Donkeys at St Anne's-on-the-Sea

© Gerald England, 2019

A contribution to Wordless Wednesday

Three Little Fishes

Lionfish (Pterois volitans) are covered in orange, brown, black and white stripes and have large feather-like spines at the ends of their fins which hide their venom tipped dorsal spines.

Found in the Indian and west Pacific oceans they feed on small fish, shrimps and crabs.

Longfin Bannerfish (Heniochus acuminatus) is a type of butterflyfish and can grow up to 25cm long. Its body is covered in white and black bands and it has bright yellow fins and tail.

Found in the tropical waters of the Indo Pacific and the Coasts of Africa, it feeds on zooplankton, small krill and other invertebrates and is known for eating the parasites off larger sea creatures.

Spotted Grunt (Plectorhincus chaetodonoides) is white with small brown spots along its body. They move to mimic a poisonous flat worm as a predatory response.

I discovered these last September on a visit to Rhyl SeaQuarium.

A contribution to Saturday Critters and Camera Critters.

Capel Salem, Penmachno

© Gerald England

Capel Salem or Salem Welsh Calvanistic Methodist Chapel on Ty'n-y-Ddol Road in Penmachno was built in 1853 and rebuilt in 1873 in the Lombardic Italian style of the gable entry type, to the design of architect Richard Owen of Liverpool.

© Gerald England

Ornate gates lead into the graveyard.

© Gerald England

Sheep graze in the adjacent field.

A contribution to Scenic Weekends and Inspired Sundays.

Kitten at New Islington

A couple of weeks ago I was exploring the marina at New Islington which caters for boats on both the Ashton and Rochdale Canals but without providing an access between them. As I was there a little kitten appeared and started its own investigation of me.

I'm not sure whether black cats are supposed to be lucky or not but afterwards I made my way through Ancoats heading for a main road. As I cut across the area I encountered a large group of mainly adult males chanting "We are going out" coming towards me. I crossed the road and headed away from them. A few moments later I heard them running up the street followed by police cars with their sirens wailing. I was a couple of streets away and photographing an old church and a derelict pub by then. It was obviously all kicking off and my thoughts were to get away from the vicinity. There was a young couple nearby who had also been taking photographs of the buildings. Their car was parked nearby and I asked them for a lift out of the area. Fortunately they agreed and dropped me off near Piccadilly railway station.

I later heard on the news that they were so-called football fans and the police "kettled" them. See the news report on Manchester Evening News. I guess in the end I was indeed lucky.

A contribution to
Weekend Reflections;
Scenic Weekends;
Saturday Critters;
Camera Critters.

Greyhound Rescue Wales

Greyhound Rescue Wales began in 1993 with a small group of people trying to rescue greyhounds and lurchers in the Swansea area. Over the next few years the organisation grew quickly and attracted support from many parts of Wales. Greyhound Rescue Wales became a registered charity in 1996 when it became able to cover the whole of Wales. Over 1,800 greyhounds and lurchers have since been found permanent homes. Here they had brought some of their to dogs to Llandudno to raise both awareness and funds.

For for information visit their website.

A contribution to
Scenic Weekends;
Saturday Critters;
Camera Critters.

Hearing dog on a Metrolink tram

I took this photograph today on a Metrolink tram when it was stopped at Droylsden. The dog is a hearing dog for the deaf. I've not seen too many about. The sun was streaming through the windows and casting shadows.

A contribution to
Saturday Critters;
Camera Critters;
Shadow Shot Sunday;
Monday Mellow Yellows.

Petting a Shetland Pony

We met a miniature Shetland pony in Ashton under Lyne this Saturday.

The young lady who was looking after it told me its name but I've forgotten what she said. She did say they were a charity based in Leicester and they take their "petting ponies" to schools, hospices and care homes around the country to meet people and raise money to support various children's charities and Riding for the Disabled.

More information can be found on their website The Phoenix Children's Foundation.

A contribution to Saturday Critters and Camera Critters.

Window shopping in St Annes

© Gerald England
A man with two dogs outside a charity shop on Wood Street, St Anne's on the Sea.

A notice warns about wheel-clamping operations.

A contribution to
Saturday Critters;
Weekend Reflections;
Camera Critters;
Shadow Shot Sunday.

Three men and a dog

Looking through some old photographs from 2007 I came across this scene taken on Lord Street, Southport, Lancashire.

A contribution to Scenic Weekends;
Saturday Critters;
Camera Critters;
Blue Monday.

Cat in a basket

I'd been getting my groceries at Morrisons in Denton last week and had just put my trolley back when I noticed this cat grooming itself on one of the baskets that parents use to strap their babies into when shopping.

I had my camera to hand so took a quick picture.

A contribution to
Saturday Critters;
Camera Critters;
Monday Mellow Yellows;
Blue Monday.

Squirrel with conker

I was just sorting through some photographs from 2003 and came across this shot of a squirrel in Nottinghamshire with a conker in its mouth.

A contribution to Saturday Critters and Camera Critters.

Goats at West Shore, Llandudno

These photographs (© Gerald England - click for larger versions) were taken in April 2005. I've just rediscovered them so thought it was time to share.

The Great Orme in Llandudno is home to around a hundred feral Kashmiri goats.

A trip of goats is here seen heading for the West Shore, led by an unusually black specimen (all the others I've seen were white).

