So, here we are in Kirkwall. It’s the middle of June, cool, grey and so foggy that after a ninety minute postponement, our planned flight to North Ronaldsay is cancelled, forcing a change of plan. So, we take a taxi back to The Kirkwall Hotel, check in again and switch day five’s planned free time in Kirkwall to the rest of this afternoon.
Low cloud still shrouds the breezy islands this morning as we take the 9.45am ferry from Kirkwall to the offshore island of Shapinsay, spotting Black Guillemot and Fulmar on the crossing. Once ashore, we find a group of Eiders in the harbour, a rare Great Yellow Bumblebee on Strawberry Clover outside the toilet block and a Common Seal hauled out on seaweed further along the shore. Moving on to the Mill Dam RSPB reserve, we find Little Grebe, Teal, Shoveler, Tufted Duck and a pair of Mute Swans with six little cygnets, while numerous Curlews call nervously as a Sparrowhawk passes by.
Hooray, just after midday, the sky turns blue, encouraging numerous singing Skylarks and Meadow Pipits to take to the air, and we find a Green-veined White butterfly clinging to the wind-blown flowers. Down on the west coast, we spot Ringed Plover, a pair of Hooded Crows and three Great Skuas showing very well as they patrol the shoreline.
After lunch at a conveniently placed picnic table, we embark on a coastal walk back to the ferry at Balfour and find Shelducks and a mother Mute Swan with a cygnet on her back at tiny Loch Vasa, along with an unexpected Whooper Swan. Along the walk, we also spot an Arctic Skua and a bright orange Large Carder Bee. After a Herculean effort to get back to Balfour in time for the 5.30pm ferry, we arrive at 5pm, just in time to find the café closing. To make matters worse, we also learn that the ferry has been cancelled due to a freak mechanical failure, leaving us marooned on Shapinsay until the arrival of a replacement ferry at 7.15pm! Meanwhile, the café has inexplicably reopened as a pub! After the North Ronaldsay flight debacle, you just couldn’t make it up.
It’s Monday morning, and as it was closed over the weekend, I make a call to the Drive Orkney office at 7.45am, whereupon they confirm that I can collect our hire vehicle at 11.30am, rather than in the evening after landing from North Ronaldsay as originally planned. However, at 9.55am, I get a message from the same office saying that the vehicle needs two new front tyres, which they don’t have in stock, and so they will let me know once the work is done! So, that’s yet another frustrating delay, aaaargh!
Hooray, we finally have transport at 12.45pm and set off out of Kirkwall with a cheer! Keen to find the Scottish Primrose (Primula scotica), we head to Yesnaby on the west coast of Orkney Mainland for ‘Operation Primrose’ and scour the maritime heath for this rare endemic plant. We soon find dozens of the pale green leaf rosettes of this tiny plant, but none are in flower, except for one plant with a single purple flower! Phew, mission accomplished by the slenderest of margins. From the clifftop here, a Great Skua passes right over our heads, while Fulmars sail by along the clifftop and Gannets cruise by further out, where a scan of the sea produces a frenzy of activity among all the auks, terns and Kittiwakes, being harried by a dark phase Arctic Skua.
Next, we head across Birsay Moors to the north coast, where we find a Sandwich Tern fishing along the shoreline of the Sands of Evie, and a group of eight Red-Breasted Mergansers, with super views of a preening Red-throated Diver close enough to see its deep red throat patch. Moving on, we visit the nearby Broch of Gurness, an iron age fortified settlement on the shores of Eynhallow Sound which separates Orkney Mainland from the island of Rousay, where we also see more Eiders and Black Guillemots as well as Arctic Terns sitting along the rocky shore. On the way back to Kirkwall, we see our first female Hen Harrier hunting very close to the road before crossing in front of us.
