4: April

The Robin (Erithacus rubecula) a common favourite and possibly the most easily recognised of all UK garden birds. The Robin is a plump bird with bright orange-red breast, face, throat and cheeks edged with grey, a white belly and olive-brown upper parts.

Robins are territorial all year round; during the spring and summer this is for breeding, but at other times individual robins hold territories for feeding. Robins will defend their territories to the death! Robins eat mainly insects swooping to the ground from a pearch to catch worms and the like. This one though seems to like cake.

The Waterfall by William Pye, more formally known as the Derby Market Place Water Feature, was installed in March 1995. Love it or hate it, you can't miss it.

Wordsworth wrote poetry about them, the Cranberries sang about them, in the 60's the Dutch named a car after them, and to top it all today I photographed one; the Daffodil.

If there is one thing that say's spring to me, it is the appearance of Daffodil's. Yet many people are not aware that because Daffodil's are part of the Narcissus family they like all Narcissi contain the alkaline poison lycorine mainly in the bulb, but also in the leaves. So make sure your pet's don't nibble on them.

As is usual at Easter I spent my day at animal rescue charity open events, trying deperately to make it home without extra mouths to feed. This is the event at Cat's Protection Rehoming Center, Long Lane, Derby.

A view of the Old House (now the Club House) at Allestree Park. As part of the patk Allestree Golf Club is renowned as one of the most picturesque golfing venues in the Midlands.

Pickles, affectionaltly known as Lilly (if you are British you'll know of Piccalilli). Any way this week she has caused great concern as she stopped eating, and at one point she was not drinking either. Now she appears to be on the mend.

A stone I have seen many times on my way home, but never took the time to investigate, but this evening I decided to take the time to take a look. The text reads:

Yesterday when I photographed the memorial stone at Eyes Meadow I noticed what a stunning building St Alkmund's is, so I returned with a wide angle lens (17-40mm) to try and place it's image in perspective. I hope I have suceeded with this photograph.

The Duffield church is delicated to St. Alkmund, an exiled Prince of Northhumbria who was murdered in 800 A.D. in Mercia at Northworthy (renamed Derby after a Danish Viking occupation in 877 A.D.) by bodyguards sent by the usurping King Earduff of Northhumbria.

Mr Bunny (yes that really is his name) in one of his favourite hollows in amongst some shrubbery and brambles in the garden. This is the spot he goes to when it is time to come inside but he is not yet ready.

The River Derwent looking down stream from Exeter Bridge as it passed through Derby City center. I have to admit in the almost twenty years I have been passing this way the river and the view have cleaned up considerably.

Ashbourne Animal Welfare, is a registered charity dedicated to the rescue and re-homing of stray and unwanted cats and dogs. The charity operates from it's own purpose-built rescue centre "The Ark", near Ashbourne, in Derbyshire. The ARK has monthly open days which I nearly always attend to show support (and sample the wonderful home made cakes). Today however was no ordenary open day, it was the Spring Fun Dog show. This is the point at which the Judges started their selection from the assortment of dogs on display.

The wood and brick lych gate style entrance to the Memorial Park, Coleshill, West Midlands. I just thourght how well it looked lit by the sun and surrounded by the blosom of the trees.

Disturbed headstones, the increasing trend of moving memorial headstones to the periphery of the grave yard, or against building walls to make the maintenance of the grounds less tedious. Sorry to say this; but I totally disagree with the practice, somehow it just seems irreverent and wrong to me.

The parish Church of St Peter and St Paul, Coleshill, West Midlands. The Church was extensively restored 1868-69, prior to the restoration it was originally a Pre-Reformation Catholic Church.

I decided to go for a walk around lunch time, and in my travels I came a cross a field of sheep with newly born lambs. This pair were proper showmen and kept creeping towards me, then running back to their mum.

Back to farm animals again, today I spent a plesent couple of hours at Highfields Happy Hens is an open farm in Derbyshire, where I managed to snap the Cockerel strutting his stuff to a hen in the main barn.

Whatstandewll Station (Opened 1849) and it's recently renovated footbridge, the far side now gives access to Cromford Canal and boasts a second arch that crosses the waterway.

Bakwell's famous early 13th century bridge over the River Wye. The bridge marks the eastern entrance to the town and currently carries the A619 across the river.

A close-up of blossom on a riverside tree, the trees in this area are weighed down with blossom at this time of year, so I decided to record the detail of the flowers.

Magpie Mine, a cursed derelict lead mine near Sheldon in Derbyshire. This is my attempt at the representation of the passing of time in a photographic image. A look form the colour an reality of today to a monochrome history of past times.

I'm not a Photoshop fan, but I think this sort of works.

This image is a scan from a 120 roll film negative taken with a Mamyia M645 camera.

Flags of Nations, decided to go for a walk around the lake at the NEC today, noticed these flags in the breeze and thought them worth an image.

Velvet, our Otter Back Rex. Now around nine years of age she is begining to show her age. Although her weight is now stable, we treasure each day, as she does every hour in the sun.

A class 70 loco, but not where you might expect to see it. Image taken at the NEC with loco 70001 "Power Haul" on route for display at an exhibition. I wonder if this GE loco will replace the class 66?

Starlings, most of us see them as pests raiding the bird tables and feeders in large raucus flocks. To be honest Starlings have to eat, and bring up their young, so rather than trying to keep them away; just take amoment and observe thier wonderful irridecent plumage. You never know you may change your mind about them.

Nothing to my mind shouts out that spring is truly here than a raft of Daffodils. I may be repeating my self, but the depth of colour in these blooms puts my solo flower of Day 93 to shame.

A return visit to the Eco Wall at the LG Stadium and concert venue, NEC Birmingham (UK). Curiosity made me wonder if the planing in the wall had begun to flower; well the answer is yes the first blooms are starting to appear. I shall have to keep my eye on this ever changing structure to try and photograph it at it's peak.

I have no idea why when out in the garden all of the bunnies, especially this one, seem to prefere the rougher ground and shrubs to the areas of tended garden. I have no real problem with this other than each time I photograph one of them out of doors it gives the appearance that my garden is a wilderness.

Horsley stone pillar box, the "locally made" pillar box can be found at the corner of Church Street and French Lane. Thiswas erected and brought into use on 24 December 1896. It appears today that the Horsley pillar box is unique in Derbyshire possibly even in the whole of the UK.

On the opposite corner of French Lane can be found Blanche; one the villages disused gifted fountains. See Day 80.

You may have noticed trees which appear to be dead or ailing amongst a row of others that are in full bloom, well it appears that this may be due to the amount salt used in the winter. Run off as raised the salinity of the soil to a point that the roots of some trees no longer work, so the trees are dying from the effects drought.

Surely there has to be an alternative to rock salt to keep the roads clear in winter.

A Water Vole returning to it's hole.

The northern water vole(Arvicola Terrestris) was only a few decades ago common across most of the UK. Sadly, mainly due to escaped/released mink, this is no longer the case. Mink pose a the greatest threat as the water voles main defence is to dive under water, unfortunately mink are also superb swimmers, so this tactic is no longer an effective escape.

Return to Top of Page.