Orkney reprise (briefly)

For various reasons we needed to go to Orkney, this would be the first time we've gone back to the isles since May 2024 when we left.

The Old Man said hello!

  

It had been dull and grey, but the Sun broke through as we went by.

There were few seabirds as we crossed, and it being windy these were not good conditions for looking for cetaceans. When we arrived in Stromness there were a lot of Arctic Terns, about 500 or so on quite distant shingle banks, but no skuas. When I first arrived in Orkney, almost 17 years previously, to the day, Stromness was a flurry of avian activity with Arctic Skuas all over the place. 

Equally concerning was an apparent decrease in Fulmar. On the cliffs near the Whalebone were few chicks.

 We stayed in an off-grid house, it was comfortable and it worked fine.

The Blue-cheeked Bee-eater was present on North Ronaldsay all the time we were there, but I had neither the time, nor really the inclination to go and twitch it.

 

We saw Risso's Dolophins and a few Harbour Porpoise on the way back home, but otherwise my cetacean watching and birding were restricted to what we might bump into. No moth trap either as we didn't have a vehicle for all the time we were on the isles.

 

I did find a few interesting plants, and identify a few things I'd failed to identify whilst living in Orkney.

 

In no particular order a few views and a few beasts and plants...

 

The Brough of Birsay, a favourite place.

 

Rather poor eclipse pic

 

Evie beach

 

Flett's Pond, where we put the hound's ashes.

 

View from The Whalebone, where there is no longer a whalebone.
 

A smart, pure Hoodie, now no longer classed as a distinct species, a good decision IMHO

 

Aphrosylus celtiber, the find of the trip, new for me and new for Orkney I think.

 

Leiobunum rotundum, female above and male below, not sure I'd recorded this in Orkney before.

 

Sitona obsoletus, loads of these around the house.

 

There were huge numbers of Rabbit everywhere, even more than two years ago. A range of colour forms were seen.

 

Musk Mallow, something I'd not seen before.

 

Woundwort sp, but I did sort out Marsh Woundwort and the hybrid whilst I was there.

Most of the time was spent meeting folk, many thanks to all for their hospitality and time.

 

And quite quickly it was time to leave.

 

 Leaving Stromness, again...