Robin perched on a wall at Bolton Abbey

Robins are my favourite bird but we never get them in our garden, so I was so pleased to be able to get close to this one at Bolton Abbey earlier this month. We were just crossing the bridge over the river when a pair of them landed on the wall and spent a good 10 minutes hopping around watching us.

Camera/lens settings: ISO 200, f/6.3, 1/160s, 180mm, hand held

Black cab parked outside a railway station at night.

We passed this empty taxi on the way back into Manchester Victoria station after a trip to the Christmas markets a couple of weeks ago. I just really liked the way it was silhouetted against the brightly lit advertising on the station wall behind.

Camera/lens settings: ISO 800, f/2.8, 1/80s, 35mm, hand held.

Fence, wall and reflections at Lighthazzles reservoir.

I've posted a photo of this wall in Lighthazzles reservoir before (see 18th May 2015), but from a different angle. I love the contrast between land and water, and the way the reflections give them a surreal floating effect.

Camera/lens settings: ISO 100, f/11, 1/160s, 18mm, hand held.

Sheep crossing a fallen-down dry stone wall.

This is on the approach to Stoodley Pike from the Mytholmroyd direction - I took the photo in July this year. The sheep were in the process of crossing the wall when they heard us approach and froze as they turned to look at us - perfect posing for a photo!

Camera/lens settings: ISO 100, f/8, 1/320s, 35mm, hand held.

Looking across the Duddon valley from the Walna Scar track.

Another photo taken on a fell running trip - this one's from June this year at the Duddon Valley. I love the windy dry stone wall in this shot.

Camera/lens settings: ISO 100, f/8, 1/80s, 35mm, hand held.

Tree framed by a crumbling wall.

I took this one at Meltham, whilst walking the route of my son's fell race, back in May this year. I just liked the way the wall created a natural frame for the tree.

Camera/lens settings: ISO 100, f/11, 1/100s, 35mm, hand held.

Black and white cat stretching out on a garden wall.

This is my cat, Spook, stretching out in the sun on our garden wall. This is one of his favourite spots, right above the bird feeders!

Camera/lens settings: ISO 100, f/5, 1/200s, 35mm, hand held.

Swirling reflections on the Rochdale canal.

I took this one late afternoon in June last year. It's just outside Hebden Bridge, at the point where the canal passes under the road via the tunnel in the picture, then on to Mytholmroyd. The surface of the water had just been disturbed by around 20 ducks, all heading noisily towards Hebden.

Camera/lens settings: ISO 200, f/10, 1/125s, 18mm, hand held.

Dovestone Rocks viewed from beneath Alderman's Hill in the Peak District.

Last night my son took part in another fell race that meant driving to an area I'd never visited before - the edge of the Peak District near Oldham. The scenery is stunning and I'm already planning to go back and explore with my camera. We were standing on the track that runs around the low edge of Alderman's Hill (where the race was held - you can see one of the markers on the wall) when I took this photo of the view across the valley. You can just see the corner of Dovestones Reservoir on the right. The weather was playing games with us again - hot sunshine mixed with heavy rain, providing dramatic lighting in the hills and sky.

Camera/lens settings: ISO 200, f/8, 1/400s, -1 step exp bias, 35mm, hand held.

Colourful section of the sea wall at Whitby.

I took this in January this year whilst walking along the beach at Whitby. I was drawn to the bright colours and the patterns and textures. Now, however, whilst posting this tonight, I have started wondering what has been pouring out of those little holes, making the dark stains, and thinking it might be best viewed from a distance!!

Camera/lens settings: ISO 200, f/5, 1/60s, 22mm, hand held

Evening sunshine on the Rochdale canal.

I took this one in June last year, between Hebden Bridge and Mytholmroyd. I love the curve of the trees, the reflections, the greens and the light on the stone wall.

Camera/lens settings: ISO 400, f/10, 1/80s, 26mm, hand held.

Colourful lobster pots and ropes at Whitby harbour.

I couldn't resist photographing these on my trip to Whitby in January this year - a lovely mix of patterns and colours!

Camera/lens settings: ISO 200, f/4, 1/100s, 22mm, hand held.

Heavy snow weighing down branches over a stone wall.

Here's another from our local moor back in early March this year. I love the mix of textures in this photo.

Camera/lens settings: ISO 100, f/5, 1/320s, 35mm, hand held.

A wild deer in the woods at Hardcastle Crags.

Today I went on my annual mission to take photos of the bluebells at Hardcastle Crags. They are spectacular this year and I got lots. Whilst wandering through the woods I came across 2 wild deer, who were casually heading in the same direction as me. I walked with them (at a reasonable distance) for a good 20 minutes. They frequently turned to look at me but didn't seem concerned about me being there, just carried on munching foliage. I managed to get a few photos of them, even though I had completely the wrong lens on my camera for wildlife shots. This one shows just one of the deer - the one who was leading the way.

Camera/lens settings: ISO 100, f/3.2, 1/640s, 35mm, hand held.

Snow on the moors around the ruins of Top Withens Farm (2).

Here's another view of Top Withens, the ruined building that supposedly inspired Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights. I took the photo after walking over the moor from Widdop in January this year. I was lucky to have the moor to myself for most of the time I was there (perching on a rock on the hill overlooking the ruins to eat my sandwiches); another couple of people arrived just as I was leaving.

Camera/lens settings: ISO 200, f/11, 1/100s, 40mm, hand held.

Winter moorland reflected in Walshaw Dean middle reservoir, Widdop.

I took this one on the outward leg of my walk from Widdop over to Top Withens and back in January this year. The ruined cottage on the left of the moor is the one I photographed close-up on a previous walk (see my blog post from 12th Sept last year).

Camera/lens settings: ISO 200, f/11, 1/125s, 52mm, hand held.

Light at the end of the tunnel!

I took this one in November last year on the way up the hillside towards Maple Dean Clough, Norland, from Copley. This shadowy, overgrown path with the bright sunlight at the end had a really magical feel to it - if it was a picture in a children's book there would be pixies and fairies perched on the branches!

Unfortunately, as I was on a long walk up a steep hill, I hadn't brought my tripod, so had to rely on a highish ISO and some noise reduction in Lightroom to capture any detail in the shadows.

Camera/lens settings: ISO 400, f/6.3, 1/80s, 40mm, hand held.

Puddle-covered moorland track reflecting bright, low sunshine.

This track runs between Cold Edge Dams and Top Withens, just behind Wainstalls in Halifax. I took the photo a few weeks ago on a late afternoon walk. I had just turned round to look back at where we'd walked and loved how the sun was lighting the whole path up.

Camera/lens settings: ISO 200, f/11, 1/80s, 24mm, hand held.

Line of trees in a snowy field silhouetted against a late afternoon sky.

Here's another one from Roils Head moor in Halifax last January. It took it just after the sun set, but whilst it was still back-lighting the clouds. I love the patterns made by the tree branches against the sky and the patches of grass amongst the snow.

Camera/lens settings: ISO 200, f/6.3, 1/50s, 26mm, hand held.

Rippled reflections on the Rochdale canal

I took this in November last year, at the start of a walk from Sowerby Bridge up to Norland Moor, via Maple Dean Clough. This is a section of the canal between Sowerby Bridge and Copley. I was really drawn to the vivid colours and lovely patterns on both the wall and water.

Camera/lens settings: ISO 200, f/11, 1/100s, 34mm, hand held.