Natural highs and lows

Today marks twelve windswept years since I moved to Orkney. To celebrate, Megan and I are self-isolating at either end of the sofa whilst we struggle with another bout of Covid, all the while trying to keep hydrated and push the value of Kleenex shares to an all time high. Fortunately, I did manage to be out and about earlier this week, before succumbing to a virus which will pretty much discourage me from sealing the envelopes of this year's batch of Christmas cards. Rothiesholm Bay, Stronsay. A cold Winter's day for a post-work amble Sandy shore. Some distant Sanderlings foraging at the tideline Trigger alert: the following photographs feature a harvestman (an arachnid, but not a spider). Returning from a foray to the garden to recycle some coffee grounds, I noticed a harvestman sat on the door frame. It looked rather different to the species we see more regularly, so my interest was piqued. The ObsIdentify app reckoned that it was Dicranopalpus ramosus , but subsequent resea...

May was such a wonderful month this year. Traditionally, it's our driest period of the year, but often with that lingering chill from a tenacious Winter before its grip is gently prised loose by a resurgent Summer. This one was warmer and sunnier than I can recall in my short time here, which is perhaps why June has been a bit of a shock. In fact, I have stopped calling it June, it's February all over again, being wet, windy and flippin' cold. But Summer is not so easily put off, and yesterday we had a glimpse of what could be, with a warm, sunny day where everyone in the county who was able to do so was either hanging out washing to dry or mowing the lawn. Or both! Today we have returned to the utmost dreich weather, so if you'll allow me the indulgence to cheer myself up, here's some photos from the garden yesterday. A hybrid Marsh Orchid, Northern x ???? Orchid in the drying green An area we're slowly filling with wildflowers from locally-foraged seed  Fox an...

Time for the mooted catch up before I disappear beneath a deluge of unsorted photographs. Several weeks ago, a leisurely ascent of a local hill which I hadn't climbed in months brought some pleasant surprises. Simply visiting a place at a different time of year can be very enlightening. Bog Pimpernel A white form of Devil's-bit Scabious A wasp mimic, the hoverfly Sericomyia silentis An Emperor Moth caterpillar Whilst on the topic of caterpillars, an outbuilding wall at home suddenly sprouted this (I have no idea what it is, or when the adult insect will emerge). During the Orkney International Science Festival, I was very fortunate to go along on a promotional film shoot for one of the local live events. Orkney.com were the producers, and I was genuinely surprised how quickly the necessary footage was gathered. Although the below image (a sneaky shot over the cameraman's shoulder) looks like a scene from BBC detective drama Shetland , the actual promo film can be seen here ...

On the wildlife front, things have been quite low key this past week, perhaps we've reached that mellow point of Summer when it is noticeable that the year is turning. Until I moved to Orkney, I had never considered which species of wildflower was the last to come into bloom in Summer - it's Devil's-bit Scabious, here - and that feels like more of a slippery slope to mid-Winter than the departing of Puffins or other auks. Yes, it is also much quieter bird-wise, with an end to the frantic feathered fecundity for our breeding species, little in the way of birdsong and a steady trickle of migrants heading back south. Looking at the images I have taken during the last week or so, there's a preponderance of insects, beginning with a moth discovered on the rear bumper of my van whilst visiting Stronsay. I think this is a Dark Arches. Whether I took it with me from Mainland, picked up a stowaway on the ferry or it was a Stronsay resident, I will never know. A late afternoon wa...