Its been a long sort of day today what with one thing and another. The bike would not start(again) Just as I was away to fetch over a mate of mine who was going to iron out a few problems I have had installing the counter and web ring widgets for my new Fatbirder link. The bike finally coughed into life three hours later and the day then started. The upshot of it all is we are now on the fat birders web ring. All you have to do is go to the bottom of the page and click left or right to scroll through or you can take a random punt about. I must admit I am quite over awed being part of such a fantastic collection of web sites. It has been one of my favourite places to cruise about tho. I would never have believed I would have my own wee sight and be in here a year ago….yee haa…and if I can do it anybody can. I have also joined up with the Nature Blog network. This network has blogs covering all aspects of the natural world. Some of the blogs are truly stunning and there is hours of fascinating exploring to be had in here. It’s been a good day for the panicky technophobe in me and I hope those of you who read the blog regularly will enjoy the new additions.
And so to birds…Today was a bit of a washout for my birding with one thing and another but the endless west winds fell away and the incessant rains it carried halted for a while. Its was in fact just bliss, the warmest day of the year and a real feel of spring in the air. Life down the fields was stirring away and the distant air was filled with the welcome sound of birdsong, waders and gulls competed with a robin and the first (for me) Skylarks of the year. I cant tell you(well I probably can) how welcome a sound that was to the ears…like a long forgotten little bell tinkling in the heart I just felt so much better for it.
The run to Kirkwall along the Old Finstown Road showed me that the Common gulls were starting to show signs of a nesting colony in there usual site below Wideford hill. There was a fair bit of displaying and competitive behaviour occurring as I passed. Lets hope they fair better this year…last year the common gull effort suffered with a serious dry spell just as hatching was under way. The gulls in a lot of colonies seemed to get stumped bu a lack off food and mass desertions were widespread. Fingers crossed this year, I suppose we still have a bit to go before they are off proper.
Across many fields there have appeared matrix’s of bamboo poles with strips of plastic tied to them. An effort to scare geese that seems to be working although gulls seem undeterred. I suppose they are eating wire worms and the like so are a friend rather than the geese that are grazing the new growth. I f five rabbits eat as much as one sheep and four sheep equal one cow I wonder where Greaylags stand in the equation?
The only other sighting for me today was a peregrine over Binscarth woods about half four.

Tomorrow is another day so I suppose I should go out and I will if the bike will start..other wise it will be shanks pony for me…Hi ho..