Heron, Regent's Park, London

The Heronry in Regent's Park is one of the largest Grey Heron colonies in London and one of the closest to a city centre in the whole of Europe.  It has over 20 nesting pairs each year.

The herons are remarkably tame and often join in the feeding scrum when anyone with bread appears.

Autumn - Regent's Park

Ladies who lunch?

Is this Painted Lady butterfly a female?  I'm not sure but it was a treat to find a cloud of them working this lantana shrub when I was nordic walking in Greece.

Wet Mani Monday

Thundering down the Messinian Gulf towards the Mani, this storm made for dramatic breakfast vistas looking south from Megali Mandinia.    The BBC weather forecast for Kalamata is proving pretty accurate and useful for walks planning.

Ski-ing home w/c 30/03/09

The late afternoon light over Skipsfjell and descent from the hills above the lodge, give a certain wow factor to the journey home to Kvitavatn [Norway] ...  and take the mind off aching muscles!

Norwegian cloudscape w/c 23/3/09

Cloudscapte looking north from Brentnuten, above Kvitavatn, Norway.

Ornenipa summit success w/c 16/03/02

Clear skies and a good weather forecast opened the door to Ornenipa [1333m], one of the more accessible peaks overlooking Kvitavatn.  We skied up then shed skis for the final steep climb to enjoy fantastic views across southern Norway.  I'm on the right in red - picture courtesy of my co-leader, Ilse Alt.

Snowy trees w/c09/03/09

Another snowfall cloaked the trees along the Red 15 trail at Kvitavatn, Norway.

Skating exercises w/c 02/03/09

Skating without poles to improve balance and glide on holiday with the Rollerski Company in Seefeld where I worked alongside instructors Alan Eason and Iain Ballentine.

XC ski-ing - Langetjonn track w/c23/02/09

Cross country ski-ers on the Langetjonn trail near Kvitavatn, Norway.

Lake crossing w/c 16/02/09

Kvitavatn lake is frozen for several months of the year providing an alternative ski route to the surrounding wilderness.

Frosty morning w/c 09/02/09

Overnight frost turns snow-covered woods into a crystal wonderland at Kvitavatn, Norway

Norwegian wood w/c 02/02/09

A cosy wooden cabin near a lake backed by snowy firs and fells - it could be almost anywhere in Norway but this is at Kvitavatn in the Telemark region of southern Norway.

Silhouette w/c 26/01/09

A simple shape from the Greek countryside as the sun goes down.

Snowy Taygetos w/c 19/01/09

Although the Taygetos range hasn't been snow-covered in January for a couple of years, this year was different.  The village of Kambos sits in the foothills and enjoys a wonderful view of the peaks.

Wild iris w/c 12/01/09

Walk up the hill from Megali Mandinia to spot the wild irises nestling in the grassy olive groves ...

Messinian Gulf winter afternoon w/c 05/01/09

Seascape or cloudscape? The view across the Messinian Gulf from Megali Mandinia changes by the minute in winter as the weather unfolds across the water.