That Was 2021

2021 was a strange year. In many ways just a continuation of 2020 - so how do I distinguish it from 2020?

Travel was again pretty much curtailed - still haven't been on a plane, train or bus since early 2020 - and travel has been primarily day trips between Oxford and Surrey plus a number of extended trips to Shetland (achieved by car and boat).

Having got the travel grumble out of the way, and on the plus side, I'm actually quite pleased that my carbon footprint has been so reduced and it's been splendid to have had so many days when the big decision was which Shetland beach to wander on.

I have successfully taken another 365 pictures of the day.  I have successfully taken another 12 pictures of the month (see below for this years set). I've taken a bewilderingly large number of photographs (I'm blaming the auks - and the very fast silent rapid shooting function on the new cameras).

My vague target was to walk 2000 miles this year - haven't even made it to 1500 - again, I think I'm going to blame the auks, I spent far too much of the Shetland summer sitting watching them to clock up the walking miles I might otherwise have done.

And since this seems to have turned into another post about auks, I might as well point out that I've seen five species of auk around Shetland this year - puffins, guillemots, black guillemots and razorbills and, finally, a little auk - much less common around Shetland than it's cousins but no less welcome.

Auks

Little Auk at Grutness

Guillemots at Sumburgh Head

Razorbill at Sumburgh Head

Puffin at Sumburgh Head

Black Guillemot at Scat Ness


Pictures of the Month 2021

January: Christ Church Meadow, Oxford

February: Green Lane, Shotover Estate, Oxford

March: Mallard, C. S. Lewis Reserve, Oxford

April: Blue Tit in the Oxford garden

May: Puffins at Sumburgh Head

June: Pyramidal Orchid at Milham Ford Nature Park, Oxford

July: Puffin and Puffling at Sumburgh Head

August: Orca at Scat Ness

September: Blue Tit in the Oxford garden

October: Scat Ness Sunset

November: Snipe at RSPB Otmoor, Oxfordshire

December: Kingfisher at Port Meadow, Oxford


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