Hirst Wood Spring 2017... Three

The third journey through Hirst Wood was done on a very rainy Sunday afternoon, in the company of The Elder Child who was trying to get some wildlife shots for a photography competition, so I only snapped a few pics.

West Coast Railways empty stock working.

Down alongside the old mill race it was a bit more sheltered, and more pleasant.

Under the aqueduct carrying the Leeds-Liverpool Canal.

My only wildlife shot (compared to the dozens Elder Child snapped), some of the thousands of tadpoles which were filling the mill race.

Hirst Wood, Spring 2017...Two

So a week after the first walk from Saltaire to working in Bingley, and the weather was a hell of a lot better.  Retracing the exact route through Saltaire...

...then the crossing.

More time for snapping some pictures of the wildlife around the River Aire, such as the duck and ducklings...

...and the geese.

The light however was messing up the planned railway photography; too bright if anything, and in the wrong place for most of the locations.

Down at river level was a bit better.  Northbound GBRF freight...

...and southbound.

Whilst waiting down by the river I took a shot, and decided to revisit something I experimented with a couple of years ago, reflections, but shooting with the camera upside down.

Trying to get some train shots but as reflections, whilst incorporating rocks and things to spoil the illusion a bit.

Whilst passing the river, a moth or mayfly creating nice patterns as it died.  Well, a bit grim I suppose but the ripples were interesting.

Then back to Bingley and a more conventional train picture in the station.

Hirst Wood, Spring 2017...One

Recently, I (Ben) ended up with a run of a few weeks where, at least once a week, I was travelling from Saltaire to Bingley/Keighley for some freelance work.  Feeling a tad unhealthy and wanting to get some exercise, I decided to walk it each time, travelling through Hirst Wood.  Chance for a mix of railway, landscape, and wildlife photography on the way, in an area I know well from when I used to walk to work this way.

The weather on the first day was a tad dull unfortunately, but at least the camera coped.

The footpath crossing over the Aire Valley main line has seen some heavy rebuilding to counter trespass incidents, the upshot being that the new secure pathway out to the second gate on each side opens up some nice lineside angles for photography...

Two images, above and below, which whilst looking like trespass shots were both taken safely and legally.

On into the woods, where the bluebells were in flower...

An excursion was due through on the mainline, so I looked for somewhere at this end of the woods where I could get a shot.

There is an excellent line-side vantage point near the river bridge, but a very irritating equipment cabinet rather spoils the view, being placed in just the right spot to ruin a pic.  The above shot was an attempt to get an angle from the side which missed it, which wasn't too bad but given the lighting and the speed the train would be going, would have led to blurring.

So I ended up with the damned cabinet in shot after all.  Very irritating.  The excursion featured DRS class 57's on the Northern Belle dining train.

Climbing down to the river, I got a few more shots...

...then headed up through the woods, with chance for a last train pic.

With time to kill waiting for an important phone call, I decided to walk up to Keighley along the canal instead of just getting the train, and paused for a couple of last pics at Three Rise Locks, Bingley.

Three modes of transport in one for the final shot.

Five Rise

A walk with the family the other week saw us on a route which took in the famous Five Rise locks in Bingley.  Unfortunately because it was a bit of a spur of the moment decision to go, the only camera to hand was a phone cam, but hey-ho.

There was a barge passing through the locks, which meant that the overflow channels (which are usually dry) were running, as above.  It also meant lots of dramatic shots with water rushing through the locks as each was flooded in sequence.  So we basically slowly followed the boat down the flight, snapping pics...

And arrival at the bottom of the locks.

Mindyou, the boat crew would then have to traverse Three Rise a few minutes later, but we didn't hang around for that one.  Shame we didn't have an SLR but the camera on the phone seemed to cope pretty well, all things considered.