I took this photograph this afternoon on the High Street in Old Town Hastings from outside the entrance to the Swan Inn Memorial Garden (it was destroyed by a German bomb in World War Two) looking up toward St Clements Church.
This baby Herring Gull fall off a neighbouring roof today and ended up sitting on the grass outside. This photograph was taken before she was taken to the RSPCA's nearby Mallydams rescue centre.
Taken from the Manston Locomotive as we passed a signal with Corfe Castle on top of the hill.
A visit to Swanage in Dorset is incomplete if you don’t ride the Swanage Railway. This charity runs various steam and diesel trains along track between Swanage and Corfe Castle. Yesterday, we rode the Bullied Light Pacific 34070 Manston to Corfe Castle and back.
The Tornado pulling into Swanage station from London.
We were also lucky to see the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) Peppercorn A1 class No. 60163 Tornado — the first new main line steam locomotive to be built for almost half a century — make a special trip to Swanage from London.
The Mill Pond in Swanage. Note the two wooden ramps on the right for the birds to gracefully enter and exit.
The cable chain link ferry from Poole to the Isle of Purbeck, including Swanage and Corfe Castle.
Escaped from the fast-life of Hastings Old Town to the, er, fast-life of Swanage via the ferry from Poole. I recall going on this very same ferry when I was about five-years-old. It hasn’t change at all, which is, somehow, quite reassuring.
As the crossing makes its brief way in what must be about 10 minutes, you look inland toward Brownsea Island and, in the opposite direction, out to sea.
Took this photograph this morning. The three chicks continue to survive. Here are two of them taking their first lessons in flying.
Here's a close-up of the family taken yesterday.
Mother Herring Gull watches over her young as two huddle together in the warm sun and one goes for a walkabout. The babies are little grey balls of fluff with black polka-dots. Their high-pitched chirping becomes part of the sound of the Old Town at this time of the year.
One of the things that Hastings Old Town is renowned for — and I like — is its population of Herring Gulls. Historically, the Old Town has been for centuries a centre for fishing. In fact, Hastings has the largest beach-based fishing fleet in England. The fishing industry helps to account for the large population of gulls. They are large and very noisy birds who gracefully fly above the Old Town as well as low (eye-level) along the High Street seemingly looking for someone to christen. I will take periodically photographs of this family gulls and post them here so that we can monitor their growth and development together. Last year, most likely the same parents raised four babies on the same roof; however, sadly, not all of them survived.
In the top left hand corner is High Wycombe and top right hand corner a glimpse of the sea.
Now that the weather is reasonable for a couple of days, activity at the Fernbank Allotment increases with planting, weeding and watering.
Strawberries, onions, leeks, potatoes, rhubarb, asparagus, various beans and gooseberry bushes, apple and pear trees and cut flowers and herbs are all now underway. Plans are being made to plant in the coming month or two for such winter crops as cabbage and brussel sprouts.
The photo shows various beds created from the sloping turfy terrain. The grass was cut over the weekend. The grass is left uncut around the fruit trees. The compost heap is on the middle left. A group of us tried to help a sick fox who was spending time at the allotment; however, he’s not been seen since to feed him the food with the medicine in it.
For previous reports on the allotment, please go here.
Kim Stallwood is an independent scholar and author on animal rights. His forthcoming book, Animal Dharma, explores what it means to care deeply about animals. Starting in 1976 he has held leadership positions with some of the world’s foremost organisations in the UK and US, including CIWF, BUAV, PETA, The Animals’ Agenda, Animals and Society Institute and Minding Animals International. A vegetarian since 1974 when as a student he worked in a chicken slaughterhouse. A vegan since 1976. His evil twin is the Grumpy Vegan.
Animal Dharma explores what it means to care deeply about animals and discovers how we can live peacefully with ourselves and others by proposing four key values: truth, compassion, nonviolence and interbeing.