Natural highs and lows

Last weekend we visited the nearby pond at Brinkies Guest House where the owner kindly allows us to monitor damselfly numbers through the flight season. A few days earlier there had been some torrential rain and so, sadly, we found several damselflies which had obviously been emerging at that time. During emergence their bodies are soft, only hardening up later in the process, so any strong wind or heavy rain can cause mayhem as the fragile creatures are thrashed around against vegetation. Although they were still alive, their abdomens were bent in zigzag shapes and their wings were often crumpled. Some were unable to fly, but even those who were able would be unlikely to be capable of mating.  Thankfully, we also found plenty of other damselflies, either emerging in calmer conditions, foraging for food or looking for love. A mature male Large Red Damselfly An immature female Large Red Damselfly A female Blue-tailed Damselfly A pair of Blue-tailed Damselflies mating Back at home, t...

In Orkney, the Nature Festival and Folk Festival both occur during May. Perhaps surprisingly, due to our busy lives, we attended more events of the latter than of the former. We did, however, visit the seabird cliffs at Marwick Head and have a good chat with RSPB staff who had set up telescopes to allow members of the public to view the various Gannets, Kittiwakes, numerous species of auk and Fulmars. For the folk festival, on the opening night we went to see Anna Massie of Blazin' Fiddles and RANT fame (plus BBC Radio Scotland's Travelling Folk trad music programme), who shared the bill with Polenta, a Finnish quartet of three fiddles and an acoustic guitar. The following evening, to indulge our trad/funk/electronica yearnings, we went to see Elephant Sessions in a nightclub in Kirkwall. The gig didn't start until 10.30pm so we didn't arrive home until after 1am. Then, 24 hours later, Megan went to see The Chair, another late gig. I reckoned I wouldn't manage two l...

Time for a bit of a round-up of the last month's nature watching since we returned from holiday. Our weather has continued to be rather mercurial, the occasional warm, sunny day in between dreich periods with chilly winds. For the season, some things are early, some things are late, the wildlife is not sure what to make of Spring 2026. Neither does it help an amateur naturalist with his sartorial decisions, so if in doubt it's four layers and a set of waterproofs. A trip to Sanday saw me visiting a bit of the island which I not previously seen. After a walk along the beach at Backaskaill Bay, I detoured to investigate a large metal construction. It commemorated a sad event which happened more than 30 years ago. Back at home, we're slowly adding more aquatic plants to the pond as friends donate things from their gardens. We now have our very first Bogbean flower! The dragonfly season in Orkney started in mid-May, but it was only last week, as more sightings came in, that we ...

Having sustained the bumblebee queens which were on the wing before any willow trees were in bloom, the Dandelions are now going to seed and feeding several Goldfinches. Meanwhile, I have begun Operation Dochan 2026, a task not dissimilar to painting the Forth Rail Bridge, though with less red led read led read lead red lead. As the canopy of dock leaves temporarily diminishes, I am left with two thoughts, one good, one bad. The bad news is that there is also a profusion of Lady's Mantle, the non-native invasive species Alchemilla mollis , which if left unchecked might even give the docks some grief, as well as everything else. The good news is that there are also many, many orchid rosettes this year. Oh joy unconfined! The front garden has not previously been particularly orchid-y, but this year looks like it will rewrite that history. Needless to say, there's no mowing occurring, save for a perimeter path and a gently-curving route from the little wooden gate to the propos...

" and we weren't to discover the actual answer until much later in the holiday."   Those were the words with which I ended the second blogpost of our Blairgowrie holiday, so here we are at the finale and one last big splash. A few years ago, friends left Orkney and moved to deepest rural Perthshire. We spent a day with them in and around Comrie, experiencing their wonderful hospitality and sharing the local wildlife. As a regular moth-trapper, our host had kept a few species from the previous night's haul for us to see, including this Red Chestnut. At the nearby community woodland, we were shown around and given a potted history of the site. Whilst inspecting a pond for potential odes, we were all amazed to see a Palmate Newt. Towards the end of the holiday, we journeyed to the Angus Glens, driving up Glen Clova to reach Glen Doll. We did not attempt to reach any summits, but were content to potter around the valley, taking in the splendid views. And then one evening,...