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Part 26 sharing a fortnight of daily treks down and around Whaligoe Steps, Caithness, which is an additional blog entry to the ongoing ‘Whaligoe Steps 365’ challenge which began on May 1st, 2023.

From Monday, April 15th, up to and including Sunday, April 28th, 2024, this blog entry hopes to share photographs of highlights captured around this remarkable bit of Scottish coastline, and incorporating wee video clips too.

Previous blog entry – April Full of Primrose Promise and So Much More! – Whaligoe Eye (April 1st, 2024 up to and including April 14th, 2024)

A blog entry was published recapping all my fortnightly trekking experiences, it can be viewed here – Recap Magic for a Second Time! – Whaligoe Eye

By the time I publish this blog entry, I’ll have tackled three hundred and sixty four consecutive days of exploring, documenting and experiencing the region directly relating to Whaligoe Steps.

Above is a clip of an oystercatcher, a seabird that has been challenging for me to photograph since beginning the whaligoeeye.co.uk website. So fleeting when perched on rocks, they hop around, poke the landscape in search of food, but nevertheless seem so restless and camera-shy.

April 15th, 2024: Birds were the highlight during this fortnight, as different species began settling on the ledges and in the North Sea. Below, I captured some razorbill swimming around just off the coastline, plus a fulmar is pleasantly relaxed on a rocky ledge and enjoying some sunshine.

April 16th, 2024: With tides shimmering and the weather certainly calming down, there’s been more nautical activity out to sea. Also below, a pied wagtail (Motacilla alba) skips on the pavement at the top of Whaligoe Steps enjoying some sunny spells.

April 17th, 2024: One of the resident rabbits bathed in the glow of some morning sun, while in another part of this coastal community a pair of fulmars communicate with each other.

April 18th, 2024: After another April shower, primrose and fulmar added their presence to a hopeful and rustic landscape.

April 19th, 2024: Shag (Gulosus aristotelis) gather nesting materials, razorbill (Alca torda) looks out to sea and a dramatic sky of cloud smothers hints of sunnier weather.

April 20th, 2024: The Whaligoe Steps waterfall…

April 21st, 2024: A clip looking out from the Bink (grassy platform at the base of the six flights of zig-zagging stone steps). The North Sea which hosts Beatrice wind farm, located just over eight miles from the mainland coastline.

April 22nd, 2024: Signs that spring have truly landed on Earth. Below, is a sighting of a baby bunny.

In the evening of April 22nd, the moon caught my eye.

April 23rd, 2024: A young seagull checks out the view as marsh buttercups blossom.

Like the night before, moon and clouds danced in the dark skies above Whaligoe steps.

April 24th, 2024: Seabirds put on a show during this particular morning trek.

Black guillemot (Cepphus grylle) beside a rusty relic, eider duck (Somateria mollissima) – female is brown, male with black and white plumage – out and about on the silky sea. Finally in this feathered gallery is the distinctive oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus).

April 25th, 2024: Slightly blinded by the glare of the sun, I was perched on a large rock on the pebble shore looking out across the shimmering sea… Keep watching, there’s a surprise on the horizon.

April 26th, 2024: Temperatures were a little low during this daily trek challenge, despite it being late April. Yet almost despite the chilled ambience, the sun relented. Below is another lovely sky photograph and one of my favourite dandelion sightings.

On this specific Friday morning trek, while I stood on the shoreline perusing the landscape I took the moment to film a panning clip of the shallow cave ending it with a distant shot of the Bink.

April 27th, 2024: Primrose and sunshine during a breezy Saturday morning.

April 28th, 2024: Waves were well-paced on the sea this Sunday morning, plus abundant seabirds still arriving and settling on the rocky ledges.

Beautiful cloud too…

One more blog entry to summarise and complete this epic challenge will be forthcoming, a whole three hundred and sixty five or more days of walking down or/and around Whaligoe Steps.

Changing of the seasons has been most insightful, the physicality of walking up and down the steps has been quite an experience, witnessing the natural highlights and those storms which battered the United Kingdom were ferocious at times.

Above is a close-up of hailstones from the morning of April 25th. Funny how the sunshine has been so present between April showers, yet the temperatures plunged to such low degrees that hail made an appearance.

Thank you as always for your time and support, your kindness and for being You.

FACEBOOK: Whaligoe Eye | Lybster | Facebook

X (Formerly TWITTER): (2) Whaligoe Eye (@WhaligoeEye) / X (twitter.com)

X (Formerly TWITTER – GARY): (2) Gary (✌🙄 busy) (@floodland08) / X (twitter.com)

EMAIL: WhaligoeEye@gmail.com

Thank you for dropping by this freezing cold, blog entry. If you’re looking for some winter-themed images then you’ve come to the right place. Perhaps you’re simply curious about the coastal location where Whaligoe Steps is situated and wish to see photography showcasing snow covering? Then once again, you’re in the right place.

