I just put my Canon Rebel on the Sports setting and took loads of photos, handheld. A few of them were good

Always useful to know what can manage the tough shots, fireworks are a test of a good camera as such little light combined with a fast exposure stretches them to the limits.

SpanishLiz: You have a Rebel? Am jealous!

Satguru: were you under an umbrella when you took the pic? Because when I try photos in the rain all I get are water splots lol. Lovely photo by the way, quite "ethereal" : )

We're no doubt about to get a huge thunderstorm here. Will try for pics of either lightning (although it's not even close to dark here yet) or hail. Am suspecting the latter, since the temp dropped about 6 degrees in the last 15 minutes lol

Martin, I'm Irish but I grew up in Clevedon, if you know it? My dad was a big Bristol City fan. Still is! He looked like a wally on a weekly basis.

not a very good photo but here is a spotted shag at the Smithfield rockpools

Loving all these birds, Howie. How beautiful he is.

I live in South Bristol, about 10 miles from Clevedon so I know it very well. I've just bought a
season ticket for Bristol City. It's the first time I've done that so I hope they don't let me down!


Here's an attempted photo of some fireworks I took earlier! Nowhere as good as the one from
Spanishliz but an interesting effect none the less.

Ducklings on the brook we pass when out with the dog.

Here is a picture of some scuba divers caught on the rocks.

I was standing under a tree for that one but also depends if the wind's blowing the rain towards you or not which is what causes all the problems, which I have had when out in the open. It also steams up the lens if really bad.

This is the railway looking towards Finsbury Park.

After the spotted shag last time, why not have some little shags from the Smithfield rock pools as well?

Howie, your bird pictures are amazing. (& I've never seen an all-black Oyster Catcher before so that was a treat).




Oh great! I'll be willing them on.

Do you live close to these rock pools Howie? You are lucky to have this on your doorstep, such lovely birds and such good photos.

Rayleigh High St this morning - Police outriders for the Olympic Torch relay, the torch is just round the corner behind them about to come into sight. I've never seen so many people in the High Street, they were ten deep in places.

Everywhere looks better from a bridge, even Stroud Green

The rockpools would be less than a 10 minute stroll away, depending on how long it takes to cross the main road.

Amongst my self seeded poppies is this one. I've never seen one quite like it before. That colour yes, but with conventional petals, not looking like this.

I went to London on Thursday which was the day that London's newest
building - The Shard - was inaugurated. It's the tallest building in Europe
and will be opened to public early next year. I couldn't fit it all into one
photo from where I was standing but I'll be back in London on Tuesday
so I'll try again then. At least I got the pointy end in!

I saw The Shard several times when it was being built. Makes you dizzy looking up at it. Did you see the photos the other day of the window cleaner who got into difficulties right at the very top, his platform was swinging around all over the place, must have been terifying. I've been to the top of The Gherkin, and the views are stupendous, must be even better from The Shard though.

It's interesting what you can see from bridges, I don't know whose garden this is but they are clearly used to people looking in

That poppy is simply amazing,Christina!

I'm going to collect the seeds and see if it comes true from seed. A big patch of those would be quite spectacular.

Not just birds at the Smithfield rock pools, here we have a purple rock crab, photographed through the water.

Wow, the water must be so clear and clean there, that's lovely.

We've had this hen pheasant around the garden a lot in the last few days. I'm wondering if she has chicks somewhere nearby.