On the way to work

Today was one of those mornings I went to the post office in the centre of town and walked back out to work...some quick snaps along the way.
I missed the first and best skein of geese due to not yet having my camera out.

On the way to work...

It turned into another dull, cold, grey damp day. But as I was going to work there was a lovely sunrise glow, so I took a few photos.
The one of the flying swans is nothing as a photo, but it's always a magical feeling to see them fly overhead and hear them honking away.

Just for fun, because I accidentally hit the "posterize" button when I was editing one if the brewery silhouette photos:

And after I left the supermarket, I was rather surprised to see this:

Fog

We've had a lot of fog recently.
The first two photos were taken with my phone on my day off last week, when I walked to the library and didn't bring my camera because it was so foggy I didn't think it would be worth it.

The second two were taken this morning on the way to work.

Last Leaf

The last leaf on the Spanish (Sweet) Chestnut tree in work. It's gone, now. There was a great harvest this year - large (relatively speaking) and sweet.

The second photo is leaves on the river wall one morning this week. The high winds have brought all the leaves down and there were streams of them floating along the river for a couple of days. At low tide I spotted these ones sticking to the wall.

And the wood duck is still hanging out in Phoenix Park.

The header photo is a long-tailed tit from last December. The mild weather means far fewer birds in the garden so far - plenty of goldfinches and a regular pair of robins, but nothing like the number we had this time last year.

Gulls

Life is crazy busy....

One morning recently there was beautiful sunshine, and the warm colour reflecting off the walls onto the river down by Heuston gave an almost posterised effect to these photos...

Plus my heron on the wall

Boardwalk / bird walk

Last Friday I arrived in town somewhat earlier than normal before work. I'd wanted to vote on the way, since I wasn't going to be going home as we headed to Clare at lunchtime. I over-estimated how long all that would take, so I stayed on the bus as far as O'Connell Bridge, and walked back out of town along the boardwalk. It was the first sunny morning after several grey days, and I really enjoyed the walk - and all the gulls on parade (plus a pigeon!). Mostly juvenile gulls, bar one.

I also enjoyed watching some cormorants. There was one on the wall down at Heuston I could have sworn looked dead, if I hadn't seen it move. Maybe I'll get those photos edited and uploaded over the weekend since I have tomorrow off.

Almost Missing in Action

I thought I'd better post something before August is over! I don't know where it has gone, but it's just zipping by.

With the schools still out (not for much longer) the traffic into town has been so light in the mornings that I've had more time than normal for watching the birds at Heuston Station.
One morning I spotted a black-headed gull with a ring, and I spotted him again the next morning. I was directed to a website to look up all the various ringing projects, and it turns out that he was ringed as a young male last year in Antwerp in the Netherlands. I'm still watching out for him, but except at low tide when the birds are on the mudflats, it's hard to spot the ring.

There is also a one-legged gull: I've spent a lot of time watching over the last few days to make sure, and having watched him take off and land, I am certain that it is that he just has one leg, and not that he prefers to stand on one when he's perched. I'll try to edit and upload a photo of him this week - I have a few in the camera, just haven't looked at them yet.

Favourite cards for July...

I'm surprised to discover I have any gold embossing powder left after the Asian fish one. It's still just a piece of heavy card, in case I decide that I would prefer to turn it into a hanging rather than use it on a card.

A Tale of Tails

One of our robins is moulting at the moment, and has just the stubbiest of little tails. It hasn't affected his aggression and territorial behaviour - he's still chasing the other two (who seem to be a pair) away from the feeder if he gets there first! He looks such a scruffball in comparison to the others.

The cormorant and duck photos were both taken at Heuston Station the other morning.