Hyde Park Moments

The last iris

I think we've had more than enough words for a while, so I thought I'd share with you some more shots from my recent and disastrous trip to the UK.

It was our last day, I was feeling as sick as the proverbial parrot and all I wanted was space, calm, peace and green. I will confess that I found this particular time in London, flu notwithstanding, rather a stressful business. I think the current doom and gloom over politics and the economy is intensely pervasive in the city and there was a sense of dis-ease, confusion, frustration and resentment that pervaded the place in a way that I've never felt before. My own inclination was to escape and Hyde Park was just around the corner from the hotel. It was a little green lung, a haven in the midst of the other madness.

A green oasis

The Green Man was afoot...

A Narnia lamp post... a portal to other worlds?

Magic moments....

Park greens

Sunbathers (personally I'm not convinced the sun was actually out...)

Park lovers...

The house in the park

Down at the water

And was it all for the birds - perhaps so, perhaps not...

Golden reflections

Beady eyes...
- golden eye duck -

A certain softness of light
- a greylag goose -

Mallard rainbow

A goose's greens
- canada goose -

The Chaser!

"Rsssp!" I say, "Rsssp to you!"

Mallard reflections

Beauty is a red-crested pochard

And what have you got for me?

Bottoms up!

I couldn't help but be reminded, as I snapped away, of the Duck's Ditty from Wind in the Willows...

All along the backwater, Through the rushes tall,
Ducks are a-dabbling, Up tails all!
Ducks' tails, drakes' tails, Yellow feet a-quiver,
Yellow bills all out of sight, Busy in the river!
Slushy green undergrowth, Where the roach swim—
Here we keep our larder, Cool and full and dim.
Everyone for what he likes! We like to be
Heads down, tails up, Dabbling free!
High in the blue above, Swifts whirl and call—
We are down a-dabbling, Up tails all!

Landscapes 2 - Trees (KNP 12)

Alone on a hilltop

Trees always speak for themselves. If you don't believe me go and hug one and listen.
By the way, it was winter here which is why leaves may seem in short supply!

Bushveld starkness

White blossoms

Nest in me

White bark

All shapes and sorts and sizes

Into the distance

Dawn tree on the Sabie River

Blues and greens and gold and grey

Next it will be birds...

Landscapes (KNP 11)

Looking over the Sabie River at dawn

Too many landscape pics by far... So today it's true landscapes, next it will be trees. I've also realised (me and my brain like a colander) that I've forgotten the birds... Anyone want to see birds? Other than the wicked hornbill, that is? Let me know in the comments section, please.

The landscape in the Kruger National Park is very varied - from savanna plains to bush and scrub, from granite outcrops (koppies) which simply pop up out of the rolling plains to mountains, from rivers and waterholes to forests. And of course, one can't omit the dramatic sunrises and sunsets.

Looking south over the savanna plains in the Orpen region

Same plains, looking north

On the savanna plains

Miles of bushveld

I'm not sure that winter necessarily does the landscapes justice - though it certainly makes it dramatic. Summer images - during the rainy season - are quite different, lush and green - making game spotting somewhat more difficult. Though, I'll say this, trying to spot grey and golden animals in a grey and golden landscape is pretty darned tricky too!

Sabie River in the dawn light

Rock pools on the Sabie River

Dense riverine enviroment, perfect for elusive spotted gorgeousnesses

Lake Panic

Lichen encrusted koppies - i.e. granite outcrops

Renosterkoppies

Boulder alone

Bushveld

Rolling west towards the Drakensberg escarpment

Moon over bushveld

The old railway bridge at Skukuza, now a baboon crossing.

First rays - Skukuza

Predawn light - Skukuza

Sunrise - Skukuza

Sun in the bridge - Skukuza

Molten sunrise