U is another tricky letter in this alphabetical countdown. Initially, I was considering Ulex, as in Gorse, with a description of all the various creatures that live on that plant. Or maybe ‘unidentified’, as I have plenty of insects I haven’t yet found a name for. And then I thought of UFO, as in Unidentified Flying Objects, but found I’d deleted most of my images in a moment of frustration. But then yesterday, Christmas Day, Nature gave me the best possible present and I decided to use UFO but, in this case, it stands for Unforgettable Flying Object. Because as I walked across the Barrage, there was a feeding frenzy of hundreds of Black-headed gulls outside the sluices (seemingly catching tiny sprats washing out from Cardiff Bay) and, amongst them, I spotted this gorgeous Little gull. 2024 will be a Christmas I won’t forget in a hurry! I hope yours was also memorable for the best possible reasons.