How odd. I’m currently sitting watching “Match of the Day” (UK TV program showing highlights of the day’s soccer matches) and I think I may well have been to the same planet as the Canon executives as the weather conditions that the football players are exhibiting their skills in are a world away from that we experienced today. It would appear that the north of the UK has been bathed in glorious April sunshine, Dunstable where we were today, well, there was little in the way of sunshine coming our way*. Despite the one hour drive to the gates of Whipsnade Zoo, we nearly turned back when as we drove up to the entrance booth such was the incessant downpour. I’m glad we persisted (like it was ever up for debate), as the day turned out to be rather a good one with a few nice photos into the bargain.
I’m not a big fan of penguins, even the chocolate biscuit variety, they’re noisy, stand around all day doing very little, and boy are they smelly – but I will admit I did rather fall in love with the sole Rockhopper Penguin at the Zoo. Unlike most of the penguins I’ve ever encountered, Rocky (as I came to call him) was a very personable bird that would follow us as we moved back and forth around their enclosure. Each time, as we stopped to take photographs of the other birds, he would sidle up to the side of the enclose and look up all forlorn at us as we were snapping away – it was very tempting to feed him some of my tuna/sweetcorn sandwich, which of course I would never do, and as he inched up to the entrance to the enclosure, it looked liked he was imploring us to liberate him for the enclosure.
Andrew Skelton: 
I love the penguin exhibit at the San Diego Zoo, but maybe that’s because they stand around behind glass, so we can’t smell them. lol
By: Russel Ray Photos on 08/05/2012
at 2:04 am