Orkney birdwatching, wildlife & culture holidays.  Self-catering also available.

_{2011 Highlights:}

August, September & October 2011:    Autumn birds featured waders and warblers.  2 grey plover on Westray (9/8) began our migration season, with a juvenile ruff at home being a first for Gerraquoy on 10/8.  Many ruff were present in Orkney over the next few weeks.    Twite flocks began to build with 40+ at Hoxa on 25/8, where at least 15 harbour porpoises were also seen.  Sandwich terns became present again with the first on 25/8.  A fall in mid September saw lots of 'common' migrants (robins, blackcaps, willow warblers) but also a yellow-browed warbler, grasshopper warbler and lesser whitethroats locally on 19/9.  A little stint was found in a large wader flock (mostly golden plover & lapwings but also many ruff) also locally on 21/9.  4+ harbour porpoises were present in Hoy Sound on 24/9, and a further 6+ from Hoxa on 1/10.  Great views of a water rail at The Loons hide on 30/9.  A rare N American vagrant, a Bonaparte's gull, was seen over Kirk Sound, Holm on 7/10.  On 12/10 an adult, presumed male, injured, ill or simply disorientated sperm whale was present off Kirkwall harbour, giving rare and good views to many locals.  Sperm whale strandings occur every few years (we've seen two) but to see a live animal is most unusual. 

July 2011:  Early July was occupied by our Shetland tours, with 67 bird species seen, including 4 red-necked phalaropes (6/7); a little gull (8/7); storm petrels at Mousa (9/7); redwing & lots of whimbrel.  Shetland cetaceans included minke whale (13/7); and several sightings of harbour porpoise.  Lots of islands visited also: Bressay, Mousa, Noss, Out Skerries, Papa Stour, Unst & Yell.  Back on Orkney at the end of the month harbour porpoises were showing well at Hoxa on 26 & 30/7 with a minimum of 7 seen on each occasion.

June 2011:  June got off to a superb start with a pod of 4 orcas at close range at Sandside in Deerness, a male, female and 2 youngsters (3/6).  We were having lunch, enjoying a great northern diver close by on a gloriously sunny day, when the male orca exploded out of the sea before our very eyes.  Absolutely breathtaking.  Orca pods were also seen by ourselves and our guests on 16/6 (Barrier # 4 East); and 20/6 (Hoxa Head).  Red admiral butterflies are ubiquitous, and we found a rare mason wasp in Deerness on 10/6.  Unusual birds during the month have included a sub-adult hobby and 2 swifts on Hoy (17/6); and a dozen black-tailed godwits on 23/6.  A high altitude food pass by a pair of hen harriers was also enjoyed on 23/6.  We listened to a corncrake calling locally on 25/6.  A bit of a red letter day on 26/6 which started with great views of a jack merlin hunting; continued with seeing a water rail hopping over bogbean, swimming and then flying at The Loons; and ended with finding a Temminck's stint at The Shunan - a great day! June ended with a flypast by 21 swifts at Barth Head on 29/6, with 3 harbour porpoise out to sea.

May 2011:  The most brilliant display of Scottish primroses (Primula Scotica) in our 8 years experience in the 1st 2 weeks of May - perhaps the snow & ice of last winter has produced this memorable sight?  Sea watching on 3/5 produced red-necked & Slavonian grebes and common scoter.  Hill birds on 3/5 included cuckoo (also on 12/5), merlin and 2 hen harrier food passes and sky dancing displays.  We watched a jack merlin display at very close quarters for about half an hour on 12/5 - simply stunning!  A trip to Westray was good for migrant waders including purple sandpipers and black-tailed godwits on 5/5.  Sea duck were still around with long-tailed duck, goldeneye, scaup (still around on 30/5) and common scoter giving good views (9 - 12/5).  Migrants included swift (8/5), common sandpiper (9/5), spotted flycatcher (12/5) and red-backed shrike (27/5).  Whooper swans are still lingering (29/5), and the little terns returned on 12/5.  Other unusual birds during May have included (pale-bellied) brent goose (22/5 & 30/5) and a 2nd winter Iceland gull on 30/5.  Brilliant views of a pair of cuckoos on 31/5.

