I went on a U3A bird watching walk this morning. As I have said before, these are really gentle, keep fit and gossip ambles for old folk with the occassional bird thrown in. (not literally thrown in you understand although I do now have a picture in my mind of a load of children running along a cliff top, killing themselves laughing and lobbing dead seagulls at the old farts below.)
Peter and Barbara were going to pick me up at the shop in the village so I left in plenty of time to drive down but a bloody big crane was blocking the road just outside the village. It was lifting a large yatch out of somebody's garden onto a low loader. I had to park up and walk to the shop so I just got there as Peter and Barbara rolled up.
The walk was to start at Lighthouse Corner in Deerness so we drove to Dingieshowe where everybody met to get the bus to lighthouse Corner.
I have had a lack of photos recently so here is a photo of Dingieshowe.
I think that Dingieshowe was selected because there are public toilets there. I have noticed that almost all the walks are based around public conveniences. I have not yet worked out whether this is due to some sort of fetish of the walk leader or if it is just a sensible precaution for a load of old folk. It really is not necessary because there are always plenty of large rocks for the ladies to hide behind and as for the men, who cares?
There was nobody else on the bus when it arrived so the 14 of us were the only customers and we all had bus passes (A benefit of being old) so it was probably not a very profitable trip for the bus.
The bus dropped us off at Lighthouse Corner which is not a corner but is a crossroads and it is nowhere near any lighthouse. Orkney sense of humour I think.
It is not far from Copinsay and there is a lighthouse there but it still seems a bit of a misnomer.
Another gratuitous photo, this time of Copinsay lighthouse.The weather was pleasant as we walked to the point of Ayre, then it pissed down but it didn't last long and everyone had good waterproofs. (The best investment I ever made has been good boots, a good warm dry jacket and weatherproof trousers. I may look like the Michelin man but at least I stay warm and dry.)
We walked round the coast back to Dingieshowe and we actually saw some birds including Purple Sandpipers and loads of Sanderlings dashing around the beach like little clockwork toys.
There were Fulmars back on the cliffs which somebody told me means that the worst of the winter weather is over.I was thinking that the fulmars may have been a bit premature as I can not see us getting away with no more storms for another couple of months but we will wait and see.
There was some fresh otter spraint where one of the small streams enters the sea but of course no otter.
I got back home about 2 O-clock and there was an e-mail from Tim Wooton saying that his book has finally been published, so I ordered a copy which I will pick up on Saturday.
Tim is a brilliant artist who specialises in painting and drawing birds. He has won loads of awards including BBC wildlife artist of the year. His latest book is about how to draw and paint birds.
After a life in science I now like trying to sketch things (normally very badly with more rubbing out than actual drawing.)
The new cheap and cheerful incubator arrived today and it looks hunky-dory, so I will get it set up and check the temperatures before I buy any more eggs.
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