Going coastal

At the beginning of the week, a work trip took me to the island of Westray. The repair didn't take too long and, with no midday sailing available, I had a lengthy wait until the return ferry. As the weather was mainly dry and sunny, I opted to fill the time with a couple of walks, one on the west coast of the island and one on the east coast.

Despite 20 years of either holidaying or living in Orkney, I had never walked the four mile circular route around Noup Head, with its lighthouse, coastal scenery and seabird cliffs. It was time to put that right. I parked in the designated place next to Backarass Farm and followed the waymarked route through a few fields down to the coast. Heading north, I was aware of the constant to and fro of Gannets collecting nesting material and returning to their colony at Noup Head. Fulmars glided back and forth along the cliff edge, seemingly revelling in the joys of a stiff breeze. I spotted a few new species for the year: Bonxie (Great Skua), Kittiwake and Sandwich Tern, and had a close-ish encounter with a pair of Ringed Plovers.

After lunch, I decided to check if the Puffins had returned to the Castle o' Burrian on the east coast of Westray. However, despite prolonged scanning of cliffs, sea and sky, there wasn't a single one to be seen. Undaunted, I wandered along the cliff-top path, photographing a Rock Pipit, some Fulmars and various bits of coastal scenery.

The following evening, I noticed a message on the local bird alert service... "Several hundred Puffins rafting offshore from Castle O' Burrian tonight". Oh well, at least they're back, having survived the many winter storms out at sea.