The fortnight documented below from Monday, January 8th up to and including Sunday, January 21st, 2024, was remarkable for the snowfall and prominent wintery weather. I was caught in a blizzard which was both alarming and comical simultaneously. Just wait until you see a selfie I struggled to capture once I returned to the top after a serene and frozen descent.

Anyways, you don’t want to see my icicles, you want to know how my daily trek challenge is going…

Link to my last episode about this daily trek challenge – New Year for my Daily Trek Challenge! – Whaligoe Eye

Other useful links relating to my daily trek challenge: Recap for Whaligoe Steps 365… (Parts 1 to 14) – Whaligoe Eye

Daily Trek Challenge (Part 15) – Whaligoe Eye

Daily Trek Challenge: Part 16 (Nov. 27th – Dec. 10th, 2023) – Whaligoe Eye

Daily Trek Challenge during December, 2023 – Whaligoe Eye

Now that you’ve caught up, let’s get to this blog entry and what I had the luxury of documenting.

Jan. 8th, 2024: If you were a seagull or fulmar flying over this part of the coastline, I wonder if you’d see this sort of view?

The Bink with a section of the zig-zagging lower flights of Whaligoe Steps, and the Salt House.

Jan. 9th, 2024: After the recent couple of years where bird flu has ravaged the seabird populations, it’s a joy to confirm that there are building numbers of feathered friends returning to rocky ledges once more.

Jan. 10th, 2024: You know by now that I like a silhouette, and I hope this doesn’t disappoint.

Jan. 11th, 2024: Some gravel litters these steps after being dragged by rainfall and stormy conditions above. This is a photograph of the fifth flight of Whaligoe Steps.

Jan. 12th, 2024: This image tickles me due to the posture adopted by the gull in the top left hand corner.

Jan. 13th, 2024: In the early hours I found this image to be atmospheric. Tranquillity in a moment of cold, yet calming ambience.

Jan. 14th, 2024: The trek was evident for really freezing temperatures, and knowing how subtle changes to the landscape had taken place over the past two months, it wasn’t a surprise to find the broken anchor had moved.

Jan. 14th – Afternoon… Later in the day, I ventured down and around Whaligoe Steps for a second visit. A light covering of snow as temperatures held firmly hinting that perhaps more was to come…

Jan. 15th, 2024: Plenty of snow fell and gripped the landscape. The photo below is of the first flight of Whaligoe Steps in the early hours.

Jan. 16th, 2024: Icicles aplenty… The freeze continues.

There is a blog entry sharing images of this day which you can view by clicking on this link – Beautiful January Days of White Satin – Whaligoe Eye

Jan. 17th, 2024: The view along the coastline as it travels northwards from Whaligoe Steps.

Jan. 18th, 2024: A personal fave, I ended up using this photograph in conjunction with a daily poem too…

Solace swoons where mingling matters whisper winter words (#Only8Words)

Jan. 19th, 2024: An ominous ascent from the bottom of the first flight heading back to my home.

Jan. 20th, 2024: By the time I ventured out for my daily trek on this Saturday, the snow was melting considerably and I took an opportune moment to craft a ‘snow heart’ on some grass, located on the Bink.

Jan. 21st, 2024: As the thaw continued, some feathered friends took to the sky in celebration.

I hope you enjoyed this blog, and with just over three months left until I finish my daily trek challenge where I go down and around Whaligoe Steps each and every day for a whole year, look out for further entries as I continue my adventures.

All going well, the next blog will be documenting the fortnight from Monday, January 22nd up to and including Sunday, February 4th, 2024.

Thank you for your generosity of time and kindness, stay safe and take care.

FACEBOOK: Whaligoe Eye | Lybster | Facebook

TWITTER (X): Whaligoe Eye (@WhaligoeEye) / X (twitter.com)

TWITTER (X) – GARY: Gary (busy ✌🙄) (@floodland08) / X (twitter.com)

EMAIL: WhaligoeEyeToo@gmail.com

In passing when I’ve been talking with visitors to Whaligoe Steps, I occasionally get asked about what it is like living here during the winter season. Looking through my photographs of Whaligoe Steps taken over the years, I didn’t find any really good ones which showcased a visual for the winter season.

Today, I corrected the oversight as I watched hail, sleet and gentle snow flurries grace the landscape from the evening of January 3rd, continuing intermittently throughout the morning of the 4th.

Take my hand as we tentatively negotiate the slippery Steps from the top down to the Bink…

It was a little slippery underfoot, as the descent took place accompanied by a light breeze and a crispy cold ambience.

On this specific trek over the snow covered steps, I noticed how prominent the presence of the winter covering was on the higher flights than the sets of steps further down. Remember, there are six flights of steps which zig-zag down the cliff face making up the Whaligoe Steps.

