Herb Riddle's photos

Starlings come and go in our garden. they must have nested near here as we have seen the young ones too. These are the fat-miners, akin to our wood-peckers with their long beaks. They drill into the fat-balls sending cascades of fat to the ground, to the delight of our resident ground feeders of pigeons and blackbirds along with the robins and sparrows. Scientific name: Sturnus vulgaris

The star of this weeks catch the very rare to us 'Goldfinch'. Like the 'Bullfinch' this has only become a regular visitor this Winter and Spring. Normally their habitat is near thistles, a plant that their beak has been especially adapted to get at the sun-flower seed for. Maybe our seeds are just too much for it to resist. Scientific name: Carduelis carduelis

A sunset view of the mighty river Seine and the Pont de Normandie. - As I stroll along the riverbank side path, all is silent except for the odd chirp of a bird, buzz of an insect and lap of a wave. In the distance can be seen the port town of Le Havre. This scene, so majestic that so many elements vie for closer attention but here we have it in all its glory. Enjoy in full screen. See PiPs.

A view from the Lake District village of Patterdale.

Mother and young common starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) take a break for a meal whilst practising for tonight's high wire performance. Seen on our garden feeder.

A rather colourful capture of a reflecting fence in icy waters on a cold blue sky day. The water is part of Dove Stone reservoir and the fence is the overflow guard rail. Best viewed full screen.

Getting back to my usual landscapes here we have a view of the local little tidal river as it flows into the mighty River Seine only a few hundred metres from here. Unfortunately you don't hear the many bird calls here and then again you don't feel the midges biting either :)

A rare steam capture for me, here we see the 'Witherslack Hall' pulling mixed vintage carriages to its terminus from Heywood on the 'East Lancashire Railway' line: www.eastlancsrailway.org.uk Built for the famous GWR around 1948, this 4-6-0 was mostly stationed at the Main GW Paddington Railway shed. More info about this iconic engine: www.gcrailway.co.uk/the-railway/locomotives/6990-witherslack-hall See PiP for close-up detail. Worth viewing full screen. Enjoy

Seen in the picturesque coastal village of Honfleur ,France. We see here a planted walkway, a million miles away from the medieval town and delightful harbour. Most people might pass this by in favour of the other delights of this town but for me, a feast for the eyes and soul. See PiP for my Cathedral of trees

Taken inside Pickering station, now used as the terminus of the, 'North York Moors' historical trust line. The residual steam and smoke here combining to give a nostalgic feeling of the age of steam. See PiP " Essentially a tender version of the Standard 4 Tank like 80135 and 80136, the 4-6-0 version of the British Railways Standard 4 design was intended for general passenger and freight use on lines where the usual "Black Five" and similar locomotives would be too large or heavy. 80 examples were built between 1951 and 1957 and were allocated to the London Midland, Western and Southern regions. 75029 was built in 1954 and was decidedly mobile during her service life, being allocated to depots across the Western region including Reading, Oxford and Swindon, with a stint in Wales at Machynlleth and Croes Newydd sheds in the early to mid sixties. Painted in British Railways' Brunswick Green livery used on passenger engines, "The Green Knight" has been a stalwart of the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, including being passed to work to Whitby and Battersby on the national network. A crack in the firebox was identified in 2015 and she is currently awaiting attention. " NYMR

Sit back with me here and wonder at how sometimes man's involvement with nature can harmonise so well. Taken on the shores of one of the lesser known lakes: Brotherwater in our Lake District. HFF to all, and enjoy your weekend, Herb

Another view from my 2015 trip to the Mosel. Too good to lie languishing in my 'never published box'. See PiP Eltz Castle is a medieval castle nestled in the hills above the Moselle River between Koblenz and Trier, Germany. It is still owned by a branch of the same family that lived there in the 12th century, 33 generations ago. WiKi

Also called 'The Clava (or Nairn)' viaduct. An awe inspiring railway viaduct near the historical battlefield. Not the perfect weather here of blue skies or the 'golden hour' but an overcast day that, in its way suits this giant structure. I ask myself, should I have stayed for a train -but they were all modern ones. A steam locomotive -ah, that would have been worth waiting for. Taken on my North Scotland tour of 2014 but getting a new outing here. Worth a full screen viewing, I advice :) More info on the famous battle of Culloden: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Culloden

Another view of this high viaduct crossing the River Mosel near Koblenz in Germany. PiP

Seen whilst sailing the Mosel at the golden hour. The Moselle Viaduct carries the Bundesautobahn 61 over a meander of the river Moselle, connecting the Hunsrück and Eifel mountain ranges. This is only about 6miles (9km) from its entry into the Rhein at Koblenze. See PiP for high view.

A night shot from our holiday Gite in Normandy. 11 portrait 16mm shots in two rows stitched for panorama. See PiP's

One thinks of Benidorm in Spain as a resort of high rise hotels, bars and noise. Here we see a traquil view from one of the many promenades to the Islote de Benidorm. HFF to all, and enjoy your weekend, Herb