Between rain showers

Last weekend was a bit like April, with lots of sunshine and showers. Well, not like this April, obviously, hence my delight at the much-needed rain. That said, we were fortunate that an afternoon's ramble along the coast in East Mainland was warm and dry, with plenty of wildlife to see. At a muddy pool, we stopped to have a quick scan for damselflies, but only managed a tall wader which I mistook for a young Curlew. A local expert helped me out with the ID later, the bird actually being a Ruff.

In sheltered spots, there were plenty of Meadow Brown and Common Blue butterflies, and I couldn't resist yet another photograph of a Blue when one landed on a Ragwort flower.

On the cliffs, the Fulmar chicks were very plump and fluffy, including these pyramidally-nestled ones. 

The clifftop vegetation now consists of much Wild Angelica and Scots Lovage.

Meadow Brown

This Shag chick can't be far from fledging.

And a Black Guillemot (Tystie) kept a watchful eye on us.

As the afternoon warmed up, more and more insects were on the wing, and I was pleased to see a Stocky Mason-wasp, possibly gathering material to make a pot to protect its young.

A little inland from the coast, a Short-eared Owl was quartering the fields, hunting for Orkney Voles. And a pair of Brown Hares lingered just long enough for me to grab a couple of images before they were off.