This is the second year of 12 Days Wild, and my second year taking part too! 12 Days Wild is a winter wildlife challenge held by the home of the longer, summer challenge 30 Days Wild, The Wildlife Trusts. As stated on their website, The Wildlife Trusts have 'For more than a century we have been saving wildlife and wild places, increasing people’s awareness and understanding of the natural world, and deepening people’s relationship with it.' If you are unaware of them and their work I recommend visiting their website, https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/, which is home to a wealth of information surrounding nature, wildlife and how we can help it.
In last year's post, I prefaced this challenge with the caveat I'm already living a rather wild life. A life that places the natural world in high regard and that includes some sort of action or thought for the wild world every single day. So really this is more of a challenge for me. It gives me the opportunity and motivation to step outside of my usual daily wildness and help with the depression that looms over me, not because of the ecological season but because of the season of life I'm stuck in.
To see part one see this post here > 12 Days Wild // Part 1 and to see the second part of my challenge, continue below!
Check out last year's 12 Days Wild < here!
Day 7 - 31st December 2023
A sad day today.
So many innocent dogs lost due to an incompetent government that on the other hand not only allow, but many take part, in the torture of animals.
Huge New Year hunts will go on tomorrow abusing more dogs and murdering more wildlife.
Then there's the anticipatory anxiety for fireworks.
Dangerous explosives that people play with causing pollution for our environment, intense fear, stress and in some causes death for wildlife, pets, livestock, the elderly, veterans, neurodiverse people and more. I hate it all of this with all of my being and have struggled greatly today to try and take my mind off the sickening feeling. Not possible for my Autistic mind.
These were the wildest things I could do today. I ended up with an injury from linocuting so moved on to my jigsaw and later had a bath with a Penguin bath bomb and tiger face mask.
It's also started to rain, so I had a little dance in it in the hopes it would get heavier and stop any fireworks before they got started.
Be thoughtful of the millions of beings that are scared, traumatised and made ill due to your sparkly bombs before playing with fireworks.
Day 8 - 1st January 2024
On the 1st of January 2023, I took myself off to one of my favourite places in our area Marden Bay and watched the sunrise from standing atop a small rock. It ended up being such a magical way to start the year and so I wanted to do the same this year.
Thankfully this year Mr H was able to join me and a parcel* of Oystercatchers was resting on the eastern side of the rock too. (I have a long lens, kept my distance/silent and did not disturb them).
Of course, I can't miss an opportunity to dip my feet in the sea so had to take the time for a paddle too.
*Can you believe a group of Oystercatchers is called a parcel?!
Day 9 - 2nd January 2024
Another lovely rainy day. And that isn't sarcastic.
I had planned to do some more gardening in the back today but Mother Nature had other plans.
It's in a sorry state but I guess I can wait.
We didn't really grow much food this year either, but we do still have a crazy healthy Parsley plant so I cut some for Mars to enjoy.
Day 10 - 3rd January 2024
The first trip of 2024 to one of our favourite places, Washington Wetlands! ...
And we saw a Kingfisher!!
It was very far away, but you can still see that blue speck taken at 250mm.
I can't wait for another year of birding adventures here and hopefully, we'll get to see some frogs and newts this year too.
Day 11 - 4th January 2024
Books of the month.
My very first read of 2024 is The Life of Birds by Sir David Attenborough, yes a non-fiction book!
I am primarily a children's/middle-grade fiction reader but bought this book because a) Birds, and b) it's signed by Sir David Attenborough and I'm really enjoying it. It's a lot easier to read than expected and is written how Sir Attenborough speaks which is lovely.
Mr H also bought The Forager's Calendar and I had pre-ordered The Wheel of the Year, both of which will be great handbooks to go back to multiple times throughout the year.
Day 12 - 5th January 2024
I had a last-minute spur of motivation to go on another solo adventure today to end the challenge on a high and decided to pop over to see the Exmoor Ponies at Cleadon Hills.
It was a dull, wet morning, that although I enjoy walking in, doesn't make for the best photo-taking conditions. Hopefully, we can pay them another visit before they leave and get some better shots!
The Exmoor Ponies come to stay at the hills over Winter, grazing and doing their wild job helping to manage the land and they are absolutely beautiful. According to a local group online, their names seem to be Daisy, Dormouse, Nifty, Maisie and Poppy and it's a joy to see them doing their thing.
A fitting end to this 12 Days Wild I think.
(I do use zoom lenses and I am not as close to the horses as the photos seem.
I respect their needs and give them space.)
If you have taken part I'd love to hear about what you got up to and if you enjoyed this and are interested in more wildness check out my 30 Days Wild posts below!
Check out 2023's posts here:
30 Days Wild 2023 - Week 1
30 Days Wild 2023 - Week 2
30 Days Wild 2023 - Week 3
30 Days Wild 2023 - Week 4
Check out 2022's posts below:
30 Days Wild // Week 1
30 Days Wild // Week 2
30 Days Wild // Week 3
30 Days Wild // Week 4
And for 2021's posts, see here:
30 Days Wild 2021 // Week 1
30 Days Wild 2021 // Week 2
30 Days Wild 2021 // Week 3
30 Days Wild 2021 // Week 4
I love fireworks at arranged events, but I hate how the ones people set off at home scare my dog. She is so scared of them, she'll shake, hide out upstairs, and go into a catatonic trance for a few hours, unless I can make her feel safe enough to fall asleep. It's awful. We've tried different calming sprays and things, but they only do so much.
ReplyDeleteAlso so sad about all the XL bullies that've been put down or had their lives restricted because of a few likely coincidental tragedies caused by bad owners. I wish animals would stop paying the price for people's mistakes, and people were restricted from pet ownership instead.
Your nature photos are all gorgeous. The pony photos are lovely, and I love the light in the beach one after the one of your feet on the rocks.
I used to enjoy the ones at Disney, but now I can't even watch those. When we were there in October we saw them from our hotel room but I know too much about the environmental impact etc to like any ha.
DeleteThe thing is Baker has been attacked multiple times over his life because he's so nervous and never has it been any type of dog people would expect. Irish Wolfhounds, Huskies and a Jack Russell!
Thanks so much! They are mainly just quick shots, I wish I had more time but with the ponies, the rain was soaking my camera haha.