April 2011:  We enjoyed a fine spell of weather in late April which brought the migrants back home.  Our local short-eared owls & lapwings were displaying, and the bonxies returned to territory.  The 1st chiffchaff was singing locally on 15/4; and the 1st wheatear back on 19/4.  Our swallows returned home on 21/4 (4 days earlier than last year!); and the 1st whimbrel passed overhead on the evening of 23/4.  Flocks of gorgeous golden plover are passing through daily, and the yellow flowers of Spring are most enjoyable: celandines, marsh marigolds and primroses.  3 late whoopers were seen at Liddel on 29/4.

_{2010 Highlights:}

September 2010: A great start, with 14 Lapland buntings on the Brough of Birsay (3/9), followed by our 1st fieldfare at home on 6/9.  7/9 was a bit of a red-letter day with a pair of common cranes at Warebeth; 4 curlew sandpipers in stunning light at the Loch of Skaill; and 4 Lapland buntings on the Brough of Birsay.  The purple patch continued on 9/9 in classic 'fall' conditions with a wryneck and a stunning male red-breasted flycatcher, both nearby on South Ronaldsay.  Migrants everywhere - garden warblers, willow warblers, pied & spotted flycatchers, and redstarts.  We enjoyed a juvenile red-backed shrike at Burwick on 11/9, saw more Lapland buntings at Hoxa on 12/9, and saw the cranes again on the shores of the Loch of Stenness on 13/9.  Other interesting birds included a greenshank and a juvenile black-throated diver on 13/9; & a family of snow geese in with greylags on 16/9 in Deerness.  On 20/9 the greenshank was still present, along with 2 little stints; and the 1st common scoter of the winter was seen in the Bay of Skaill.  The month ended with a flourish, with a pectoral sandpiper in the heart of Kirkwall in the Peerie Sea (22/9); whilst closer to home, literally yards away we finished the month with another red-breasted flycatcher (that's 2 in one season!) and a yellow-browed warbler on 30/9.

August 2010: The bird of the year (so far!) turned up at the south end of our island on 5/8 in the form of an Alpine swift.  Only one of just 3 records in Orkney, it was a large and handsome bird, giving close up views of its white belly and chin.  6 crossbills at Rackwick on Hoy and a pure white albino starling on South Walls were also of interest (8/8).  At Cantick Head on South Walls (also 8/8) we had the best ever views of a pair of adult harbour porpoises playing beneath us in the clear sea - we could actually see them swimming underwater, awesome!  Also a large flock of 50 whimbrel overhead at Gerraquoy on 17/8.

July 2010: Early July started with a wonderful visit to Westray and its puffins & gannetry on 3/7, where we also saw a swift overhead.  Star of the day though was the "Westray Wifie" or the "Westray Venus", a 4,800 year-old human figurine, the oldest ever to be found in Scotland, a piece of neolithic rarity on display in the Westray Heritage Centre.  Our annual trip to Shetland went well, with sightings of orca (pod of 4 moving through Yell Sound on 15/7); otters and the usual close up views of gannets at Hermaness and puffins at Hermaness and Sumburgh.  Meanwhile back in Orkney, we're seeing whimbrel & sparrowhawk almost daily in late July, meaning the late Summer passage has begun.  A basking shark off Burwick on 27/7; and several sightings of harbour porpoises, including at least 10 off Rerwick Head on 30/7, was a fine way to see out the month.

