Serendipitous

It's a word which was used often in another blog, but I don't think that I have previously used it on Natural Highs and Lows. However, it is a very suitable title to this post.

We were going to walk from Sandwick to Burwick in South Ronaldsay, along the west coast of the island, but it would mean using two cars, and that's quite a long commute (and a lot of fuel) in Orcadian terms. So then we considered a tromp over the hills of Russadale and Scorradale, but the day dawned windless, which meant midges. And one midge is too many. Scrabbling around for last-minute ideas of another walk, we hit upon Stromness to Yesnaby on the west coast of the mainland. And I am rather glad we did.

This particular stretch of clifftop path was unfamiliar to me, the only part of the west coast that I hadn't previously walked. It's not a long distance, but we reckoned too long for a day's wildlife watching in both directions, so we parked a car at Yesnaby and drove to Stromness reservoir to begin the walk from there.

The rough tracks and small roads through Outertown brought us to the foot of Black Craig, the hill to the north of Stromness, and the array of flora on the coastal heath at this time of year was stunning. The morning was indeed quite calm, though overcast, but this diffuse light allowed for better plant photography, I'd say.

Grass of Parnassus

A species of Eyebright, as yet unidentified

Frog Orchid

Although by the coast there were no midges to speak of, there were plenty of clegs. Here's a quick shot from my leg, before I managed to avert another Covid jab.

Where the path crosses the Burn of Mousland, there's a handy bridge. This was the only burn that had any appreciable water in it, as it has been so dry this year so far. I laid down on the rocks of the stream bed to engineer a photograph of ' A Bridge Over the Atlantic'.

What little breeze there was emanated from the south east, so the sea to the west of Orkney was flat calm. Seabirds could be seen on the water well out towards the horizon: auks, gulls, skuas and the like.

The sea stack of Gaulton Castle seems to defy gravity, although the Great Black-backed Gulls bringing up their chicks on the top didn't appear overly worried.

With such a smooth surface out to sea, there was always a hope that a fin would be visible. Better than that, here's a spy-hopping Risso's Dolphin, one of a dozen or so seen in two separate pods.

Here are a few video clips of the larger pod which was a couple of hundred yards offshore.

Panoramic view from Inga Ness across to Qui Ayre

As journey's end beckoned, the light improved considerably, and the associated warmth stirred plenty of insects into action.

Leafhopper

Damsel Bug

On the coastal path, a wader chick was running about, under the watchful eye of one of its parents. The chick's sibling was stationary in a nearby pasture, probably the better reaction to passing humans.

A young Ringed Plover

The day held one more surprise. Whilst watching a juvenile Wheatear at the top of a beach, something else moved to its right. Patience was needed to wait for the creature to show itself, but when it finally did, I wasn't sure whether it was a young Brown Rat or not. My doubt was rewarded with a positive ID later of Orkney Vole.

Orkney Vole

This is the best view I have ever had of one of these elusive rodents, a subspecies of Common Vole endemic to Orkney.

It had been a grand day.