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Imagine there is a bank account that credits your account each morning with $86,400. It carries over no balance from day to day. Every evening the bank deletes whatever part of the balance you failed to used during the day. What would you do? Draw out every cent, of course? Each of us has such a bank, it's name is time. Every morning, it credits you 86,400 seconds. Every night it writes off at a lost, whatever of this you failed to invest to a good purpose. It carries over no balance. It allows no over draft. Each day it opens a new account for you. Each night it burns the remains of the day. If you fail to use the day's deposits, the loss is yours. There is no drawing against "tomorrow". You must live in the present on today's deposits. Invest it so as to get from it the utmost in health, happiness, and health. The clock is running. Make the most of today.
- Marc Levy
Ph©ArteUrbanaLugano
"The exhibition 'To be or not to be' is dedicated to the skull, which has always been used in art history as a reminder of human mortality is now an ephemeral symbol, deprived of its sanctity, used in fashion, design... contemporary art. Orticanoodles reproduce the image of the skull in a series of portraits from well-known media personalities, which are shelled and in fact made into empty skulls. To be or not to be, the Shakespearean dilemma, leads us to reflect on what remains of these men and women after removing the image that creates their status. Through the skillfully applied technique of stencils, Orticanoodles confront us with the question of identity, the image built, to pass a message. The artists offer their works through which the viewers can mirror and ask theirselves about their own appearance. The language of Wally and Alita actually uses the visual parameters of pop culture and advertising to distort the message and make social commentary. Their skulls are asking: What really matters? Appear or act? Live or die? To be or not to be?"
From 26/11 to11/12 2010, dal martedì al sabato
Open 15:00 to 20:00
Lab_Comacina, Viale Cassarate 4, Lugano
here is another image from the morning of the cloud inversion couple weeks ago. This little peak looked like an island in an ocean of cloud. Few minutes after I took this image, clouds got higher and covered the peak completely, so bit of a lucky capture
smile emoticon
Have a nice weekend everyone!
Lakagigar - Laki - Iceland
Zicht op de top Laki op 818 m
Laki or Lakagígar (Craters of Laki) is a volcanic fissure in the south of Iceland, not far from the canyon of Eldgjá and the small village of Kirkjubæjarklaustur. Lakagígar is the correct name, as Laki mountain itself did not erupt, as fissures opened up on each side of it. Lakagígar is part of a volcanic system centered on the volcano Grímsvötn and including the volcano Þórðarhyrna. It lies between the glaciers of Mýrdalsjökull and Vatnajökull, in an area of fissures that run in a southwest to northeast direction.
The system erupted over an eight-month period between 1783 and 1784 from the Laki fissure and the adjoining volcano Grímsvötn, pouring out an estimated 14 km3 (3.4 cu mi) of basalt lava and clouds of poisonous hydrofluoric acid and sulfur dioxide compounds that killed over 50% of Iceland's livestock population, leading to a famine which then killed approximately 25% of the island's human population.
The Laki eruption and its aftermath caused a drop in global temperatures, as sulfur dioxide was spewed into the Northern Hemisphere. This caused crop failures in Europe and may have caused droughts in India. The eruption has been estimated to have killed over six million people globally, making it the deadliest in historical times.
The Lakagigar craters are named after MT. Laki . They were formed in one of the largest eruptions in recorded human history.
Lakagigar, ofwel Laki's kraters is een fascinerende plek, met allerlei spectaculaire kraters, ongebruikelijke, bergen en meren, waardoor er een kleurrijke samenspel van natuurlijke elementen is ontstaan. Bezoekers kunnen hun geluk niet op bij het ontdekken van dit kratergebied.
Men kan hier wandelen over de kiezelsteenpaden, die omgeven zijn door lavavelden en heuvels, die voor een prachtige omlijsting en achtergrond van het hele gebied zorgen. In juni 1783 barstten de kraters van Lakagigar uit, waardoor er veel schade ontstond in Europa. Veel delen van Europa kregen met rook en vulkanische neerslag te maken. Deze vulkanische wolk bracht allerlei vreemde meteorologische afwijkingen met zich mee. Zo kende 1783 bijvoorbeeld een extreem hete zomer en een extreem strenge winter. Bovendien betekenden de uitbarstingen ook een regelrechte ramp voor de omliggende natuur. Het pittoreske landschap van IJsland werd bedolven onder 30 miljard ton lava. De giftige gassen die tegelijkertijd vrijkwamen door de ‘hongersnood-door-gassen’ doodden duizenden IJslanders. De uitbarsting van 1783 veroorzaakte ook nog een 25 m lange vulkanische spleet en 100 zogenaamde sintelkegels.