June 2010:  June is just a beautiful month, not least because the sea pinks and squill adorn the cliffs.  Interesting birds have included a Manx shearwater in Scapa Flow (2/6); a summering whooper swan at the Brodgar Pools on 7/6; 2 common sandpipers at Graemeshall Loch on 8/6; and 2 crossbills at Rackwick on Hoy on 10/6.  We have also had stunning close up views of hen harrier, short-eared owl, merlin & peregrine early in the month.  We also opened our cetacean account with a pod of Risso's dolphins in Birsay Bay on 7/6, and saw 4 harbour porpoises off The Ool on Switha on 10/6.  Rarest sighting of the month was of 2 beetles, too rare to have an English name, Chrysolina intermedia, lovely ladybird-sized beetles with deep red stripes along their lower backs.  Later in the month we saw a pintail with a brood of 5 ducklings (16/6); peregrines with well grown young; and a quail at Marwick on 17/6.

May 2010:  May migrants have included a gorgeous trip of 4 dotterel in Tankerness on 9/5.  A bit of a red-letter day on 15/4, with great views of an adult sea eagle in Rendall; followed by close ups of our beared seal in Finstown.  It's a long way from home - should be in the high Arctic!  Other highlights included Scottish primroses in flower on 18/5, a pair of wood sandpipers on 19/5, and a cuckoo on 20/5 & 25/5.  We saw a food pass by a pair of hen harriers on 25/5.  Bird of the month though (so far!) was a red-rumped swallow in our local village of St. Margaret's Hope on 25/5.  Orcas have been seen on a weekly basis now for about 3 weeks in the Pentland Firth, Scapa Flow, and around the islands.

April 2010: The coltsfoot is in flower; lapwing and curlew are displaying; and the first wheatears and chiffchaff are heading through South Ronaldsay - it must be Spring!  Last week the snipe and redshank joined in with their spectacular displays.  Even the twite are displaying, one of our specialities.  But just to prove that it remains early in the season there are still 3 whooper swans in a nearby field, and a jack (male) merlin is hunting locally, not yet on his breeding grounds in the hills.  First primroses in flower and a pair of courting sandwich terns on 11/4 confirm that Spring has sprung.  Migrants now passing through Gerraquoy, with c 500 pinkfeet on 14/4; lots of flocks of golden plover issuing their beautiful bubbling courting calls as they pass; and a cock wheatear on the lawn on 15/4.  More migrants last week too with whimbrel overhead on 20/4, and a solitary bird feeding in our field on 23/4. A large flock of 23 whimbrel in Marwick on 25/4.  Our swallows arrived back at home on 26/4.  Highlights included a sky-dancing hen harrier, 2 merlin and 4 short-eared owls on 27/4; and a pair of red-throated divers and the first Arctic skua also on 27/4.  Common terns back at Hoy on 30/4.

_{2009 Highlights:}

April 2009:  A group of 4 from the Market Bosworth Natural History Society smashed our bird record for the week commencing 18 April 2009 seeing 100 species in total.  Highlights included a female goosander at Graemsehall Loch, 255 scaup on Harray Loch, water rail at The Loons (all 19/4); 4 hen harriers together including a male displaying (20/4); and 3 species of scoter in one telescope on 20/4 - common, velvet & 2 drake surf scoters - what a sight!  The scaup flock on Harray Loch now down to < 100 birds with one common scoter included (27/4).  Raptor highlights included 2 male hen harriers fighting - talon grappling in the air and beak-to-beak combat on the floor (27/4).  The bird of the year turned up on 28/4, a male snowy owl, looking somewhat sheepish in a green field full of sheep on the Orkney Mainland, a stunning bird. 

May 2009:  7 snow geese in South Ronaldsay (they flew over the house!) on 8/5, but a real red-letter day on Westray on 10/5 with a Risso's dolphin then a pod of 4 orcas off Noup Head.  There was a classic "fall" of migrants in mid May, with several species of warbler (including many lesser whitethroats), pied and spotted flycatchers and redstarts.  Best birds however were a red-backed shrike male still around on 17/5, and a splendid red-spotted bluethroat male also on 17/5.  We saw our first harbour porpoises of the season from home, around Grimness Head during the period 20-22/5.  The last week of May was a good week for raptors with great views of a food pass between hen harrier male and female, a peregrine at the eyrie with 2 chicks, good views of short-eared owls, and a jack merlin (all 26/5).  Also a cuckoo at Holm (28/5), and a pintail with a brood at The Loons in West Mainland (29/5).

