Notes – 2023 - Kiersten Rowland

I know technically this isn't a great shot, but I like it anyway 😂

Sun rays shining through the clouds onto a field of yellow and green barley with a purple thistle at the forefront

Kind of how I feel at the moment

A red poppy standing alone in a field of barley

It's been 4 years today since I saw this gorgeous boy. Miss you Khumbu 💔🌈

Black and white picture of Siberian husky Khumbu.

Had I not gone out with the 200-600 lens it would have been a perfect day for macro photography today 😂

Sparkling dew covered wild grass and flowers

Came across these two cuties and a third sibling recently. Had to help them away from stupid person with a dog. Hopefully the parents located them 🤞

Two little yellow ducklings on the canal towpath

Sometimes it's the simple things in life 🌼

A white daisy with a yellow middle

Sweep sleeping in a bowl in a bowl for

A tri coloured cat curled up asleep in a bowl that is inside a larger bowl

We call this guy Scruffy. I think he might be an Elvis fan 🤔

A male Blackbird standing on top of a green wooden shed. The feathers on the top of his head are standing up and also those on his throat.

A handsome stallion walks by in the high mountains of the Sierra Nevada. We had had a couple of big Saharan dust storms which had turned the snow to the colour you see. I took this photo one year ago.

A dark grey stallion walking across a green area in the high mountains with snow coloured by Saharan dust and rocks behind him

Last walk with the dogs for a few weeks. I'm headed back to the UK to help care for my Mum.

Isn't it great when you come upon an unexpected plant. Aquilegia vulgaris L. subsp. nevadensis is an endemic species, classified as vulnerable and is on the Red List of the Vascular Flora of Andalucia. I only know of a couple of areas where this plant grows, usually see it in early June, but not this year it's out and flowering already I expect due to the dry winter and spring we have had.

A picture of a blue/purple Aquilegia flower

We had a great looking sky yesterday evening. We are hoping for rain, but so far today there is no sign of it.

A photo showing the town of Lanjaron in Andaluica with mountains in distance and some clouds moving through

Came across an Alpine Swift colony while out on a walk recently. Boy these guys move fast. What a great sight it was to be around such impressive birds. Almost as impressive was the fact I actually photographed one in focus 😂

An Alpine Swift flying left to right showing it's white tummy and throat, a light coloured rockface behind.

It's Saturday so that must mean it's. Sooty and Sweep and dancing their way into the weekend.

A calico coloured cat standing on her back legs looking like she is dancing

A tortoiseshell coloured cat standing on her back legs looking like she is dancing

The dogs say the hot weather makes cushions explode, it's very dangerous to be left home alone and we should be thankful no animal was hurt! Picture 1 is the exploded cushion. Picture 2 the dogs who reported the exploding cushion story.

A destroyed dog bed with the stuffing out all over the place.

A black and white picture of two dogs trotting next to eachother. Dog on the left is white and dog on the right is black and white with blue eyes.

Introducing Mr and Mrs Woodchat Shrike ❤️ I have seen 4 on the dog walk today, that's the most I've seen on the dog walk for a number of years.

A pair of Woodchat Shrike sat on a couple of thin branches at the top of a tree. Mr is sat on the left facing forward but looking left. Mrs is sat on the right and she is facing to the right.

There is something special about Bluebell woodland ❤️ I've enjoyed reconnecting with this one close to my parents home.

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The Bluebells are flowering and Bumble Bees are feasting on the pollen 🐝

A close up shot of some British Bluebell flowers, blurred green grass background, with a black and yellow bumble bee hanging upside down from one of the flowers having fed on the nectar

A bit of colour on an otherwise grey and crappy day. In the UK helping to take care of my mum who has terminal lung cancer, not a good day.

A field of dandelions in and out of focus with cobwebs flowing over them.

Had some great Mammatus clouds yesterday where I am staying in the UK.

A view over house rooftops with Mammatus clouds in the sky

Mammatus clouds

A view over house rooftops with Mammatus clouds in the sky

The male Mallards are looking particularly handsome at the moment 😍

A close up photo of a male Mallard duck looking very handsome with his emerald green/blue head and his yellow beak

It's been 30 years since my first Siberian Husky (Gypsy) was born ❤️ She was my introduction to the breed, I've been hooked ever since. I surprise myself being able to remember her birthday 🥳

Black and white Siberian husky dog curled on a living room chair. A picture taken in the 90's

Happy Caturday from Sweep.

Sweep a tri coloured cat sitting like a human with TV remote controls in front of her on a black leather sofa with a white fleece blanket

We had an unusual view today of the Castillo and the town of La Calahorra today. Taken from 2609m on the summit of Morrón Sanjuanero in the Sierra Nevada mountains 😎

A shot of the Castillo de La Calahorra is located in La Calahorra, in the province of Granada, Spain. It is situated in the Sierra Nevada foothills. Built between 1509 and 1512, it was one of the first Italian Renaissance castles to be built outside Italy.

This Greater Bee-fly was taking a late breakfast of Biscutella auriculata when I snapped him yesterday while out on the dog walk.

