Saturday, 23 August 2008

Wall Lizards

How to find wall lizards...
  • It helps if the area has been people-free for a good 15 mins.
  • Mid afternoon has always been good for me, when the lizards are making the most of what sunlight is left...
  • - especially on "sunny periods" days when the sunshine has been patchy
  • Rustling noises are far more likely to be reptiles - mammals are long gone by the time you get near.
  • Stand still for a while, wait and see what appears.
  • They will be usually be near to some cover they can escape into.
  • Move slowly and quietly, then you'll be able to get very close if careful.
  • Approaching from the sun direction may help, but do keep your shadow away from startling them.













































































On the "dolphin spotting platform", right by my shoes.
























Enjoying the view?







3 in 1 - I chose to focus on the middle one.







Here was the view from "Caesar's Fort".








Strange looking plant.

Distant Shores

I was so impressed with my zoom after taking a pic from a bunker near Victoria Tower where I could almost read a sign from the other side of Anne Port...






.. I thought I'd see how pics would turn out of distant coastlines.
Here beyond the Paternoster rocks is the little island of Jethou between Sark and Guernsey...







Wildly boosted contrast (it was hazy) - the east side of Sark, also taken from Ronez point.





Les Ecrehos from the castle green...







.. Wind turbines in France...








.. closer...






.. further along the Normandy coast, south a bit...




.. etc. Now I know what sort of magnified detail I can expect when we ever have a really clear day like one I remember a few years ago, before I had this camera. I keep waiting....

Friday, 22 August 2008

Misc

Odds and ends - Gorey Fete, & coastal snaps.



This nicely lit view from L'Etacq caught my eye...







.. closer.







The Eye from West Park roundabout, in the evening sun.







Last minute preparations, the night before Battle.







More festivities...








.. Gorey Fete...








.. closer.







- taken from by the castle gate.








Somewhere not far from the castle.







Further around the coast, somewhat...









.. closer.

Victoria Tower bunkers

Now that the police have finished by Victoria Tower, let's see how they've left the bunkers there...



West of the carpark, north of the track (map) a bunker has been covered over and tidied up...




.. only a small concrete corner is showing.






Taken from the tower drawbridge, showing how the ground has been disturbed around the central wooded area, and boulders have appeared...





.. and these big blocks. The wooded area contains buried bunkers, but there's nothing worth taking pics of.



North-East Position



Here is (map) a group of linked semi-circular positions like this one...







.. and the inland part of this group has been newly bricked up.









Nice views from here, of Anne Port...







.. and beyond.






Eastern Position



Here is a newly barren pathway down to...







.. another semi-circular position that looks, oddly, almost as good as new.







From here, (map) there is a nice view over to the castle green...






.. closer...






.. and looking back from there...








.. closer.





South-East Position



This one used to be amongst trees that have now been felled...
(map)






.. looking towards the castle's north side.





(map locations are approximate for now)