Monthly Report, June 2021

As with the May report, this report covers time both in Oxford & Shetland - although it was mostly Oxford, with just a couple of northern days thrown in at the end - but hey, any month where you can see puffins is an OK one.

Puffin (ZE3)


  • Reporting Days: 30

  • Location: Mostly OX3, with a wee bit of ZE3

  • Miles walked: 115

  • Mile driven: 555 (almost all involved the journey from OX3 to ZE3)

  • Gardens Tended: 2

  • Puffins Seen: Hundreds (all in the last three days of the month)

  • Orchids Seen: Dozens (new metric!)

  • Photographs Taken: Thousands

The photographic distraction this month was the Wildlife Trusts "30 Days Wild" campaign - their annual encouragement to get in touch with nature via Random Acts of Wildness, in my case being that bit more observant about wildlife (and taking and sharing even more wild-flavoured photographs than usual).

This year (the first June when I've not needed to worry about meetings - real or virtual) felt like a good time to try and improve my orchid spotting skills - and I did manage several orchid days alongside my usual seasonal photographs of birds and wildflowers (and the occasional mammal).

Field Mouse (OX3)

Robin - with lunch (OX3)

Germander Speedwell (OX3)

Fox (OX3)

Pyramidal Orchid (OX3)

Common Spotted Orchid (ZE3)

And it's always nice to end the month with a sunset - even if you need to stay up late to see it at 60N.

22:11, 30th June 2021 (ZE3)

Sorry the report is a bit late this month - those auks and orchids won't photograph themselves.




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