The bare facts were pretty much inescapable. El Cotillo had changed dramatically over the course of my three visits to this growing seaside resort. Three visits which had spanned a period of twenty-two years in fact. It was on this quiet island, probably the least well known of the four largest in the archipelago that I first experienced the now familiar sensation of an airplane touching down. Not the first time I’d been in flight, but that was in another lifetime at the moment a parachute instructor yelled the single word “jump” somewhere over Ipswich airfield in 1986 when I was a student. In a surreal vision we saw David Cassidy wander through the airport that day, complete with entourage that mainly consisted of young ladies who were rather taller than he was – I seem to remember he was having a bit of a revival around then. In fact I’m surprised his hair wasn’t classified as a fire hazard at the time. Remember hair in the mid-eighties? When there were enough CFCs in the styling products to bring the moon crashing to earth, never mind a group of undergraduates who’d spent half their autumn term grant on a parachuting course? I’ve digressed. Back to El Cotillo.

I first visited El Cotillo on that early adventure at the turn of the century. I’d finally broken from years of financial drudgery and landed the job that pretty much transformed the life of my young family at the time. Now at last we could afford to get on a plane and see what the world beyond our borders looked like. Swimming in the sea in February during half term had until then seemed an unimaginable thing. Seeing signs on buildings written in words that were often only vaguely intelligible brought a childlike wonder to the world that I’d thought had been lost. This was Spain. Loads of people went to Spain – but I’d never even been close until now. The excitement at being here, if only for the briefest half term week was palpable.

And for a few days, just to make things even more interesting, we’d hired a car. When I walked to the rental office near our resort, I was asked if I didn’t mind having a bigger vehicle than the Renault Clio (or similar) we’d booked. When they handed over the keys to an enormous breeze block shaped white Nissan Patrol with four wheel drive, a mysterious looking second gear stick shaped object, and the steering wheel on the wrong side of the car, my collection of new experiences grew. But Fuerteventura offered easy driving and I loved the opportunity it would give us to explore. And explore we did with a drive across the island to the then small cluster of white buildings at the end of a long dusty road that consisted of El Cotillo. In fact it was my birthday – I was somewhere in my mid-thirties at the time. As we rolled slowly towards the beach along a wide empty road past silent buildings, nothing stirred other than a few bearded strays who looked as if they’d arrived here and had absolutely no intention of ever going anywhere else again. At the beach we discovered the horseshoe shaped shelters, thrown together from lumps of volcanic rock the colour of pitch. We swam in the sea and smiled at what a lovely time we were having in warm sunshine while Britain struggled to the end of another long winter. It was the place I’d remember long after the holiday was over. As the birthday boy I was photographed sitting on the rocks of a family sized stone circle, looking very pleased with myself. Overly smug? Probably.

It was a place that transcended major life events too. Ten years later I was here again at Christmas, this time with Ali. By now the novelty of boarding airplanes had long since departed, but the feeling of arriving on a warm island and escaping our seemingly endless winters at home remained just as joyful as it ever did. It still does. El Cotillo now had a couple more streets than before, but it retained the aura of a town at the border of the sea that almost everyone had overlooked in favour of the two main resorts in the northern half of the island. The day was unfortunately marred by a call from our neighbour at home to say the house had been flooded after a pipe had frozen and cracked in the freezing temperatures at home. We had to move into temporary lodgings while the insurers sorted out the aftermath, and we were well into summer by the time we could return. After that we vowed never to go away in the worst of the winter again.

As if history wanted to come back and bite us on our backsides, and despite waiting until early March, the morning we arrived at the airport Bristol was under several inches of snow and bathing in sub-zero temperatures. Fortunately, it didn’t appear to have spread as far as our home in the far southwest, so it seemed the water pipes in the house might remain intact, but our outbound flight was delayed by more than six hours as the airport chiefs attempted to catch up with an entire morning of delays and cancellations. The departure lounge was filled with people who littered every single corridor and seating area. Even at the gate we had to sit on a window ledge for an hour. By 10am, many of those delayed passengers were worse for wear as they staved off their boredom with regular visits to the Brunel Bar. I watched the young man sitting with his middle aged parents opposite us becoming ever more lairy as he drank what I’d counted to be at least his sixth pint of lager before lunchtime. Thankfully, he didn’t seem to be going to Fuerteventura. Finally having boarded, we had to wait on the plane for a further two hours while the de-icer rigs were refilled with what remained of David Cassidy’s hairspray from 1986. But eventually we set off and felt that happy moment of arrival in warmer latitudes once more.

