Natural highs and lows

A day trip to Hoy is always a treat, and last Saturday was no exception. With no long walks planned between ferry sailings, just visiting sites around the island by car, I felt able to drag along my DSLR for a change. What a good job I did. The blustery conditions, and the subject (or photographer) constantly moving, meant that my little compact camera was not the preferred device of choice. We didn't find any big dragons but, oh my word, there was still plenty else to see. Red-throated Diver, snapped from the car whilst parked in a layby A male Common Blue Damselfly with prey A female Common Blue butterfly nectaring on Bell Heather A White-tailed Eagle which flew overhead... necessitating an emergency stop and a race for optics! Great Skuas (Bonxies) were congregating at Sandy Loch, with regular flybys over the dam head Bonxie Hoy hills panorama Another female Common Blue butterfly The wildflowers were stunning too, but difficult to photograph, so please excuse their absence. Sund...

It is time for a bit of balance on NaHAL, after all those stormy posts of gale force winds and crashing seas. Today was calm, clear and wonderfully lit by a low Winter sun, the sort of day that reminds you why you live in Orkney.  In the afternoon, there was nothing else for it: forget festive shopping; say "No!" to chores; grab outdoor gear and immerse oneself in the spectacle. A few minutes' drive brings us to the Brodgar isthmus, the Neolithic landscape nestled between Harray and Stenness Lochs. A few other folk are taking the opportunity for some fresh air, but the car park is practically empty. Almost sacrilegiously, we bypass the four thousand year old stones of the Ring and head along the path that hugs the Stenness Loch shore, our eyes darting across the water's surface, hoping for a glimpse of an Otter, whilst our ears tune in to the bird calls which are emanating from the landscape: Curlew, Raven, Long-tailed Duck, Red-throated Diver, Wigeon and Meadow Pipit...

A weekend break across Scapa Flow on the islands of Hoy and South Walls had a very damp start, with a day of non-stop rain. It was needed, mind, to replenish reservoirs, ponds and the water table. However, it wasn't ideal circumstances for nature watching. The only bright side was that it was vertical weather rather then the more usual horizontal sort we're used to. The plan was to look for Harbour Porpoises in the stretch of sea between Flotta and Hoy, and although we did see some at a distance, the precipitation didn't help the cause. The Martello Tower at Crockness, with the one at Hackness visible to the left A Fox Moth caterpillar Drookit bumblebees sheltering on thistles Drookit humans sheltering in a car Despite the wet weather, and against all expectations, we encountered four species of raptor out hunting in the rain. I really didn't think they did this. Below is a photo of a Sparrowhawk, taken just after a failed attempt to catch a Meadow Pipit. In addition, w...

For the last weekend of National Dragonfly Week, I had organised a low-key walk on the island of Hoy, asking any members of my local dragonfly Facebook group if they would like to join me. Several of them did, so Saturday late morning and early afternoon were spent at a couple of pools on the slopes of Wee Fea hill, west of Lyness. The weather was overcast with a cool breeze, not ideal for dragon hunting, or perhaps that depends upon your point of view. Certainly the temperature was too low for there to be much flying activity, but diligent searching in the emergent vegetation of the pools produced six species (4 of damselflies and 2 of dragonflies). Additionally, the diffuse light helped the colours of the insects stand out. One of the gang (not me!) found a roosting male Common Hawker dragonfly, and everyone had the opportunity to watch it at close quarters and take photographs. This species is renowned for being a tireless flyer, not resting when the sun is out, so this was a very s...

Yesterday (Saturday) was a bit of a dragonfest. Not because my favourite order of insects are on the wing yet, at least not in Orkney, but because the BDS was hosting its Scottish conference 2021 online. Lots of interesting talks about rare species, extraordinary behaviour, habitat management and public engagement. All the while that I was indoors, staring at a computer screen, there were regular updates on my phone about another winged predator, as a White-tailed Eagle was being seen over moorland not far to the north. So as soon as the conference was over, a short drive was taken to Birsay Moors in the hope of seeing an eagle. En route, a flock of about a hundred Golden Plover flew across the road in front of the car, their jinking flight flashing the white and gold of their plumage as the birds turned one way and then the other. Up on the moors, it was a struggle to find any birds. A couple of Ravens were keeping their wary eyes on us, a few Meadow Pipits appeared out of the heather...