There in black and white

It is entirely my fault, I shouldn't have mentioned Spring in the previous blogpost. For the last two days we have been treated to some more snow and hail. Here's this morning's view of Ward Hill in Hoy.

No more sign of the hares for now and, instead, the garden has had visits from Rooks and Jackdaws. The birds were very vocal as they foraged for seeds amongst the vegetation.

In other corvid news, the sports page of the local weekly paper had a slightly more wildlife story than would normally be expected - large black birds stealing golf balls during play.

The article mentions that they're Rooks, then crows, then quotes someone from outwith the county who has a tame Raven. The photo shows a Raven (the bird length to golf ball ratio isn't correct for Rook. Yes, I am that sad) but we're left in the dark as to whether this image is of the actual thief.

Whilst I am no expert regarding the Royal and Ancient game, I can understand why a Raven or a crow might mistake a golf ball for an egg, but a Rook's inclination is to forage in pastures for seeds and invertebrates. The internet informs me that the original golf balls were called "featheries", so you can see how a bird with less nous than a corvid might possibly be a bit confused. But whilst a Rook might often perch in a gutter or tree, it wouldn't be looking for something that was once made from the sap of a gutta-percha tree.

So we should all be more careful from now on, golf ball theft might only be the beginning, the gateway sphere to more golden globe grabbing. It is probably advisable to keep a close eye on the cupboard where the Ferrero Rocher are kept.

In Valentine's Day news, the letters of our tribute to endemic Orkney wildlife have been rearranged for the day.