More than twelve years after that fateful Christmas visit, El Cotillo had mushroomed in size. Those bearded strays of yesteryear might by now be property tycoons. Tall buildings abounded, with an initially bewildering one way system and a myriad of cafes, bars, and restaurants. A noisy construction site filled the air with the sound of people in hi-visibility tabards at work. It seemed the austerity years that had brought development in so many parts of Spain, including here in Fuerteventura, had been ignored as El Cotillo grew and grew. Nothing stays the same forever. We had lunch in one of those new cafes and headed for the beach. The beach wasn’t deserted in quite the same way as I’d seen it on those earlier visits, but at least it was still far more peaceful than many of the local ones in Cornwall in high summer. There was still a sense of space and we still managed to bag ourselves a stone circle to lie in and feel the heat of the afternoon sun. It probably wasn’t the same one I’d sat on to be photographed in 2001.

Later, in fact at the end of every one of the seven or eight visits we made here during our stay, I headed out on the dark fissured rocks with the camera bag, looking for compositions. The sea at least hadn’t changed, and nor had the light. Here in coppery evening tones, mixed with pinks from the sky I could find tiny rockpools in the form of perfect circles bored into the lava by the endlessness of the ocean. I could lose myself in happy meanderings with the simple pleasures that a camera mounted on a very small tripod can bring. El Cotillo may have grown beyond all recognition from the silent dustbowl town I’d fallen in love with all those years ago – but it was still recognisable when you strolled across that picture perfect beach onto the rocks at sunset.

I’m not waiting for another decade to pass this time. We’re going back next year. I booked it straightaway after we came home. A done deal, despite it all. One of those places that feels a little bit like home, no matter how far away it is.

Finally, for those of you who've read this far - aplogoes for the recent absence. Ali and I have been on another adventure, this time off grid in the van and I haven't been able to access Flickr most of the time. I promise to catch up soon!

A slightly older shot from last winter when we stayed a night at the Fronalpstock. I went outside for a few minutes to capture this night image of Lake Lucerne - but I brought the wrong clothes for the freezing temperatures and especially the wind so I had to rush back inside.

Our second stop on the trip to Assynt at the start of the month was at Loch Droma beside the A835.

The initial the lack of light meant we were standing around in freezing temperatures waiting for a change in the conditions. Thinking we might never reach Ullapool, let alone Assynt, we were pleased when the light did eventually reach the foreground loch.

The S shaped line through the ice on the loch was definitely the focus of many of our shots.

Explore 16/01/2023 No 62

A Savannah Sparrow sings just as the sun rises over the prairie.

Woke up to sub freezing temperatures this morning and left the house hoping for fog and maybe some interesting frost formations. As I starting my walk into the prairie I was greeted with the song of this sparrow, a first of the year for me. Mixing in with the sparrow, were the songs of numerous bobolinks, meadowlarks and henslow's sparrows filling the air.

Take at 11:07 AM this morning on my walk through Humber Bay Park West in Toronto. It was -3 C feeling like - 7 C. I was dressed warmly and enjoyed the hour outdoors.

Thanks for visiting and for your feedback. Enjoy your Sunday and week ahead.

The snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus), also called the varying hare or snowshoe rabbit, is a species of hare found in North America. It has the name "snowshoe" because of the large size of its hind feet. The animal's feet prevent it from sinking into the snow when it hops and walks. Its feet also have fur on the soles to protect it from freezing temperatures.

