Wednesday 29 July 2020

A gorge-ous day on Hoy

The forecast was a bit iffy, but for the last day of the 2020 National Dragonfly Week, Our Lass and I headed for the island of Hoy. I had not organised any official events this year due to pandemic restrictions, but the dragons and damsels don't know that! 

Large Red Damselfly

A recently-emerged Black Darter

Common Blue Damselflies in tandem

Black Darter

Black Darter

Emerald Damselfly (top) and Black Darter (bottom)

Emerald Damselfly

A distant dragon - Common Hawker

One of the pools on Wee Fea

Fledgling Cuckoo being fed by a Meadow Pipit parent

Coal Tit

A roadside Field Gentian

Field Gentian

Common Hawker

The Candle of the Burn of the Sale

The Burn of the Sale running through a gorge

Lunch in the rain

White-tailed Eagles (chick on left, adult on right)

Searching for Golden-ringed Dragonflies (unsuccessfully)

Grass of Parnassus

5 comments:

Coastal Ripples said...

An excellent outing with lots to see. Love the gentians and dragon flies. Not so many here this year other than the demoiselles. B x

Anonymous said...

Hio!
Walking down the Wellingborough Road and there were two very large odos!!!!!!!Emperors?
Hair cut looks good and avisit from ykw what a day!!
Cheers
Cpt.Sundial

Imperfect and Tense said...

Thanks, B. We could do with a few more butterflies if you have any to spare?😊

Captain Sundial! If they were on a pub crawl along the Wellingborough Road, they could've been white-legged and red-eyed damsels. Emperors or Southern Hawkers would be my guess. Stay safe.

Caroline Gill said...

Some astonishing sightings...

Imperfect and Tense said...

Thank you, Caroline. The island of Hoy is Orkney's wildest place, I would say, apart from maybe a 40 mile trip to Sule Skerry lighthouse.