June 2009:  A little egret at Graemeshall Loch (5/6) was only our 2nd in Orkney in 5 years.  The little egret at Graemeshall Loch was still present on 7/6.  With light northerly winds for most of the week we concentrated our efforts on the sea for a couple of days and were rewarded with a record 4 species of cetacean in the 2 days: fin whale, minke whale, harbour porpoise and Risso's dolphin.  The fin whale was our 1st in Orkney, seen out in the Pentland Firth, a massive animal (2nd largest creature on earth!) with a massive blow.  Two other much smaller whales with big blows were also present, possibly a group of fin whales travelling together....fantastic!  In mid June the short-eared owls were all feeding young and showing very well at home and elsewhere.  Waders such as oystercatcher and lapwing forming large post-breeding flocks.  A brilliant showing of northern marsh orchids this year, and now the beautiful grass of Parnassus is in flower.

September 2009:  The Franklin's gull hung around, with other migrants making headlines such as the bird of the year (so far anyway!) which turned up  in our back yard, at the south end of our island, in the form of a sandhill crane, only the 3rd UK record on 22/9.  Fantastic close views of an American golden plover in Deerness on 26/9.  Also a hobby on 16/9, and a red-backed shrike in Evie on 18/9.   Plenty of harbour porpoises also with 17 on 31/8 and 18 on 14/9, with a minke whale for good measure also on 14/9.  An amazing school of porpoises in Switha Sound on 17/9 numbering at least 38.  Lots of raptors now stravaiging around - especially hen harrier, merlin, kestrel, peregrine sparrowhawk & short-eared owl.

October 2009:  October began splendidly with a rare American vagrant, and another 1st for Orkney (that's 2 in 2 weeks!!) with a red-eyed vireo at the Langskaill plantation in Tankerness.  Wonderful views of a delightful bird.  Meanwhile later in the month our winter visitors arrived back with our local greylag augmented with pinkfeet, barnacles and whooper swans; and the seaduck - scoters (common and velvet), long-tailed duck, great northern divers and Slavonian grebes all in good numbers.  There were 7 hen harriers at our local roost on 18/10 and we were seeing merlin almost daily.  A jack snipe on Hoy on 20/10, and a woodcock invasion at the end of the month with birds everywhere.  The Atlantic (grey) seal pups were an annual treat at the month end.

_{2008 Highlights:}

April 2008:  April came in like a lion this year, if not out like a lamb.  Our 1st guest of the season was lucky enough to see 5 species of raptor in 30 minutes: peregrine, rough-legged buzzard, merlin, kestrel and hen harrier; with a short-eared owl the day after, making 6 species.  A couple of weeks later however (24/4), David & Tricia Hawkins not only smashed the 3 year record for most # of birds in one week, (they saw 91), but included an incredible 8 species of raptor: hen harrier, buzzard, kestrel, peregrine, sparrowhawk, goshawk, short-eared owl and marsh harrier (the latter 2 on 25/4)!  The goshawk did a display flight only 50 metres away from us (a 1st for Steve!), and a pair of hen harriers performed an acrobatic food pass.  April 2008 is therefore named the month of the raptors.  Lots of other species, including the perfect combination of winter birds (such as brambling (24/4), great grey shrike (26/4), scaup, whooper swan and white-fronted geese); and summer visitors arriving such as wheatear (10/4), whimbrel & Sandwich tern (21/4), willow warbler (24/4), sand martin and swallow (25/4).  Under normal circumstances the bird of the month would have been the beautiful male black redstart at the Old Man of Hoy (24/4), but even he was eclipsed by the displaying goshawk.  All the seabirds , including small #s of puffins, returning to the crags late in the month.  An early harbour porpoise on 10/4 was our 1st cetacean record of the season.  We also had great views of brown hares boxing (19/4), and blue hares on Hoy (24/4).  A single pale-bellied brent goose was seen on 27/4.

