Natural highs and lows

For late September in Orkney, the weekend weather was mild and rather pleasant. Being outdoors was a joy, which is why we were sat in the garden with a cuppa when the call of a Raven drew our attention to the sky above Midland Hill. This hill is to the north of the garden and we watched a bird gliding effortlessly to and fro on outstretched wings, patrolling the ridge. We quickly realised that it wasn't in fact a Raven, the corvid's call had likely been a warning that there was a predator around. No, this was a Peregrine falcon, expertly using the southerly breeze to maintain height above the hill, which allowed it to scan a wide area for potential prey. I have no idea how long it had been there before the Raven's call, but we watched it soar back and forth for over quarter of an hour. Time enough to go and retrieve binoculars for a better view. Indeed, time enough to saunter back indoors again and fetch a 'proper' camera, as my small compact one wouldn't cope w...

Not the most imaginative title for a post, I'll admit, but this one encompasses several topics, including the mysterious deaths of many seabirds on the north and east coasts of the UK and a day spent surveying for signs of Orkney Voles, as well as also featuring a day's birding in Deerness and several ambles around the bay at Houton. Let's begin with the strange case of the auk 'wreck'. Every Winter, usually after a severe storm in the North Sea, many dead seabirds (often juveniles) wash up on the east and north coasts of the UK. It's depressingly normal, but it's nature, and something that the species involved cope with by their breeding strategies. Recently, many auks have been seen inshore at a time when they're expected to be out in the North Sea. These birds seem to have come back to the coast looking for food, and they have been weirdly confiding, a sure sign that all is not well. Many of them have died and been washed up on beaches. Without a Nort...

In Orkney, we tend only to have about 10 species of breeding butterflies, and one of these, the Dark Green Fritillary, hasn't been seen for some years, likely due to loss of its preferred habitat. Orkney does, however, have lots of moths. The problem there is that I don't particularly like late nights or early mornings, so rarely see the flying adults unless they're a daytime species. All that said, the caterpillars of both butterflies and moths are frequently encountered whilst ambling about the footpaths of these isles, so it made sense to prioritise a caterpillar ID book rather than a butterfly/moth one, so I could at least know what would be flying around if I was awake. Well, it made sense in my head. The enthusiastic mothy folk in Orkney often post photographs on the local online insect group, including amazing images of some really spectacular hawk-moths. These are all large and distinctively marked or coloured, the sort of insect which could make your day! When loo...

A weekend break across Scapa Flow on the islands of Hoy and South Walls had a very damp start, with a day of non-stop rain. It was needed, mind, to replenish reservoirs, ponds and the water table. However, it wasn't ideal circumstances for nature watching. The only bright side was that it was vertical weather rather then the more usual horizontal sort we're used to. The plan was to look for Harbour Porpoises in the stretch of sea between Flotta and Hoy, and although we did see some at a distance, the precipitation didn't help the cause. The Martello Tower at Crockness, with the one at Hackness visible to the left A Fox Moth caterpillar Drookit bumblebees sheltering on thistles Drookit humans sheltering in a car Despite the wet weather, and against all expectations, we encountered four species of raptor out hunting in the rain. I really didn't think they did this. Below is a photo of a Sparrowhawk, taken just after a failed attempt to catch a Meadow Pipit. In addition, w...

Time for the mooted catch up before I disappear beneath a deluge of unsorted photographs. Several weeks ago, a leisurely ascent of a local hill which I hadn't climbed in months brought some pleasant surprises. Simply visiting a place at a different time of year can be very enlightening. Bog Pimpernel A white form of Devil's-bit Scabious A wasp mimic, the hoverfly Sericomyia silentis An Emperor Moth caterpillar Whilst on the topic of caterpillars, an outbuilding wall at home suddenly sprouted this (I have no idea what it is, or when the adult insect will emerge). During the Orkney International Science Festival, I was very fortunate to go along on a promotional film shoot for one of the local live events. Orkney.com were the producers, and I was genuinely surprised how quickly the necessary footage was gathered. Although the below image (a sneaky shot over the cameraman's shoulder) looks like a scene from BBC detective drama Shetland , the actual promo film can be seen here ...