The north sea gets darker with the wintery weather and provides a pleasant contrast on the eye.

These sets of Whaligoe Steps were given a makeover by the Stonemason Charles Juhlenski during several months of 2021…

As the fourth flight of Whaligoe Steps (photograph directly above this text) reaches its end, at the time of the blog post the steps are in a precarious state of disrepair with some specific examples now wobbling significantly. (Please be aware if you read this at the time of the blog post being published for obvious safety reasons).

At this stage of my descent, I noticed how the north sea breeze and perhaps the shelter from the landscape were disrupting the snow from settling as much.

We made it! The Bink welcomes us after we cautiously trekked down the Whaligoe Steps…

To recap and continue my tale of the grey seal pup encounter, I was blessed with thirteen days of dropping by and capturing video clips and photographs of an ever-evolving baby grey seal. It was left quite naturally as it turns out, on the nearest of the three indents which can sometimes be accessed once down the Whaligoe Steps.

Part of the physical changes witnessed included some evident moulting. I took a photo of a makeshift base which the baby seal inhabited for long durations. There were clumps of fur rolling in the breeze or littering the pebbles. It felt a little coarse if small amounts were held in the hand, but if you were fortunate enough to clench a large amount of baby seal fur, it felt a lot softer.

Via social media, someone asked whether I was feeding it or perhaps pondering over any interaction with the pebble shore baby. For those who are curious, I let Mother Nature take its proverbial course and only monitored the grey seal pup. I maintained a safe distance and I found myself quietly observing most of the time, except if I slipped or stepped in mud or water. On those occasions I might have let out a spontaneous grumble!

According to what I have learned, baby seals can forage and eat anything from crustaceans, small fish and I saw a mention of seabirds! I only witnessed the little fellow playing with various sorts of immediate seaweed during its stay here at Whaligoe Steps. But don’t trust my research, there are many articles and books on the subject. The RSPB have this online article for example: Seal Pups in the UK | See The Baby Seals This Winter – The RSPB

A book which I am proud to say has been ordered thanks to two recommendations I received, is called “An Amazing Adventure: The Story of a Grey Seal Pup” by Ken Crossan. I might well add a reaction via social media once I get a copy and have digested the content, but all recommendations were of a positive note.

Within the thirteen days I had the privilege of monitoring the baby seal, I witnessed the coat turn from a clean white to eventually a grey shade. The head was the first evident physical change although tufts of the fur were sticking up and there was moulting occurring on its torso. It was a rapid physical transition with subtle changes being evident on each visit I made.

I will share an anecdote with you. On the 21st of December, before the baby seal departed its temporary base here, I was keeping an eye on life at Whaligoe Steps as usual. There was a visit from a couple who seemed to be in a whimsical and adventurous mood. We mumbled pleasantries in passing and that was it.

My instincts were alerted by their body language, so being of a protective mood at the time, I waited a little longer than I had initially anticipated.

With a wee glance from the bink area, I noticed the couple had made their way right passed the camouflaged pebble shore baby! I recall making a mental note to myself how utterly efficient the camouflage of the baby seal was.

Those visitors consumed by the view of a tempting north sea, were not a great distance from where the pup was situated. Yet as the female burst into song and made howling noises out loud, relishing the subtle echo which emanated from the location, the two of them were completely oblivious that a baby seal was taking in their performance!

I watched nervously as it moved its head pondering on what the noise was all about and who on earth these two visitors were. Thankfully, the noise was the only disturbance I believe they made.

After thirteen days of ascending and descending the Whaligoe Steps checking on the baby seal and other general activities, I found myself juggling bittersweet emotions when on the last visit I noticed the grey seal pup had gone. I was thrilled that it had survived and ventured finally into the cold waters of the north sea, but simultaneously I felt like a wild unspoken bond between different species of mammal was at an abrupt end.

If you would permit a moment of sentimentality, I really deeply miss the fellow. I made a sighting on the day after it had moved on (24th of December, 2021). Was it one of the other grey seals, or was it the pup gradually getting further and further out to sea?

Thank you for your continued support on the various online locations you can find “Whaligoe Eye”, and for those who took the plunge and subscribed to this website. I am working on the second ‘newsletter’ which will include the name of the winner of my first ever giveaway, plus information about this thirteen day experience with the grey seal pup, and will include a couple of other bits ‘n’ bobs.

If you enjoyed this blog post, then feel free to subscribe via this website using the online form, or if you prefer you can find “Whaligoe Eye” on FACEBOOK: Whaligoe Eye – Home | Facebook

“Whaligoe Eye” can be found on TWITTER: Whaligoe Eye (@WhaligoeEye) / Twitter or my own TWITTER account: Gary (@floodland08) / Twitter

I also upload video clips to YOUTUBE: Whaligoe Eye – YouTube

The next blog post I have in the wings, is simply a summary and recap of what “Whaligoe Eye” has developed in to thus far.

