Please take a photograph of your group "in action." Don't forget to ask for permission from everyone for the photo to be published on the web. Then email it to the address below and we will upload it to the gallery.
[email protected]
Walking Group One 25th April 2024
Five hardy souls collected today at Happy Valley for the first Hill Walk of the year .The temperature was cool with a North Easterly wind blowing and a hint of rain on arrival.
Off we set heading towards Russadale Quarry, spotting a Buzzard on the way.Turning into the footpath we remained sheltered from the wind all the way to the top of the hill.
The sun was out at the Quarry and a Greenshank was feeding at the edge of the Lochan. Then it was up the Peat road to the summit with spectacular views across Stenness and Harray Lochs, plus a view of the Closed Road beyond the Watch Stone. On the other side we looked over the Flow and down towards the Oil Platform and South Ronaldsay
Then it was back down after a stop for a snack and finally a walk around Happy Valley itself. The Daffodils planted by James and others were looking lovely and the Bluebells are days away from opening. Then it was on to a well deserved lunch at the Pier Cafe, having walked 4 miles and gone up 800 feet (and down again )
The next walk will be on Friday 24th May and hopefully more hills and views.
Keep moving.
Birdie Group - April 2017
by Barbara Hyde - 17:51 on 19 April 2017
Wed 19th April. Thirteen group members were delighted to be out and about on the uninhabited island of Glimps Holm in calm, occasionally warm weather. Much of the outing was sea focused and our sightings were enhanced by the relative lack of ripples. Assuming that our pipits were both rock and meadow we were treated to 30 species over our almost three hour wander along the elevated pasture land above the rocky shore and later across sandy beach.
As well as the usual suspects we were treated to some lovely behaviour as our feathered friends were clearly gearing up for spring. We spent quite a while watching a great northern diver preening and cleaning in the water, constantly changing position. The trill of the skylark was often heard and very clearly in the still air easy to pinpoint the bird itself. Many of us saw our first bonxie of the year. It was to be the day of the diver though as we were lucky enough to witness the courtship display of a pair of red throated divers as they reared up in the water one behind the other and practically ran across the surface. A real Attenborough moment.
Such a joy to be out and about without having to brace against the wind and battle with binos. We are so lucky to have these wonderful creatures around us. For the purists here is the species
count - red breasted meganser, black headed gull, eider, shag, ringed plover, oyster catcher, tystie, great northern diver, long tailed duck, redshank, snipe, shell duck, curlew, black headed gull, bonxie, skylark, meadow pipit, razorbill, fulmar, raven, pied wagtail, rock pipit, rock dove, red throated diver, wren, golden plover, herring gull, mute swan, turnstone, starling.
What a lovely outing.
Add your comment
Please note that whenever you submit something which may be publicly shown on a website you should take care not to make any statements which could be considered defamatory to any person or organisation.