It’s another dreary grey start this morning, with the thermometer reading a paltry 6°C, as we leave the excellent Lynnfield Hotel and head west to the Hobbister RSPB reserve, where the only thing we find in the damp breezy conditions is a Redpoll. Moving on to nearby Waulkmill Bay for a loo stop, we find a pair of calling Red-throated Divers close by in the bay. Next, we take a scenic drive past the Loch of Kirbister where a lone Pink-footed Goose is an unexpected find, while a male Hen Harrier on a roadside post is to be expected in the excellent habitat hereabouts. Around noon, we arrive at an area where I announce that “we had a Short-eared Owl here last year, so let’s wait for a few minutes and see what happens”. Within barely a minute, we have a ‘shortie’ hanging on the breeze, just above the ground right in front of us! What amazing timing. Leaving the owl, we head into Kirkwall for the 1pm ferry to Westray, passing numerous other islands along the way, including Shapinsay, where ‘our’ Whooper Swan is still on Loch Vasa, plus Egilsay, Eday and Faray. Whereas we had a silky smooth crossing in tee shirt weather during the same week last year, today the strong wind from the north requires the need for five layers, as well as gloves! Once ashore, the sun actually appears, as we take a turn off the ‘main road’ at a sign for Puffins! From here, a clifftop stroll leads to a low rock stack called the Castle O’ Burrian, where we sit in the lee of a grassy slope watching dozens of Puffins whizz by on the high wind with dangling orange feet as they come in to land near their burrows. The absence of any sandeels suggests that the Pufflings have not yet hatched. While here, we also see numerous Fulmars and Gannets sail by on the strong wind. What an exhilarating spectacle.
After checking in to the Pierowall Hotel, we take a short drive uphill to Noup Head, another RSPB reserve, where the sheer rock ledges are lined with hundreds of Guillemots, Kittiwakes and Gannets, with loads more on the choppy sea down below. From our high vantage point, we also spot a few Razorbills, plus an Arctic Skua, two or three Wheatears, ‘wild’ Rock Doves, and a pair of Great Skuas nesting nearby in the grass. So, not a bad day considering the weather.
It’s still grey and breezy this morning for an island hop on the 9.15am ferry across to lovely Papa Westray. While the ferry takes 15 minutes, we could have done it in under 2, on Loganair’s 1.7 mile flight from Westray, which is the shortest scheduled air service in the world! Once ashore, we find an Eider duck with three little ducklings next to the jetty, shortly followed by a Snipe performing its aerial ‘drumming’ display by climbing high and then diving earthward to make its tail feathers vibrate, although this is inaudible in the noisy wind. Strolling on through a flower-filled machair, rich in Buttercups and deep purple Northern Marsh Orchids, Arctic Skuas pass by while Sand Martins are new for the trip. After a visit to the tiny Bothy Museum exhibiting traditional island life, we visit the nearby Knap of Howar where two incredibly well preserved stone age houses, thought to be the oldest in northern Europe, have overlooked the Papa Sound for almost 6000 years! Inside the neatly laid dry stone walls the house contents still have well preserved fireplaces, shelves and grinding stones! From here, we reach the west coast, facing the even more remote Holm of Papa, in time for a picnic lunch, appropriately accompanied by a Sandwich Tern. Scouring the white sandy beach, we find Common Terns, a Common Seal bobbing like a half empty bottle and a couple of Sanderlings in breeding plumage, but already on their way south for the winter. Inland, a marshy area covered with stands of Yellow Irises produces a singing Sedge Warbler, which is new for the trip, but there is not a sniff of a Corncrake, despite plenty of ideal habitat. On the walk back to the ferry, the freshly cut hay meadows are covered with hundreds of foraging Oystercatchers, Starlings and gulls, and with a stiffening wind the windows of the return ferry get lashed with spray on the windward side of the vessel.
It’s the mid-summer solstice today and yet the thermometer shows a meager 9°C as we leave Pierowall and drive back to Rapness for the 9am ferry to Kirkwall. During the crossing we spot many of the ‘usual suspects’ such as Black and Common Guillemots, Puffin and Gannet, plus Red-throated Diver and a very close Arctic Skua.