The waterbuck (Kobus ellipsiprymnus) is a large antelope found widely in sub-Saharan Africa. It is placed in the genus Kobus of the family Bovidae. It was first described by Irish naturalist William Ogilby in 1833
Waterbuck are rather sedentary in nature. A gregarious animal, the waterbuck may form herds consisting of six to 30 individuals. These groups are either nursery herds with females and their offspring or bachelor herds. Males start showing territorial behaviour from the age of five years, but are most dominant from the age of six to nine. The waterbuck cannot tolerate dehydration in hot weather, and thus inhabits areas close to sources of water. Predominantly a grazer, the waterbuck is mostly found on grassland.
The waterbuck is of a robust build. The shaggy coat is reddish brown to grey, and becomes progressively darker with age. Males are darker than females. Though apparently thick, the hair is sparse on the coat. The hair on the neck is, however, long and shaggy. When excited, the skin of the waterbuck secretes a greasy substance with the odour of musk, giving it the name "greasy kob". The odor of this is so unpleasant that it repels predators. This secretion also assists in water-proofing the body when the animal dives into water. The facial features include a white muzzle and light eyebrows and lighter insides of the ears. There is a cream-coloured patch (called "bib") on the throat. Waterbuck are characterised by a long neck and short, strong and black legs.
The long, spiral horns curve backward, then forward. Found only on males, the horns range from 55 to 99 cm (22 to 39 in) in length. To some extent, the length of the horns is related to the bull's age. A rudimentary horn in the form of a bone lump may be found on the skulls of females.
Life is too short to take it seriously; I refused to make the cover of #vanity, #caitlynjenner did it...but instead I make face )))
With a tug, the slack is taken out of the tow-line and the Grob G103a Twin II sailplane aligns for takeoff. There is no radio aboard, but a signal by cycling the tail rudder from side to side alerts the pilot of the Pawnee AgCat tug that you’re ready to go. 260 horses from the tug’s engine is more than adequate to pull both aircraft to the separation point at around 3000 feet AGL (Above Ground Level). The Grob’s efficient design actually has it airborne within seconds, way faster than the powerful AgCat tow plane as it claws for speed down the narrow runway at the Whitsett, North Carolina, glider park... it’s that efficiency that you count on as you cut away from the tug. The tow pilot angles down and left, while you rise up and right. The air smooths out and so does the ride out from behind the backwash of the tug’s propeller, but it’s not time to sit back just yet. The first order of business is situational awareness... to take note of where you’re at and what’s around you. Next, trim the aircraft for best rate of climb... then look for some rising air. There is no electrical system aboard the Grob, but its instrument panel is complete with artificial horizon, altimeter, airspeed indicator, clock, compass, and vertical airspeed indicator... that’s the instrument that glider pilots rely on to find the rising air that takes them to their ultimate destination... up!
There is yet another important instrument that helps to get you up there, but it’s not in the panel... it’s a three-inch string attached to the front center of the canopy. If you’ve trimmed the craft properly, that string flows straight back from the canopy... if it flows left or right from center, you’re side-slipping, which is an excellent way to lose altitude. After trimming the aircraft to its most efficient profile, I look to another indicator for “best flight” that isn’t to be found in the cockpit... circling buzzards. Buzzards have an innate ability to find thermals, shafts of rising air that keep them aloft for hours. Some of the best lifts I ever got were from taking cues from some of nature’s most prolific flyers. The airframe of a sailplane like the Grob is so effectual that they will easily go to the upper limits of thermals. Around these parts, that’s usually around 10,000 feet AGL, though there are areas here in the states where thermals can reach 20,000 feet or better... and that can be dangerous.
Thermals not only rise... they also track across the landscape, and sometimes pretty fast. The highest I flew in these parts was around 9,000 feet. I often had to hop from thermal to thermal to stay within sight of Whitsett. You didn’t want to be too far away, especially in conditions of sinking air. The destination was always up, but journey’s end was always safely stopped at the park... “journey’s end” is critical in an unpowered aircraft... part of the skill in flying it was putting it back where you found it. That was always on my mind, but so was going up, and it never seemed high enough. My question to myself on nearly every drive home after a flight was how high is high enough?
There are many conditions in life where people accept poor standards of belief, especially when it’s just within themselves, where they strive and claw to the stratosphere only to find there’s nothing there... their expectations let them down. I've listened to skeptics who rely on their place in life as a random collocation of atoms... that's an even worse condition, as it leaves one with no understanding to even reach for the top, much less knowing when they have.
