Hardy Surveyor

Late September in Orkney and we're still enjoying blue skies, sunshine and modest breezes. Typically, I had managed to tweak my lower back, one of those annoying muscular twinges that benefits from keeping moving rather than remaining motionless, so walking was a good remedy.

Fortuitously, we were due to carry out our Autumn vole transects, monitoring activity for the Orkney Native Wildlife Project. The drive to Mull Head, even as a passenger, wasn't pleasant, but once out on the moorland, my spirits raised and we set about the first transect, recording any signs of chewed bits of grass and the digestive results of said chewing. As ever, on the march between the two transects, we stopped for lunch and some scenic views.

No voles here, but there is a Harbour Seal...

Also between the transects, we happened upon some ONWP staff out testing their latest bit of Stoat-spotting gadgetry, a drone with a thermal camera. Never mind invasive mammals, even during the day, with this technology it was possible to see warm, sheltered spots within the heather moorland. My mind instantly went into dragonfly mode at the thought of how useful this could be when searching for places to look for insects. Somehow, I don't think our budget will stretch to such luxuries and I will have to persevere with the old Mk1 eyeballs. During the second transect, we scored another mammal, but still not a vole or a stoat.

Brown Hare

Back at home, it has been noticeable this past week that all the bumblebees are no longer visiting. These were mainly Common Carders, which have been constant companions throughout the Summer, especially when we've sat out the front (morning coffee or lunch) or the back (afternoon coffee/tea or gin o'clock). Now that the wildflower patch has gone over, the bumblebees had been drawn to the rockery, where a trailing Nasturtium (an accidental introduction along with a Sea Campion plant) was living the dream amongst the larger Geraniums. The only bees we are seeing now are honey bees from, presumably, local hives. 

As more walking was required, this was the obvious spur to be out and about, looking at several bumblebee transects for Species on the Edge. With bee buddy K, I helped cover Skaill Bay (alongside the neolithic settlement of Skara Brae), with only one bumble for our efforts. Thoughts at the time put the ID as Moss Carder, and probably a queen, as she was huge (in carder terms), but the species is notoriously difficult to separate from Common Carder (well, for me it is!).

A couple of days later, with some more pleasant sunshine on offer, I headed to Stromness Waterworks for another Beewalk. Here again, the previous month's palette of wildflower colour was much more muted, with only the occasional bloom to be found, even the Bell Heather was almost over. In a mile of walking, I managed to find two bees, a Heath Bumblebee and a Common Carder, both quite worn and, I think, male. Like a complete numpty, I had forgotten to bring along a camera and binoculars, so the only photo of the outing was this phone panorama of section 3 of the transect.

In fact, there were very few insects at all, a couple of hoverflies, a big, fast-moving diurnal moth and, at one point, a small flock/herd/cloud of tiny flies. Overhead, Meadow Pipits, Skylarks and Golden Plover could be heard, presumably part of the Autumn passage of migrating birds. It was just grand to be out in it all, as there won't be many days as pleasant as this in the next few er... six er... eight months.

Author's note: Today's title pun has a southern hemisphere, antipodean flavour, though I doubt it will sit well with commenter Beth. Wrong country, sorry ☹