For camouflage, its fur turns white during the winter and rusty brown during the summer. Its flanks are white year-round. The snowshoe hare is also distinguishable by the black tufts of fur on the edge of its ears. Its ears are shorter than those of most other hares.

Bookin up I-95 to West Virginia. Homeward Bound. I hate to leave and I hate to stay even considering the freezing temperatures and all. I have made my peace with my hometown, not my father. He has made me realize that he causes me more pain and problems than anyone else ever in my life. Well, except for a few PITA boys.

Yoga in the "snow" - Dancer

Maureen and I hiked up into the Cairngorm hills to around 900m.

A day with blustery strong winds and showers of hail and snow! We had looked and looked for the Ptarmigan and had given up seeing these beautiful birds.

When on our way down we came across 3 just off the path. Luck was on our side, and we both got our very first photographs of this very special bird that lives in extreme weather conditions and freezing temperatures.

The ptarmigan is a game bird, slightly larger than a grey partridge. In summer, it is a mixture of grey, brown and black above with white bellies and wings. In winter, it becomes totally white except for its tail and eye-patch, which remain black.

It breeds in the highest mountains of the Highlands of Scotland on the Arctic like landscape there. Birds are residents, seldom moving far from breeding sites. In severe cold weather, birds may move from the highest ground to the edge of forests.

What they eat : Shoots, leaves, leaf buds, berries and insects.

Courtesy: RSPB

I first shot this scene two years ago during my first visit to the bayou but ever since then I wanted another visit and a chance to shoot the scene as a pano and with the early fall colors. I felt the late fall colors ghost trees of this scene had a little too much exposed branches and that early or peak colors would be better.

This time around, I prioritized shooting this scene and to make conditions ideal, we had heavy mist with the below-freezing temperatures. Compared to my previous visit, the water level was higher this time around. Less of the tree trunk bases were exposed but despite that the tree grouping and scene still rendered beautifully. As expected, the color change was in full swing, with an assortment of colored leaves ranging from greens to yellows to oranges and a few splashes of red.

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This was from a few days ago. There was, and still is, snow on the ground in shaded areas, and we're still getting freezing temperatures overnight. Had some flakes of snow fall over the last few days as well. But the flies have started to come out. Can't guarantee I'll get another fly capture for next Fly Day...

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After an overnight snow in near freezing temperature, the morning revealed everything covered in a light coating of fresh snow. A classic "Winter Wonderland" appearance.

I don't know if it was the recent sub-freezing temperatures or just the end of the season that desiccated this yellow flower, but it's dry. The relative humidity has been running below 20% for some time. The Springfield Nature Center offers photo opportunities year round.

After two days of very overcast skies and light rain, we woke up to a clear sky and freezing temperatures. At least the temperatures helped produce some very nice fog in Moraine Park Meadow.

After snow and below freezing temperatures, it has warmed up enough for me to ride my bike to taichi.

Appalachian Trail, Three Forks, Springer Mountain, North Georgia...This morning I enjoyed the unexpected pleasure of hiking in the snow and sleet on the Appalachian Trail in North Georgia....The only thing that kept me out of the water today in front of this waterfall was the frigid near freezing temperatures. Here it was snowing this morning heading into the second week of April!... in North Georgia! The cloud cover today was heavenly!

Skyway is a system of pedestrian bridges connecting buildings in Minneapolis, Minnesota. I guess in the winter it protects well from freezing temperatures, but in the spring it generates some greenhouse effects - it's hot in the there

Courtesy of a flooding rain followed by below freezing temperatures.

Oncidium orchids, tiny fingernail-sized blooms, also called "dancing ladies." My camera lens kept fogging over because the of the temperature disparity between the hot, humid greenhouse and the sub-freezing temperatures outside, but I like the dreamlike feeling it added. At the annual Orchid Show at the New York Botanical Garden. The Bronx, NYC -- February 16, 2024

Not the easiest location to photograph. Battling winds, freezing temperatures, long hikes with full packs. BUT definitely the most rewarding place both for the mind, body, soul and camera.

