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Natural Connections

Modern life in Scotland is increasingly busy. The connections our ancestors had with nature and the land are being lost. As leisure time shrinks, or is filled with hi-tech experiences, opportunities to experience nature become fewer. And yet it is possible to connect with nature on a day to day basis. All around us, the great web of life continues to hold its shape, and nature continues its eternal cycles. Keep looking, listening, smelling, touching - and keep experiencing natural connections.

Tuesday, July 16, 2019

Two Pied Wagtails were with the House Sparrows and Starlings at Valsgarth first thing. At that point, the weather looked promising, so a visit to Hermaness was planned. In the event, the day turned out to be mostly cloudy, misty, cold and rainy.  However some very good wildlife encounters still took place. The first port of call was the foreshore east of Haroldswick where one of the group had seen an Otter the previous evening. None were present on this occasion (there were to be two more sightings here at later points in the day) but there were two Common Seals and a Grey Seal as well as an Eider duck with ducklings and a Redshank mobbing a Common Gull (presumably it had a nest or mobile young in the roadside field).
Heading to Hermaness, a brief stop at the Shore Station produced patches of Sheep's Bit on the rocks and the first of what would prove to be numerous Great Skuas.

The walk from the car park to the cliffs at Hermaness took place in deteriorating weather conditions.  Birds present on the moors consisted of Skylark, Meadow Pipit, Shetland Wren, Snipe, Red-throated Diver (two circling and calling loudly) and Great Skua (with birds continually in view and a fair number of large juveniles). 
The cliffs were completely enveloped in mist and low cloud when we arrived, so much so that the hoped-for views of Muckle Flugga had to be forgone.  Instead there were only limited views of Gannet, Fulmar, Puffin, Rock Pipit and Raven.
The next stop was Lamba Ness.  On the way, an Otter was seen just off the beach at Haroldswick, although it was quickly spooked by the furore it caused.
Lamba Ness produced a similar complement of species to Hermaness except that only Fulmar and Rock Pipit were breeding (the other species moving past). A slight improvement in the weather meant that Black Guillemot, Shag and Grey Seal were visible on the sea. A light phase Arctic Skua was by the roadside a little further inland.
The beach at Skaw had Ringed Plover, bathing Black-headed and Common Gulls, female Eider with ducklings, Marsh Marigold (nearly gone over) in the burn and a selection of colourful plants on the low cliffs. On the way back up Holsen's Road, a Hedgehog was encountered quietly walking down the edge of the tarmac.
Passing Haroldswick again, three Knot in summer plumage were with two Redshank on the sand, and the number of seals had risen to twelve. Two Rabbits were near the turnoff to Hagdale Mill, Lesser Black-backed Gull was on a house roof in Baltasound and two Red-throated Divers were on a roadside loch. Curlew, Snipe and Lapwing were noted in roadside fields and a dead sheep had attracted a Bonxie, a Great Black-backed Gull and two Ravens.
Westing beach proved to be one of the most productive sites visited (possibly because the weather had settled by this point). Four Twite showed well as they flitted between fence wires and the beach (where they were feeding with Wheatears, Starlings and a Blackbird). Two Red-throated Divers were offshore, two Snipe flew over heading inland and a Turnstone landed on a rock. After much searching, an Otter was located in the middle of the bay as it caught and ate a large, eel-like fish. Views were prolonged if a little distant.
Finally, the drive back to Valsgarth produced a third Otter sighting for the day, an individual swimming strongly east across the bay in front of Haroldswick village.

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