Swollen Seas

Bubbling and powerful, the North Sea savagely struck the shoreline of the North East coast around St Mary's yesterday. The morning was grey, dull and miserable; but on the eastern horizon the light of the sun burst through the heavy clouds and lit up a small portion of the distant sky. A stunningly gothic morning on the tidal shore.

- David

Bamburgh By Dawn

Friday morning I was awake, fed, watered and on the A1 heading North by 5am, my destination Bamburgh.

I had a burning desire to get up there and shoot the beach landscape at first light, and yes I know its a huge cliche for Northern photographers to shoot at this location but lets be honest, its a beautiful locale of a bit of snap happy action. 

I hit on lucky with the light on Friday morning and as the sun rose the between the Farnes and the world sprang to life it lit this glorious area of Northern Northumberland up in swathes of stunning light, just beautiful.

Well worth the 3:30am wake up call and the hour drive.

- David 

Stag Rocks is your stereotypical craggy shoreline, its fantastic and to me marks the southern entrance into Budle Bay. Below is the aforementioned white stag, I'd love to know who keeps him looking fresh.

A young stonechat, one of many hanging around the white building at Stag Rocks

.......Later in the day I found this little yellow eyed chap! (No pun intended)

...Here Be Dragons!

A slight reprieve in the gloomy weather this morning afforded me the option of getting out and about amongst the reeds and I had chance to look around a small private pond I have been allowed access to.

Impressively sized and stunningly coloured the Migrant Hawker is an impressive member of the Odonata, this was one of many defending territory over the reed beds today.

A small Emerald Damselfly showed albeit briefly before being chased off by one of the Southern Hawkers.

 The gorgeous Black Darter, there was a small number of these jet black beauties basking around the pond margins and at times would be quite confiding.

The most numerous of the pond dragons by far, the Common Darter.