A Bee-fly in flight feeding on the pollen of a yellow flower

This Common Kestrel was rather pleased with itself having caught a grasshopper for lunch 🍽️

A photo of the underside of a Common Kestrel holding a grasshopper in it's foot flying away from the photographer

A photo of a Common Kestrel flying towards the photographer holding a grasshopper in it's foot

A photo of the top view of a Common Kestrel flying over lemon trees

My nemesis bird, OK so I have a few but today we are talking about the Iberian Magpie. This bird is super friendly in some parts of Spain, I just have never met one of those 🤔 This shot is probably the best shot of one I've taken in 17 years of living here 🤦‍♀️🤣 Do you have a nemesis bird?

A picture of an Iberian Magpie flying away from the photographer towards a pine tree

Out in the Sierra Arana today having a short hike and came across this cute little one. We took each other by surprise 🤗

Red squirrel climbing up the side of a tree

The snowy peaks of the Sierra Nevada. The highest mountains of the range, Mulhacen and Veleta, were making their own clouds.

Showing the snowy peaks of the Sierra Nevada mountains in Spain and the highest peaks making their own clouds

It was a wild walk today. The sun was shining on the Mediterranean sea and the sky was full of forming lenticular clouds. No camera today only had the mobile with me. More tomorrow.

Looking over an almond grove down on a Spanish hillside village, sun shining on the Mediterranean sea and the sky full of forming lenticular clouds

There was an eye in the sky this morning 👁️

Photo showing a halo around the sun

Well here is something you don't see very often 😱 Hotair balloons passing over the Barranco del Alhorí and Picón de Jérez in the Sierra Nevada this morning.

Three hotair balloons flying over the snowy mountains of the Sierra Nevada in Spain

Watching out for pirates 🏴‍☠️

A Spanish Ibex laying down on a rock looking out over the Mediterranean sea

The Gannets were entertaining me while at the coast the other day.

A Gannet bird flying past

A Gannet bird just taking off from the sea

Exploring the Lecrin valley today and came across lots of almond groves 🌸

Almond grove in full bloom

I have no idea what these two were chatting about 🤔

The back view of my husband, sitting down and the back view of Arko the husky standing next to him.

The Golden eagle is an almost daily sight for me here in Lanjaron in the Granada province. Our work predominantly in the Sierra Nevada mountains of Spain and Alpujarra (the foothills of the Sierra Nevada) bring me into regular contact with the flora and fauna of our area.

A juvenile Golden Eagle flying directly overhead showing plenty of the young plumage.

Story of my life, wrong lens 🤣 This Kestrel put on a great show for us yesterday but alas I needed my longer lens, so these are heavily cropped and look better in b/w then they do in colour 🙄

Black and white picture of a Common Kestrel hovering while looking sideways at the camera having aimed a poop in my direction

Black and white picture of a Common Kestrel flying off from a twig

Black and white picture of a Common Kestrel staring straight at the camera while trying to land on a twig

I do miss this pack 🌈 One day we might get back up to four again 🤞 Front row on his own Siberian Husky Khumbu 🌈 Back row left to right Husky mix Arko, Nordic Shepherd mix Rita and Leonberger Kyra 🌈

Four dogs sat down and to the left of them a setting super moon. Two black and white Siberian Huskies, one Leonberger and one white mix

Fun with the bees 🐝

Bee flying towards a yellow flower (false mustard)

A bee flying towards a yellow flower (false mustard)

A bee feeding on the nectar from a yellow flower (false mustard)

Spring is definitely on her way 🌸 A few of my favourites from the dog walk 😁 Giant orchid (Himantoglossum robertianum) is taking it time to unfurl it's flowers. Those gorgeous tiny Narcissus, again. And whatever these are. Still unsure on the name of them, but the scent from them is definitely Hyacinth and heavenly 😍 So if you know the name please let me know.

Giant orchid (Himantoglossum robertianum) with unfurling flowers

White petalled yellow trumpet tiny Narcissus

Blue bulb flowers Hyacinth scented

These two swapped characters yesterday, roll reversal on behaviour 😇😈 Rita found her inner Shepherd and stayed guarding me while I took photos. Usually she runs off on her own adventures, more often the inner husky has a stronger pull. Arko found and listened to his inner husky and disappeared on his own adventure for an hour! Usually he stays beside me while I take photos.

A picture of Rita the white dog, mix husky german shephered, laying in grass

A picture of Arko. A mix husky and possible alaskan malamute with very pale blue eyes laying in the grass

I love these tiny that grow in my neighbours campo.

Tiny Narcissus with six white petals and a yellow trumpet.

I was distracted by almond blossom, again, on the dog walk, so the dogs took themselves to the acequia for a drink and mess around. I didn't have chance to get onto the correct settings before they decided to jump across and come say hello 😁

We have Trolls living in our mountains 😱

A rock formation that looks to have a face in it

This bee was happy that the almond blossom survived the recent polar blast. Almond blossom and the Bee, sort of sounds like it could be the name of a band 😂

A bee flying into almond tree blossom

He wanted in on the picture 😎 Arko, the lemons and the Hyacinths.

Siberian Husky Arko sitting among the hyacinth flowers with lemons hanging on a lemon tree behind

Polar air has marched it's way to southern Spain, even dropping some precipitation along the way. We went to take some photo's showing the snowy Sierra Nevada above. Our usual place for this shot took us into an area that was devastated by wildfire in September last year. It was horrifying to watch then, It was horrifying to wander through today. The loss of wildlife, nature & livelihoods is beyond words.

Burnt young palm trees pushing up through the ash from a wildfire