Election Day, 2012

I hope that every registered voter is able to travel to their polling place today. I have some trivia to share for this occasion: Did you know that Lydia Taft became the first legal woman voter in colonial America in 1756? This occurred under British rule in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. This was in a New England town meeting and she voted on at least three occasions in Uxbridge, Massachusetts. ("Travel Tuesday" will be back next week.)

Quincy's ballot today is a made up of 2 large cards;  you use a pen and fill in a small oval to mark your choice.  The ballot is written in two languages to assist Quincy's large Asian population.

What is the ballot like in your city or town?

Let's hope we don't go through a "punch card" fiasco anywhere in this election like we did a few years back.

Perched For Prey

I recently spotted this red-tailed hawk at Blacks Creek.

Wharfinger's House

The three-storey Wharfinger's Warehouse was erected by the Peak Forest Canal Company in 1828. It is a Grade II listed building now used as offices by the Tameside & Glossop Primary Care Mental Health Service.

In the foreground two Canadian geese are resting in Moorfield Place, a housing estate built on the site of the former Automasters Engineering Works.

For Our World Tuesday.

Skyview Friday: Pigeon over the Town Hall

I took a photo of the market last week and it wasn't till I downloaded it that I noticed the pigeon flying over the Town Hall.

It is carrying something in its beak but I can't decide what. As I was using my phone-camera this is the best close-up I can get.

The uncropped original can be viewed on Hyde DP Xtra.

A contribution to Skywatch Friday.

White Flight

I was recently treated to an egret cruising by while I had my camera in hand.

Happy Monochrome Monday!

Pigeons among the Chimneys

There are pigeons amongst the chimneys.

How many can you spot?

"Chimneys" is the CDPB theme for 1st July but at present the portal is down pending a change in hosting company.

News about this can be found on the City Daily Photo Facebook page.

Meanwhile links to other participants to the theme can be found at CDPB Theme Day.

Great White Wader

I like the lush green background in Blacks Creek for this Great Egret.  I did a little post processing to enhance the bird.

Blackbird by the Trans Pennine Trail

The Common Blackbird (Turdus merula) on a tree near the Trans Pennine Trail close to Knott Fold.

The adult male has glossy black plumage, blackish-brown legs, a yellow eye-ring and an orange-yellow bill. It may not immediately be clear why the name "Blackbird", first recorded in 1486, was applied to this species, but not to one of the various other common black English birds, such as the Carrion Crow, Raven, Rook or Jackdaw. However, in Old English, and in modern English up to about the 18th century, "bird" was used only for smaller or young birds, and larger ones such as crows were called "fowl". At that time, the Blackbird was therefore the only widespread and conspicuous "black bird" in the British Isles. (information from Wikipedia)

A contribution to Skywatch Friday.


Advance notice: With the CDPB portal currently out of action, Julie of Sydney Eye has created a page where participents in the April 1st theme (Cobblestones) can register their posts on a linky. See CDPB Theme Day

Hawk Sighting

While walking along the shoreline I was treated to a hawk just sitting a ways off on the rocks. It was camouflaged so well, I almost missed it. I did some post processing to enhance the plumage and define the bird more in this grab shot.

ABC Wednesday: H is for Horses and a Hovering Gull

Horses and a gull on the TransPennine trail.

For a closer view of the horses see Hyde DP Xtra.

For more H posts visit ABC Wednesday.

Otis Ode

"Sitting on the dock of the bay, watching the tide roll away." For some reason I always associate sitting gulls with this Otis Redding song. The bay here is the Neponset River.

Vacancy

These whimsical houses in a yard on Furnace Brook Parkway are once again ready for our feathered friends' spring fling; sorry, squirrels not welcomed.

The Frozen Vistula

With temperatures reaching as low as minus 18 in the past few weeks...it's not surprising that the River Vistula is frozen! The third image shows a small pool in the middle of the River which the local birds have turned into a bath!

Bird Dog

Daisy had great fun this past week chasing the flocks of birds at Squantum Point Park. Enjoy your weekend!

Skywatch Friday: Top of the Town Hall

I was waiting for a bus from the stop opposite the Town Hall and decided to zoom in on the top of the cupola.

It wasn't until I download the photograph that I noticed the three birds perched thereon.

For more skyward views visit Skywatch Friday .

My Bird Heaven

I've been kayaking a couple of times this summer and have my own red tupperware tub now. They are lighter and more manageable than canoes used to be but still heavy enough to be frustrating to handle alone. I ordered some wheels on eBay and this morning was my test trip to see if I could enjoy kayaking alone.



Naturally it was one of the busiest days at any landing and boats were lined up like airplanes ready to take off. Seniors holding scrappy dogs pulled up their golf carts to watch me but I did it! I stayed out for hours sneaking up on squawking birds. I saw an osprey take off with his catch, egrets soar, a red headed woodpecker, wood storks and countless birds I can't name. It was glorious and I was in heaven.

Pigeon and squirrel under the shadows

I went into Hyde Park last week looking for the new sculpture which I'd shown you at the start of the month under construction. It was intended to complement the earlier wood sculpture of a squirrel.

I wandered around but couldn't see it. The old one was still there and there were a few bare stumps but no carvings. I eventually asked a couple of men who were walking their dogs. "Oh they've chopped it down. It took three weeks to complete and then the council didn't like it and next day it was chopped down. Another five and half grand of our council tax down the swanny!".

It was then I saw a real squirrel streak across the path onto the grass. It stopped at the edge as a pigeon flew down next to it. They both seemed to pause whilst I took their photograph and then speedily departed in opposite directions.

For more shadow shots visit Hey Harriet.

Bluebell Centre Garden

Today's photo is of the garden at the Bluebell Centre which is next door to the Joshua Bradley.

Look to the right and you can see one of the geese popping its head out from the pond.

The coloured version of this photograph can be found on Geograph.

Heron Over Yonder

A week last Sunday I took a walk along the Peak Forest Canal and spotted this heron at Over Yonder.

I have to wonder if it is the same heron I saw here two years ago.

There are three more photographs of the heron on Hyde DP Xtra.

You can view a slide show of all the photos I took that day on the Geo-trips website.

Further Weekend Reflections can be found at Newtown Area Photo.

Anyone seen Tom?

This hen was strutting across a parking lot to find a shady spot to rest. Wild turkeys have been sighted in Quincy more frequently lately.