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.
Photography Group One 1st May 2024
Ten of us met at the roadside Car Park in Finstown on a day with little wind and some low cloud but with the sun trying to get through. We set off to the Community Garden where we found lots of lovely colourful flowers out as well as tree buds bursting forth. The Burn was a great source of images.
Jocky Wood was painting a new picnic bench with the appropriately titled Wood Stain! He does a great deal of the work on the garden as well as his own just up the hill opposite.
Six of us then headed for Binsgarth Woods.
The track was muddy in places but the spring flowers were out all the way. There was Pink Purselaine, Wild Garlic, Wood Anemone, and the invasive Salmon Berry. Since the tree leaves were not blanketing the light, one was able to get good photos close up. The Burn had lots of interesting tree roots and hanging tyres and ropes from the kids' dare devil antics. Then it was back to the shop for rolls and along to Tom's house for a cuppa and a nice piece of cake. Thank you very much for that Tom and all the stories too.
The next meeting will be going to Westray on Wednesday 29th May for the day. Arrangement will be made nearer the time.
All in all a lovely morning, taking time to look at the flowers and listen to the Wrens, Willow Warblers, Chaffinches and Robins singing in the woods.
Keep clicking.
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
by Ken O'Connor - 09:35 on 19 June 2014
Birdie outing June 18th to Flotta
An early start for fourteen of the group with our trip on the ferry to Flotta. The day started with heavy drizzle and low visibility but cleared up in time for the walk.
We were met by some of the Flotta folk who had kindly agreed to transport us to Stanger Head for the start of our outing. Down the cliff face to see the puffins was the first stop, not many of those, they must have been out at sea feeding. We viewed the fulmars nesting in the cliff also some razorbills and cormorants trying their luck for a fish just off shore.
The group then followed the heritage cliff walk past the old wartime lookout and on to Kirk Bay and a look at the church and graveyard along with an oyster catcher's nest on the war memorial. We stopped at the old Manse for a quick refreshment in the garden where there were green finches and the usual sparrows, starlings and swallows all feeding their young. Some of the group decided that they would do the longer walk around the west side, while the remainder went up to the viewing point on the west hill where a red grouse was seen and skylarks so well worth a visit, before ending up at the community centre for a break and a look at the excellent mural on the wall..
Afterwards Ken transported the group to the airport to see if there were any terns in the old colony that used to be there but sadly not this time, but did manage to see some terns on the return ferry trip across Scapa Flow to Houton so all was not lost. There were some penguins on the road to the airport which remained very still as we passed by and the penny farthing bicycle looked forlorn with out its rider!
All the other prime bird species were seen such as the arctic skua, and great skua, oyster catchers and curlews both young and old, also, eider out in the sea so a really good day was enjoyed by all .
Many thanks to everyone including our Flotta friends who made the day such an enjoyable one for the group.
Ken as leader of the group.
Birdie Group on Flotta
Shag (or Scarfie) on nest
P-P-P-Pick up a Penguin (Piper)!
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