Toward Kirkhouse Point

I should have taken it easy after giving myself such a thump yesterday, but it was a beautiful day so I headed out and down to South Ronaldsay and the village of St Margaret's Hope. I walked over the hill past Wheems farm to Eastside. I was looking for migrants - no rarities but lots of wheatears and eighteen whimbrels. The latter is a wader that features in the old Steve McQueen movie 'The Thomas Crown Affair" in the song 'The Whimbrels of Your Mind".

I headed past The Grud to Manse Bay and found some new residents in my way- several fully-horned cattle including a large bull. I did not think myself fit to run if they were unfriendly, but they kept their cool.