A black goat persued by a white goat is using the steps over the sea wall to get onto the West Shore. In the background beyond the breakwater is Penmaenbach Head.

The collective noun for a group of goats is "trip". These have tripped down off the Great Orme to gather and graze by the West Shore breakwater.

An extremely interesting account of the Great Orme Goats can be found at http://www.llandudno.com/goats.html.

A contribution to
Scenic Weekends;
Saturday Critters;
Camera Critters.

Squirrel in Victoria Park, Denton

I was recently in Victoria Park, Denton when I saw this squirrel and quickly zoomed in to take this photograph.

It was trying to keep a low profile in between the curved access ramp on the right and the steps out of the park on the left.

I moved around to the stepped exit to the Town Hall and was able to capture another view before it shot off into the shrubbery.

A contribution to Saturday Critters;
Scenic Weekends;
Camera Critters and
Blue Monday.

ABC Wednesday: B is for Butterfly

I photographed this in the Butterfly House at Williamson Park in Lancaster.

I've been informed that this is a female Parides lysander of some sort.

A contribution to ABC Wednesday and Camera Critters.

Encounter by the Ashton Canal

Last Monday I was taking photographs of the Ashton Canal from the footbridge by the Portland Basin. I noticed a woman climbing the steps up to the bridge. She stopped and I wondered for a brief moment if perhaps she thought I was blocking her path, but she was looking down and I saw there was a young squirrel crossing the bridge.

It stopped and looked at me, back at the woman and wondered which way to turn.

It climbed up on the bridge railings. I aimed my camera at the squirrel despite having my sunglasses on and having to shoot almost directly towards the sun. The camera focussed even if my eyes didn't. Another close-up shot is on my photoblog sithenah.

At one point a pigeon flew on the bridge to see what has happening. After a brief period I moved away and the squirrel crawled along the parapet and then jumped into some bushes.

A contribution to Shadow Shot Sunday.
Sunday Bridges at San Francisco Bay Daily Photo and
Camera Critters.

ABC Wednesday: C is for Cheetham's Cattle

These two photo's were taken in 2000 at the Gee Cross Fete. Cheetham and sons farm on Werneth Low and used to deliver milk all around the Hyde area. These belong to the Longdendale Herd of Pedigree Red Poll cattle.

I thought that Mr Cheetham had retired from farming a few years ago, but have since learnt that although they no longer have a milk round they are still busy producing.

For more C posts visit ABC Wednesday.

More animals on Camera Critters.

Giraffes at Blackpool Zoo

While in St Annes earlier this month we took a visit to Blackpool Zoo and we made a point of visiting our favorites creatures, the giraffes.

According to the Zoo website

2008 saw the return to Blackpool Zoo of giraffes, a much requested species. Giraffes resided in the Elephant House in the early days of the Zoo, but were moved away when space was needed for Marcella and Indra, the two Asian elephants rescued from a bankrupt circus.

The building of Giraffe Heights was one of the early projects carried out by current owners, Parques Reunidos, and incorporates various "visitor-friendly" features, such as high and low level viewing, a raised paddock walkway and a feeding platform.

Three giraffes arrived from Fota in Southern Ireland in 2008 - these were Ciara, Quiver and Sive. A male calf, Timber, was born in December of that year and he has since left us to reside at Folly Farm in South Wales.

Two more females, Sonia and her two year old daughter, Saoirse, arrived in 2009, and Sonia subsequently gave birth to a female calf, O'Grady in early 2010. The six giraffes have remained at Blackpool since.

The group will not grow in the future as they will be maintained as an all-female, non-breeding group.

According to Wikipedia

The giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) is an African even-toed ungulate mammal, the tallest living terrestrial animal and the largest ruminant. Its specific name refers to its camel-like face and and the patches of color on its fur, which bear a vague resemblance to a leopard's spots. The giraffe is noted for its extremely long neck and legs, as well as its horn-like ossicones. It stands 5–6 m (16–20 ft) tall and has an average weight of 1,600 kg (3,500 lb) for males and 830 kg (1,800 lb) for females. It is classified under the family Giraffidae, along with its closest extant relative, the okapi. There are nine subspecies, which are distinguished by their coat patterns.

They are quite delightful creatures and my wife came away from the zoo with a tee-shirt sporting their portraits.

A contribution to Camera Critters.

Friday Bench (38): Llandudno Looking in different directions

The couple on the bench at Llandudno are looking towards what is happening on the beach to the left. The dog underneath is looking in the opposite direction down the Promenade. We are looking beyond to the Burbo offshore wind farm in Liverpool Bay.

More Friday Benches at Hyde Daily Photo.

ABC Wednesday P is for Piglets

On our way down to Noirmont Point we passed a pig farm.

I don't know what the breed is but I'm assured they make delicious sausages.


For more P posts visit ABC Wednesday.

XI Calico Cat Contest Entry

across the pond
to an unknown friend
fond kisses

© Gerald England

was my entry for the recent Calico Cat Contest where authors were asked to compose a haiku to complement Origa's sumi-e "Sympathy. Orang-utan and Lizard".


Rice paper 'Double Shuen', Japanese sumi ink, Chinese watercolours, Copyright © Origa .


is the Russian translation of my haiku.

The contest attracted 134 poems by 58 poets from 20 countries and mine didn't make the last 28 selected for the final.

The winning poem and comments on the winner and runners-up can be found at Results of the XI Calico Cat International bilingual haiku contest.