Manx Sunrise on the horizon

                           A good morning


Small town, big views

Sywatch

 Jane Hards Photography

Queens Pier

Ramsey

Isle of Man

Some views are worth insomnia.

Canada geese in Ramsey harbour

                                 The visitors


The plan to capture the elusive heron that occasionally fishes these waters, always seems to be a failed one. Plan b, to capture the passing cormorants. They were also a no show. As for the swans, long since passed by, and no seagulls around. Instead the capture of visiting Canada Geese and ducks on shimmering ripples. Lovely afternoon light. The harbour is a wonderful place for coastal birdwatchers, but never plan to capture on camera any specific type. Just enjoy the visitors. I may even spot the even more elusive kingfisher one day. 

For other Isle of Man bird captures see Jane Hards Photography

Image part of abc, where bloggers around the world take a letter a week and see what we find.

Snow on the Isle of Man TT course

              Don't worry, all be gone for TT


Where the street light is left hand side of the photograph is a little alley behind the back of Taubman Street. That's one of my spots to capture the Isle of Man TT races that happen May/June of each year. Parliament Square is part of the TT course. It's probably hard for all those tourists who come over for the motorbike race to envisage this snowy winter view as the same place they watch the race from. This area is also a meeting place for biking tourists visiting Ramsey. The same photo for TT would be full of visitors stopping for a bite to eat or soft drink from the pub close by. What a difference seasonal weather makes.

Jane Hards Photography

Part of Our World Tuesday

Mooragh Lake, sepia

                    Who pulled the plug out


The same view from the post before Icy reflections and what a difference a day makes. Mooragh Lake at tide out looks like someone has pulled the plug and let the water out. No boating today, though the birds walking on water was a bonus photo shoot. 

Jane Hards Photography

Sepia for Simonetta, for that old fashioned nostalgic view of the place of her dreams Ramsey

Icy reflections

                               Mooragh Lake


The boating lake in winter is often frozen, allowing for mirror image captures. Dusk and cloud cover accentuate the setting sun colours.

Mooragh Park
Ramsey
Isle of Man 

Jane Hards Photography

 More on the Mooragh

Harbour sunset

                                 Sundown


I photograph the local rugby team home games on Saturdays. As the game is played over the Autumn through to Spring, the light is fading fast as the nights draw in towards the end of the game. The walk home through the park and onto the harbour inlet at this time of year coincides with the setting sun and occasionally the last embers of a fading sunset, cloud cover and evening light allowing. It's a working harbour, as you can see by the silhouetted cranes and sail masts. Win lose or draw, always a sunset to focus on. Rugby in hail storm photos

Part of Skywatch

Jane Hards Photography

Ramsey, Isle of Man

Feltons, Ironmongers

                                  Shop local


Not many towns have an old fashioned Ironmongers. We still do, on Parliament Street. In their owns words "The North's favourite emporium for everything DIY and so much more. From paint to potting compost, window cleaner to wood stoves, you will find it here!" You'll also find something sadly lacking in those out of town faceless DIY stores, good old fashioned customer service. This place opens at 7am for those needing the tools of the trade for their job until 5pm through the week, and even open Sundays.  I believe in shopping local when I can, and here I can. Not just another faceless chain store, a local Ramsey shop. 

 Jane Hards Photography, Ramsey Daily Photo

Who wouldn't want a purple wheelbarrow.

Feltons fb page

Boats in the harbour

                                No sailing


Reflections
The harbour inlet
North Shore Road
Ramsey
Isle of Man

Part of abc

Tomorrow, we might even have snow. What a difference a day makes

Daily beach walk

                             House with a sea view


I call the beach my office, as I do most of my Ramsey photography here. This image is walking out to sea, looking back towards the house overlooking the beach, and the arches to the left of the image. If you walk towards the arches you encounter a walkway through the glen leading you upwards back onto Ballure Road and the tram tracks.  A lovely little area inhabited by numerous birds and the occasional shy rabbit. Another walk for a another day, and another view to capture. 

This is part of my daily walk, which today I've posted as part of Our World Tuesday, a snapshot of my world. 

The rest of the album can be found here with views of the beach and strange objects washed up and a rare sighting of a Political Cartoonist, my other half.

Waiting for dolphins

                                but not today


The island today was on Red Alert standby for storms, torrential rain, tidal flooding, snow and a dolphin coastal water invasion.  Not that I'd mine the dolphins making an appearance. However today was a usual mixed bag of sunny blue skies one minute and showers the next. The incoming clouds, laden with water, not dolphins. The snow on the beach shot may have to wait a bit longer. Gale force winds we had, may however have blown the dolphins of course or even worse, down south of the island. Shame. There are grim places in the world to be sat freezing, wet, and dying for a coffee. Luckily, this isn't one of them, and this is a weather bomb 


Mooragh beach
Ramsey
Isle of Man


Image part of skywatch

England is Across

                                 Over there


I live on the Isle of Man.  It's an island in the middle of the Irish Sea. Like all good things it comes in small packages but perfectly formed. That is the view from the beach to England, The Lake District, from the beach in Ramsey. I'm what is called a comeover, though I am a stayover having being here over ten years. I came from that place over there, England. Now I have learned to call, that place you see in the image the land, "across" and the island I live on is "the mainland" and a pretty little mainland it is too.


Part of abc, where other bloggers around the world show you their letter of the week.

Ramsey, Beach Sunset

                               Wet feet time


Like an explosion in a paint factory. In a troubled world, nothing better than to spend a day on the beach with a camera. I am lucky to live here, a small island in the middle of the Irish Sea. Not much happens that will affect the world, just day to day life and we like it that way. 

Image part of Skywatch where other bloggers around the world contribute to show you their sky. 

My partner is a UK Political Cartoonist, Gary Barker Cartoons and this week I am thankful he can work here with this view, observing the troubled world through his paintbrush and not be in the midst of it.

Frozen

                                   Zoom lens 


A winter walk round Ramsey using the zoom lens. The zoom, allows me to capture inaccessible areas. I can stay on the pathways, walking round the Poyll Dooey Nature Reserve and focus on hidden ponds through trees and the wildlife at a distance without disturbing either. Early morning image taken a few winters ago. Still waiting for the snow to return to capture more Narnia shots


Image part of Abc where you can find other bloggers around the world and their posts for the letter each week. 

Swanning around

                          National Bird Day


Another Sulby river side walk in the Poyll Dooey Nature Reserve. It's a haven for birds of many feathers, but no foxes badgers or squirrels. We don't have those on the Isle of Man. We do have plenty of swans though. A Spring image, it is far too wet, cold, grey and windy for swans and photographers atm. Nice weather for ducks though. 


For anyone on twitter or facebook did you know it is #NationalBirdDay where you can see other posts around the world of birds. My bird collection album


This post today is part of Our World Tuesday.

Christmas lights......

                               ........in summer


Taken during the street repairs and regeneration of Parliament Street, what appears to be Christmas lights zig zagging across the night sky. However this is the height of summer.  Unique urban street lighting, or someone forgot to take them down. Fortunately the street repairs have at least been completed. 

Park and swim

                         Mooragh Promenade

New Years day, Isle of Man and a a lot of people decide the best way to cure a hangover is to brave the the cold and take to the sea for a swim. I wasn't even brave (or idiotic, depending on your view) to either take to the coastal waters or photograph those hungover swimmers.

Park and swim, another island curiosity to add to the bucket list.