January on Enlli

We started the year with some gorse burning on the mountain and the south end - this is part of a 6/7 year rotational gorse control programme.

 Last week the high pressure brought with it banks of thick fog which provided spectacular views from the mountain.

 For the first time in 4 years, the settled weather meant that the sheep scanner and team could come over to scan the lambing flock.  Knowing whether the sheep are carrying single lambs, twins or occasionaly triplets helps us to feed them appropriately prior to lambing.

 The low tides over the last few days have revealed lots of starfish!  Ben spotted one being carried away by a Herring Gull- captured on camera (see http://bbfo.blogspot.com/ for the 20th)

Happy New Year to everyone!! Here is a selection of some of Ben's best shots from 2010....

 Frozen ponds and frost on plants provided good opportunities for pictures in the cold snaps of January and December.

 Lighthouse with pink-lit clouds.

                                                     Redshanks feed in the wash of the waves in Solfach

 Curlew with the mainland at sunrise

                                   A Willow Warbler makes a good subject with the pink apple-blossom

 Marbled Coronet

 Orange Tip butterfly

 Yellowtail and Lackey catipillars

 Dunlin

Dried ground provides an interesting pattern.

                                                                    Marsh Marigold anthers

 Wheatear

 Water droplets on grass and Oak leaf

                                                                              Berries

 Lichens on a willow branch in the withies

                                 A Lapland Bunting takes a quick bath on the maririme heath pools.

 As well as finches such as Chaffinches(top), a Goldcrests(bottom) and a Yellow browed Warbler(bottom) amongst other birds appreciated the sunflower patches this autumn. For the seeds in the heads and insects that they attract.

                                      Dew droplets cling to grasses and spiderwebbs after a clear night

 An adult Swallow performes suberb aerodynamics giving food to it's young whilst in mid-flight.

                                                                               Fungi

         Sandwich Terns move south along with hundreds of other seabirds past the north hide in the autumn

Sanderling feeds on Solfach

                                                                Droplets stick to a magpie feather

Sycamore keys provide an incredible pattern when back-lit

                   Red sword Grass

                             A Grey Phalarope picks, for once, a calm day to visit the island this year.

    A Little Gull(top) and a Black headed Gull(bottom) feed in Solfach