Monthly Archives: January 2022
Lens-Artists Challenge #183 – Memorable Events
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There was just something special and memorable about this trip to the coast at the end of last summer. It was probably the last sunny day before the kids went back to school. Something about it just gave me a really warm feeling. It’s a beach we’ve been to before, though this time we choose the little secluded bay as opposed to the big strand. The day was perfect, sunny and warm.
The water was perfect for swimming.
And even when we got tired of the water, there were the dunes to explore, with their wonderful wildflowers.
And of course bumblebees – just to make the day.
Silent Sunday – Interesting objects
Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #182: Interesting Objects
Lens-Artists Challenge #181 – Double Dipping
This week the Lens-Artist challenge suggests that in addition to their challenge, we link to some of the other creative opportunities our fellow bloggers make available. Cee does a wonderful job keeping us all up-to-date with the current challenges. So I have chosen two of her challenges to link to this week. First her CBWC challenge and this week’s topic is “birds”.
While birds can bring lots of colour into our gardens we can also appreciate their beauty in black and white.
The second of Cee challenges is her flower of the day (FOTD) challenge. In Ireland, it is mid-winter and really we shouldn’t be finding any flowers around. But I photographed this meadow buttercup, the essence of a summer meadow flower, on the 1st January.
FOTD
Silent Sunday
Wild New Year 5th January
So the final of my 12 days of Christmas wild things I thought I would also choose some of my favourite nature images of 2021, as it also links nicely with this week’s lens-artist challenge.
I took lots of frog photographs when the frogs were mating in the garden pond, and to find a favourite is really hard. But I decided on this monochrome image.
Garden robins bring our family so much joy. “Robin friend” was so tame he was happy to preen and sing right in front of us, so I have to include more than one photograph.
I just love ladybirds and getting a good ladybird photograph is hard, but I really like this one.
Once spring comes flowers and bees become my main focus. So I had quite a lot of images to choose from.
Seeing a large pod of dolphins from the coast during the summer was a real privilege, so while not the best of photographs this is a special memory for me from 2021.
And below just a few other favourites.
There were quite a few rainbows in 2021 too, so it seems a fitting place to end. And also to thank all those who followed me in 2021, thank you for your support and encouragement.
Wild New Year 4th January
So I am almost at the end of my 12 days of Christmas wild things, and I am cheating slightly as I am going to show some images from a wildlife camera that is set up in the wood just below the house. It’s taken me a bit of time to get a good location, as I had a lot of half animal and blurry images where the animals have come too close. But here are a couple of the better ones.
Firstly a pine marten. We have seen them in the past and know that they are around, though more by the signs they leave behind (mainly scats, i.e. their faeces). It is great to get an image to be sure.
And a much less illusive mammal, the fox, which we see a lot more regularly.
And finally for those of you with good eyesight – a little mouse, probably a wood mouse going by it’s shape.
Wild New Year 3rd January
Every new year we have a sort of family tradition to go to the beach. Ross Beach on the north-west coast of County Mayo is one of our favourites. It was a bit dull and damp. Wind and rain were forecast for later in the day and as you can see from the photograph below, the sea was already displaying some impressive waves.
I took some photographs of some of the sea birdlife as I continue with my 12 days of Christmas wild things. The oystercatchers seemed undisturbed by the wave crashing behind them.
There were also some delicate sanderling. You wonder how such small, beautiful birds can withstand the Atlantic storms, but these are obviously tough little things. They are winter visitors to Ireland and most are of Siberian origin.
And finally some Brent geese (light or pale-bellied). I love seeing these winter visitors from high-Arctic Canada. They were drinking some fresh water that was coming over the sand from a small stream.
Branta bernicla hrota
A lovely, exhilarating day.
Wild New Year 2nd January
Today I took some photographs of some of our lovely garden birds as I continue with my 12 days of Christmas wild things.
And a blue tit again so you can really see it’s colours.
Wild New Year 1st January
Happy New year to you all. Continuing with my 12 days of Christmas wild things, today a simple rainbow to start the year.
Murtagh's Meadow 