April 2021

2nd April – Much overlooked as a drab little brown bird, the spring sunshine highlights the spectrum of colour in this Starling’s plumage. We’ve been feeding them all winter, so they are not too concerned about my getting close.

As it is really nice weather just now, we went up to the Ring of Brodgar for a walk round. The ancient stones are showing their age and this one is bewhiskered with mosses and lichens.

It’s Good Friday and a lovely day, ordinarily the Stones would be swarming with visitors but H and I have got the place to ourselves.

I’ve been taking advantage of the dry weather to paint the garden fence. Looking along the row there is a variety of colours, which is nice. The slightly pinkish one in the foreground is mine, the manufacturers describe this colour as Dark Oak. Really?

6th April – More snow last night. Just as plants were starting to flower and produce fresh shoots they have received a blanket of snow. I suppose the snow provides some insulation for them as it is eye-wateringly cold out there.

The daffodils have taken a hammering in the strong winds and snow and they are probably finished for this year

Shame for these daffs, they’ve collapsed into the ditch, which has then frozen over them. This cold snap really caught out the early blooms.

8th April – We’ve had a few really stormy days. But Orkney Library carry on regardless, sending their mobile library van around the North Isles. They have a big following on Twitter and posted this:

“It’s a cold, gusty thursday morning in #Orkney and #BookyMcBookface is away on the ferry to the Sanday. This is not an accurate photo of course – that is QUITE CLEARLY a photo of the Rousay ferry but you get the idea.”

9th April – The storms have passed ( for now ) and there is warmth in the sunshine. Hopefully we can start getting things done in the garden.

I always like these drone photos of the Stromness peninsula, this one, from Okney.com, shows our location below the golf course. The slight elevation of the course gives us some protection from the westerlies that come straight off the Atlantic, but not a lot. Hoy, in the background, still has some snow on the tops.

11th April – It snowed again last night. It’s the middle of April and we woke to this this morning, a heavy covering on the garden, but there’s enough warmth in the sun to clear it by mid-day and allow a nice walk.

17th April – Working out, parrot style. Can you do this? Monty enjoys swinging upside down, it always gets a lot of attention.

21st April – Car received a new timing belt yesterday, so we thought we’d go out for a spin today. A beautiful, warm Spring day, so we drove up to the Gloup at Birsay.

A gloup is the remnants of a collapsed sea cave. The sea carves deep caves into the cliffs but after centuries of erosion, the roofs collapse leaving these long, deep inlets.

This part of Birsay is a good place to spot puffins but no sign of any today. Plenty of fulmars though, they like to nest along the sides of the gloup. Fulmars are very aerobatic and put on a good show on the sea breezes.

Interesting bird fact – Fulmars can’t stand or walk, shuffling at best they sit around on cliff ledges.

On the other hand, whilst not as agile in the air, oystercatchers are very adept at running along the rocky shorelines.

22nd April – Another lovely day, so we decided to go for our walk down in St. Margaret’s Hope. Crossing over the third barrier, the water was still as a millpond and the remains of the old blockship reflects nicely.

28th April – Excitement in the town this morning as a WW2 hand grenade is discovered at the Research & Innovation Campus, formerly Stromness Academy. Back Road has been closed and diversions put in place. Apparently the Bomb Disposal Squad is en route.

Stromness was taken over by the army during WW2, so it’s likely the grenade was left by them, rather than disgruntled pupils trying to blow up the school.

29th April – This is the rogue grenade, removed and safely detonated on a nearby beach. I wonder if there are any more of these lying in peoples back gardens.