One of the beautiful things about Orkney is that the weather is borderline neurodivergent, which may go some way to explaining why it is difficult to get an accurate diagnosis forecast. Currently*, we're back to experiencing wildly different weather on consecutive days, such that the worryingly neurotypical consistent weather of late January and early February seems but a distant memory. On Wednesday last, it was more dreich than a waterfall shower after all the hot water's gone, so I was pleasantly surprised, upon returning home for lunch, to learn that Megan had been watching a Buzzard all morning. Raptors do not usually hunt during heavy rain, but the bird in question had been sat on various fence posts in the valley below, staring intently at the ground for worms and, possibly, frogs. Before changing out of my wet weather gear, I wandered down the hill, a little closer to the bird, for a grainy photo. This particular buzzard was part of a local wing-tagging project, and w...
In another time and place, I used to think that a good blogpost needed three connected events or incidents, circling around on themselves to create a satisfying denouement. It wasn't a well-researched theory, or a plot device from a writing course, it was just a vibe that seemed to work more often than not. Of late, that sort of thinking hasn't been to the fore, NaHaL posts seem to be more a diary entry or chronological list of events. In fact, the post I was going to write this evening was exactly that, a recap of wildlife moments from the past week, culminating in yesterday's beetle survey and a Volunteer Thank You event with the RSPB. Now, what with war, genocide and files, the world's not at its best at the moment apart, perhaps, for the resounding success of the Green Party of England and Wales in a by-election. I suspect that, like many other folk, a bit of gentle escapism from the constant stream of terrible news headlines is an absolute must to maintain some so...