Twitchy.

If on the day of the EbT I'd have dropped in at The Loons I would have found a Ring-necked Duck. As we went past on our return from the coast I had thought about it, nearly stopped, but didn't. That, of course, would have thrown the timings out for the afternoon, and then perhaps the Eyebrowed Thrush would have been in our garden undetected. Been and gone, unseen.

Anyway, I did subsequently go and see said duck, twice. It's a confiding beast, generally hanging about and feeding right by the hide.

Ring-necked Duck.

There have been a couple of other interesting birds within 15 minutes of home (by car). We dipped the Cattle Egret on Monday by about five minutes as the cattle were moved and it relocated. That was en route home as we were coming back from South Ronaldsay (more of that later). But in the rain, rain and more rain yesterday we went for another look... and failed again. To rub in some salt we also dipped the Glossy Ibis on the same wee tour around.

On Sunday we had early visitors, locals hoping to see the EbT. It had gone but we all enjoyed a bit of a gab, emptied my moth traps, for the total of two Angle Shades and a Silver Y hiding in the conservatory, they keep coming in for the Honeysuckle, finding their way in by the windows that are open a crack.

It is an Angle Shades.

Monday was as fine as the Met office promised, although the thick, drizzly mist was initially disconcerting. Despite it we headed for South Ron. Louise fancied a walk and I had a couple of lifers lined up, a cunning plan as Baldrick would have it.

We walked from Windwick north. It's a spectacular bit of coast. Goldcrests came in/off the sea and landed feet from us, I chose to look rather than photograph. 20 or so Whoopers went north, 80 or so Pink-feet whirled around. There were a few Silver Ys and I was hopeful that the cases I found on smaller rush might be Coleophora glaucicolella, but they turned out to be C. alticolella after all.

Case bearer, Coleophora alticolella.

Near Windwick, looking south.

Before heading to the very good cafe for a late lunch, the planned twitching excursion was actioned and we headed a mile or so off down small byways to South Flaws cemetery.

Things were not promising when we arrived. Signs of recent grass mowing... However, we were seeking small things and began to scour the close mown grass. Louise came up with the first of the sought. 

Cordyceps militaris.

The colloquial name is Red Caterpillar Club which sounds as if there should be a mighty garish rave involving vivid Lepidopteran larvae somewhere out in the wilds. But the club refers to the shape of the growth, not a gathering of like-minded moths, garbed similarly. The biology is interesting though, as this fungi is a parasite of moth pupae and grows up through the soil where they have buried themselves to spend the winter. No, the moths will not emerge.

One more thing to find. We'd just about given up when some bright yellow caught my eye, and there was the tiny Meadow Coral.

Clavulinopsis corniculata.

Mission accomplished, off to the cafe, which specialises in some very tasty Middle-Eastern food, perhaps surprisingly, sited on Burray (the next island north).

As we were leaving the cafe, a phone call (thanks AL) alerted us to Orkney's 2nd ever Cattle Egret. We shouldn't have stopped for a quick Tesco shop. We arrived as the kye were being moved, no egret to be seen. 

I've seen plenty of Cattle Egrets though, although but one in the UK. I'd not previously seen Calliphora loewi which I caught in our kitchen on our return home. A window had fortuitously been left open. It took me pretty much all the next day to identify and photograph but I got there in the end. A real northern specialty, but not previously recorded with certainty from Orkney. Armed with my new key it wasn't exactly a piece of cake to ID but it was possible.

Male genitalia, diagnostic.

Calliphora loewi, just 150 or so records on the NBN.

It's been a stormy week and it looks like continuing. A half-hearted seawatching expedition ended up being more of a photographic outing. More hooley to come, 60 - 70mph gusts forecast for the weekend.

EbT post-script:

The twitch.