Wrapping up the Fortnight

Our fortnight is over, back to the daily grind - but time for a last thread to finish off our time in the Orkneys.

You may have noticed a lack of Bonxies on the previous threads - I was simply saving them up.  They get a bit of a bad press as Pirates, but they're superb fliers and worthy of a few pictures.  This one's from Hoy, where there are dozens of Skuas using a reservoir on the Post path as a bath

Their forte is surfing the winds over the clifftops

Fulmars too love the cliffs - this one is hanging in the updraught, riding the buffets for no other reason that I can see than for the joy of it

Away from the cliff edges, you need to keep your eyes peeled though, you never know what might appear out & about.  There's so little night at this time of year, I guess hedgehogs have little choice

and even something as simple as Cow Parsley can be fascinating

But it's the cliffs we keep coming back to, especially when Puffins are about.  Who can resist them?  Though this chap is a bit shy

and some simply leave when they see the camera

Most are happy to show off though :-)

Not all is sweetness though - Puffins do fight occasionally!

The big Black Backed Gulls cruise by, ever watchful

Though little Pipits have little to worry about as they search for food

and full grown Eiders are fine, though the males like this one are starting to look a little scruffy

It was nice to see a Shag appear near enough to photograph

and of course, Razorbills

I always think they look a bit stern face on.  A bit friendlier from the side!

That's probably all I should put up - all these high res images will trash your data allowance if you're trying to read it on a phone, so I hope your broadband speed's up to it.  I'll leave you with just one more Puffin, because, well, why not?