Flighty flying fings

A day trip to Hoy is always a treat, and last Saturday was no exception. With no long walks planned between ferry sailings, just visiting sites around the island by car, I felt able to drag along my DSLR for a change. What a good job I did. The blustery conditions, and the subject (or photographer) constantly moving, meant that my little compact camera was not the preferred device of choice. We didn't find any big dragons but, oh my word, there was still plenty else to see.

Red-throated Diver, snapped from the car whilst parked in a layby

A male Common Blue Damselfly with prey

A female Common Blue butterfly nectaring on Bell Heather

A White-tailed Eagle which flew overhead...

necessitating an emergency stop and a race for optics!

Great Skuas (Bonxies) were congregating at Sandy Loch, with regular flybys over the dam head

Bonxie

Hoy hills panorama

Another female Common Blue butterfly

The wildflowers were stunning too, but difficult to photograph, so please excuse their absence.

Sunday was no less windy, but a day's gardening, weeding the veg plot and earthing up the potatoes, brought rewards in the shape of this male Ghost Moth, which had been nestled away in a tangle of Speedwell and Fumitory. Once the moth was removed to a sheltered spot for safety, my little compact camera was pressed back into use for some close-ups.