I put my coat back on.

Yes, situation normal, a day or two of heating off and sitting in the garden and then the wind returns. Anyway in the meantime we had a lovely day on Rousay where I failed to find Chrysolina latecincta (that's a result, negative as useful as positive) but did find six of these.

Otiorhynchus arcticus, a nationally rare beetle, a new site and a new island for it.

We also found a freshly dead one of these, a few live ones flew by too.

Bonxie RIP. It didn't seem to have any signs of violence, perhaps it just had a heart attack, does that happen to birds? Bird flu is a likely cause, see below in the comments (thanks MF).

The cliffs held Kittiwakes, Shags and Guillemots and are spectacular.

I found a few other beetles including these two.

Gastrophysa viridula, Green Dock Beetle.

Ocypus olens, Devil's Coach-horse.

The Ocypus gives me a small problem with regard to the 365 project (finding 365 species new to me in the year). Can I count it? I'm sure I've seen them in the past, but, like Common Limpet, not understanding the complexities of identification I hadn't really recorded it. So, yes, it's on the list. Identified by size and the matt black head, pronotum and elytra, confusion species are more shiny.

The previous weekend I'd spent Sunday birding, mostly; unusually. I'd offered to take a birder from Shetland around Orkney. In the end, apart from a slight easterly encroachment we stayed on West Mainland. We failed to find a Short-eared Owl, but had plenty of harriers, including a surprising Marsh Harrier. Other things were lots of Willow Warblers and Chiffchaffs in Finstown, all three common hirundines at the PDC in Kirkwall, and a single Swallow at Loch of Bosquoy. In the end we headed to Yesnaby where there were as many Chrysolina as I've ever seen there, all hiding in the grass in the cold breeze, we found O. arcticus and cliff-top Ligia oceanica and I took them for a plant tick of Primula scotica, just about to flower. I was rewarded by our guest finding a fairly freshly dead Chysolina latecincta which has allowed me to prove that they are fully winged. They have not been recorded to fly to my knowledge, apparently, whilst they have the wings they are physiologically unable to use them. There's a paper somewhere that says this, I need to track it down.

Primula scotica.

Oh, and I nearly forgot, this fabulous Common Redpoll graced the feeders.

Common Redpoll.

Following the warm weather I did a bit of moth trapping. I have some micros to sort out, and there was a micro in the house last night that escaped me but looked unfamiliar, frustrating. Plenty of Hebrew Character, some Common Quaker, Depressaria radiella, Agonopterix heracliana/ciliella and a couple of Clouded Drab, first for the year.

Clouded Drab. No, see comments below, Red Chestnut (thanks SS).

Last Friday I went on a bat outing to  Finstown with the local bat recorder and a group, not usually my thing; seems I'm being quite sociable at the moment! We scored a couple of Pip 45s. I came home and as the light traps were out wandered around with the bat detector, result, Pip 45. I tried again last night and there were at least two of them, very active.

Lastly a bit of plant hunting.  I've got the first one right I'm sure.

Luzula campestris, Field Wood-rush.

But I'm struggling with this, I think it's one of the sheep's fescues but then it doesn't really fit the descriptions in the vegetative key, the leaves are quite broad and I can see the ligules. It does look like the plants in Plants and Habitats (Ben Averis) though. Confused!

Festuca ovina, maybe? Or in that area? Sweet Vernal. Strangely a grass I can confidently identify, but a little later in the season, this caught me out.

I'll finish with a bit of colour, some violas.

Wild Pansy, Viola tricolor.

Primroses and Marsh Marigold along the road (track) to our house.