Even while flying the Grob, I realized the joy was in the journey, not in the heights. This image was taken the same morning as that of my last post. It gives a better view of the overall wildness of Linville Gorge from the tip rocky ledge of Hawksbill Mountain. Where I’m standing is about 4,000 feet (1220 meters) above sea level, looking over a remote landscape that stretches to the coming morning... and it makes me appreciate that there are times that the highest you need to go may be exactly where you are... particularly if it takes you to a beautiful place. After a night of rain, mist retreats to morning... there's hope in that.
The pink flowers here are Carolina rhododendron separated by blueberry bushes that are also in bloom... you can see them here, a pinkish white and rather small bell-shape.
Times Square seems to give the pace for the entire globe and there is almost no other place in the world more known for cityscape photography. It is hard to capture this atmosphere in a unique photograph beside the mainstream. I was happy to find this new vantage point, that combines nicely the busy street scene with the strolling passengers and the oversized billboards. via WordPress ift.tt/28KyBi7 ------------------------------------------------ for the technique behind this shot and more, please visit my website: www.bit.ly/wernersworld !!! ------------------------------------------------ creative commons: Feel free to use photos with credits and links. No commercial use without permission. For commercial use, please contact me on my website and we will find an agreement for the permission!!! via ift.tt/28Mg2st
There is a real quality to autumn light as it streams across the land. The sky ahead was grey but it did not rain. It was a very bracing walk out here the wind was very cold.
No #331 on Explore, 28/11/2017
This is the door to a derelict terraced house near the center of Dublin.
I decided to make the door and a few other parts black & white. Because the THC on the door was a bright blue and it made the picture just to crowded with colour.
Oh, it's just my favorite yellow dress. "Where did I get it you ask?" ohhhh..... well, I love this dress so much, I actually got it at RAVE... embarrasing, I know.... but their clothes are actually pretty nice now.... I swear! My black flats, which you can't see here, are COACH. Thanks for asking!
For FGR: My, what is that you're wearing?
Humor me & View On White it's really much better!
** ooohhh...... I sound like a snotty B*@#h don't I..... yeah... I really don't care where I buy things, as long as they're cute.... the thing about rave is that their clothes used to just disintigrate while you were wearing them.. that's what is embarrassing. I actually pride myself on my bargain hunting :)
What is joy?
It is a bird that we all want
To catch.
It is the same bird that we all love
To see flying.
Sri Chinmoy
texture by lenabem anna
This is actually an older image that I just reprocessed. It has never been posted here and although taken in 2014, it is one of my favorite bird images. via 500px ift.tt/292GpgG
Is It Safe? mural by Uloang, part of the Hope for Health project, in Downtown Austin Texas during the COVID-19 pandemic and the BLM protests, June 3, 2020. The mural had been removed as Austin’s 6th street reopened and then replaced as the businesses boarded up during the BLM protests.
HOPE for Health is an effort by artists in collaboration with the HOPE Outdoor Gallery to spread hope on the walls of closed, boarded-up bars on 6th street.
“This is for the birds! Oh wait – I AM a bird!”
The challenge:
A photograph can be technically perfect, and have a great composition – that’s already hard enough to achieve sometimes! But for me, a photograph really stands out if it touches me. If it conveys a feeling, or stirs an emotion within. A really great image is one that evokes a mood and pulls the viewer into the scene. That’s what this week’s challenge is about: capturing emotion and feeling.
My process:
This is not the image I thought I was going to take this week. I started off the week thinking I would need to make a difficult and heartrending decision. The rainy weather forecast looked like it would match my mood and I planned to see what I could capture during a downpour. As it turned out, the sun appeared during a break in the clouds at about the same time I got the news that all my worry was for naught. In an effort to calm my frayed nerves, I turned to my camera and started taking photos of birds in my back yard.
I take a LOT of photos of birds – thousands upon thousands of photos often of the same exact birds. Sometimes I question my sanity, but the reason is because I’m hoping to capture the rare instance when a bird seems to express an emotion that we humans can identify with. I’m pretty sure we anthropomorphize the emotions, but we identify with them nonetheless.
Grackles seem to be particularly expressive – maybe because of their bright yellow eyes. This particular grackle has a bum leg that he never puts weight on, but the wind was making it particularly challenging for him to stay upright while perching on the post. He was using his tail as a rudder and he looks like he’s had just about enough! (We’ve all had those days buddy.)
The lighting helped to further enhance the mood of the photo as well. There was a small shaft of sunlight on the bird, but the background was in shade and was especially dark because of dark clouds overhead. The sun highlighted the iridescent colors in the wings and lightened the overall dark colors of the bird to help differentiate it from the dark background.