From Kirkwall, we head south and across Churchill Barrier Number 1 to Lamb Holm to see inside the ornately decorated Italian Chapel, converted from two Second World War Nissen huts by Italian POWs. From here, we continue south to Barrier Number 4, where a stroll along the sandy beach produces very close views of Ringed Pover and a couple of Little Terns further along the beach. Driving across Barrier Number 4, we reach South Ronaldsay for a picnic at Hoxa, where a scan of Widewall Bay produces scope views of a Great Northern Diver and two Red-throated Divers, as well as a couple of Harbour Porpoises. On the return drive north across the barriers, we make a roadside stop at Echnaloch Bay for a short baywatch, where a group of Arctic Terns show really well on the shingle shore, along with a fine specimen Rock Dove with a lovely purple and green sheen on its neck. Last stop of the day is at the Mull Head Nature Reserve, where a collapsed sea cave has formed an 80 foot deep chasm known as The Gloup, which is connected to the sea below an 80 yard wide bridge of land. A short walk north along the low cliffs to The Brough of Deerness, produces displaying Snipe, close enough to hear the drumming sound of their vibrating tail feathers and our target Twite, as well as three different Skuas; Great, Arctic and a surprise Pomarine, which is an unusual visitor from the shores of the Arctic Ocean! This evening, we check in to the lovely Merkister Hotel for the luxury of a four night stay.
This morning, we leave the hotel at 7am and drive south, spotting a Short-eared Owl hunting beside the road to Houton, where we take the 8am ferry across Scapa Flow to lonely, wild Hoy. Once ashore, we follow the winding coast road north through a moorland landscape to a small lochan where two pairs of Red-throated Divers are having a real ‘ding-dong’ over squatters’ rights to this apparently highly desirable piece of real estate. The fracas involves chasing the intruders across the lochan surface with wings outstretched and necks extended skyward in a balletic style while quacking furiously. After several minutes, we leave the four contenders to their unresolved dispute and move on towards Rackwick on the west coast. Along the wide U-shaped valley that leads to Rackwick, a Cuckoo dashes across the road to land in a small dead tree. Once we scope it, we realise there are actually two Cuckoos and get them in the same scope view, which is probably a personal first! To top this, a stunning male Redpoll perches in the same small tree, with a bright red forehead and a deep pink-flushed breast, and possibly the most colourful Redpoll I have ever seen! After this ‘purple patch’ we move on to Rackwick for a walk to the Old Man of Hoy. Along the path, we see numerous Fulmars and Meadow Pipits, as well as several Great Skuas, Wheatears and chatting Stonechats, plus four Mountain Hares blending in very well with their rock-strewn slope, and at one point, a Great Skua has a tussle with a pair of Hooded Crows.
After a 2.75 mile walk, we arrive at the Old Man in time for a picnic on the clifftop near the awesome sea stack which rises 450 feet from the sea and is therefore Britain’s tallest stack. By now the temperature has doubled since this morning to 20°C! On the return drive along the coast road back to the ferry, we spot a pair of Hen Harriers, and, as the low-flying female is carrying food back to the nest, while the male watches from on high, they had probably just made an aerial food pass. Back at the ferry terminal at Lyness there is just time for a quick visit to the fascinating Scapa Flow Museum, for a dose of relatively recent history compared to Orkney’s neolithic past.
Between the main course and dessert this evening, we notice a Short-eared Owl from the hotel dining room window, hunting along the shore of Loch Harray, and even perching on a fence post, less than 100 yards from the window! What a great finish to a wonderful day.
The view from the hotel this morning is unrecognisable, with bright sunshine, blue sky and no breeze, leaving the surface of the loch like a mirror, and the hotel’s Orkney flag hanging parallel to the flagpole for the first time during our stay, although by breakfast time, things are back to ‘normal’ with low grey cloud and a stiff breeze, showing how quickly the weather can change here.
