Tit.

 There was a report of a Great Tit at nearby Binscarth Woods midweek. Sunday morning dawned bright, a bit too bright for me really, dazzling in the February air, so a trip to the woods was tempting. Parking at Refuge  Corner and walking in via Loch of Wasdale made more of a morning of it (Binscarth Woods is large by Orkney standards but a large copse by most others) and the dog got more of a walk via that route. Three Buzzards were displaying over the distant hills, but all seemed to be Common. A pair of Whoopers were on the large pool before the loch.

Whooper Swans.

Slightly weirdly there looks to be a Canada Goose (rare here) in the background, but it's just a female Mallard with light catching it. Then on the loch itself there were more Whoopers, Mutes and selection of Wigeon, Teal, Tufted and Goldeneye. 

Out of the brightness and into the woodland. It didn't take long to find a small flock of Chaffinch and Goldcrest and very quickly I noticed a familiar shape, but it was a bit small. A better view and it was clearly a Coal Tit. I have seen Coal Tit in Orkney previously, they breed on Hoy some years, but I'd not seen one on West Mainland. I stayed with the flock for half an hour or so and in that time I was sure there were two, and maybe there were three. No Great Tit though, I might have another go next weekend.

Coal Tit.

As another local birder commented there may be some interesting breeding records in Binscarth this year. That made me think it might be worth some excursions listening for roding Woodcock, which have bred here, again on Hoy, in the 80s. There were certainly plenty of Woodcock there a few weeks ago when I went for a tramp in the less trodden parts.

Next stop I came across this.

Bracket fungus.

Local enquiries led to this being seen by others but so far not identified. 

Tonight it was clear and the data suggested an aurora, but I couldn't see anything and didn't find much on camera by the time I'd worked out the settings on the PEN.

Looking north where the aurora ought to be showing, even in this bright moonlight.

Looking south.

Some colour and blooms in the garden, it seems amazing after the freeze up we've had.

And a view to finish. From the garden, Sunday late afternoon.

The Histeridae/Sphaeritidae/Silphidae book arrived today. Really nice job, well presented and an interesting read, from my quick dips in this evening. The blowfly book looks a good one to get as well, I was having a bit of a go at these last year, and then there's the sawflies of Europe, a tad more expensive.....

Have found the problem with the camera trap, the memory card is caput, I wonder if it got wet when I've been messing about with the camera outside. Ordered some new cards anyway, hopefully they're the genuine business and not fake ones.