Lesson learned:
As you probably know, I strive hard to capture technically perfect images. However I am slowly learning (as Maaike said in her opening paragraph) that even though an image might be technically perfect, if it’s void of emotion the technical perfection doesn’t make up for that. Conversely, an image with emotional impact can make technical imperfections almost irrelevant. Perhaps this is because emotions connect us to the deepest parts of ourselves. Technical perfection is about what the eyes see; emotion is about what the heart feels – and it is entirely possible for our eyes to overlook something that our heart feels strongly about.
The Zwinger is a palace in the eastern German city of Dresden, built in Baroque style between 1710 and 1719 under Elector Augustus the Strong. It was designed by court architect Matthäus Daniel Pöppelmann. Its pavilions and galleries on the side of the ramparts were used as an orangery, exhibition gallery and festival arena of the Dresden Court.
The building was mostly destroyed by the carpet bombing raids of 13–15 February 1945. The art collection had been previously evacuated, however. Reconstruction, supported by the Soviet military administration, began in 1945; parts of the restored complex were opened to the public in 1951. By 1963 the Zwinger had largely been restored to its pre-war state.
Today, the Zwinger is a museum complex that contains the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister (Old Masters Picture Gallery), the Dresden Porcelain Collection (Dresdener Porzellansammlung) and the Mathematisch-Physikalischer Salon (Royal Cabinet of Mathematical and Physical Instruments). [Wikipedia]
maybe the last one this year?
LESS IS MORE is the topic for Tuesday 11th October 2016 Group Our Daily Challenge
Lydd-on-Sea is a modern village, mostly built after World War II, which consists mainly of bungalows built along the Dungeness coastal road south of Greatstone, Kent, England. The Southern Railway opened a railway station here in 1937 but was closed in 1967. Lydd-on-Sea is part of the ecclesiastical parish of Lydd, now several miles distant, which once had access to the sea.
An island in a lake (created by gravel extraction) slightly to the northwest of Lydd-on-Sea is the site of a collection of sound mirrors designed by Dr William Sansome Tucker, to detect the approach of enemy aircraft, in the years before radar had been developed.
Tegenwoordig van eind november tot half januari: tussen Black Friday en Driekoningen is één langgerekt feestseizoen. Ook hier in de Leidsestraat is dat duidelijk te zien.
Deze foto maakt deel uit van het compilatie album "Greatest Hits", dat HIER te vinden is :
Struggling is just a part of my day.
Many obstacles have been placed in my way.
I know the only reason that I make it through
Is because I never stop believing in You.
Some people wonder why we're here in the first place.
They can't believe because they ain't never seen your face.
But even when you pray, the next day you gotta try.
Can't wait for nobody to come down out the sky.
You've got to realize that the world's a test.
You can only do your best and let Him do the rest.
You've got your life and you've got your health.
So quit procrastinating and push it yourself.
~ Outkast & Goodie Mob
This is the same wagon as the one viewed in the previous picture (91010) . The former OBA - previously pictured with sides removed - is now seen with the half height steel ends also removed. When EWS took over flask trains from B.R. they inherited these wagons but when DRS took over from EWS, EWS took the PFAs with them.
In 1994 the Waste Monitoring and Compaction Plant (WAMAC) at Sellafield entered into active commissioning and began compacting solid Low Level Waste for disposal to the Low Level Waste Repository (LLWR) at Drigg using half height ISO containers designated TC-01 (2910 series). Prior to that, waste had been moved in commercially available industrial waste skips. A more robust type of re-useable container was tried in the 1990s but was short lived because the WAMAC system rendered them redundant.
Containers like this, designated TC-05 remained in use for many years in the nuclear industry but after 1995 saw little use on trains.
It is clearly seen in the entrance gate the deepening of the tower in the ground and the inclination that the tower hung (toppled).
Sloping entrance to the tower and about two meters deeper.
Foundations launched in 1173.
The gravity to go up is crazy.
Elevation of Piazza del Duomo: about 2 meters.
Height: 55,863 meters, 8 levels
Base outer diameter: 15,484 meters
Base inside diameter: 7,368 meters
Tilt angle: 3.97 degrees or 3.9 meters from the vertical.
Weight: 14,700 tons
Base wall thickness: 2.4 meters.
“Nirvana is not the blowing out of the candle.
It is the extinguishing of the flame because day is come.”
(Rabindranath Tagore - Indian Poet, Playwright and Essayist, Won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913, 1861-1941)
Those Rajsthani villagers came a long way in order to worship in Varanasi (Benaras).
