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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 Oct 2016
by Barbara - 17:47 on 19 October 2016
14 of us met up at St. Peter's Kirk, Eastside, South Ronaldsay to explore a variety of habitats. The weather was on its best behaviour, mild, little wind and not a midge in sight either. The planned route was slightly stymied by an electric fence and cattle with young so instead of a circular walk followed by a foray along the beach we did two short, linear walks. First we headed north along the road and track, passing two lochans and along to the old manse with its well established bushes. The lochans did not disappoint and on or around them we sighted greylags, lapwing, widgeon, mallards, redshank, shoveller, starlings and fieldfare. The thicket beside the house was home to a robin and wren, with blackbirds too. Next we viewed the rocky coast from small coastal cliffs and were rewarded with sightings of herring gulls, shags, ravens, eider, oystercatcher, black backed gull, rock pippets, redwing, rock doves, long tail duck and ringed plover.
Back to the car park for a further change of scenery as we walked across the meadow to the millennium stone. This habitat yielded meadow pippet, stonechat, sparrow, curlew, turnstones, golden plover. Finally we extended our tally with heron, linnet and knot as we walked along the sands. There was also a very extrovert wheatear which gave us terrific quite close sightings for several minutes.
Also worth a mention were the inquisitive seals, domestic chickens and a stuffed owl seen through a house window (not counted in our number of species though). These aside we were pleased to have seen 32 species, also some sun and the merest hint of a shower just to make us appreciate this fine autumn morning. Thanks to all turned out and to Tim for lugging the scope around, setting it up and sharing it so generously.
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