Wyre-d

One day last week, we went along on a trip to the island of Wyre organised by the Orkney Field Club. We caught the ferry from Tingwall in West Mainland to Rousay and then on to Wyre. This is a place that I had not previously visited, a small island with a population of less than ten, featuring some 12th Century ruins, farming on a less industrial scale than normal and, consequently, more wildlife.

We spent the day pottering the length of the place and back, exploring road verges, field edges, abandoned gardens, an old cemetery wall at St Mary's Chapel and the remains of Cubbie Roo's castle.

Photographing insects and wildflowers was a little tricky due to a stiff westerly breeze (or perhaps I just couldn't see what I was focussing on due to the bright sunlight), but I have managed to salvage some crisper shots from the day.

The view across Wyre Sound to Rousay

An ichneumon wasp from the Genus Ophion on a Hogweed umbel

We found several species of Fumitory growing in the field margins of crops

A Notch-horned Cleg (on a picnic table)

Sericomyia silentis, the Yellow-barred Peat Hoverfly. A wasp mimic with quite a loud buzz.

Field Pansy

Typical field edge: Hemp Nettle, Red Dead-nettle, Field Pansy, a Fumitory sp and Corn Spurrey

Keen gardeners will recognise a Euphorbia, this is Sun Spurge

A Middle-barred Minor moth

Wall-rue, a small fern, here growing in the walls of a cemetery

Megan tracked down a Common Hawker dragonfly, a first record for the island! It would have been insect of the day, but... 

... on the walk back to the pier, we found a Hummingbird Hawk-moth foraging along the verges and occasionally landing on the road.

Our thanks to the Orkney Field Club for another interesting wildlife adventure.