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.
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| Bog Pimpernel |
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| A white form of Devil's-bit Scabious |
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| A wasp mimic, the hoverfly Sericomyia silentis |
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| 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.
Meanwhile, back home, a Common Whitethroat keeps putting in the occasional appearance, but I guess it will be heading south soon to spend the Winter in warmer climes.
A recent trip to Westray didn't allow much time for wildlife watching, but when at Rapness pier in the south of the island, I always look to see if visibility will allow a view of St Magnus Cathedral, back in Kirkwall.
A couple of weekends ago, a walk in the Birsay Moors led to some wonderful moments in the company of Black Darter dragonflies. Despite the cool breeze, these small dragons were busy ensuring future generations of the species.
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| A pair in tandem |
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| A male Black Darter |
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| A Harvestman feeding on a deceased dragon |
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| Close-up of a female's eyes |
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| Darters making out |
One morning, sailing across Scapa Flow to a job in South Walls, the diffuse sunlight and calm waters felt most unOrkney, giving an atmospheric silvery glow to everything.
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| The Flotta oil terminal boat |
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| Dive boats holding station above ship wrecks for their clientele |
The same day, I had fifteen minutes to spare before the ferry back to West Mainland, so I made a quick visit to Wee Fea, being rewarded with a single male Emerald Damselfly and several pairs of mating Black Darters.
I will close this catch-up of events with a little footage of a female Black Darter in the Birsay Moors. The heat from my hand stirred her into some wing whirring, prior to taking flight.
Lots to enjoy in your corner. The weather almost looks kind. I’m sure that won’t last long. Lots of dragonflies in my corner at the moment. Sadly they haven’t obliged by landing near enough for a photo. B x
ReplyDeleteIt has certainly been a benign Summer. My advice for dragon hunters is to think like a dragon! Look for sunny spots where the air is still. These could be small pockets of vegetation which are sheltered from a breeze (though I doubt your breezes are cold!). Admittedly, if it's really warm, they will be very active and not likely to be easily seen at rest. Good Luck!
DeleteWhen visiting our friends in Yorkshire, the biggest dragonfly I’ve ever seen kept flitting around their pond. It looked like a small bird. We were amazed by it.
ReplyDeleteThe larger Hawker dragonflies can be 8-9cm long, and are seriously impressive at close quarters!
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