Landscape

Point St John - Between St Justinians and Whitesands Bay

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It’s always nice to go back to favourite spots. This little section of cliff between St Justinians and Whitesands Bay caught my eye years ago and I took an all time favourite image there. I love the flakes of pink and purple rocks jutting out of the cliff edge and dotted with thrift at this time of year. I walked out there yesterday knowing that the grey sky wasn’t going to provide much interest but I was still pleased with the shot mainly because it was an excuse to spend a bit of time in this lovely place.

Aurora Borealis in Pembrokeshire

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Friday May 10th felt like it had been a long time coming; I used to go out and take pictures a lot at night and on several occasions over the last decade or so I have ventured out especially because there was aurora forecast this far South. When I have been out on those nights I've had a nice time squinting at the sky but more often than not have come home with pictures showing a slight pink colouration and not much else. I went to Iceland a few years ago and came home with some amazing pictures of the Northern Lights in their natural habitat but never thought I'd see such a powerful display here in Pembs.

pembrokeshire aurora

I headed to the North coast because I've always wanted to get some shots of aurora at the harbour here. I had a go a few months ago when cloud ruined the chance but seeing it was clear and even a nice temperature outside I had high hopes given the reports that contained exciting phrases such as 'huge sun spots', 'solar flares', 'coronal mass ejections' and a 'huge geomagnetic storm under way'. I arrived at twilight and it wasn't long before it was possible to see a pale band of light across the sky which although not that impressive to the naked eye, I knew would show up on the camera and was a good indication that there was some activity. As I jogged over to the other side of the harbour, the night had become darker and arriving out of breath at the top of the steps I could see more impressive pillars of light in the sky. The next hour or so was spent dashing from place to place, trying to enjoy the awesome display, trying to make pictures and cursing the fact I'd forgotten my headtorch, only brought one lens and the fact that my tripod has gone lame in one leg. When things (and I) started to calm down a bit I stood a while and watched the moon dropping towards the horizon whilst gentle bands of light undulated silently in the heavens above a hushed sea.

My gosh it was lovely. Truly one of the wonders of nature. I'm not sure how many reminders Gaia has to send us that the greatest things we see on this planet are not created by us but by the forces around us. I'm not so sure these days that knowledge is power or even sets us free as it feels like there is a lot to be gained by a regular humbling served up by nature that lets us feel our insignificance in this universe as our distant ancestors would have felt before we could explain it all. Would we not be better off feeling a little more fear of our ultimate powerlessness and mortality? The same greens and pinks we saw in the sky on Friday are to be found on the carapace of the tiniest beetles or in the plumage of the birds in our gardens whose interests we are doing such an awful job of protecting. Anything of beauty that humans create is always poor in comparison when we really stop and look at it and it's way past the time we stated treating the planet with the reverence it deserves.

These shots are pretty much in chronological order from twilight and the first flushes to around 1am and the last remnants of the more powerful bursts.

Winter Sun in the Algarve

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Some snaps from a short trip to the Algarve last week in search of some winter sun. Carvoeiro was a lovely base to explore the area and especially this time of year when it was a pleasant temperature and quiet. The coast is pretty and dramatic in equal measure with the limestone cliffs shaped and splintered by the sea and sinkholes forming coves and caves that the area is famous for. We saw dolphins offshore, peregrines nesting in the cliffs and interesting plant life along the clifftops.

A trip inland to visit friends who have made Portugal their home was a chance to look at the unique way the land is used in the area. A bit dry this but quite interesting… Montado is a land management system that works as a sustainable form of agriculture evolved to cope with the climate challenges that the area faces with wet Springs and hot dry Summers. It’s an integrated mix of farming that works to provide produce in all conditions. The cork trees are a vital part of this system as they keep the soil healthy by offering shade from harsh summer sun, dropping leaves and providing an environment for plants to grow beneath the canopy. Animals can shelter and forage in this undergrowth which also serves to keep moisture from evaporating in the heat.

There is plenty of biodiversity within the undergrowth which then supports insect life and birds of which I counted at least 10 species in a short time using the Cornell Bird ID app which identified tree creepers, siskin, nuthatch and great spotted woodpecker among others. The cork trees are a species of Oak that will yield a harvest of cork once the tree reaches 25 years old. After around 10 years the cork will grow back to be harvested by Tiradors who work with small axes to carefully remove slabs of the outer bark. The numbers on the trunks refer to the last year the tree was stripped of its outer cork layer. A tree will provide a harvest for some 200 years. The whole system really relies upon the cork trees remaining economically viable so with the threat of plastic and screw stops to the market, the landscape is at risk. Also the heightened risk of wildfires due to climate change is a problem which is only going to get worse.

Anyway, the forests were lovely to walk around and I have a new appreciation for the cork in my bottles. More photos in the gallery below.

Valero Refinery

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Not the usual views from Pembrokeshire, but the industrial side of the county has always fascinated me. Around the Milford Haven waterway, the contrast between the natural, ancient beauty of the county and the modern landscape is stark and the reality of the technology that we still rely on for our everyday needs is clear to see. There’s not many places you can get a look at the refinery without access so I was only able to shoot these images on a long lens through the chainlink perimeter fence.

I found an interesting article here on the history of the Haven but this made me laugh as some might say it still has a ring of truth…

The haven had been used as a significant port since the Middle Ages but the modern-day town of Milford did not exist until 1792 when the first of the Nantucket Quakers arrived in west Wales from America and quickly made it their home.

Seven whaling families, fleeing from the American War of Independence, were encouraged to settle in the town by Sir William Hamilton, who was granted permission by Act of Parliament in 1790 to "provide Quays, Docks, Piers and other erections" and develop a new town.

Milford at this time was a rather bleak, unpopulated and undeveloped area with only a few scattered houses, two roads, and no amenities. The Quaker-whalers found it a strange experience, with one commenting: "Wales being a conquered country and the peasantry and yeomanry still speaking a different language from their conquerors, their civilisation did not keep pace with that of England. It was allowed to be a hundred years behind, and the manners and customs of all classes were of course very different from those of the English."

Snow in Pembrokeshire

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Being coastal we don’t see a lot of snow as the proximity of the sea and the prevailing Westerly winds generally keep the temperature too high for snow. Wednesday night was an exception with North and Easterly winds bringing a good couple of inches overnight. Seeing that the sun was rising with dramatic skies I flew the drone to get a good look at the scene and was glad I had batteries charged and ready to go. Seeing a familiar landscape under snow always brings a different dimension, and with amazing light it all made for some pretty unique views of my local spot.