There’s a lot of wildlife on Orkney and I have a lot of dreadful photographs, so I apologise in advance, but they’ll give you the general idea. I hope.
We watched a lot of hares from the windows of the house
It’s a seal, not a rock
Definitely not rocks! 
This is an arctic tern
Another one with a fish!
A juvenile common gull (I've been told. Not so exciting...)
Another juvenile common gull, sadly
A meadow lark with a nice juicy green caterpillar in it’s beak
Fulmar and chick. There were lots and lots of these
This beautiful little puffin knew he was being watched
Razorbill
Black guillemot
Kittiwake, I think, but I haven’t taken a closer look yet
Butterflies are not my strong point, but I think this is a painted lady
Magpie moth
Caterpillar of what I have no idea, but it was huge! 
Jelly fish, in a loch?
Grass of Parnassus
Orchid
Another orchidNorthern marsh, early marsh, maybe a cross? They were all a bit past it, so it was hard to tell for someone without expertise.
Lousewort amongst crowberry
Yellow rattleAnd my favourite sightings, but worst photographs…
Trust me, it is a short eared owl
This is a hen harrierYes, it is. It’s a female hen harrier and we saw lots of males and females all over the island, including from our lounge and kitchen windows.
I didn’t manage to photograph the otter at all, but it’s long since been my ambition to see one and I was delighted!
Fantastic pics. Some will not enlarge? any ideas?
ReplyDeleteThe magpie moth is a great picture and i’m sure the caterpillar is an Emporer moth.
So lucky with the weather. Who needs the Med? we do!
Thanks Alan. You're quite right, I could do a bit of editing, I just haven't got around to it yet! Mind you, not sure it'll help with some of them...
ReplyDeleteEmperor moth eh? I shall have a look. That would be funny, being as we saw a butterfly in the Borders in April and that was the first one I'd come across.
The weather was amazing, it was drizzly some days first or last thing, when it didn't matter, but only for a short time one morning when we first left the house, then it cleared. It was blue skies for two weeks!