A quick visit to Brodgar to paint a couple of signs doesn't seem the most promising lunchtime job but it was such a fantastic day yesterday, it was a very pleasant task. The reserve is looking great at the moment with plenty of wildflowers in bloom, the recently planted bird crops coming up well and previous years crops also in full bloom.
Although the middle of the day isn't always the best time to see the birds, there were still skylarks in full voice, meadow pipits displaying, linnets around the crop, sedge warblers singing in the willows by Harray Loch. A flock of approx 40 starlings were flitting around in one of the fields, curlews (no doubt with chicks) were alarming like mad and there are currently several oystercatcher pairs with chicks that can been seen when walking around the path. On Stenness Loch there were mute swans feeding at the loch shore. Teal, shelduck, common gulls, black headed gulls, curlew, redshank, oystercatchers and lapwing were using the pools to the north of the reserve.