Nature Notes #4

One of the overwintering species of bird to be found in Orkney waters is the Great Northern Diver. This is a bird which breeds much further north in Iceland, Greenland and the north of North America, although occasionally a few non-breeding birds will remain here during the Summer. The Great Northern Diver has an eerie, haunting call, which gave rise to its original name, the Loon. In North America, the bird is still known by this name.

So it is not a coincidence that the loon's call makes an appearance in a track by Canadian First Nations band Kashtin. The track is Akua Tuta (English: Take Care). Whilst I listen to quite a lot of music from Canada, it's mainly the rock genre from bands like Rush or Celtic folk stuff by the likes of Le Vent du Nord or De Temps Antan. I only know of Kashtin (in the Innu language this translates as 'tornado' but is also a cheeky pun of the English "cashed in" as a dig at those who thought they shouldn't play outside their community) because they featured in a compilation album of soundtrack music from the TV show Due South.

An adult Great Northern Diver in breeding plumage

Great Northern Diver, first Winter plumage

So think of a cool, still dawn, with mist swirling over the surface of a pine-fringed lake, and...