I saw them leaving a small boat on the holy waters of the Ganges nearby Manikarnika Ghat where all earthy lives are ending, it was at dusk.
Suddenly the words of Tagore are giving deeper colours to the souls living in this image...
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Please do not use any photographs without permission (even for private use).
The use of any work without consent of the artist is PROHIBITED and will lead automatically to consequences.
Parkwood is an 80-acre (320,000 m2) woodland 5 miles (8.0 km) east south east of Tenterden near Appledore.
A car park is along the Woodchurch Road, heading north from Appledore towards Brattle.
It is managed by Kent County Council's Country Parks service.[11] It is noted for its bluebells in spring and for nightingales. There are woodland walks and panoramic views over Appledore and Romney Marshes.
The woodland is frequently coppiced for various timber uses. Including oak thinnings being used in Shorne Wood Country Parks new visitor centre, as the window and roof joinery.[12]
The wood, is surrounded by three other woods, Great Heron Wood (to the North), Little Heron Wood (to the East) and Butness Wood (further to the East).
This is the macro of a Great Spangled Fritillary butterfly. They love open habitats, moist meadows, deciduous woodlands, moist conifer and oak woods. Just one generation a year. Their color varies according to the area, eastern males are orange-brown, western males more orange, darker towards the base and with black markings and spots. The females are tan instead of orange, and has a greater dark area at the wings base.
My photography is mostly nature. I enjoy macro photography a lot, but it is difficult to decide what a I like the most about this art.
EXPLORE:
Sixty three of my photos made it to Explore, one appeared on the front page, and others at 14, 25 and 52. If you’d like to see them, please go to my Explore set.
TO MY FRIENDS:
Flicker has giving me opportunity to meet a group of wonderful people. Thanks for making me feel so proud of what I do and love.
ABOUT GROUPS:
I only submit my photos to groups which pages are not private.
MY THANKS:
I appreciate your visit and your comment. Thank you!
Martha.
My photography is mostly nature. I enjoy macro photography a lot, but it is difficult to decide what a I like the most about this art.
EXPLORE:
Sixty one of my photos made it to Explore, one appeared on the front page, and others at 14, 25 and 52. If you’d like to see them, please go to my Explore set.
TO MY FRIENDS:
Flicker has giving me opportunity to meet a group of wonderful people. Thanks for making me feel so proud of what I do and love.
ABOUT GROUPS:
I only submit my photos to groups which pages are not private.
MY THANKS:
I appreciate your visit and your comment. Thank you!
Martha.
This is my second picture for my weekly theme 'Abstract'.
Flowers are always great for a quick abstract shot. Day 51 dusted and done =)
Captured with a Nikon Df and a Nikkor AF-S 58mm ƒ1:1.4, post processed in Lightroom using VSCO Film.
Please don't spam my photo thread! Comments with awards or photos will be removed immediately!
It is the first time I went to this park after snow is melted here in Montreal. What a surprise! I still have the feeling after the end of the winter that I moved to a different city! :-) Different and super ultra cool city!
This view is from the 15th floor of the W New York Downtown. It wasn't high enough to get the whole of One WTC without pointing the camera up. It took quite a bit of distortion and image size adjustment to get the vertical lines straight and the scale more natural looking.
Oktoberfest is a 16–18 day festival held annually in Munich, Bavaria, Germany, running from late September to the first weekend in October. It is one of the most famous events in Germany and is the world's largest fair, with more than 5 million people attending every year. The Oktoberfest is an important part of Bavarian culture, having been held since 1810. Other cities across the world also hold Oktoberfest celebrations, modeled after the Munich event.
@Wikipedia
handheld
This is a new series of photography that I've been thinking to do. It's very different than my usual landscape photos. I'm calling it "The Shallow" series because of it's shallow depth of field & pin point focus that I use. I hope to use these technique to create some sort of modern abstract art like those people hang a series of similar art work on the wall. And Spring is the perfect time to start this series. Hope you'll like it. =)
Nikon D7000
Nikkor 105mm f/2.8G Micro VR
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This is the kind of thing you do when you are bored and can't get out to take pictures because everything is off limits still... Well take that back, I haven't tried the wetlands in about a month but the last time I was there the observation deck was roped off even tho it is out in the open...
www.spurnpoint.com/Spurn_Point.htm
Spurn is a very unique place in the British Islands. Three and a half miles long and only fifty metres wide in places.
Extending out in to the Humber Estuary from the Yorkshire coast it has always had a big affect to the navigation of all vessels over the years. Help to some and a danger or hindrance to others. This alone makes Spurn a unique place.
