Did you miss me?

OK that's a rhetorical question! I've just returned from a quick work-related visit to London. The temperature there was 31 degrees C (that's around 90 degrees F) and on any scale that was way too hot for me!!

I was delighted to return to a WARM Orkney though, with sunshine and blue skies. Today it's been 23C (74F) in my study with windows open and on the side of the house away from the sunshine! Must be some sort of record for Orkney. However there has been a slight breeze so it's been glorious outdoors.

I came back in time to see my field being cut for winter silage. For the first time in ages (due to long grass) I've walked down to the shore through the field and saw these guys sunbathing.

Tonight the Oystercatchers, Starlings, Curlews and regular gulls are scratching about among the stubble, rootling for insects and worms. The swallows are swooping across the field too, and I discovered a swallow has nested in the barn. I saw her while I was rummaging for two of my hens which have disappeard and I suspect have gone broody. The other two hens are hiding their eggs too so I am grumpy to be without fresh eggs seeing as I seem to be feeding FOUR hens! (Well two of them probably aren't eating much due to sitting on a nest, which worries me as nothing will hatch as I despatched the cockerals some time ago).

Note: Broadband on the island seems v-e-r-y slow since a thunderstorm yesterday, so if it goes quiet again for a day or two it may be due to technical problems - sigh.