A winter storm is an event in which wind coincides with varieties of precipitation that only occur at freezing temperatures, such as snow, mixed snow and rain, or freezing rain. In temperate continental climates, these storms are not necessarily restricted to the winter season, but may occur in the late autumn and early spring as well. A snowstorm with strong winds and other conditions meeting certain criteria is called a blizzard.

Winter storms are formed when moist air rises up into the atmosphere, creating low pressure near the ground and clouds up in the air. The air can also be pushed upwards by hills or large mountains. The upward motion is called lift. The moisture is collected by the wind from large bodies of water, such as a big lake or the ocean. If temperature is below freezing, 0 °C (32 °F), near the ground and up in the clouds, precipitation will fall as snow, ice, rain and snow mixed (sleet), ice pellets or even graupel (soft hail). Since cold air can not hold as much moisture as warm air, the total precipitation will be less than at higher temperature.

One day after the heavy snowfall, the Toggenburg shows its wintry, fairytale-like side. The freezing temperatures transform the landscape into a winter wonderland.

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The regal Snowy Owl is one of the few birds that can get even non-birders to come out for a look, even this Florida Photographer!! This largest (by weight) North American owl shows up irregularly in winter to hunt in windswept fields,cornfields or dunes, a pale shape with catlike yellow eyes. They spend summers far north of the Arctic Circle hunting lemmings, ptarmigan, and other prey in 24-hour daylight. Head on approach, with a 4 point focal assist ....with tCanon's1dx @12 frames per second, i was able to capture a series of wing beats that just makes the freezing temperatures totally worth it. The natural blue frozen tundra was a hoot to walk on, all would be going great and the next thing i knew, i'd broken thru the snowy crust and was up to my knees... HHMMMMM.. isn't like this on the florida beaches.. :)

Click on image to Enlarge..

Yosemite National Park 2013. I had met another photographer David Grenier the day before and now we were hanging out in the Yosemite Village area waiting for the sun to come up in near freezing temperatures...and we were cold!! I think it was worth it, and the breakfast afterwards was yummy, and the friendship with David has continued on. I have posted this scene previously, but as I was fine tuning it, I wanted to see what it would look like if I removed all the blue from the image. I liked it enough to post this scene again. I'm hoping for some feedback. What do you think of this picture?

_DSC9319A_NoBlue

Sulcorebutia rauschii (aka Rebutia rauschii) is a cactus of the Bolivian highlands, growing at elevations between 8000 and 12,000 feet (2400 - 3700 m). The reddish color is a pigment (anthocyanin) that probably helps to protect the plant from high levels of ultraviolet radiation.

The dark brown appendages are modified spines, arranged artfully on the raised portions of the plant.

What I find particularly amazing is the ability of the cactus to resist freezing damage at these high elevations. In tropical highlands freezing temperatures occur every night, with little seasonal change in temperature, unlike the temperate and polar zones where freezing temperatures occur during the long winters. The cactus must keep the water in its tissues from bursting through the cell membranes, turning the plant to mush. If you've ever seen a cactus in the Sonoran desert that has experienced freezing temperatures for several days you know what can happen.

Today’s original plan was to drive up to Chatsworth and chase the Dakota and Iowa, then head back. While on the way there I was informed by Ross that BNSF’s Watertown Local would have a trio of BN locomotives on it. Despite the overcast conditions this was something we knew we couldn’t pass up. Thus, we broke off from the DAIR around 10:30 and hauled ass to a locale Ross wanted to check out at South Shore. Despite the hostile winds and freezing temperatures, this was definitely worth the near half-mile hike, even if I couldn’t feel my fingers for the next ten minutes.

Skyway is a system of pedestrian bridges connecting buildings in Minneapolis, Minnesota. I guess in the winter it protects well from freezing temperatures, but in the spring it generates some greenhouse effects - it's hot in the there

We tend to get freezing fog during winter when temperatures are around freezing temperature and there are clear skies and calm conditions. As a result of these conditions, freezing fog will be visible on the windward side of the object.

We had a combination of fog and below freezing temperatures that resulted in frosted trees today.

