A meteorological show from Goldcliff Seawall.

 

A huge band of clouds.

I have not had a lot of time recently to visit my favourite local patches but this bank holiday weekend I decided that it was time to get out again and have a break from some of my other duties. I really needed some phototherapy.

At stupid o'clock I was stood on Goldcliff Seawall looking up at some really ominous looking clouds. I was starting to doubt whether it had been worth getting up for this. A huge band of clouds stretched from horizon to horizon but in the east beyond the two bridges there was a band of orange forming. Despite what looked like storm clouds above I had a gut feeling that the sunrise was going to be quite good. It was time to think positive!

There was very little wind and so far no rain - ideal conditions for putting the drone up into the sky. My eye in in the sky for today was going to be my DJI Air 2s codenamed - "Airwolf". After doing my flight checks up it went. I like the light before dawn. It can be a challenge to take noise free photographs in low light but I find the DJI Air 2 S copes well and the results are quite acceptable to me.

The light before dawn is a challenge but it often provides the best opportunities for great pictures.

The tide was well out and the receded waters of the Severn Estuary revealed vast expanses of mud and sandbanks. I could hear Curlews , Oystercatchers and Redshanks calling out from somewhere out there on that mud.

I looked back towards Goldcliff Point and had a great view of the Newport Wetlands including my favourite place - Goldcliff Lagoons.

Goldcliff Point.

Eventually the eastern horizon began to look like the heat had been turned up a notch as it became more orange and red. The rising sun was on its a way.

I noticed that I would need a new battery if I was going to capture the sunrise with my drone so I quickly landed it and put a new battery in.

Back up it went and I timed it just about right. Up came the sun and now rather than there being too little light to deal with, there was now too much.

Sunrise over the Severn Estuary

Whilst the view from above was pretty spectacular from below the view was stunning  and I grabbed a few quick pictures using my Nikon SlR camera of the sun rising between the two support towers of the Prince of Wales Bridge.

The sun rises behind the Prince of Wales Bridge

Its amazing how dynamic the skies are from one minute to the next. The atmosphere was on the move all the time, the clouds billowed in size and then seemed to get blown apart by high altitude winds. Then it would become overcast and suddenly a patch of blue sky would open up. Throughout all this meteorological show the light was ever changing. 

I am glad I listened to my gut , the sunrise was a cracker and those clouds, they gave it so much more atmosphere - this is what I love getting up early for.