Keith Burton's photos

A hovercraft arrives in Southsea having travelled from the Ryde on the Isle of Wight............seemingly being led onto the beach landing area by a passing gull. The hovercraft, which can carry up to 25 passengers, is the fastest way to travel from Southsea to the Isle of Wight (Ryde). Generally a one-way trip only takes 10 minutes or so. It is the world's only year round passenger hovercraft service. Better viewed large :-)

The first Bee-fly I've seen this year and of course I only had a 40-150mm zoom lens with me! This is a huge crop, but I'm quite pleased with it as a record shot. Even shooting at 1/2000 sec, the wings are still blurred. Better viewed large. There's another shot in the PiP if you have time to look. Bee-flies (which are generally between 1 and 3cm long), can hover very efficiently, it holds itself to the flower with its spindly front legs and then feeds while buzzing in mid-air. While feeding, the bee-fly's tongue gets covered in pollen, which it takes to the next flower in its search for nectar. The most distinctive feature of a bee-fly is its long proboscis, a bit like a butterfly's, except that it doesn’t curl away when not in use.

Some more detail and texture shots from the old railways sleepers used as sea defences at Langstone Harbour, Hampshire. Hover your cursor over the image to see the "face" if you haven't already.

A tree covered footpath leading from the Langstone Harbour foreshore heading inland towards Warblington, Hampshire.

An extra photo from me today, posted for the latest Macro Dreams Challenge Group's latest theme: Bottle Label. This is the label of a miniature bottle of gin that's been sitting around in our house for quite a few years. I've photographed it before back in 2019: www.ipernity.com/doc/keithburton/49542562 One day I'll get round to drinking it instead of photographing it.

Taken in my garden. There's another in the PiP if you're interested,

Taken in my garden between heavy rain showers last Saturday. Not much flowering yet , just one tulip (yesterdays shot) and quite a few Grape Hyacinth. My garden gets very boggy when it rains and there will be lots of work to do when it dries out, but past experience tells me that it will take a couple weeks without rain before that happens! It's a jungle out there :-))) Have a good week everyone :-) Thanks for all your visits, comments and yellow stars over the past week or so.

Taken in my garden yesterday between heavy rain showers. Oh, and I got the name of the flower correct this time :-))

Taken last Sunday when my wife and I met up with my oldest daughter and some friends at the Salt Shack Café adjacent to Northney Marina on Hayling Island, Hampshire. It was raining when we left home and when we arrived I left my camera in the car. When we left the café an hour or so later the rain had stopped and so I grabbed a quick shot using my smartphone camera. It had started to rain again, by the time we walked back to the car, so this was my photography for the day :-)) Best viewed large I think. Have a good weekend everyone.

Edit 1st April: Since posting I have learned that these flowers are Aubfretia (thank you MaggsMep). I spotted these growing on a garden wall in the main street of Langstone Village, Hampshire.

A close up of the top of a pair of old and weathered railway sleepers, which are part of the sea defences at Langstone Harbour, Hampshire. They also remind me of a pair of Alpacas standing nose-to-nose with each other..........but perhaps that's just me :-)) Please view large on black...........or not :-)

Spotted in a garden in Langstone Village, Hampshire. The unusual colour of this Daffodil caught my attention. Another perspective in the PiP. Try viewing large if you have time. Thank you :-) My apologies for initially labelling this as a Tulip.............I'll call it a "senior moment" and move on I think :-)))

Taken at Langstone Harbour, Hampshire. These old railway sleepers act as sea defences along part of the foreshore. They can't stop the grasses from getting through though!

Taken from a lay-by in a country road near Stansted Forest in Hampshire. It will look even more impressive once the trees start greening up, so I shall have to go back and take another photo. Better viewed large............thanks for looking.

From the tree in my neighbour's front garden.

Another image posted for the Macro Dreams Challenges group latest theme: Wavy Lines. This one was taken back in February though. Also for previous themes: Flowers or petals, Yellow.

Taken on the Sea Front at Southsea, Hampshire on a pretty grotty afternoon. This "sculpture" is made from scrap metal and is used to collect plastic bottles in the fight against plastic waste. It moves around the city to wherever it's needed. I've photographed this a few times over the years. There's a shot from 2019 in the link below: www.ipernity.com/doc/keithburton/49238884

Me, standing on some decking on the sea front at Southsea Hampshire, on a wet and cold afternoon yesterday. I was sheltering from the wind behind a closed ice-cream stall. You can view large if you want..........but it won't make it more exciting :-))