Natural highs and lows

If there's one thing you can say about the weather in Orkney, it is that it is windy.  And if you were allowed to venture a further opinion concerning our meteorology, you might also mention that it is very changeable. Not necessarily in the spirit of the classic Scottish "four seasons in one day", but weather that is definitely different from yesterday, and quite possibly different from that currently on the opposite side of the archipelago. In this regard, January 2026 was unusual. Firstly, there was a prolonged spell of wintry weather from the north which, whilst it was often picturesque, played havoc with the road system due to drifting snow, and affected all transport, as crews couldn't make it to ferries or staff to the airport.  For the last wee while, however, we have been hunkered down from a period of unrelenting dreichness, characterised by wind and rain from the south east. And it shows no sign of a change of heart. At least roads are now navigable, if a l...

Normally, at this time of year, I would be leading a wildlife walk, showing folk the wonders of dragonflies and damselflies, as well as any other natural history we happened upon. For 2022, what with the weather, work and a woeful lack of preparation, it just hasn't happened. Yet. Thankfully, I did receive reports that some dragonflies were finally on the wing, so for the first day of NDW, Megan and I made the trip to Hoy to enjoy their company and some bracing fresh air. The Martello Towers at Hackness and Crockness, on the approach to Lyness Incidentally, this ferry trip was the same route undertaken by Ralph Little for the recent series of the BBC's 'Who Do You Think You Are?' He drove past wir hoos!! Once ashore at Lyness, we made our way inland, soaking up the sights and sounds of Nature as we climbed up Wee Fea. Tysties Teenage Tystie Large Heath butterfly One of the Forget-Me-Nots Bog Asphodel Upon reaching the most easily-accessible bog pools, we were soon findi...

Last weekend was a bit like April, with lots of sunshine and showers. Well, not like this April, obviously, hence my delight at the much-needed rain. That said, we were fortunate that an afternoon's ramble along the coast in East Mainland was warm and dry, with plenty of wildlife to see. At a muddy pool, we stopped to have a quick scan for damselflies, but only managed a tall wader which I mistook for a young Curlew. A local expert helped me out with the ID later, the bird actually being a Ruff. In sheltered spots, there were plenty of Meadow Brown and Common Blue butterflies, and I couldn't resist yet another photograph of a Blue when one landed on a Ragwort flower. On the cliffs, the Fulmar chicks were very plump and fluffy, including these pyramidally-nestled ones.  The clifftop vegetation now consists of much Wild Angelica and Scots Lovage. Meadow Brown This Shag chick can't be far from fledging. And a Black Guillemot (Tystie) kept a watchful eye on us. As the afternoon...