Cows coming home...

Around a year ago a trip to the Isle of Purbeck on a mountain bike would have been a major event: this evening I cycled the round trip of 28 miles (52 km) just for the fun of it. The ride culminated at the obelisk on Ballard Down, part of the Southern England Chalk Formation that runs down to the sea and forms Old Harry Rocks, a local landmark at Handfast Point (see June 27, 2009 post). The peace of the evening is only broken by the skylarks: there is no other human presence.

The photograph below is of a herd of meandering cows, and was taken during my descent of Ballard Down. The chalk cliffs of both Alum and Scratchell's Bay, Isle of Wight - some 15 miles (28km) distant -  are at the top of the image and are a continuation of the same chalk ridge mentioned above.

Once at Handfast Point I stop to photograph the nest of a Herring Gull, perched on a ledge of the vertical cliff face, shown here with one of the chicks beginning to test its wings in preparation of its first flight. The young birds are superbly marked (there are two), blending well with their surroundings. Even the parent bird was, at first, difficult to spot against the chalk cliffs.

300mm f/4 AF-S Nikkor lens.

Top: 1/1000 second at f/8. ISO 400

Below: 1/400 second at f/8. -0.33 EV compensation. ISO 640. Monopod

© 2010