Cat-as-trophic

Here at Natural Highs and Lows, the blogposts are currently about a fortnight behind real time, though 'real time' hasn't got a lot to write home about, thank you very much. What with expensive energy prices, cost of living increases, a looming recession and, generally, all the other wonderful benefits of the much-vaunted sunlit uplands of Brexit... well then, real time can go stick its head in a sewage outflow.

Rant over, back to the past wildlife, and the last day of the long weekend in Hoy and South Walls from mid month. As was becoming customary, the day began with thick fog, so we reasoned that looking for dragons or birds would be a tough gig. Instead, we visited a Scottish Wildlife Trust site at the Hill of the White Hamars, which has a lovely walk along the Pentland Firth coast of South Walls. With our focus narrowed down to our immediate environs, we were able to bask in the glow of a multitude of wildflowers. We began a species list and, in a very short time, it exceeded the weekend's bird list total. The diffuse light also helped with photography.

A Grass of Parnassus flower between two Self-heals

It's late in the season for Scottish Primrose, but we found a couple still in bloom

A big, blousy Eyebright of unknown species 

Scarlet Waxcap

Scarlet Waxcap

The following weekend, a dragonfly trip to the Birsay Moors yielded only Black Darters, but we found over forty of them hunkered down behind various bits of vegetation, sheltering from a brisk westerly wind.

Stoat

Dragonflies are tricky to photograph when they do this

A Yellow-barred Peat Hoverfly, Sericomyia silentis

A third instar caterpillar of an Emperor Moth

Close-up of a Black Darter

Dragon love

With my imminent disappearance on a short work trip to Shetland midweek, we took advantage of a sunny afternoon to wander up Russadale in the hope of dragons or damsels. We managed to spot a couple of distant Common Hawkers, but sadly that was all.

View from the track, back down the valley to the Ness of Brodgar

Although I was then busy, haring around the islands of Shetland, one lunch break, between customers, was on a tiny road over the moors. A signposted walk along the Burn of Lunklet was too much to resist. As the previous 24 hours had been non-stop rain, I was confident that there would be some water pouring over the waterfall!  

I didn't look at the information board until I was on my way back to the car, so was pleasantly surprised to read about the hawkweeds, as I am re-reading (for the umpteenth time) The Song Of The Dodo, Island Biogeography in an Age of Extinctions.

This past weekend, there was much pottering in the garden. The Sunday, especially, was prolific for wildlife, with recently-fledged families of Swallow, Pied Wagtail and Goldfinch. Frequent rest periods whilst digging up the tatties also allowed for some diligent searching for caterpillars on the leaves of the Willow trees.

Young Swallows waiting to be fed

Caterpillar of a Grey Dagger moth

Caterpillar of a Poplar Hawk-moth

A spider of the Genus Metellina (Thanks, LJ)

This year's Poplar Hawk-moth cats are the red-spotted form. Last year's weren't, if I remember correctly

Caterpillar of an Angle Shades moth

That's us up to date and back to hurtful reality.