May 2008: White-winged gulls are still present in Stromness harbour, and an adult Iceland gull was seen briefly on 5/5.  Chiffchaffs and common sandpipers also back on Hoy on the same date.  Good views of harriers, both our usual hen harriers, but also a returning marsh harrier, the latter from 6/5 onwards.  Arctic skuas were late back this year but we had great views of a pair at close quarters on Shapinsay on 8/5.  Red grouse showing well at Hobbister and Burgar Hill RSPB reserves in the early month, with great views of a male peregrine on 10/5.  The best bird however arrived on our "hide list" on 10/5, when 8 fully adult beautiful white snow geese flew low up the fields and over the house...quite extraordinary!  Cetaceans and sharks all arrived during mid month, with a solitary Risso's dolphin off Grimness Head (11/5); 5 Minke whales showing really well at Noup Head on Westray (14/5); and a basking shark in Echnaloch Bay on 16/5.  Fantastic drake garganeys at Graemeshall Loch on 12/5 & 29/5, and whimbrels overhead regularly throughout the county.  May is usually one of the best months for cetaceans and our luck continued with 10 Atlantic white-sided dolphins and a Minke whale on Westray (18/5); and a large school of common dolphins in Hoxa Sound on 19/5.  Migrants such as blackcap, whitethroat and spotted flycatcher heading through on 24/5, but the best bird of the month was a singing male rustic bunting in the village of St. Margaret's Hope on 24/5.  NE/SE winds during the last week of May brought more spectacular migrants including golden oriole and icterine warbler (29/5) and a quail at Gerraquoy on 30/5.  Late May also gave us sightings of Atlantic white-sided dolphin (27/5), and also minke whale and harbour porpoise (30/5).

June 2008: Spring 2008 has been the best year for migrants we've experienced, and June opened with a red-backed shrike on 1/6, with blackcaps and garden warblers singing at the same site.  The most spectacular bird of the 1st week however was undoubtably a male ruff in resplendent white plumage (along with 7 black-tailed godwits) on 2/6!  Raptors seem to have hatched their young now as we saw a food pass by a pair of hen harriers with great views of a female merlin (and a cuckoo!) at the same site on 5/6, finishing with a red-throated diver on her nest.   Unusual birds the following week included a blackcap locally (6/7); a grey wagtail and common sandpiper on Hoy (12/6); and a whimbrel and golden plover in our freshly cut silage field at Gerraquoy (13/6).  Harbour porpoises were showing well in June, with sightings on several days at Hoxa Head, but a minke whale on 24/6 came close enough to us to hear its breathing!  Black-tailed godwit numbers at The Loons built up to a maximum of 16 on 29/6.  Bird of the month however appeared in our local village on 25/6 in the form of an adult rose coloured starling, one of up to six in Orkney at the same time.  A female pintail at The Loons on 29/6 saw the month out in style.

July 2008: The 1st week of July gave a superb adult yellow (white)-billed diver, just down the road in Water Sound from 2/7 onwards.  Other unusual sightings included a cuckoo (1/7) and lesser redpolls (4/7).  Excellent sea conditions on 3/7 produced a minke whale and 3 harbour porpoises from Cantick Head on Hoy.  In Shetland 7 - 21/7 with 2 one-week tours, wildlife highlights being a solitary bull orca on 14/7 in Yell Sound, and lots of close-up views of puffins and otters.  Back home a harbour porpoise and 11 puffins off Hoxa on 28/7, and a solitary swift at Deerness on 31/7.

August 2008:  A great start to the month with 4 harbour porpoises and a basking shark in Rackwick Bay, Hoy, on 2/8.  Most of August occupied off site with a short holiday and British Birdwatching Fair commitments.  Back home in late August sparrowhawks being seen almost daily, along with short-eared owls and hen harriers.  A juvenile merlin hunting meadow pipits over Gerraquoy on 26/8.  Another solitary swift at Liddel on 27/8, and best of all, a very unusual record of 2 common hawker dragonflies, hawking around inside the gloup at Halcro Head.  The white-billed diver still around at the month end - it's been at the bottom of our road for the whole of July and August!!

