Bosque del Apache - 2

I have now processed the next patch of images...those from the afternoon of the first day. Went a bit quicker this time since the stack to go through was smaller.

We start with the Great Blue Heron above, just to let you know that there are animals in the reserve other than the Sandhill Cranes.

Brick Lane Road

We went to Brick Lane Road to search out the market. Along the street we found lots of great street art.

Bosque del Apache - 1

This is the first of several installments on my trip to New Mexico to photograph the Sandhill Cranes. This was a photography trip, loosely guided by a couple of pros who've been here many times. We got tips on where to go when for the best chances of good photos.

A Taste of Piccadilly

By the time we got to Piccadilly Circus, it was pretty dark, making it a good time of day to see the street decorations.

Trafalgar Square

We stopped by Trafalgar Square late in the afternoon (ie. about 4:30) as the sky was going pink and orange.

Harrod's

Harrod's at Christmas time is hectic, expensive, and beautiful. At quick stop at the food court and we find oodles of yummy bits and swarms of people.

Hyde Park Christmas Celebration

We made a stop at Hyde Park to see the Christmas "Winter Wonderland" Celebration. It was even more extensive that the one we saw a few years ago. Even though there were very few market stalls selling goods, there were endless rows of food and carnival rides.

Old Spitalfield Market on Antiques Day

After our winding bus ride, we headed to the market at Spitalfields to check out the antiques. While sitting on the Central Line Underground, we noticed the distortion in the window opposite us.

Chinatown

We headed to Chinatown to some lunch. On the way we stopped in Cecil Court for a brief look around. I thought this was a good place for some monochrome action.

Riding the 205 Bus West

We headed out for a bus ride into the city. We took the 205 from Stepney Green to Warren Street station at Tottenham Court Road. We originally intended to head over tho Leighton House Museum but decided when we got to Warren Street to head back to Old Spitalfields Market. Thursday is antique day and with the sun fading early this time of year, we changed course and headed to Liverpool Street Station.

V&A Childhood Museum

Not far from where we are staying in Stepney Green is the V&A Childhood Museum. We took the bus over to Bethnal Green for a look about.

To the West End

A quick snap from my phone to show our trip to the theater so see the show "Company" with (among other people) Patti Lupone. Lots of strong singing and good acting in the story about a young woman's struggle with being single and whether to get married.

Tower Hamlets Cemetery

We are still working on our visit to all the Magnificent Seven Cemeteries and it turns out that Tower Hamlets is quite close...one stop on the underground and a 10 minute walk. We were fortunate to have a day with blue skies and sunshine so we took advantage and went out for a look about.

Old Spitalfields Market

The market was filled lots of christmas color and people looking for a bargain.

LIverpool Street Station, London

In London For Christmas! I know it has been a while since I blogged. My apologies. But in my defense, we've been busy. I'm trying to get back to a schedule and I thought I'd start with a few shots of Liverpool Station.

Skagit Valley

A drive north again to the Skagit valley. You may recall that this is the place where, back in the spring, we saw endless fields of tulips. Now all that is gone and the fields are empty of such colorful things. What has replaced the tulips is fields of grass and Snow Geese. With Mount Baker in the background on this sunny day, it is a mighty inviting place. Unfortunately, I was too slow to catch this flock of hundreds in the air circling for their landing. But we got to see it as we drove towards the field and it was pretty darned amazing.

Eagles in Flight

Today we have a look at the photos of Bald Eagles in flight (or nearly so, as in the image above).

Eagles at Rest

We finally cashed-in my birthday present and took the tour on the Skagit River (about 1.5 hours north of us) to see the Bald Eagles. Yes, the bird above is a Bald Eagle...an immature one. We're told that it takes about 5 years to reach the white-headed state. We saw lots of immature eagles on this trip.

I've broken the posting into two parts so no one gets tired before the end. In this post, you'll see sitting birds. Tomorrow, I'll post the ones I caught in flight.