Seals....

A bit of randomness today as I'm busy with work and brain a bit worn out this evening!  Above is a grey seal that was on the beach near the pier the other day. Most of the seals around Graemsay are grey seals although there are some "common" or harbour seals around, but I haven't seen them so often.

I love hearing the seals "singing" when they are hauled out on the rocks. There are usually a group of them together (like the photo below) and they snort, cough and "sing" to each other. It's one of my favourite sounds in the evening. 

The seals will often stay ashore until the tide comes in and lifts them off the rocks. They lift their heads and tails out the water and look like bananas!  Someone said they were lazy but when you think about it - when they are not ashore they are swimming, so who can blame them for a "lie in" - not me!

The grey seals pup in September and they can be seen with their pups along the shore. A lot of the seals used to come and bask on Sandside beach in the summer, however they now seem to prefer the more rocky shoreline. But they can often be spotted bobbing in the water as I walk along the beach.

Time for a cup of tea and to sit and watch the sunset (Sunset tonight is 2211 compared with 2109 in London, sunrise is 0410 compared with 0449 in London).

Harbour seals....

.... or as they tend to be more popularly know around here "common seals" - except they aren't as common as their name suggests. This last week researchers from the Scottish Ocean's Institute have been in Orkney as they are beginning a study to survey the detailed diet of Scotland's Harbour/Common seals. The harbour/common seal has been in continued decline around the UK shores, despite various conservation efforts. Apparently the severest decline has been in Orkney and Shetland so it's hoped the study will give some clues to the reasons for the decline.

I haven't seen many of the common seals, generally the seals we see on Graemsay are grey seals. In the picture at the top of this post are grey seals on Sandside beach. Sadly they don't haul out on the beach so much nowadays, preferring the skerries and shoreline. On the island we've noticed declining numbers of the grey seals, however friends over on the Bay of Ireland have commented on an *increase* in the number of seals they see hauled out there. So maybe our "Graemsay" seals have just moved location. Certainly their new location is quieter and less likely to be disturbed than Sandside beach. OK so Graemsay is hardly a buzzing metropolis, but the "main" road does run parallel with the beach and folk walk with kids, dogs and er - cats which disturbs the seals afternoon nap, so perhaps they've chosen a quieter resort to sunbath!

I love seeing the seals - all has been quiet this winter but yesterday I saw one sunbathing on the rocks just below the house. When I first visited Orkney "househunting" I was keen to see seals and searched the sea for just a glimpse of a bobbing head. I imagined every creel buoy or distant "blob" was a seal! Eventually I came out to Graemsay and before even looking round the house, the seals on the sandy beach were pointed out to me. I knew then I wanted the house, despite the holes in the roof, the pigeons in the bedrooms (through holes in the roof), boarded up windows (broken by the pigeons...). So - need to see my selkie friends on a regular basis! (Selkie is Orcadian dialect for seal. Lots of folklore surrounding the "selkie-folk").

Sunset and Seal....

Having too much fun and not enough time to blog..... so you will have to content yourself with some *more* sunset photos - these taken tonight with a seal for company......


.... honestly it *is* a seal...... a grey seal........



....and the tide coming in.....

Tram lines on Graemsay?

No - just tractor wheel marks after the field was spread with fertilizer. Some years the field at the back of the house has been used as summer grazing, but the fence is in poor repair so this year it will be used for silage, or maybe hay for winter feed for island livestock. Once I get the fence fixed and "livestock" proof, animals could go back in there - not mine I hasten to add! I let a neighbour use the field - I get the pleasure of looking at the livestock without any of the work!

Today has been another bright sunny day. I've been out weeding in the vegetable garden. The peas and beans I sowed just before I went south are already appearing above the ground. I have to turn a "blind eye" to the rest of the garden as it will be some time before that is sorted out. As a friend said, just concentrate on what has been done, rather than looking at what needs to be done! Otherwise I get a bit despondant. However I just need a little patience and all will come together.

I see there was a cruise liner in Stromness harbour today. Orkney is visited by quite a large number of cruise liners, though most visit Kirkwall. Usually the visitors are landed in small boats and then go on coach tours around the Orkney Mainland to various historic sites such as Skara Brae or the Ring of Brodgar, with a little time to shop in the town. At least the visitors will take home good memories of Orkney in the sun this time.

And I heard seals calling today while weeding the garden. That is such a relief as I haven't seen seals around for some time. They would usually be around the rocks and skerries of the shore, but the fish must have been scarce as there were no seals to be seen for some time. However the fish must be back as the air was filled with seal calls tonight. Most of the seals around the island are grey seals. In years gone by they would haul out onto the sandy beach in May, but they've been choosing other sites on the island for their sun bathing in recent years.

Here's a photo from about 10 years ago when they would sunbathe on Sandside beach: