Spring is sprung....

 

Click on picture to view

Well in terms of birds, Spring is Sprung....  at last after the relative silence of the Winter, the air is now filled with calls from oystercatchers, curlew (one of my faves), lapwings (pee-wits), gulls (of course), geese (yup) as well as wrens, skylarks, sparrows, starlings etc.   The photo above was taken on the old pier at Sandside at high tide.  A lovely grouping of curlews, oystercatchers, purple sandpipers, red shanks, turnstones and ringed plovers, resting and waiting for the tide to ebb so they could start their search along the shore for food.

And a couple of closer shots......

And a photo I've been meaning to share for weeks, nay months! Taken by Graham Campbell with his drone camera on one of his walks over Scorradale in Orphir.....  The picture shows a light covering of snow over the landscape and the Hoy hills.  You can make out Hoy High lighthouse on the edge of Graemsay.

Photo credit: Graham Campbell

And some Spring weather!

 

For a few days we have had Spring!  I think it's known as a "false" Spring but it has been enjoyed by many as some respite from the cold and wet.  Temperatures are due to drop later this week, but for now it has been lovely to get out into the fresh air without the need for hats, gloves, scarves and multiple layers!  I even did a wee bit of sorting out in the garden - way to early for planting, but just cutting back some dead stems to give new growth a chance to come through.  So here are a selection of photos from the last week or so....

Some beautiful calm days along the shore....

Seaweed gently floating by the old lighthouse pier

Looking across Sandside Bay.....

Oh Button, no really don't go in the creels again.....

Of course she never listens.... fear not she can walk through the middle of the pile..... daft old bat....

But she enjoys a wander about.....

She does like posing!

Nature reclaims her own in the gentlest of embraces....

View from the old Sail Shed...

And the window of the sail shed....

The first flowers of spring are in bloom....  one of my favourite hellibores. I want a frock like this!

And Tete-A-Tete narcissi

And the wonderfully delicate Crocus....

This is one of my favourites  - the colour is as delicate as the flower....

The flower looks too delicate to hold the dew....

Some soft sounds of the shore......

Snow (end of....)

 

The snow disappeared last weekend but I'm playing catch up with blogging so here are the last of the "snow" photos.   

In other news - had my vaccination this week! First shot anyway.  I went into Kirkwall as I had a routine hospital appointment and also got my vaccination.  The nurse from the local health centre came out and did those that are unable to leave the island and travel to Kirkwall.  So the island folk are slowly getting their vaccines which is great.  There are no photos from my trip however - it was a wet and very windy day and not conducive to photos!  I was just glad to get back home and be warm and cosy on the sofa.  I had the Pfizer vaccine and have felt tired for the last couple of days which could be as a result of the vaccine or some other treatment I had.  But all is good otherwise.  Right - snow photos....

Above the sun setting behind the hills on the island of Hoy.  Below, incoming clouds behind Hoy High lighthouse and on the left you can see the fog creeping along the Sound...

Whispy sea fog creeping along the shore of Stromness....

Sheep rootling around for grass in this one.... they were getting hay and sheep nuts as supplemental feeding all the while there was snow on the ground.  Bet they had cold hooves though...

And from the opposite side of the shore in the above photo THIS was the view! Thanks to Carrie Holdsworth-Dodge for sending it to me and giving me permission to use it.

Meanwhile on the calm days Button was keen we went for a walk.  I'm sure she was a dog in a previous life as she is almost hopping from paw to paw as I get boots, coat, hat and gloves on. 

Meanwhile the hens are still incarcerated in the henny house due to DEFRA rules because of outbreaks in the UK of Avian Flu.  Fortunately they seemed happy enough to stay indoors during the bad weather.  The hen house is of stone construction with a corrugated roof with roof "lights" so is reasonably well lit and certainly well ventilated.  I've put much more hay down than they usually have (usually it's just in their roosting area and nest box). They enjoy rummaging around in the hay, there is some grit for them to scratch about in, lots of water bowls, and as well as the grain hopper they get fresh fruit and veg and corn scattered in the hay....  Think they would still much rather be outdoors but hey ho....  There is at least a couple more feet of hen house behind me - so as you can see they have a reasonable amount of room...sigh...

And they get a bowl of porridge every morning too....

And finally - another sunset!

Snow (Part 2)

 

Today the temperature must have got above freezing at some point as quite a bit of snow has disappeared from Graemsay and the water in the hen house wasn't frozen!  But I can see lots of snow still on the higher ground of Orkney Mainland and of course on Hoy (Hoy means High island - due to the hills). And today there are 50mph winds from the South East, blowing snow off the fields.  Not such a problem on Graemsay due to the thaw but roads closed and vehicles stuck on the Mainland.  This weekend is one of the mass vaccination events in Kirkwall, but NHS Orkney have said they will make appointments available during the week for those who cannot attend this weekend.

Anyway back to snowy scenes.....  Below is the Manse on Graemsay with Ward Hill on Hoy as a backdrop.

The old School on Graemsay and the Hoy hills....

The old lighthouse pier at Sandside, Stromness on the horizon....

The old School and Community Hall...

The croft of Quoys by the shore....

Old buildings at Sandside and looking over to Stromness....

Old buildings decorated with snow....

Snow on the sandy beach....

Harbour (Common seals) at Sandside (zoomed in so as not to disturb them!).

Snowy trees......

Across the water to Stromness

Icy main road on the island (we do have a gritter that goes round!).

Hope you enjoyed your wander in the snow!