_{2007 Highlights:}

2006 highlights:

April 2006 highlights:  April has been scudding by with one day good and one day bad.  Summer visitors now starting to arrive with swallow, wheatear, Sandwich tern, bonxies, whimbrel and chiffchaff all back by 22/4.  The first set of twins born into the herd for 8 years arrived on 15/4!  Sadly a North Atlantic white-sided dolphin was also washed up in perfect condition earlier in the month - a very handsome girl.  Meanwhile back at the seabird cliffs a few guillemots and razorbills were venturing back at Marwick on the 30/4 and puffins on South Ronaldsay on the same day.

May 2006 highlights:  Migrants continue to pass through, with chiffchaff and lesser whitethroat seen at Gerraquoy on 6/5, and a female whinchat on 11/5.  In a glorious spell of weather a day tour on 9/5 produced allsorts, from Risso's dolphins offshore, seabirds back on the crags, great-northern divers and long-tailed duck resplendent in breeding plumage, and two ringtail harriers at breathtakingly close range.  Scottish primroses were resplendent in flower mid month, and the sea pinks and squill adding hues to the cliffs by the month end.  Great views of all seabirds, including puffins at close range.  Weather amazing - bright and dry for much of the month, with a north-westerly wind to keep us moving.  On 29/5 some guests from London were amused by a lengthy and noisy squabble outside the conservatory between our local pair of Arctic Skuas, a family of oystercatchers and curlews, and some gulls!

June 2006 highlights:  Wader antics and noise define this month as curlew, snipe, lapwing, redshank and oystercatcher all have chicks and guard them deafeningly!  Migrant butterflies also winging in - red admirals and painted ladies.  We've had great close-up views of hen harrier and short-eared owl, and a marsh harrier has been prominent locally on several occasions.  The orchids are now in flower.  On 28/6 June was seen out in spectacular fashion by a pod of 5 or 6 orcas playing around in the southern entrance to Scapa Flow, with animals coming out of the water several times (lots of splashes!) and a male present with a simply enormous dorsal fin.  Wow!

July 2006 highlights:  There is now a splendid 2nd flowering of the Scottish primrose.  On 12/7 we saw a total of 5 hen harriers in several locations, some at very close quarters.  Now that the breeding season is over we are seeing hen harriers and short-eared owls on an almost daily basis at home, with the owls especially giving wonderful close up views.  The return wader passage has started with whimbrels from 17/7 and a knot on Rousay on 19/7.  The seabirds lingered on the crags until the 3rd week of July this year, with plenty of young auks and kittiwakes visible.  A female marsh harrier, heavily in moult, floated over the house on 23/7, being mobbed by a veritable posse of all things, such that it was a wonder it could make any progress.  The month finished in style with great views of a young minke whale on 30/7 and a young peregrine on 31/7.

August 2006:  We took most of the month "off" to visit the British Birdwatching Fair (BBF) at Rutland, and to get some big outdoor jobs done on our new peedie barn self-catering, such as installing the solar panel and septic tank.  We are taking bookings shortly for April 2007 onwards.  It was great to meet so many people at the BBF, and for the many folk who participated in our Highland Park quiz, the correct answer to the question "How many species of seabirds breed in Orkney?" was 21 (source Seabird 2000 survey), as follows: fulmar; storm petrel; gannet; cormorant; shag; Arctic skua; bonxie; black-headed gull; common gull; LBB gull; herring gull; GBB gull; kittiwake; Sandwich tern; common tern; Arctic tern; little tern; guillemot; razorbill; tystie; and puffin.

Late April and early May 2005 had its attractions such as a great grey shrike locally (20/4) and we watched a beautiful male ring ousel from the conservatory at only 50 metres away (30/4).  Whimbrels passed overhead regularly, and lapwings, curlew and snipe all literally came within inches of our new "hide" (conservatory!).  The seabirds arrived back at the cliffs, and the Scottish primroses (Primula Scotica) had their 1st flowering.  The birds of prey were on form, and we saw hen harrier food passes, five short-eared owls at once, and merlin and peregrine regularly.  Best of all, however, was a pod of 7 Risso's dolphins, which thrilled our guests for two days (12 & 13/5) as they hunted fish by the # 1 Churchill Barrier.  At only 200 metres away or less, their pale scarred bodies could easily be seen, as could their blunt faces and huge dorsal fins, reminiscent of orcas.  Wow............

June 2005 highlights: We saw day-old lapwing chicks being brooded by their mother, and a 2nd year immature glaucous gull (12/6), just to remind guests how close we are to the Arctic.  Meanwhile the sea pinks and squill were in full bloom on the cliffs and the orchids in the rough.  On 16/6 we watched a pod of 7 orcas - yes, killer whales - for over half an hour from the conservatory!  Another amazing experience on 28/6: first, sightings of harbour porpoise, but followed by gymnastics from a pod of 5 Risso's dolphins.  The dolphins entered Scapa Flow from our vantage point at Hoxa Head and as we watched them for an hour or more they lazed on the surface, "spy-hopped" and breached before our very eyes.  How could you follow that?  Answer - only 50 metres away, a fresh common seal pup, all dewy eyed and appealing....Then we saw the month out in fine style on 30/6 with wonderful views of a rare American migrant - a Laughing gull adult - on the nearby island of Burray.

July 2005 highlights: We discovered a wonderful (and rare) Oysterplant colony on a nearby beach and Red admiral butterflies appeared all over the islands.  On the afternoon of 6/7 we were treated to some gymnastics and blows from a couple of Minke whales who had obviously chased some fish around Grimness headland - quite close in and big animals!  In fact up to 4 Minkes fed in this area for several days, thrilling our guests.  On Hoy at St. John's Head on 13/7 we were treated to a wonderful sight of a family of Peregrine falcons teaching their young how to stoop.  Meanwhile back on the farm a very late Oystercatcher eventually hatched her 3 young on 14/7.  Some mornings are unbeatable - despite the rain on 18/7 we saw a rare White-billed diver (happily in the company of a Great-northern diver for comparison); followed by an otter, always a treat!

August 2005 highlights:  Eight - yes eight - Red-throated divers at less than 100 metres in glorious sunshine, with five in the telescope at once on 7/8 was a glorious sight.  Waders started to come back through, with Sanderling, Whimbrel and Greenshank all seen this month.  A determined wader hunt on 22/8 with a Belgian guest saw Black and Bar-tailed godwits, Ruff, Knot and wonderful views of Snipe and Dunlin, with a delightful adult Pectoral sandpiper (rare American vagrant) the next day.  An impressive southerly blow on 29/8 drove the Manx shearwaters right into Scapa Flow and we were watching Storm petrels at only 100 metres from the Churchill Barriers as they battled against the wind and seas.

September and October 2005 highlights:  Local raptors continue to delight.  On 2/9 a Short-eared owl sat on one of our fenceposts - just right for the 'scope - and on 3/9 a male hen harrier floated by, with ringtails on an almost daily basis thereafter.  A female Merlin has also been seen several times hunting locally.  Wader hunting with our guests continued to pay dividends on 5/9 with lovely views locally of a Buff-breasted sandpiper, another rare American vagrant.  The following day, one of sultry calm, we delighted in 7 Harbour porpoises and a Minke whale at the entrance to Scapa Flow.  By October the winter birds had arrived, with excellent views of Red-necked and Slavonian grebes, Scaup and Whooper swans.  Grey geese everywhere:  Greylag; Pinkfeet; Barnacle; and a solitary Brent.   Grey seal pups were seen at close quarters - great for photography!  And finally, a glimpse of an otter on 23/10 finished the season with a flourish.....

Please use the bookings page to book or enquire for 2008 weeks or short breaks.