Terns return to Skipi Geo

A trip over the Hillside road to Evie led to Birsay where I parked up at the Buckquoy car park where I indulged in bacon and egg rolls, coffee and photos of the recent rockfall at Marwick. With the tide rising to much for a walk to the broch I made for Skipi Geo to check out the turns. Sure enough they were loafing about claiming nesting spots, picking at the thrift and moving stones. Hopefully they will have some luck breeding here. The western cliffs are poorly filled with breeding birds and things look pretty sparse. Only time will tell if the Auks and Terns will do any better this year and for now we can only hope. Skipi Geo is one of the strongest sites around tho with the birds here gaining the advantage of food brought here by the strong up welling currents and tides. It is this food source that hopefully will keep them going if the Sand eels move off to cooler waters. For now though life in the small colony is just getting going with pair bonding, food sharing and mating all happening together. All the drama noise and spectacle is just restarting for another season. Skipi Geo is a site that should be of interest to those who have limited mobility as with care you can get a car close enough to the edge to enjoy really close views with out having to walk any distance!!!

Alfresco sex is all very well but i think its a bit close to home for this Oystercatcher!!

Things look settled but the arival of a hoodie soon has everything in flux