Remember, “Whaligoe Eye” made its debut during the middle of August, 2021, due to the lack of any movement by the local Highland Council addressing how dangerous life had become living here, and for those visiting Whaligoe Steps too. For example, a near miss as a resident was exiting the front door of their home, a wall knocked down, consistent congestion and a car park with no facilities, and inadequate spacing, etc.

The local infrastructure is not currently deemed a priority and as a consequence when busy, there is legitimate cause for concern regarding not only further property damage, but significant hindrance regarding emergency vehicle access amongst other health and safety concerns.

As the New Year looms prominently (at the time of assembling this blog post), I wish you all a contented and safe 2022.

Thanks again for everything, take care and be safe.

Here in the Highlands of Scotland we are blessed with some majestic views, vibrant wildlife, and a hardened lifestyle dwelling within Mother Nature’s ever-changing frame. This website was a springboard to bring attention to the precarious and evidently inadequate infrastructure at Whaligoe Steps, which at the time of this blog entry still exists sadly. But as the months roll by, this humble website has become something more.

I am constantly humbled by not only the feedback from individuals who visit the website, but also the steep learning curve of learning. With an abundance of wildlife on my doorstep so to speak, I am consistently digesting new-to-me information about the various species which consider the environment their home.

Check out the “Nature” section of this website if you get a spare moment: Nature – Whaligoe Eye

In previous blog posts, I have been bouncing with joy over the many sightings of grey seals. Since the start of August, one seal was spotted. Then two seals. Finally my over-zealous excitement burst with the most heart-warming enthusiasm when a third seal was sighted in the waters of the north sea here.

During the many regular treks down Whaligoe Steps it became apparent that one of the grey seals was huge! Unnervingly so as it happens. Whispers amongst those who knew of this were suspecting a pregnancy. After some rapid research, the time of year being October of 2021, it all felt like something special was going to unfold.

On the 10th of December, I found myself melancholy at the state of the nearest pebble shore at Whaligoe Steps. The previous nights had seen storms of significant power batter the coastline, and with such weather arrived a collection of plastic-related pollution, plus some heavy timber. One item caught my eye. It looked to be a white plastic bag or flimsy container which moved. There was a breeze, so it was totally plausible.

On closer inspection, I discovered the white object was in fact a living, breathing grey seal pup! As I share this with you, I cannot articulate sufficiently what this meant to me. My instinctive panic to what may befall such a beautiful example of Mother Nature if visitors from afar were to unintentionally harm or alarm it, or in cases I have seen via articles on seal clubbing or abuse to such native coastline wildlife which was intentional and thoughtless, took hold of my thoughts.

Due to the significant levels of visitors which travel here these days, and despite the crisp cold air of December where once upon a time local people would not see anyone, there are still people who frequent this area. I became almost maternal in my protective ways, and those residents who knew of its existence also adopted an unspoken veil of secrecy regarding the arrival of this pebble shore baby.

I checked out the RSPCA website and even tried to phone them as I was caught up in my woes for the safety of such a wild, yet young grey seal: Seal Pup Found Alone | RSPCA

Apparently after further reading, the Mum nurtures and brings up the newly born pup for about a month before setting it free on a nearby beach or shoreline. The seal pup will then be at the mercy of its own instincts and the environment in which it evolves for about two weeks or so. During this time the seal pup is learning about the relationship with the sea, food and protein, and everything else you can imagine when a living species enters its habitat.

There were days when the seal pup would do very little in the way of movement as it conserved energy. It gave off a serene ambience whilst absorbing all around with those beautiful large dark orbs. In the video clips above you may note how the fur is beginning to change. Within the thirteen days I was gifted the opportunity of monitoring and observing it, the physical changes which transpired were remarkable.

I mentioned the plastic pollution that washed up around the same time the grey seal pup made its grand entrance on the pebble shore. The photograph below was taken during an impressive clearance of the larger and potentially more hazardous items which were briefly in close proximity to the pup.

I will share with you some more of my personal experience with this adorable example of the wildlife which graces the shores here in the United Kingdom. Be patient with me as I need to forage amongst my documented footage and photographs to find out which ones are the finest, and then treat them so they are appropriate to be uploaded. Part 2 will be posted in the next day or so as I juggle the Festive period and all that comes with such traditions.

Many thanks for dropping by, it is appreciated.

Remember you can find “Whaligoe Eye” on Facebook: Whaligoe Eye – Home | Facebook

You can find “Whaligoe Eye” on Twitter: Whaligoe Eye (@WhaligoeEye) / Twitter or find me, Gary on Twitter: Gary (@floodland08) / Twitter

You can find “Whaligoe Eye” on YouTube: Whaligoe Eye – YouTube

Take care and be safe.