This particular picture was taken a few years ago but this is how it looks outside here right now.

Lots of snow covering everything and freezing temperatures.

No sign of spring.

But winter landscapes can be beautiful.

We saw this Bougainvillea at the Sabal Palm Sanctuary. The blossoms show the way many plants reacted to the freezing temperatures. The Rio Grannde Valley isn't used to that kind of cold.

Temperatures below zero were present almost every day during my visit to the famous Kirkjufell volcano. The waterfalls and the riverbed were practically frozen. In spite of the freezing temperatures, I was able to enjoy this beautiful sunset and take this 12-photo panorama in this iconic place in Iceland. A perfect combination for the land of ice and fire as Iceland is actually well-known

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I ventured last weekend to explore winter long exposure shots, and despite freezing temperatures, it was worth it!

With today's snow and freezing temperatures on the horizon, these guys should be heading South....always one or two that get caught on the wrong side of Mother Nature....

That sounds racy!

A night of fog and freezing temperatures left the Cowichan River estuary with a beautiful coating of hoarfrost.

A Mountain Bluebird is fluffed up against below freezing temperatures.

As we head into the winter months, the UK is set to experience increased frosts - a situation that can make it difficult for wildlife to find food.The freezing temperatures harden the ground, making it challenging for birds, particularly smaller species like robins, to find enough to eat.Robins are highly territorial, preferring gardens, woodlands, and hedgerows as their habitats. They are often seen flitting around, searching for worms, insects, and berries.

Another shot from the gloomy, dark, rainy Sunday out with the dog. The secret trout fishing stream (and yes, it really is [kinda] secret) I stumbled upon opens to this portion. This is only about 15 feet off the road and yet seemed completely secluded. Scotch was happy I didn't drag him out in the near freezing temperatures and rain. This was the first shot I took after setting up.

Friends Creek

Thurmont, Maryland

November 29th, 2015

rain, 38°F at 4:20pm

SETTINGS:

Canon T4i

EF-S 18-135mm IS STM

@56mm

ISO 100

f/11

13 seconds

ND filter

CPL

A wood pigeon warming itself in the weak winter sun after the freezing temperatures of the night.

Or Snowy sanddunes maybe? I took this photo two day ago on the island Schiermonnikoog where wind, snow and freezing temperatures created Arctic blizzard conditions on the beach. Very interesting to see was the mixture of sand and snow perfectly working together creating a wonderful scenery.

Still life, it's so nice to have some cut flowers at home to look at now in this freezing temperature outside.

Taken today, while walking in temperatures of -26 Celsius. The rocks on the ice is from a pandemic game where people throw rocks on the lake to see how far they will skid across the ice.

....flowers in High Key... my new favourite thing.

A new discovery for me. I take about 30 shots... some regular light and some in High Key and ... well ... here you are. I just love how soft and beautiful they look.

These are on the ornamental crabapple tree in our yard... it survived the small amount of snow and freezing temperatures of two nights ago.

I didn't even get a photo of snow on blossoms...it had turned to rain before I got home from the nursery in my attempt to be there on the worst day to buy some shrubs and a small tree.

I won. I was one of only two idiots there. Got my little tree and three spirea shrubs and was parted from well over $300 for my efforts. My fingers were frozen from brushing snow off tags to read the info... and, I got plenty of dirt out of pots all over the tarp I had in the back of the car. Luckily I had the tarp in there....... even though I wedged things well...that big potted tree rolled around....

"Bumblebearies"

This iconic bird is in big trouble. Once very common in northern forests of North America, Canada Jay now is disappearing. The naturalist at the Sax Zim Bog (Northern Minnesota) talked about the future of Canada's national bird, Canada Jay, also called Grey Jay.

According to the naturalist and a recent study, fluctuating weather patterns caused by climate change are threatening Canada jays' food sources — and for future generations of Canada jays, this could spell disaster. Canada jays don’t migrate south for food and warmth during the colder winter months, but these birds rather store thousands of food items in caches during the summer and rely on these food sources to survive in Canada year-round.

