I really hope everyone has had a lovely Christmas and continues to celebrate into the new year. Whilst we all celebrate Christmas in our own way, for some it’s not a celebration at all and my heart goes out to all that are struggling in this completely failed system. Brexit couldn’t have come at a worse time!

Ogmore

I managed to get out with the camera yesterday, opting to go to Ogmore again after having such a great time there on the 13th. I went straight for the Purple Sandpiper, finding them in the same place as before but this time only 6 Birds present. The tide was much higher this time which I thought would be a good thing, but turned out to be a bit of a barrier as it made the rocks into more of an island, just slightly out of reach. Prior to this, I did get some shots I was happy with. For me the Rock Pipits stole the show, as they spent most of the day devouring Sea Slaters. Every-time the Rock Pipit would catch one, it would fly off with it as if they were scared I would steal it from them. Seeing the amount of insects reminded me why our coastline is so important for birds throughout the colder winter months.

I met a young local birder called Tom Wright who also took an interest in the Purple Sandpiper. It’s always a pleasure to meet others that share the same passion for wildlife / photography but even better to see these qualities in the younger generation. Here’s Tom Wrights twitter page and Flickr page.

Fox hunting

Boxing day came and this Christmas, the opposition for Fox hunting was really strong and got quite a bit of media coverage. I don’t condone any sort of violence, but it was good to see people taking a stand for what they believe is wrong. I too find it extremely barbaric to hunt Foxes with a pack of Dogs and it’s surprising just how much evidence there is online thanks to saboteurs uncovering the truth-that Fox hunting in this manner is still very much so at large, despite being illegal. To continue the tradition, Fox hunters have pledged that they will follow false Fox urine trails to prevent any Fox deaths, but the issue with this is that these trails are often set throughout the countryside where real Foxes live and it’s very easy for a pack of Dogs to catch onto a real Fox trail. Research needs to be done to find out how often this happens, and how many Foxes are still continued to be killed in this manner. Labour have caught onto this and have pledged they will enforce stricter Laws. Read more HERE. Theresa May however wants to bring Fox Hunting back because she believes a Fox being ripped apart by a pack of Dogs is more humane than being shot in the head?.. When I hear thoughts like this coming from the leader of our country, it really makes me worry. It shows that she’s in the pocket of the privileged.