Colours

What was that song? It went "Red and yellow and pink and green, purple and orange and blue..." The internet reminded me that it was I can sing a rainbow, sung by Peggy Lee in the 1955 film Pete Kelly's Blues.

Well, the past few days have been quite colourful.

At the beginning of the week I had the pleasure of flying across to North Ronaldsay (a particularly favourite island of mine) for a couple of jobs. The trip had been postponed from the previous week due to haar, which is the weather that plays merry whatnot with visual flight rules. And I must admit that packing all I might need into a couple of tool bags is always a fraught time, and I feel quite naked not wearing my van.

The second job was at the Bird Observatory, where the ever-helpful staff informed me that there was a Quail in the neighbouring field and a Rosy-coloured Starling with a flock of the more usual variety frequenting the shore and adjacent fields at Lenswick in the north of the island. So, once all was repaired, I stepped outside, heard the Quail and set off due North.

The one proviso given regarding the Starling was that if the flock was feeding in a field which hadn't yet been mown for hay/silage, then the grass would be too long and I wouldn't see any of them. Thankfully, after 30 minutes tabbing up the island and within 15 seconds of reaching the shore, I spotted Rose and the rest of the gang, who were rootling through the piles of seaweed at the tide line.

With time to kill before the plane back to Kirkwall, I set off to recce a few flag beds for damselflies (well, it is National Dragonfly Week). I restricted myself to peeking into the irises from roads and tracks, so as not to disturb any breeding birds. Although Blue-tailed Damselfly has been recorded on North Ronaldsay in recent years, there were none showing themselves on the day.

However, there was plenty else to catch the eye, including Golden Plover, Red Bartsia (both near Westness) and the beginnings of the Grass of Parnassus blooming on the Links.

The following day saw a trip to Hoxa to check whether the pools there had dried up. The quarry pool was ok and still held a reasonable population of Bluetails, but the lower pools had mostly disappeared. The one remaining water body did have a few damsels, more Bluetails, but the highlight was a Black Darter dragonfly, the first seen here for several years. Predictably, I was looking the wrong way and missed it. Sigh.

Swathes of Bog Asphodel

A male Redpoll

Exploring more of Hoxa Head, we happened upon a sheltered spot which held half a dozen Common Blue butterflies, with one particular individual allowing close photography.

And the trip was rounded off with a family of Greenfinch, perched aesthetically on a fence wire in front of some Ragwort.

No pressure, but I still haven't see a dragonfly (only damsels) during National Dragonfly Week. The weekend will be my best opportunity, with two trips across to Hoy organised. Wish me luck!