Hens, garden, sun, Button.....

 

I hang onto the sunsets at this time of year as the sun resolutely marches back to between the Hoy hills for Winter.  My favourite seasons are Spring and Summer.  Autumn doesn't really exist in Orkney - summer fades and then the gales arrive and it's more Winter than Autumn.  I'm trying to be more in tune with the turning of the seasons, but I'm sad as it means less time outside for me.  Ho hum....

Meanwhile we still have some warm days to enjoy.  Button seeks some shade under the crocosmia!

Looking across the bay.....

The hay loft on the old barn..... each gale a few more slates fall in....

The daisies have done well this year.  A young blackbird on the stone dyke...

Button keeps a wary eye on a henny having a drink....

Shrubbery nicely framing Hoy High light!

Large garden snail!!

Button unconcerned about snails though...

Hmmmm Gimpy Hen takes a rest under my bench!

A bit of a blowy day.....

Sunsets - late August...

 

Soon the sun will be setting behind the tip of Graemsay, moving back to the mid-winter position between the Hoy hills.  I'm always sad when that happens.  Sigh...

In high summer the sun sets way over to the right behind Black Craig on the West Mainland...

But a sunset is a sunset and I enjoy them wherever they are.....

 

 

Hay.... a lighthouse....

 

Hoy High lighthouse and hay bales...  the second part of my field was cut for hay.  If it turns out to be good quality it will be winter fodder.  If not so good, then winter bedding.  Either way my neighbour will be glad of it he says.

The only time I take a wander round the field is when the grass is cut - that way I don't have to wade through long grass!

And peeping over the headland is Hoy Low lighthouse...

And over the water to Stromness....

Tide is out!

The cap over the well.  Not been used for 40 or so years...

The concrete block where the pump was to pump water up to the house and the byres....

Looking between the old buildings to the Manse on the hill, and the Hoy hills.

Looking across Sandside bay to the old croft of Quoys

Home...

Shags (Scafies in Orkney) and a black-back gull enjoying the sunshine...

Looking over to the parish of Stenness

The Hall of Clestrain - where Dr John Rae, the Arctic explorer was born.

Cattle and sheep at the farm at the Hall of Clestrain in the parish of Orphir

Across Sandside bay to Garson

Old ruins at Sandside

The old steading at Sandside...

Rounding up sheep on the island of Hoy

 

This brilliant video is of a farmer on the island of Hoy rounding up sheep.  Not your normal round up in a field though. This is across the hills of Hoy and the sheep are canny Shetland sheep.  The video is 25 mins long so sit down with your favourite beverage and enjoy!  The scenery is amazing as is the round up!

Magical creatures at the Graemsay quarry.

 

There are no lochs on Graemsay but we do have the old quarry.  The stone from the quarry would have gone to build houses, byres and other uses over the years.  Now it is filled with water and provides a lovely habitat for all sorts of water beetles and other insects.  The most magical of which, to me, are the damselflies.  Thanks are due to Graeme of Imperfect & Tense for introducing us on the island to these ephemeral creatures.  In recent years he has identified both Common Blue and Blue-Tailed damselflies breeding at the quarry.  I've also been lucky to see them too.

But this week, oh the joy!  EMERALD damselflies are there too! OK they are quite common in most of Britain but dragon and damsel flies are more unusual in Orkney given the additional challenges of weather, habitat etc.  For some reason I love the emeralds the best - having seen them on Hoy a year or so ago.  But ahem... my preconceptions got in the way and I merrily sent Graeme photos declaring they were of a female blue-tailed damsel.  I couldn't quite believe it when he said they were Emeralds!! (I've always preferred them to diamonds....). So here are a few photos of a male Emerald damselfly... (well possibly two... they were flitting about in the warm sunshine doing what they needed to do in the short window of opportunity it was hard to count and keep up with them, never mind take photos!)

Clinging on for dear life!

Oh you little beauty (about the size of your average large matchstick!)

I've been up there each day since and although they have been flitting about I've been unable to take photos.  But as you can see, it's a lovely place to sit and spend a while communing with nature....

A lot of the wild flowers have "gone over" but the heather is looking beautiful just now...

Yellow rattle - when the flower goes to seeds the pods look like a child's rattle and sounds the same when shaken (well ok a very quiet rattle).

And the view from the quarry is pretty special too.  Looking towards Hoy, and on Graemsay the old croft of Dean... with the old school away to the right...

So in warm sunny weather, when there is no wind, I may be found on the grass gazing into the reeds looking for magical creatures....