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.
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