| Wandering Birder| Europe 2003 | Page 1 /2 |
Scotland Orkney Islands
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 Northern Fulmar Flying Past Cliff atYesraby on Orkney Islands. |
. Ferry to Orkney Islands
My tour of Scotland was rather uneventful bird wise with the exception of more Fulmars on the Isle of Skye. I turned in my rental car in Aberdeen and made my way back to Inverness by train. Early the next morning, I took a bus to John O`Grotes on the northern tip of mainland Scotland. From here you can take a day time ferry to the Orkney Islands. There is also an expensive night ferry from Aberdeen to the Orkney.
Throughout the hour trip I saw Fulmars, Arctic Terns, Gannets, Puffins, Razorbills, Guillemots(Common Murres ). The highlight was an Arctic Skua ( Parasitic Jaeger ) and my first Great Skua both chasing the same tern. The size comparison was marked. I was most impressed with the broad wings and short tail of the Skua compared with the much smaller Jaeger's narrow wings and longer tail. Flying together the birds are remarkably distinct. My main reason for going to the Orkney Islands was to see a Great Skua. Already that wish was fulfilled, but much more was to come. The Orkney Islands were a delightful surprise.
World Wars I and II History at Scapa Flow
The ferry docks on a small island on the eastern side of Scapa Flow. Scapa Flow was the home port of the British North Atlantic Fleet in both World War I and II. On the trip from the dock to the town of Kirkwell you pass over the Churchill Barriers built by POWs during WW II to block the south east entrances to Scapa Flow. Under the Geneva Convention, POWs are not supposed to work on war time projects. Churchill got around this by building the barriers as causeways connecting the islands. Today that is their only function. The Italian POWs built a small chapel out of scrap materials and it stands today beautifully decorated by one of the prisoners.
Before the barriers were built the British sunk ships in the shallow channels to prevent submarines from sneaking into the harbor from the east. They didn't work and a German submarine made it into the harbor and sunk a ship with tremendous loss of life. Incredibly the wreck is very close to shore. It is still on the bottom and the grave of some 800 souls. Scuba diving and tourism of the wreck are not allowed. Note: The US does not allow recreational activities on the sunken Arizona in Pearl Harbor as it is the final resting place of some 300 men. There is however a memorial built over the Arizona as it rests on the bottom.
The most interesting war event happened at the end of WW I when as part of the armistice agreement the German fleet was interned in Scapa Flow in November of 1918. The ships were to be divided among the victors. Negotiations dragged on throughout the winter and the German sailors manning the ships were bored, cold, under supplied and mutinous. Finally on June 21 when most of the British Navy were at sea, the German commander ordered all the ships sunk by opening valves to let in the sea water. There was nothing the British could do but watch as 94 ships settled to the bottom of the flow. Now not only were the victors deprived of the war booty, but the flow was littered with sunken ships. Some were salvaged for scrap metal. A few including the Dresden remain on the bottom where they now entertain scuba drivers. I took a trip on a boat with an underwater robotic television camera to see the Dresden still on the bottom in 110 feet of water. There is also a small war museum on the island of Hoy which we visited. I had 3 Great Skuas flying that day.
Stone Age Ruins
I rented a car in Kirkwell and stayed at the youth hostel there for 3 days. One day was spent exploring the absolutely incredible archeological sites on the main island.
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The most impressive site is Skara Brae a stone age village
excavated after parts of the village were uncovered by a big storm. Here is
view into one of the excavated houses showing a stone bed on the left, the
fireplace in the middle, shelves ( called dressers ) for storage at the back
and some bowl shaped worked stones which the archeologist think were used for
fish bait. This looks like something from the Flintstones television cartoon. |
Other archeological sites include the Standing Stones of Stenness which is a small version of Stonehenge. Maes Howe a passage tomb with graffiti left by later Vikings who used it for shelter, The Ring of Bogar another henge, a less well preserved stone age village. While visiting these sites I also saw birds: Knots, Redshank, Whimbrel.
RSPB
The largest landowner on the Orkneys is the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. Well this isn't all that big a deal because the rest of the island is owned by small family farmers. There are several refuges on the islands I visited one called The Loons where I met a bird guide who gave me his card:
John Grieve - Discover Orkney Tours - Telephone 01856872865 John @discoverorkney.com He leads tours in his own van for 35£ per person. He says June is the best month for birds. I was there in late July.
At the blind I had Coots, Reed Bunting, Moorhen, Mallard, Greylag Goose, Lapwing, Oystercatcher.
The Island of Hoy
There is a colony of Great Skuas on the island of Hoy, a short car ferry ride from the main island. There is also a hostel on Hoy near the Rock of Hoy where you can spend the night.
| The Dwarfie Tomb I had a very poor map of Hoy which showed the colony near the Rock of Hoy. On the drive you pass this large glacial erratic boulder which stone age man carved out as a tomb. It is a short walk across a peat bog from the road. This picture shows the entrance and the protective stone which once closed the entrance. Inside is a large hollow chamber. It is a most remarkable site. It was drizzling the day I was there and I was disappointed not to see any birds on the path. A family with a large dog were visiting the tomb at the same time I was there. I am convinced that the best way to scare off birds is to take a dog. |
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At the end of the road there is a parking lot and an uphill road which leads eventually to the Rock of Hoy. I saw lots of Great Black-backed Gulls in the sky and on the ground. I climbed a good way up the road in the rain without seeing any Great Skua. I decided I was on a wild goose chase and finally started back down. This was when I encountered a flock of Scottish Crossbills a bird with a very large and obviously crossed bill. My experience with Red and White-winged Crossbills in North America is that the crossed bill is usually a little hard to see. Not so with the Scottish Crossbill.
| Great Skua Colony I went back out to the main road and continued to the other entry into the reserve. Here I had to park and walk in to a small lake. There were several Great Skuas flying overhead. Finally I saw this one perched on a small rise. I began taking pictures while advancing slowly. I was allowed to get quite close before he flew. Remember I have only a small camera. |
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