of photos taken this morning during my Sunday walk.

To start with, some views from Scrabo Tower

Gorse in Flower

My Usual selection of Fungi, most of these growing on the gorse.

An old Hazel

Birch Bark

Nabari on the shohin tree, Stephen for scale 😉

Bluebells already!!

More Fungi and just check out the shape of the cut stump, truly amazing.

Uro

Being watched

The overgrown sandstone quarry where all the famous Scrabo Stone was quarried from. It’s now home to 100’s of Jackdaws.

A tunnel cut under what used to be the railway line used to take the stone from the quarry.

Scrabo Tower peeking over the hill.

Jan 24 2012

Redburn Ramblers

As usual, here are some photos from my Sunday walk looking for trees to inspire when creating bonsai.

These were taken at Redburn Country Park overlooking Belfast Lough.

Two strange blokes wandering around taking photographs of trees 🙂

A very old Rhododendron hedge that has collapsed on itself. Spooky looking!

A Beech with fused branches in all sorts of  shapes. Some really nice Beech here.

Again, spooky. Wouldn’t want to walk up there in the dark!!

Some of the beautiful Beech.

Rooting into it’s own decomposing stump hollow. How about that for recycling

We spotted 5 different Rafts on the walk. Some lying side by side. They all look to have been blown flat at the same time many years ago.

Side by side rafts

This one might even be worth digging up!

Old Scottie with his head in the sun.

Long uro on an Ash.

Grain in an old rotting log.

Through and through

This beech has obviously been eroded away by some sort of infection. Nice hollows on the trunk now.

Wouldn’t be a walk without fungi 🙂 This old stump looks as if someone has been throwing frisbees about!

Ivy Seed heads

Hill streams

Miniature world under foot.

Peek-a-boo fern

Stenna heading out of Belfast Lough

Hope you enjoyed the walk.