February 2024

7th February – After a gale force start to the month there is not a breath of wind this morning. We had quite a fall of snow overnight and it looks beautiful but, of course, there are draw backs, the roads are blocked! We will just stay in and around the house today.

The bird boxes on the shed are now well insulated. It seems a shame to walk through the snow but the birds will have to be fed and watered. The lack of wind has produced some pretty effects with snow lying on a very thin fence, enhanced with the sun shining through it.

It must have been cold in Kirkwall last night as the harbour basin froze over. This is a very rare occurrence. This photo from Graeme Campbell this morning.

10th February – As the tragedy continues unabated in Gaza, we still maintain our vigils. Today was particularly cold and energy draining. Fellow Stromnessian, Jeannie, looks especially cold here.

We shelter in the lea of the cathedral and have the opportunity to see, at close hand, the wear and tear brought about by 900 years of Orkney weather. I think it has seen 900 years of erosion during this winter alone!

16th February – We were touched to see a memorial bench has been installed at the Links Battery by the Kimmett family for our friend Cati and Elena and Elena’s husband Archie who passed away before we came to Orkney.

Elena was Postmistress in Stromness and was badly affected by the Fujitsu Horizon scandal, an event which undoubtedly affected her health.

Cati was our neighbour at Gray’s Noust, she was quite deaf and her daughter’s passing left her feeling extremely isolated. After we moved to Well Park we kept in touch but Covid restricted our contact.

Cati loved “dining out” and here we are at the Merkister Hotel for spot of lunch in 2018. My orange juice appears to have slipped between H and her pint of lager!

19th February – A sad but interesting tale of a short life. This shag was found at Stromness campsite. The ring was reported to BTO, they provided the following:

This bird was ringed by Isle Of May Bird Observatory as a nestling, sex unknown on 06-Jun-2023, at Isle of May, Fife. It was found on 17-Feb-2024 at Stromness, Orkney, 256 days after it was ringed and 311 km from the ringing site.

Obviously it didn’t get here “as the crow flies” but must have taken a longer coastal route. The wee guy didn’t survive his first winter.