Spurn is made up of a series of sand and shingle banks held together with mainly Marram grass and Seabuckthorn. There are a series of sea defence works built by the Victorians and maintained by the Ministry of Defence, till they sold Spurn to the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust in the 1950s. The defences are in a poor state, breaking down and crumbling. This is making Spurn a very fragile place wide open to the ravages of the North Sea.
One of the most striking features of Spurn is the black and white lighthouse near to the end of Spurn. Now just an empty shell not used since it was closed down at dawn on the thirty first of October 1986.
There have been many Lighthouses on Spurn over the years the first recorded at around 1427. The present light was built from 1893 TO 1895. The small tower on the beach on the Estuary side was originally the low light. It was built and put in to operation at around 1852. This light was no longer needed when the present lighthouse was opened in 1895.At a later date the light was removed and it was used as a store for explosives and later as a water tower. The tank can still be seen on the top. When it was operational there was a raised walkway from the shore to the lighthouse so it could be reached at all stages of the tide.
The present lighthouse was built to replace an old lighthouse that was positioned just to the south of the present one. You can still see the round perimeter wall surrounding the old keepers cottages and the base of the old lighthouse which had to be demolished due to it settling on it's foundations making it unsafe.
The only light on Spurn today is a flashing green starboard light on the very end of the point and the fixed green lights marking the end of the Pilots jetty.
Because of Spurns ever moving position there have been many Lighthouses over the years. There is a very good book by George.de.BOAR, called History of the Spurn Lighthouses, produced by the East Yorkshire Local History Society. This is one of a series of books on local history.
www.spurnpoint.com/Around_and_about_at_Spurn.htm
Around and about there are plenty of places to eat and drink. Starting from the north of Spurn at Kilnsea there is the Riverside hotel offering good quality food drink and accommodation. Coming south towards Spurn and still in Kilnsea there is the Crown and Anchor pub. A welcoming place serving bar meals fine beers and offering bed and breakfast at very reasonable rates. At the crossroads before you turn towards Spurn there is the Spurn heritage coast visitors centre. Where there is a small cafe and exhibition. At the entrance Spurn point nature reserve is an information centre and bird observatory selling books pamphlets, etc., and the last toilet on Spurn.
Past the lighthouse is the last car park. Two hundred metres further on you find the Humber Lifeboat and Pilot stations. Near the houses is a Small caravan selling tea, coffee, cold cans, hot and cold food, crisps and sweets.
All are open all year round apart from the heritage centre which is open thought the season.
BIRD WATCHING.
Is a very popular pastime as Spurn is internationally famous for birds. There are up to two hundred species recorded at spurn every year. Some of which are extremely rare. The Marmora's Warbler seen at Spurn In June 1992 was only the third recorded in Britain.
SEA FISHING.
The beaches of Spurn provide some of the best sea fishing in the area, with Cod and Whiting and Flats being caught through the winter and Skate, Flats and Bass through the summer. There is sport to be had all the year.
At the very end of Spurn is deep water ideal for Cod but this only fishes best two hours either side of low water, the tide is to strong at other times. All along the seaward side of Spurn is good for all species of fish at all times though over high water being the better. The riverside of Spurn is very shallow and only produces Flats and the bass over high water.
THE BEACH.
The beaches at Spurn are of soft sand and shingle. Whichever way the wind is blowing you can just pop over the dunes to the outer side. There are fossils and all manners of things to find beach combing. Swimming is not safe any were near the point end as there are very strong tides at up to six knots at times. But in side Spurn around the point car park is perfect at high water. The beach does not shelf to fast and very little tide. You can have the place to your self at times, as Spurn is never really busy weekdays.#
A very popular pastime at Spurn is Fossil hunting. There is a good abundance of fossils to be found in amongst the pebbles and shingle.
The Shark Trust has a very interesting PDF file tell you all about Shark Skate and rays the mermaids purses you find on the beach are egg shells from sharks and Rays. Click the link to down load the Shark Trust Brochure.
WALKING.
Walking or strolling at spurn is very easy, as there are no hills. There are various sign posted paths up and down the point. For the fit a complete walk round the whole point is about 8 miles, taking in all the point round the point end and back to the "warren" information place at the start of Spurn. You will need good footwear, as much of the paths are sand. There is limited access for disabled, but not to the point end, as you have to go via the beach.
You can park your car at the point car park and walk round the point end and back to the car park about a mile, or just stroll around the point were you choose. The only place you are not allowed to go are down the pilot's jetty and the centre square of the Lifeboat houses.
