Across the River

The classic view of the Taj Mahal is very well known - a building of such symmetry calls out for a certain angle in photography.  However, I had wanted to see it from a rather different viewpoint, and this was provided went to Agra Fort.  The fort itself is pretty impressive, but these remain my favourite images I took when I visited it.

Once again, the light is not clear due to a combination of dust and pollution - but I rather like the way the picture feels.

You can find more shots from around the world at Our World Tuesday.

PS: thanks for the positive comments from last week!

Wild Bird Wednesday 244 - Australasian Gannet or Tākapu (Part 1)

I have noticed that many of my bird posts are of single or small groups of birds.  It occurred to me that this sometimes misses the point of how wonderful large groups of birds can look.

So, this week, here are some large groups of birds - or maybe here is a large group of birds.

These are Australasian Gannet or Tākapu to give them their Māori name. There seems to be some variation across the web as to the scientific name of this species - so I will go with the one used on the Birds Australia web site - Morus serrator.

These pictures were taken at Muriwai, on the North Island of New Zealand.  You can see adult birds, and well developed younger birds and at least one smaller chick in these pictures.

As ever, to join in with WBW just click on the blue button below.

I have received a couple of negative emails (not as comments on my blog) in the past month, and while I don't mind feedback, it would remind anybody who reads this that I am a full time husband and Dad, full time worker and only a part time blogger and an amateur photographer , so I can't always stay 100% up to date with the blog, or produce show stopping pictures at will! - much as I would like to. SM

An InLinkz Link-up

The Things They Left Behind 5 - Buller Gorge

When we were in New Zealand we went for a walk around an area called Buller Gorge - this used to be many alluvial gold mines in the area, but most have now closed.

It comes as a bit of a surprise to find an abandoned digger in the middle of the bush!  But there it was.  And further on there was a truck of some sort and other bite and pieces.   Although some of the machines looked older, much of this debris only dates from the 1980s - which I suppose is old by some peoples reckoning!

You can find more shots from around the world at Our World Tuesday.

A land of contrasts

These pictures were taken from a moving car on the 'expressway' from Agra to Delhi, just as the Sun was setting.

One part of that journey was dominated by the chimneys of what I take to be brick works - tall chimneys belching smoke surrounded by deep pits where clay (?) had been removed.  I wondered if this was a window into what some landscapes looked like at the dawn of the Industrial Revolution - heavy industry still set within a rural landscape.    Whatever the truth of this idea, it really is an example of India being a land of contrasts.

You can find more skies at Sky Watch Friday.

Wild Bird Wednesday 243 - Rose-ringed Parakeet

The Rose-ringed Parakeet (Psittacula krameri) was a vocal and common resident of the Lodi Gardens in New Delhi.  This bird is very wide spread in Asia and Africa and it is the only naturalised parrot in the UK.  This seems to suggest that it is an adaptable bird!

This species is about 40cm long.  While I am not an expert on such things, I think that the black 'collar' on this bird shows that it is a male.

The next set of picture were taken in the gardens around the Taj Mahal - which just goes to show that there is more to see there than just a remarkable building!

As ever, to join in with WBW click on the link below. cheers  SM

An InLinkz Link-up

A walk in a garden

The Lodhi Gardens in New Delhi cover about 90 acres of land and is populated with people, palm squirrels and lots and lots of monuments.  I went for a walk there on my 'recovery' day, prior to starting work the next day, on my recent trip to India.  I was rather slack on keeping notes of what was what and who was who - so, here are some pictures just to give a feel of the place.

You can find more shots from around the world at Our World Tuesday.