Weekly adventures W/C 23/03/26

 This weeks adventure, although limited due to work commitments and the weather, which seemed to have decided to go back to being quite cold, also with some rain back in play again

So work week, did allow for a beautiful rainbow out in the street, always great to see and i love the difference in the colours of the sky on either side of it

These were previous rainbows  taken and show the same differences too

My only main expedition due to the weather, which is not my usual excuse but going to play that card for the weekend, was early Saturday morning as the weather was cold but bright and sunny

So a trip to Middleton Lakes, Staffordshire which is an RSPB nature reserve, setting off early to get there for 8am, thinking we may be the first, only to find a lot of people there already apparently trying to spot an elusive woodpecker[which i heard a few times but did not spot them]the volunteers there are really friendly and informative and as an RSPB member parking is free, a nice bonus!!

The walk was just under four miles, nice and easy and flat, lots of stops to photograph the scenery

There is an abundance of birdlife in the lakes of the wetlands

There are beautiful stops for the birds too, they are very friendly and i think maybe enjoy being spoilt a bit too much by visitors

Some of my favourite photos on the day

The colours of the spring time were so beautiful there

Sunday was a quiet day, quite cold and raining, so a nice change to stay in and watch some films 

The weather in the evening did clear up and finished the week with a beautiful sunset

Weekly adventues W/C 16/03/26

 So nothing unusual about the start to this week, NOT, as the clock rolled into Monday morning, i was awoken with the most vile stomach bug, i wont go into details as they certainly were not nice, but for a few days i can say i was not at my best, went back into the office on Thursday hoping that was done with

The weather had been amazing this week, i did get some beautiful signs of spring from the back garden

On to the weekend and we had booked to go to our usual haunt in Wales, would we make it???

By Friday evening, we both seemed ok, so the adventure was on!!

Saturday morning, off early to Betws-y-coed, there was a nice walk i liked the look of, starting along by the river to the Miners bridge, weather was perfect

After that it was a steep walk up to Llyn Elsi, it was tough in bits, but the view was well worth it

It was a stunning spring day for March, signs of summer even, beautiful horses and singing birds

The garden in the house we stayed at had the flowers and bees enjoying the sunshine too

After a spot of dinner, it was down to the beach, a short walk from the house to check out a sunset, North Wales never fails to disappoint

What an absolutely stunning full packed day

For Sunday it was over to Anglesey, a visit to the RSPB at South Stacks, a nice place for the views and a spot of lunch

To round off the day, it was trying to spot the birds and squirrels, again Wales has the most beautiful nature and wildlife, it was a beautiful weekend

So that was the week

Polar bear vs the barrel part one

 Follow the polar bear vs the barrel, 1st of a series of 9 video's from the Peak Wildlife Park, in Derbyshire, 1ST ATTEMPT, The Polar bears' habitat is over 5 acres, complete with deep ponds, rugged terrain, and space for the bears to roam and engage in a range of natural behaviours.

Peak Wildlife Park is home to two amazing polar bears Nanook and Noori. The two cubs joined us from Orsa Predator Park back in August of 2023. This relocation came as a result of the closure of their old home and the need to find a suitable rehoming solution for these incredible animals.  The cubs, Nanook and Noori, were born at Orsa in November 2021.

The polar bear relocation has been a collaborative effort between the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria’s (EAZA) European Ex-situ Programme (EEP) for polar bears, Orsa and Peak Wildlife Park, with a shared goal of ensuring the well-being and conservation of this iconic Arctic species.

Weekly adventures W/C 09/03/26

Week started with work, pretty average start, did mange to get out on a lunch break, with the weather picking up and a bit more spring like, took the camera out on a walk getting off site for a while and away from the desk.

Finished the work week on Friday, looking forward to a few plans for the weekend hopefully

Saturday was a visit to the Peak Wildlife Park, nestled in the picturesque heart of the Staffordshire Moorlands, it is a unique wildlife attraction that combines conservation, education, and entertainment for visitors of all ages. With its commitment to preserving biodiversity and promoting sustainable practices, the park has rapidly become one of the UK's most beloved wildlife destinations. So as usual up and about quite early, about an hour and a quarter to drive over for a10am booking slot

Spotted these in the skies above, watched a proper dog fight

The animals as usual were wonderful, love that these places i visit have a great affinity with conservation, a few portraits of some of the guys up and about for the day, although the Red Panda was just waking up from its nap, bit of yawning going on

The stars of the show for this particular visit at Peak Wildlife Park home to two amazing polar bears Nanook and Noori. The two cubs joined from Orsa Predator Park back in August of 2023. This relocation came as a result of the closure of their old home and the need to find a suitable rehoming solution for these incredible animals.  The cubs, Nanook and Noori, were born at Orsa in November 2021. The polar bear relocation has been a collaborative effort between the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria’s (EAZA) European Ex-situ Programme (EEP) for polar bears, Orsa and Peak Wildlife Park, with a shared goal of ensuring the well-being and conservation of this iconic Arctic species. The bears' new habitat is over 5 acres, complete with deep ponds, rugged terrain, and space for the bears to roam and engage in a range of natural behaviours. They work hard to ensure that the bears’ new home is compatible with their former enclosure at Orsa, and ensure as seamless a transition for the bears as possible.

The adventure on this particular day, took the chap ages to get the barrel out of the pond, then to push it up the back of the hill, probably to show his brother, after all that to throw it off the top and jump back in after it. Amazing to watch, i have the process to show on daily video's on my Facebook page, these are just a few photos

A brilliant day, weather was petty good, if  a bit chilly out of the sun, but for mid March it was ok, home then for a well deserved rest on the evening.

Unsure what the weather would do for Sunday, when i got up it was all looking ok, so a walk at Sutton Park was the idea, only about 8 miles from home so nothing too much, always wonderful to be about in the trees, so that was my theme for the morning, did find a few other photo opportunities along the way too

Wonderful to see the water birds

And this little one

That was my week, after the park returning home to look at the photos i had taken, always a surprise to see what you get, the afternoon had a lot of heavy rain, so completed the walk just in time,...Love it