Oh? Fence!

This blog tends to concentrate on parochial environmental topics, rarely touching on global political affairs. For example, the changing roll call of birds seen through the year as the seasonal mass movement of feathered creatures wing their way around the planet, outrageously ignoring any lines drawn on a map. Or, even closer to my heart, the androgyny of dragonflies and damselflies as they seek a bit of peace, away from testosterone-fuelled madness.

And yet, morning after morning, the news is full of another act of war by an aggressor state.

I kid you not, as I typed those words, there were actual rumbles of thunder. I had to double check, but a real time lightning app confirmed it.

But I digress, back to wildlife in and around an Orkney garden. This week, there was wondrous news in the Comments section when AF identified the smaller beetles which have turned up at the pond. He wasn't sure of the exact species, but the genus is Helophorus. To arrive at the specific name, I will have to stare very closely at the craggy bits on a beetle's bottom.

Staying on the aquatic theme, whilst sat on the patio, possibly unwinding with an alcoholic beverage, my attention was taken by a movement on the water's surface (of the pond, not my G&T). This turned out to be our inaugural Pond Skater, which paddled about for a while before departing again.

Pond Skater

The other big piece of garden news is that the builders have now erected a fence between us and our neighbours-to-be. It is not as unsightly as we had feared, and it is quite possible that animals (both wild and domestic) can journey to and fro underneath it.

Having said that, the first evening after the barrier went up, I happened to be looking towards the sunset when a Brown Hare appeared out of the cereal field and bounded across the building site. Halfway, it suddenly stopped, sat down and stared in disbelief at the new construction between it and our bit of unkempt wildflower meadow. Bemused, the hare lollopped around the fence line, sat for a while on the track at our front, then browsed on some flowers in the verge, before legging it across a recently-mown hay field. Hopefully, when it has recovered from the shock, it will figure out how to bypass the fence and access our remaining Cat's-ear!

During the past week, one day, Megan and I did manage to have lunch together outside. We sat by the front door, in full sun and sheltered from the cool westerly breeze, as butterflies and hoverflies visited the flowers of the rockery. At one point, a Ruby-tailed Wasp alighted on a stone, although not long enough for a photo, and then a pair of Arctic Skuas flew down the valley, no doubt in search of terns with fish to frisk for an easy meal.

Episyrphus balteatus Marmalade Hoverfly

Black Snail Beetle Phosphuga atrata

and the Common Crossbills were back, giving a neighbour's pine trees a thorough inspection

Well, the thunderstorm has finally passed by, the router has been plugged back in and I can now upload these words. As far as I'm aware, it is still possible to condemn acts of war and authoritarianism in a peaceful manner, without fear of being incarcerated or considered a terrorist. For my six decades on this planet, it has been unthinkable that anything else would be the case, but these days, who knows?