Mar Wick

I took Alex and Kathrin out to Marwick a few days ago. Alex and Kathrin are bankers from Bavaria - they live a few hundred miles from a coast! Living in Orkney, it's difficult to imagine that - given that we see and feel the sea almost wherever we are in the county. I worked it out that there was nowhere in Orkney more than eight kilometres from the sea - the most marine remote locality was somewhere near Dounby.

It had been a shocking day weatherwise - sweeping rain had covered Orkney for most of the day driven on by strong westerly winds. When I arrived to pick Alex and Kathrin up from Holland House in Harray, the visibility was probably no better than 400 metres - it was as though we were in cloud. I offered to postpone our evening out but Alex and Kathrin would have none of it and were happy to go anywhere. I wasn't...but thought I'd better brave it - so on the strength of what the Met Office had predicted for the evening, we headed for Mar Wick. It was inspired..but also lucky.

We arrived at the bay just as the skies were clearing to the west and great golden orange skies appeared in contrast to the sodden greys. Alex and Kathrin wanted birds and we began in exceptional style with a Long-tailed Skua which had been resting on the calm waters of the Choin before lifting, circling the bay and flying off.  We were elated - a new bird for Alex and Kathrin and just my third sighting in Orkney of this most elegant of Skuas.

Birdwise we had excellent evening - all the Marwick Head regulars were there including Puffins. The continual procession of Kittiwakes carrying nesting material was both specatcular and heartening - at least the birds were getting down to nesting - their optimism fuelled my optimism.

There was also plenty to see in the wildflower line. On Mar Wick's shingle shore there is Sea Campion, Curled Dock and plenty of Scots Lovage. Further up as we climb the cliff path, Spring Squill, Thrift and  Lady's Fingers combine to produce a vibrant carpet of blue, pink and yellow. A closer look at the short grassland sward yields the numerous rosettes of Buck's-horn Plantains - like mini cartwheels.



Sea Campion in bud



Sea Campion

Scots Lovage

Spring Squill

Thrift

 


Lady's Fingers or Kidney Vetch

 



The first of the wildflower walks - the Orphir coast

I notice that the last entry was 4th May - that's ten days ago - too long by far - apologies. But it's that time of the year when it's non-stop. Last Monday Anne and I (yes we are still talking) chaperoned Dounby school on the MV Graemsay as it steamed across Scapa Flow and we talked of World War 1 and 2 and the birdlife. Tuesday was seven hours of birdwatching - firstly with two visitors to Orkney from upstate New York, Ann and Joan. We toured the West Mainland - a trip that included Puffins at Marwick and Whimbrel and Scaup at Skaill. This was followed by an evening class on Hunda - a perfect and calm spring evening serenaded by the cooing and purring of Eiders and the creaking of a hundred Arctic Terns.

The Orkneyinga Saga Centre

The Round Kirk at the Bu, Orphir

The Orkneyinga circular walk - coastal heath in July

And today was the first Wildflower class. We went to Orphir and walked the circular route that starts and finishes at the Orkneyinga Saga Centre. It's a good wee walk in that it introduces folk to half a dozen habitats in little more than a mile and a bit. There's wetland adjacent to the Orphir burn, shore plants down in the bay, coastal grassland, coastal heath, hard rock sea cliff, tame woodland and arable. The cliff walk faces south and is sheltered by a sandstone dyke that is covered with Sea Ivory - the wildflowers here have a head start.

Arguably the most noticeable plants along the cliff were Spring Squill and Creeping Willow. The former were not that plentiful (the coastal grassland was probably too lush in places) but the Willow was flowering prolifically.

Spring Squill

Spring Squill

Creeping Willow

Common Dog Violets were in profusion along this stretch of the walk. Red Campion was in flower but not that abundant as was Primrose. Bluebells, Daffodils, Red Poppies and Montbretia had been dumped over the cliff and were thriving. Though colourful, I think the natural cliff vegetation would be better off without them.

The wood at Gyre was blooming. A month ago the understorey barely tickled your ankles. Today the ferns were a metre high and the Butterbur leaves twice as big as dinner plates. But it was probably the Pink Purslane that stole the show. It would be no exaggeration to say that it was the most abundant flowering plant not only in the wood but also along the road past the wood and to the Bu.