In spring and early summer Spurn is covered with a large amount of wild flowers of all species.
There are common to the not so common; from Orchids to bluebells. I must remind you Spurn is a nature reserve and the picking of all flowers is prohibited. When visiting please enjoy Spurn, as it is a very beautiful place and leave only your footprints.
Horse Riding.
There is riding available nearby at the North Humberside Riding Centre. The stables are ideally located with rides along quiet country lanes, by-ways, plus miles of sandy beach and riverbanks. The cross-country course offers a variety of fences for both the novice and the more experienced rider.
www.spurnbirdobservatory.co.uk/
A Brief History of Spurn Bird Observatory
Following visits to Spurn by several members of the Yorkshire Naturalists' Union in the late 1930's, a communal log for ornithological observations was instituted in 1938. This included a roll-call of species, the beginnings of a recording system, which later became standard in bird observatories. Realising the potential of the Spurn peninsula for the regular observation of bird migration a group of enthusiasts, notably Ralph Chislett, George Ainsworth, John Lord and R.M. Garnett, had the idea of setting up a bird observatory, with the Warren Cottage at the northern end of the peninsula as an ideal headquarters. Unfortunately the outbreak of war forced them to put their plans on hold but shortly after hostilities ceased a lease for Warren Cottage was obtained from the War Department and the observatory was established shortly afterwards under the auspices of the Y.N.U. with the four members mentioned above forming the first committee. A preliminary meeting was held in September 1945 to decide on the site for a Heligoland trap, work on which was begun almost immediately and the first bird (a Blackbird) was ringed on November 17th. The first minuted committee meeting was held on March 9th 1946 and the observatory was opened to visitors at Whitsuntide that year.
Initially coverage was limited to the main migration seasons, being extended to winter weekends in the early 1950's to trap and ring some of the large numbers of Snow Buntings which used to occur at that time of year and gradually coverage was increased (whenever possible) to cover the late spring and summer. In 1959 there was an important development when the Yorkshire Naturalists' Trust (now the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust) became the owners of the peninsula and thus the observatory's landlord. In 1960 a full time warden was appointed by the Trust, and although having no official connection with the observatory the fact of having an observer on the peninsula year-round inevitably helped to improve the ornithological coverage. This was especially the case from 1964 when the current warden, Barry Spence, was appointed, in conjunction with the fact that an interest in birds and their migrations was steadily growing and more bird-watchers were staying at the observatory, often for longer periods.
When the observatory opened there was accommodation for seven visitors in Warren Cottage and facilities included two chemical toilets, the Warren Heligoland trap and an ex-army hut as a ringing hut. Over the next ten years a further five Heligoland traps were constructed along the peninsula, although today only three remain in existence. In 1959 the observatory gained the use of the Annexe, one of two ex W.D. bungalows built at the Warren during the early 1950's, thus increasing the accommodation capacity to seventeen and providing much improved toilet facilities. Over the years the accommodation and facilities have been gradually improved to try to make the visitor's stay at Spurn as comfortable as possible. Other improvements have also taken place, in 1968 part of one of the derelict buildings at the Point was converted into a ringing laboratory ready for the first B.T.O. Ringing Course, held in autumn of that year and in 1971 part of one of the derelict buildings at the Warren was also converted into a ringing laboratory. The other part of this building became a laboratory for the use of students of Leeds University but this also became available to the observatory in the mid 1980's when the University no longer had a use for it. Subsequently it was converted into a self-contained accommodation unit for two, complete with kitchen facilities, and although officially known by the somewhat unimaginative name of Room F (the rooms in the Annexe being known as Rooms A, C, D & E, - whatever happened to Room B?), it was somewhat irreverently christened "Dunbirdin" by regular visitors to Spurn.
In 1965 a sea-watching hut was erected east of the Warren beyond the line of the former railway track. Due to coastal erosion it became necessary to move this in late 1974, when it was hoped that it would last at least as long as it had in its first position. Alas this was not to be, as the rate of erosion increased dramatically in the mid 1970's, necessitating a further move in early December 1977. In that year a clay bank had been built across the field behind Warren Cottage (Clubley's field) to prevent the flooding of arable land by wind-blown sea water, but on January 11th 1978 Spurn suffered its worst flooding ever when a strong to gale-force north-westerly wind combined with a spring tide. In late 1981 due to extensive construction works at Easington a large quantity of boulder clay became available and this was used to build up and extend the bank across Clubley's field, south towards Black Hut and north beyond Big Hedge to join up with an existing bank (which had been built in 1974) behind the scrape. In 1982 the sea-watching hut was repositioned on top of this bank, where it remained until the bank itself was washed away in the early 1990's.