Seven minutes after leaving the hotel, we spot a male Hen Harrier drifting across the meadows, on our way to the RSPB Cottascarth reserve where we enjoy a tranquil stroll through the moorland amid loads of Cotton Grass and pale pink Common Spotted Orchids, while Curlews burble away as usual. In the spacious Balfour Hide, the sightings book for yesterday includes a list of raptors, but despite hearing a falcon, we see nothing other than a couple of Arctic Skuas flying along the ridge line, and on the way back to the vehicle we do get close views of two Redpolls, but not as bright as yesterday’s gem. Moving on to the nearby Birsay Moors RSPB reserve, we find some large tadpoles in a very small pond, with Butterwort and Common Twayblade flowering nearby. Further along the B9057 which crosses the moors, we stop for a Stoat hunting along the roadside and an immature White-tailed Eagle doing back flips to bare its talons as it fends off the attacks of four comparatively small Great Skuas!
After a visit to the nearby Harray Potter for bespoke ceramic souvenirs, we return to the hotel for lunch. This afternoon, we begin with a visit to The Loons RSPB reserve where we find a Brown Hare, plus Little Grebe, Wigeon, Shoveler and a passing female Hen Harrier, but there is no sign of the recently reported Garganey. Next, we visit Marwick Head, another RSPB reserve where the impressive cliffs are home to Rock Pipits and a ‘city’ of seabirds, with ledges plastered white by Fulmars, Guillemots, Razorbills, Gannets and Kittiwakes, while the numerous baby Rabbits here include several mutant black and ginger variants.
There’s a strange bright light up in the sky this morning, bringing colour to the Orcadian landscape as we head to Skara Brae, where we arrive to find an Unkindness of about twenty Ravens in one of the sheep fields. Skara Brae is a UNESCO World Heritage Site on the shore of Skaill Bay, where a ‘hamlet’ of ten Neolithic neat stone-walled houses sunken into the ground, dating back to around 3100 BC is the best preserved Neolithic settlement in Europe, where one can still see stone furniture such as beds, hearths and even cupboards! Out in the deep blue bay there are lots of Arctic Terns flying in and out of their nearby nesting colony. On the drive away from Skara Brae, alongside the Loch of Skaill, we notice a Common Sandpiper sitting on a roadside post, and as we watch the posing bird it stays put, despite several vehicles passing it within just a few feet!
We now return to Yesnaby, hoping for an improved show from the Scottish Primroses and it turns out to be a good move as we find several plants bearing multiple bloomed inflorescences.
This afternoon, we visit sleepy Stromness and then the Stenness Standing Stones, another World Heritage Site, and probably the oldest henge in Britain, consisting of four colossal megaliths standing up to 19 feet proud of the soil and yet erected by hand over 5000 years ago! Although Stenness is over two miles from the sea, we spot two Common Seals resting on a boulder in the freshwater of the Loch of Stenness! This incongruous site is possible due to a narrow channel which connects the loch with the sea at high tide. Next stop is Maeshowe, an amazing neolithic chambered cairn, constructed solely by hand, some 5000 years ago, from a multitude of carved stones, some of which weigh up to 5 tons! How on earth did they manage to move the stones, never mind carve them and make them all fit together so neatly? Millenia later, the Vikings left their marks on the inner walls of the chamber with their own hand carved graffiti and symbolic depictions of mythical creatures. No wonder this is also a World Heritage Site. Last stop of the day is at the nearby Ring of Brodgar, a neolithic henge and yet another World Heritage Site, in a fabulous setting on the narrow isthmus separating the Lochs of Harray and Stenness, with singing Skylarks and burbling Curlews all around.
By now we had visited seven historic sites and nine RSPB reserves on nine islands, seeing a total of 81 different birds, including highlights like the Puffins whizzing by on a stiff breeze, the Sort-eared Owl that arrived right on cue, those brawling Red-throated Divers, the White-tailed Eagle with its posse of Great Skuas, the two Cuckoos in the same tree as the brightest ever Redpoll, the posing Common Sandpiper, the unexpected Pomarine Skua and the impressive seabird colonies, in addition to finding Mountain Hares, the Great Yellow Bumblebee and rare Scottish Primroses in flower.