While many animals with hoarding behaviors store non-perishable food for the winter, like nuts, Canada jays prefer a diet of meat, berries, and other perishables. They coat these items in a layer of saliva before "glueing" them to high-up of tree branches where they’re safe from heavy snowfall. Since winters in Canada typically are cold with below freezing temperatures, Canada jays use the natural environment as a freezer for perishable food. How clever!

As long as temperatures stay below freezing, this method of food caching is able to keep Canada jays fed throughout the winter months. If temperatures fluctuate above and below the freezing point, however, these cached food sources are more likely to spoil, and Canada jays will have less to eat, and the quality of their food is poor as a result. Also, according to the studies, a greater number of freeze-thaw cycles resulted in smaller, weaker offspring that were less likely to survive.

The Canada jay nests in late winter (right now), incubating its eggs in temperatures that may drop below minus 20°F. While the female alone incubates, the male brings food for her, so she can stay at the nest, protecting and keeping it warm. With spoiled food caches, the female has to leave the nest to find food and feed herself.

There were tiny patches of snow, if any, and temperature in Northern Minnesota was between 35-43 degrees of Fahrenheit (2-6 C) in the beginning of February 2024.

On November 24, 2024 I was proceeding north at speed on County Road 24 through Prince Edward County, Ontario, Canada when I saw a small herd of cows. I glanced over and gave them a quick pro forma check for a Cattle Egret as I passed by. I've been doing this for years and years, never with any success.

Although Cattle Egrets are very rare hereabouts (they are a tropical to semi-tropical species), they do have a pattern of late fall incursions into southern Ontario from the USA. So, when I saw a small, bright white, angular shape on the ground amidst the cows I decelerated rapidly, pulled over, and backed up. There it was ... a Cattle Egret! A great birding moment after imagining the encounter for so long.

As noted, Cattle Egret are pretty rare in Canada but they do sometimes show up in November, which is a bit odd for a warm weather bird. When they do appear, they are often seen associating with cattle (hence the name) and feeding on the insects that the cows stir up. So what is going on?

Cattle Egret are not native to our continent, but arrived in South America from Africa in the 1870s, probably carried across the ocean on hurricane winds. They did well and by the early 1950s reached North America, where they have thrived in the warmer south, but not so much in colder Canada. Perhaps the birds are still carrying an Africa navigation chart in their DNA that tells them to head north in November to find better habitat in their old home. Unfortunately, this program is suboptimal here, sending them north into freezing temperatures. Hopefully the bird will reorient itself. In the meantime it seems it found a new friend.

A sleet storm, followed by a rapid plunge into below freezing temperatures, coated every twig, berry and leaf on our Holly bush with glass-like coverings of ice.

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Boarding a new American Airlines plane from NZ to USA with the family! Looking forward to a fun trip. Woke up to freezing temperatures... I have a feeling it will be a bit hotter when I land! :( via Trey Ratcliff on FB at ift.tt/1v05hWZ Snapchat: treyratcliff ift.tt/1qx3iMJ Instagram: treyratcliff ift.tt/1c7s6Uy

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Wow, didn't expect to have my picture featured in Explore, that's cool :)

Maybe I will add a bit of description then, These days I was doing evening photo walks in the freezing temperatures of the Polish winter, trying to document this atmosphere with the little TG-5. This camera is freeze-proof, but the small sensor is challenged by the low light conditions.

This picture is taken through the fence of the property. By firmly pushing the camera against the wire mesh I was able to stabilize it enough to extend my exposure time, lower the ISO and try to extract as much quality as possible from the sensor.

My Panasonic GX800 has a much larger sensor, but then it's not rated for -10°C operation like the Olympus is.

I was very surprised to see a butterfly after several nights of freezing temperatures. The night before I took this photo the low temperature was in the mid-20's F if not colder. I was even more surprised yesterday when I saw a Sulphur Butterfly in my yard after several more days of frost. Photographed at Fort Simcoe State Park, White Swan, Yakima County, Washington. IMG_9924