Natural highs and lows

Another week of island hopping for work, with a bit of wildlife watching thrown in for good measure, and another survey completed. The weather's been very April, some balmy days (for here), plus some wind and lash at other times. Whilst on Stronsay, mid-week, I had a few hours to spare before the ferry home. At the lochan of Matpow, there were plenty of ducks to be seen: Mallard, Wigeon, Teal, Gadwall, Red-breasted Merganser, Pintail, Shoveler and Shelduck. Scanning around the shore, I spotted a Snipe snuggled down out of the wind, and on a small islet were a pair of Sandwich Terns. At St Catherine's Bay, the avian interest was limited to gulls, until four Godwits flew in and began feeding in the shallows. I struggled to keep my bins steady enough to identify which species, but fortunately I took some video as they were flying, which later allowed me to see they were Bar-tailed Godwits. On Good Friday, I had to go to Hoy at lunchtime. Scapa Flow was like a mill pond, so I sat o...

I have one of those mobile phones that is rubbish at taking photographs in low light conditions, or more likely, my phone has one of those owners who is rubbish at taking photographs generally. Either way, a few weeks back, trying to capture the Merry Dancing of the Aurora Borealis was a challenge for both man and machine. I'm afraid this is my best effort and does little to convey the beauty of the spectacle, the otherness of the moment, or the body tingles it engendered (although that could just have been the cold, it was flipping freezing).  As March reluctantly released its grip of Winter, a work trip to Westray brought some light relief. I bet this didn't make Radio 2's traffic bulletin. Parked by Pierowall Bay, I spotted a gull that wasn't quite a gull, my first Sandwich Tern of the year, with its punk hair-do and chrome yellow tip to its black beak.   From the same vantage point, but out of a different window of the van, I also watched a Curlew foraging in the sh...

Friday was so peachy that it could've only been peachier with the addition of raspberry sauce and vanilla ice cream. The weather was easily the most pleasant of the year so far, with blue skies and warm sunshine. In fact, it was so Spring-like, that I cleared my diary and offski'd to the beach at Churchill Barrier 4. The footpaths through the dunes were liberally edged with Dandelions and Coltsfoot, with plenty of bumblebees making the most of the pollen and nectar bonanza. This is likely a Common Carder. Nearer the tide line, a colourful fragment of urchin shell and a pearlescent periwinkle (?) caught my eye. Further up the beach, there were several species of bird foraging for insects, including this Pied Wagtail and Wheatear, but much excitement ensued when a Little Tern flew by. This tiny sea urchin shell is only about an inch across, it's pastel green colour making it stand out against the shell sand. Towards the South Ronaldsay end of the beach were about half a dozen...