Palace morning

Arrived at high tide to see the encouraging mob of gulls along the tideline, but surprisingly there were no interesting ones. However, there were plenty of waders, 175 Dunlin and 200 Turnstone along with smaller numbers of Purps and Ringed Plovers. Star bird was a patch tick of a Yellow Wagtail, not a common bird in Orkney, indeed I've seen flava here but not flavissima before. A few White Wags and a Chiffchaff.

 The view on arrival

 Waders

Purple Sand

Dunlin

Ringed Plover

Turnstones

Redshank

White Wagtail (alba.alba)

Yellow Wagtail (patch tick)

Arctic Terns at Palace, there were at least 22

Back at the ranch one tree Sparrow became two, then three and finally four.

Then there were two

The moth trap went out for the second time this year and three moths were caught, 2 Hebrew Character and a Common Quaker.

Common Quaker

Hebrew Character

 Common Dog Violet in the garden

A quick trip in to town to purchase locusts for the refound Sydney, younger daughter's large lizard eventually recovered hiding under the TV furniture, involved a trip to the PDC where there were Common and Arctic Terns as well as lots of hirundines.

Common Tern