Tuesday 19 July 2011

Some Orkney Wildlife

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.
SG102726 We watched a lot of hares from the windows of the house
SG102798It’s a seal, not a rock
SG103184Definitely not rocks!
SG102816This is an arctic tern
SG103217Another one with a fish!
SG102848A juvenile common gull (I've been told. Not so exciting...)SG103204Another juvenile common gull, sadlySG102842A meadow lark with a nice juicy green caterpillar in it’s beak
SG103056   Fulmar and chick. There were lots and lots of theseSG102896This beautiful little puffin knew he was being watched
SG102938RazorbillSG103047Black guillemot
SG103175 Kittiwake, I think, but I haven’t taken a closer look yet
SG102931  Butterflies are not my strong point, but I think this is a painted lady
SG103120Magpie moth
SG103220Caterpillar of what I have no idea, but it was huge!
SG102877 Jelly fish, in a loch?
SG102913 Grass of Parnassus
SG102951Orchid
SG103040  Another orchid
Northern marsh, early marsh, maybe a cross? They were all a bit past it, so it was hard to tell for someone without expertise.
SG103100Lousewort amongst crowberry
SG103189Yellow rattle
And my favourite sightings, but worst photographs…
SG103019 Trust me, it is a short eared owl
SG102781This is a hen harrier
Yes, 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!

2 comments:

AlanR said...

Fantastic pics. Some will not enlarge? any ideas?
The 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!

Louise said...

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...
Emperor 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!