A number of other changes to the observatory recording area began to take place from the early 1970's, including extensive building operations at the Point, commencing in 1974, with the construction of a new jetty for the Humber Pilot boats, new housing for the Spurn Lifeboat crew and the conversion and renovation of various existing buildings for use by the Coastguard and the Pilots. In 1978 following damage to the existing road south of the Warren area a new tarmac road was laid to the west of the original one, this lasted until 1988 when a second "new road" loop had to be laid, followed in 1991 by the construction of the existing loop road running along the Humber shore from just south of the Warren to just beyond Black Hut. The construction of this road resulted in the destruction of the actual Black Hut, although the area still bears the name. In 1981 the lines of wartime concrete anti-tank blocks running from the seashore to the Canal Zone were removed to fill in a breach at the Narrow Neck. This resulted in the southward extension of the Scrape field by the farmer up to Big Hedge and the start of a gradual decline in the condition of this hedge and its attractiveness to birds. In 1982 a local resident excavated a pond for shooting purposes in the wet area adjoining the Canal Zone. This never really proved successful and the land was later purchased by the Y.W.T. and the pond enlarged to become what is now known as Canal Scrape. In 1984 a famous Spurn landmark, the Narrows "Hut", a wooden migration watch shelter which had stood at the Narrow Neck for twenty-three years, was set fire to by person or persons unknown and completely destroyed, it was replaced the following year by a more solid construction made from breeze-blocks.
A period of considerable change began in 1988 when the Spurn peninsula was designated as part of the Spurn Heritage Coast. Projects undertaken include the enlargement of the Canal Scrape mentioned above and the erection of a hide overlooking it, a hide overlooking the Humber wader roost at Chalk Bank, a public sea-watching hide alongside the observatory one, provision of additional car-parking space, the restoration of the short-turf habitat in the Chalk Bank area, provision of footpaths, etc. A major project was the renovation of the Blue Bell in Kilnsea for use as offices, an information centre and a small cafe, which became fully operational in 1995. Another fairly recent project has been the creation of another scrape/pond on Clubley's field.
In 1996 the observatory celebrated its fiftieth anniversary, and for the first time in its history SBO employed a full time seasonal warden. This position has since been expanded and the observatory now enjoys the services of a year- round warden. In 1998, with a view to the future, a small bungalow in Kilnsea was purchased with money bequeathed by the late John Weston, a long time committee member, who regrettably died in 1996. This was followed in 1999 by the purchase of a strip of land adjacent to the property and is now known as the ‘Church Field’, this is planted with a sacrificial crop every year, and has also had several groups of trees planted and a feeding station placed in the north-east corner. Access to this field is available by becoming a member of ‘Friends of Spurn Bird Observatory’, a venture set up in 2003 to eventually help with the building of a new observatory when the old one falls way to the sea.
Commentary.
Steyning is a town at the northern end of the Adur Gap through the South Downs.
The town dates back to Saxon times over 1,000 years ago.
The Parish Church, originally dedicated to St. Cuthman,
eventually became jointly dedicated to St. Andrew.
Nearby Bramber Castle was built following the Norman invasion and acted as a defence against invasion from
south or north through the Adur valley.
Trade and religious disputes soured the relationship between
Bramber and Steyning for several centuries.
In the 14th. Century the River Adur began to silt up causing
the loss of trade and population to both places.
In 1614, the Alderman of Chichester founded Steyning
Grammar School, in Church Street, just off the High Street.
This Jacobean building still stands today, but the main school
is now sited at the northern end of the town.
The railway linking Guildford to Shoreham via Steyning
opened in 1861, but fell foul to the infamous Beeching cuts of the 1960’s.
The rail route has been preserved as a foot, bridle and cycle way, known as the Downs Link.
The Old Town Hall built in 1886 is now an Estate Agents.
Agriculture, brewing, tanning and brickmaking formed
the core of the economy in the late 19th. Century.
Today the town has three pubs, a good variety of shops,
a Health Centre, Public Library and Museum.
The Leisure Centre, including a swimming pool, was funded by the National Lottery.
Steyning Grammar School is now a comprehensive
serving 2,500 pupils from a wide area.
There is also a Primary School and Pre-School.
The town has cricket, football and athletic clubs.
Its prized architecture includes Tudor, Stuart, Georgian and Victorian buildings as well as 20th. and 21st. century developments.
The High Street’s main landmark is the tile-hung Clock-Tower.
The town hosts many walkers on the nearby South Downs
and day-trippers making for the coast, a few miles to the south.