A few weekends back, there was a report of a Kingfisher being seen briefly in a garden in Stromness. We don't see many Kingfishers in Orkney, so it seemed like a good idea to go and have a wander around the harbour, in case the bird was lingering to feed.
It was rather a cold, overcast and damp day, and no Kingfishers were found, but there was a possible Black Redstart, again seen briefly, too briefly for a photo, atop the mast of a boat in dry dock.
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| Stromness marina |
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| A Redshank |
These Limpets were wearing fascinators!
Once on the Holm, it was slightly surprising to find a fair few flowers, what with all the wind and salt and grazing sheep (who I presume don't overwinter on the island).
At the southern tip of the island, something had been busy feasting on sea urchins. I learnt recently that the geometric structure which forms the beak of the urchin is formed from 5 'teeth' known collectively as Aristotle's Lantern.
On the walk back across the causeway, I thought this clump of seaweed was rather Autumnal and worthy of a photo.
Still can't believe you spotted a kingfisher in my neck of the woods. In the thirty plus years I've lived here, I never have. Will have to try harder.
ReplyDeleteSome lovely pictures here and liking the new format of the blog - Looks very contemporary. I haven't been blogging for that long but a revamp seems to be needed every so often.
In this case, the revamp was a necessity rather than an ascetic whim. And a return to Inverness is much needed (whether there's Kingfishers present or not).
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