Wednesday 29 October 2014

Pembrokeshire holiday Tenby 20th june 2014


Today i am going in search of Marsh Fritillaries , i have never seen one and there is a very good butterfly conservation reserve not too far away called Caeau Ffos Fach  which even though a bit late in the flying season for them i have got to at least go and have a look . a few where seen last week so its worth a look .



After arriving ,  Jan has stayed in the car with the dogs while i go for a hunt. Finding my way into the reserve, which as it happens , has been quite difficult as the entrance style is very overgrown with brambles!     there are Skippers all over the place , and .......


 a few Burnett moths feeding on the thistle flowers But  No fritillaries :(    i have explored 3 fields and not a sign of one !


 As i walk near the edge of the last field a dragon flies past , a Golden Ringed   Yay.    i chase after it and manage this one image before it disappears off across the hedge!   They are stunning Dragons :)


              Just as i get to the fence near the entrance i spot this Snipe fly :)   lovely light on it!



 We have now driven to Tenby to have a look around and then go down onto the beach later this evening to tire out the Terrible Twosome :)

 Love the multi coloured buildings around the harbour , all in pastel colours looking clean and bright.





 Walking around the Harbour wall towards the old lifeboat station which is a private residence now.
Dogs are banned on the beaches this side of the headland unfortunately :(



              We can see the new lifeboat building from here on the right hand side next to the old one.






Further around the small headland  we come to a view of  St Catherines Island and a charter boat that ferry's visitors out to Caldey Island which we could see from the other end of the beach,on our first  evenings walk from Pennaly.



                                       Love the Palms along the coastal walk way .


                      While walking along the beautiful narrow streets  , and buying Fudge :)


 Down onto the beach now, its deserted almost! ,   a panorama shot showing the promenade buildings above south beach, where dogs cant go :(


                                                                     Swimming time :)


                                                            Chester is along way out!






                                                         Stupid Chester rolling in the sand!





            Good girl Mol :D   they are both swimming well in the calm shallow water :)


                                                                   Time to go now !


                           Its been a lovely warm evening and the dogs are now worn out :)
                           only one more full day left of our holiday left now unfortunately

Tuesday 28 October 2014

Bosherton Lily Ponds Pembrokeshire holiday 19 th june 2014

Today we are going for a walk around Bosherton Lily ponds , which is adjacent to Broad Haven South beach.
After a short journey we arrive at the National Trust car park at Bosherton , a couple of minutes walk and we see our first view of the famous lily ponds!     which are huge.


            Boardwalks have been constructed over the pools , Mol is very nervous walking over anything like this!  The water is crystal clear and i can see loads of fish, and a couple of southern hawker dragonflies are hunting :)


 The path goes through a wooded area and we have come out high above , what a superb view from up here :)  the pools stretch as far as we can see in both directions!       
 its getting very warm now in the hot sun :)    another great day to be out walking .





 Continuing on following a map we picked up somewhere, the path follows right up the valley to the ruins of a large house that this estate was built around a very long time ago.
Any how we come to another Boadwalk , 4 people and one labrador are walking towards us over this "Narrow" boadwalk, so we obviously wait for them before crossing ourselves , the "Terrible twosome" which are on leads go down for a drink while we are waiting.

Then!   just as the lady with a labrador comes to the end of boadwalk ,
 a "southerner" barges past us , shouting "get those bloody dogs out of the way"  , i shout back  "we are waiting for people on the walkway,  and stop all the swearing"  Jan has just shouted at him also!

I have just recieved a load of verbal abuse back!!!!!!!!!!!!!  "thats not swearing" he shouts!
    KNOB Head, do you want to get pushed in? i reply , as the other people on the bridge get knocked out of the way as he storms off , and Replys "you would be in court monday if you do! "

What at total arsehole!  the other people are standing at the end of the boardwalk laughing at him , they cant believe his attitude!

after all that excitement we carry on our walk :)




Eventually we come to a split in the path , the right path continues around this arm of the pools which would take a long time to go all the way around and we still have to go the the beach later so we have decided to carry straight on.


