Crescendi

My general preoccupation with the weather which, it should be said, is quite distinct from my raging climate anxiety, has also been much troubled of late, as the Met Office have struggled to accurately forecast the level of precipitation in our little corner of Orkney. Day after day of reasonable forecasts, suggesting sunny periods between varying shades of cloudiness, have descended into gloomy, wet and windy weather. On many levels, it hasn't been their finest hour. Today, though, the meteorologists haven't put a soggy foot wrong, the forecast is on the money from the start. We're having rain, persistent and heavy all morning, turning into blustery showers in the afternoon, as the winds turn from the south to the west and ratchet themselves up to gale force come late evening. Hatches, as they say, are being battened.

Thankfully, earlier in the week, I was able to take a short break to the Scottish mainland, which was suitably full of Autumn colours, wildlife and music. And apart from the initial journey south, the weather was gloriously clement throughout.

Way before the global pandemic, a hotel room had been booked in Perth (the one in Scotland) to attend a conference. Now, we all know how that song goes... conference cancelled, booking moved, further lockdown, booking moved, conference online, booking moved... but thankfully the last verse morphed into... musical trio performing a gig in Perth, booking confirmed.

A Horse Chestnut tree in Dornoch

Male Chaffinch at RSPB Garten

Male Chaffinch at RSPB Garten

The diversion to Garten was in the hope of seeing Crested Tits, but although there were Great, Blue, Coal and Long-tailed on view (memorably in one vista momentarily), we only heard the Cresties. 

Our hotel room looked out across South Inch Park, an excellent reason to be up and about at dawn 

Acer leaves against the backdrop of a gazebo canopy

Whilst the birds in the hotel garden were enthralling, with numerous tits, finches and thrushes, we had also been given a recommendation of a place to go wildlife watching just north of the city. Thank you Lorna! So we ventured to Quarrymill Woodland Park for a gentle amble around its intertwining paths and along the banks of a burn.

Candlesnuff fungus on a tree stump

Scone Old Parish Church

A Robin with lunch

Although we have had an Autumn in Orkney this year (yes, really!), it is not on the scale and grandeur of a Perthshire Beech wood

In the evening, we joined 198 other masked folk in a small auditorium at Perth Theatre, to be superbly entertained by the high octane music of Scottish band Talisk. The words 'fiddle', 'guitar' and 'concertina' do not immediately conjure up the mental image of a power trio, but Talisk's energy is a wonder to behold. I had not previously experienced a band and audience so as one in their combined joy of the occasion, from the first note to the last. I guess we all have missed live music, whether we're performing or applauding.

I managed to sneak a photo during a rare quiet moment, so as not to blur the action!

The following morning, whilst at breakfast, we noticed that the local Chaffinches, Greenfinches and Goldfinches had been joined by yet another power trio, three male Bullfinches. These boys were gorging themselves on the berries of a Rowan tree just outside the dining room window, which led to a frantic dash back to our room for cameras.

Berries... blue... Bullfinch

Goldfinch

Heading back north, we stopped briefly at The Hermitage for another fix of Autumnal colour and the wild scenery of the River Braan.

Back to the present, and the severity of the relentless rain is ramping up with the mounting gale. Dreich doesn't even come close.