Most of the extreme snow we had yesterday – the heaviest in 20 years – was gone by lunchtime (English weather is so fickle), but not before I had negotiated the ice-rink that passes for our road (all the other roads round here were clear) and made my way in to work. Still I managed to catch the last of it, and catch a few of the local residents as well.
This was taken soon after I arrived at work. The light was perfect.
Seagull in snow
By lunchtime the light was more variable, but we had some blue skies.
South Downs snow view
And of course, the birds were at their prettiest with a snowy backdrop.
Jackdaw
There are a few more of the birds in my February Birds album.
The sun was setting by the time I left to head back home. I'd not parked in my usual place (up a perilously steep hill which was closed off today), so I had to cut across to the front of the campus on my way out. The sun was casting gorgeous reds and oranges across the snow. The photo doesn't quite do the colours justice.
Sussex campus
Camera note: the birds were taken with the EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L USM IS lens. The landscapes were shot with the EF 17-40mm 1:4L USM lens, with a polarizer for the 'South Downs' images.
Vulpes vulpes
4 Feb 2009You had much nicer skies than we did yesterday! (grey…:rolleyes:)
CedarFox
4 Feb 2009Nice photos, I really like the one of the Pied wagtail :up:
gdare
4 Feb 2009You are using pretty big snowballs for fight :insane:
Flying Red Fox Blog
4 Feb 2009Nice photos. 😀 The snow in Bognor dissapeared by about 10am in Bognor! Was nice while it lasted though.
Words
4 Feb 2009Mark, there is still a light dusting of snow on some of the hills around here, but the thaw was quite rapid when it came. A few more days would have been alright with me. 😀
Words
4 Feb 2009Eric thanks. They're cute little birds and were being very bold yesterday.
Words
4 Feb 2009Vulpes, the skies faded soon after those shots, but it was beautiful while it lasted.
Words
4 Feb 2009Darko, I'm glad I wasn't around when they were being thrown :whistle:
anonymous
4 Feb 2009Tony Wildish writes:
That poor little pied wagtail looks cold, hunched down and fluffed up. Isn't he cute!
KayFour
4 Feb 2009Very nice (and cold) photos.
SittingFox
4 Feb 2009That gull pic is wonderful – the highlighting is just perfect! And it's nice to see a jackdaw against that backdrop.
We've still got about five inches on the ground up here, but the trains are running again, more or less. I predict icerinks in the days to come, however, if the forecast of light rain and then -4 is correct. *starts wishing for crampons*
Words
4 Feb 2009Tony, yes it does look unusually fluffed up, but it was doing fine!
Words
4 Feb 2009Thanks Karen!
Words
4 Feb 2009Adele, thanks. The gull was the only one with such cooperative light and shade. Taht's a lot of snow you still have. there was some still sitting in central London today. If the snow lasts until the weekend another freeze is promised :smurf:
Ukwildlife
5 Feb 2009Great photos – especially the jackdaw. I spent ages trying to get a decent crow photo on Tuesday but had little luck with a contrasting white background
Words
5 Feb 2009Neil, black on bright white isn't easy. I had some horrors of over and under exposure. I use spot metering, and on that one over exposed slightly (and then tweaked in Photoshop),.