A couple of people that over took us a just after the incident with the "Knob", have just stopped to talk to us on their way back , one asked if we had seen him again , Jan says "Look there he is" pointing to the middle of a liliy pond :D   after much laughter we carry on walking.



              The path follows the pond and we have just seen our first glimpse of the arch bridge :)




        Having reached the bridge we decide not to go any further and make our way back to the car.


         Jan is waiting for me on the boardwalk , Mol is still very nervous on bridges and similar :(


After getting back to the car we have driven round the corner to get an ice creme , while i wait in the car , the car alarm suddenly goes off!   I'm fiddling & pressing buttons trying to turn it off! Argggggggg
After consuming ice creme we arrive at  Broad haven south beach , the tide is  out and its a really warm early evening.  time to cool off the terrible twosome now :)


                                                 Posing with "Church Rock" behind her


                                                               Getting very wet now :)






                       its amazing how quiet everywhere is down here , a huge empty beach!






                                                        Awwww poor Mol :(       hehe


                                                            Not time to go Already?


                                                                        A Last look :(



                                              The end of another great day in Pembrokeshire

Monday 13 October 2014

Marloes Sands Pembrokeshire holiday june 18 th 2014

Today we are on our way to Marloes Sands which is near Martins Haven where i caught the boat over to Skomer yesterday.  it is looking like a very warm day , possibly 22 - 24 degrees and sunny :)
 After a visit to supermarket to get supplies for a picnic we have driven down past Milford Haven to Marloes ,after parking and walking down a track  to the beach we find the tide is still high but will be on its way out soon.

                          Gateholm island is straight ahead and Skokholm further beyond.


Having made our way down to the top of the beach , and clambered over rough rocks and boulders onto a bit of flattish stony ground  i notice the sky is looking amazing!     Chester is hot already and lying in the shade of this huge boulder  Awwww



                                               Hey  Mollster , doesn't she look small  lol


                                                                            Love this sky!


 The sun is coming out now as the tide recedes and we can Finally get onto the sand , the rock formations here are stunning.










 Time to play , the Terrible Twosome are running and having fun :)  they have paddled a bit but will soon be in swimming now that we can walk out into the shallow water.




                                                                     Magnificent views



                                                           There they go, Spladoosh!



                   They are both swimming now  , Yay        Mol has got the ball this time


                                                                 shot with 400mm lens 


                                                                    and Chester!


                                          Think this is the most spectacular beach i have been to!







                                                                                "Isolation"


                     Mollster swimming again :)      funny how she hated water when i first got her!


                                                            she loves the sea now lol


       The tide is well out now , beautiful flat sand , and Chester is barking for me to throw the ball!




                       Wonder how/why these huge rocks are out here well away from the cliffs!




                                             one of my favorite images of this beach




                                 a wet Mollster posing, or waiting for the ball more like




                                                               a empty beach panorama :)



                                                      Nice light illuminating the rocks :)


Time to leave the beach and just as we come to the stream that enters the beach, i spot a male Golden Ringed dragonfly :)             i manage to get quite close before it flies off , looks like it has just merged fairly recently.


 After a bite to eat in the car , i have walked along the top path to photograph the entire length of beach from high up ,   superb views from up here.



                                               a huge beach and no one on it!  go figure



                                                                  Mol is posing well :)



On our way to Little Haven now for dinner and maybe a sunset , a nice warm evening for sitting ouside :)


 Its a tiny village , spotted 3 pubs already  lol  and only about a dozen or so  houses around the hills surrounding the small cove.


 a short walk around the headland gives a view towards Broad Haven beach just around the corner from here. low evening sun is lighting up the cliffs :)





                                          a panorama of the small cove of Little Haven


                                                               and finally , Sunset :)



                                       the end of another fantastic day in Pembrokeshire