Login

 

Please take a photograph of your group "in action." Don't forget to ask for permission from everyone for the photo to be published on the web. Then email it to the address below and we will upload it to the gallery.

 info@orkneyu3a.org

Walking Group One 25th April 2024

Five hardy souls collected today at Happy Valley for the first Hill Walk of the year .The temperature was cool with a North Easterly wind blowing and a hint of rain on arrival.

Off we set heading towards Russadale Quarry, spotting a Buzzard on the way.Turning into the footpath we remained sheltered from the wind all the way to the top of the hill.

The sun was out at the Quarry and a Greenshank was feeding at the edge of the Lochan. Then it was up the Peat road to the summit with spectacular views across Stenness and Harray Lochs, plus a view of the Closed Road beyond the Watch Stone. On the other side we looked over the Flow and down towards the Oil Platform and South Ronaldsay 

Then it was back down after a stop for a snack and finally a walk around Happy Valley itself. The Daffodils planted by James and others were looking lovely and the Bluebells are days away from opening. Then it was on to a well deserved lunch at the Pier Cafe, having walked 4 miles and gone up 800 feet (and down again )

The next walk will be on Friday 24th May and hopefully more hills and views.

Keep moving.

Birdie Group - December 2017

by Liz Lea - 11:13 on 14 December 2017

On 13 December 2017 8 members met at the Peedie Sea (PDC). The first surprise was the complete overnight melt after two days of snow/black ice. The second was that despite heavy rain at breakfast we had almost none on our outing and even saw the sun. But it was blisteringly cold!

David Lea, on his mobility scooter, counts all the PDC birds - except gulls - several times a week so we followed him round doing the count, but also noting the gulls. A black-headed gull was beginning to look quite summery.

From there 6 of us drove  to Scapa, walking from the Harbour Office to the pier and adding pipits, wagtails, waders and eiders to the PDC waterbird count. 2 bar-tailed godwits landed immediately below us, so close that we were able to see the bars on their tails and hear their bi-syllabic ' ke- veu' as they flew off.
 
5 of us then drove to Waulkmill hoping to find black throated divers. No luck, but we did find Slavonian grebes and we disturbed a wren.
 
The 3 remaining Kirkwallians diverted down to Inganess  and , before being driven back into the car by a sharp wintery shower, located a stonechat. 
 
All- in-all, a highly enjoyable winter outing, seeing 33 species.
 
Happy Christmas everyone and all best wishes for 2018. We missed Bev and Beryl and hope it won't be too long before both are able to return to the fray.

Add your comment

Your Name


Your Email (only if you are happy to have it on the site)


Your Comment - no HTML or weblinks


Enter this number in the box below and click Send - why?Unfortunately we have to do this to prevent the system being swamped by automated spam

 
Please note that whenever you submit something which may be publicly shown on a website you should take care not to make any statements which could be considered defamatory to any person or organisation.
sitemap | cookie policy | privacy policy | accessibility statement