Over Christmas and New Year when I was laid low with a bad back, I needed something to occupy my time. After I had checked, double checked, uploaded and verified all the county's dragonfly records for 2025 onto the iRecord website, I was in a bit of a data crunching mood, so I thought why not begin pan-species listing? If your current thought is along the lines of "Well, there's Le Creuset for a start", then, no, not that sort of pan. Rather, it is a way of keeping track of a lifetime's wildlife watching. Every species seen, everything, from the tiniest protozoan to the largest mammal, and all manner of wildlife in between. Obviously, the sooner one begins keeping records (what, when, where), the better. It is definitely not recommended to wait until you're in your mid sixties and have just tweaked a multifidus muscle in your lower back, but we are where we are. So how the heck was I going to produce any sort of meaningful list? Well, as a dragonfly enthusiast...
For the first time in 2026, it didn't snow last night. The temperature is still hovering about freezing so there hasn't been much in the way of a thaw. However, today, there isn't any form of precipitation from the sky and the air is completely still, most un-Orkney-like. Here are a few photos from the last week or so, when we've been able to go out for a walk. Icicles! Not the most stunning of sunsets, but atmospheric in its own way Kitchen window view On Monday 5th of January, Mocha momentarily thought about going back to work, but... no. A bit more of a sunset, down by the harbour Now, apparently, England have stolen our stormy weather. The national news media seem to confirm this, so I will stop worrying about where it has gone. To my readers further south, stay safe!