This month saw a few lovely sunrises and sunsets, along with some bright and crisp Winter days - which I love and like to make the most of. I popped along to see the Starlings at my local nature reserve fairly regularly, and on Mondays fits in well at the end of my volunteering shift as a Warden. Sadly, the Starlings have not been murmurating as much as they were back in Autumn, but there is still another month for their numbers and displays to pick up again.
One December sunset, when the Starlings gave one of their better displays, I was lucky to capture them murmurating in the shape of the head of a Rabbit or Hare. This was picked up by a syndicate company and published in the Daily Mail online ...but sadly not printed, as all the newspapers were full that day with Brexit goings on.
This month saw an abundance of Robins and Wrens appearing, especially along the local canal path which is full of hedgerows and trees. A delight to hear their happy and tuneful songs. The Robins have also started to sing at dawn - a sign that Spring is just around the corner.
My good deed for the month was helping a Deer get rescued in the New Forest. Whilst out walking there with a friend we noticed a lovely herd of Deer up on the heath, only one Stag appeared to have a tangled mess wrapped around his antlers. At first it looked like orange baling twine and a broom handle, but later turned out to be fencing tape and a fence post. Very dangerous, as it could have ended up getting it wrapped around his neck or entwined with another Deer or a bush. I contacted the Forestry Commission and after a few days they got back to me, to let me know that they had successfully located the Stag and had been able to free it from the obstruction. Was very welcomed news and a great relief. A happy ending.
I put my first photography calendar together and the last lot were posted out in December. I would like to thank everyone who purchased one and who also gave such lovely and positive feedback. I will be putting together one for 2020 later this year, and hope to sell even more this time around. I will keep you posted and publicise it on here, as well as Facebook.
This in one of my favourite photos taken in December.
