Tag: Wagtail

Welcome to part 23 of my coverage from daily treks down and around Whaligoe Steps. Since May 1st, 2023, I’ve been taking photos and walking around this wee local region of the northern Scottish coastline.

Each and every day has been captured in one way or another for posterity, and has included storms of various names, snow, sunrises, wildlife and various silhouettes, plus the varying landmarks like the old Salt House, the boat winch, the plaques erected by the stonemason Charlie Juhlenski, and much more.

Generally, this fortnight from Monday, March 4th, 2024, up to and including Sunday, March 17th, 2024, was about the seabird population feeling at home on rocky ledges and flying. Signs of spring are really happening too.

Without further ado, let’s get to the action…

March 4th, 2024: A clear sky provided an inviting environment for fulmars and seagulls alike…

March 5th, 2024: Quite a contrast during this specific trek, as winds pushed the North Sea into dramatic poses.

March 6th, 2024: During this fortnight, the Bink (grassy platform at the base of the six flights of steps) was muddy and slippery. Below is the old Salt House and some general ambience.

March 7th, 2024: Back to some landscape bathing in sunshine. The view looking northwards along the coastline.

March 8th, 2024: Happy ‘International Women’s Day’

To acknowledge this special day, I took photographs of the two stone plaques celebrating Etta Juhle and her significant contribution to the Whaligoe Steps. Her son, Charlie was the stonemason who had these incorporated to the area, and has also made an invaluable contribution to the state they’re in when visitors drop by.

(There are blogs dating back to 2022, which add references to Charlie’s appreciated and marvellous handywork and trade skillset).

March 9th, 2024: Captured flying seabird silhouettes in a sky full of battle with sunlight and cloud.

March 10th, 2024: Personally, I feel I occasionally capture a photograph of something which seems to exhibit a tremendous presence in texture.

It doesn’t happen a lot, but below is an example of the North Sea being my model, and within the waves and tides a particular atmosphere is presented in the shapes and shading.

March 10th, 2024: During this particular day, I was able to position myself on the pebble shore and caught a short video clip of coastal ambience…

March 11th, 2024: Awaiting an abundance of new life as spring parades the catwalk, it’s a game of patience in some respects…

March 12th, 2024: “Get off my ledge!”

March 13th, 2024: These last couple of months have provided some beautiful skies. Below, among the glare of sunshine is a swooping seabird celebrating what it is to have freedom and wings.

March 14th, 2024: On top of Whaligoe Steps you may find a landscape crawling with wildlife. The humble rabbit, chomping on grass and rather alert to predators goes about a natural business.

March 15th, 2024: Thus far, I’ve witnessed a solitary daffodil plant located in the area of the Whaligoe Steps. Beautiful and vibrant yellow flowers break up the rustic landscape.

March 16th, 2024: A sunrise begins an ascendancy among clouds within a bright blue sky.

March 17th, 2024: To complete this blog entry, for Sunday, March 17th, 2024… The photos below showcase the trail descending the Whaligoe Steps, breaking up your journey with each flight and section.

If you were to tackle this physical course, on this day, the landscape you see below is what you’d be walking amongst.

Beginning your descent from the top left hand corner and letting your eye flow to the right, a track with grooves and gravel beneath your feet. This is then followed by a short series of stone steps.

Then you tackle the six flights of Whaligoe Steps…

Many thanks for your support, generosity of time and kindness, as always I like to acknowledge how much it means.

I hope that I get to share the next instalment of my daily trek challenge with you as I aim to achieve an entire 365 consecutive days walking down and around the Whaligoe Steps.

I just wanted to share this wee video clip of a wagtail, spotted at the base of the landfall here at Whaligoe Steps. Filmed on March 15th, 2024.

Until next time, take care and stay safe.

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Daylight is becoming shy as the season of autumn falls on this coastal location at Whaligoe Steps, in Caithness, Scotland. Sightings of the moon in conjunction with some more beautiful sunrises give nature a presence so precious.

Links to the previous episodes which document my attempt to go down or around, or both, regarding the six zig-zagging flights of rustic stone steps known as Whaligoe Steps, which wind their way down a two hundred and fifty foot cliff face can be clicked on below…

New Challenge (Part 1) – Whaligoe Eye

New Challenge (Part 2) – Whaligoe Eye

New Challenge (Part 3) – Whaligoe Eye

New Challenge (Part 4) – Whaligoe Eye

New Challenge (Part 5) – Whaligoe Eye

New Challenge (Part 6) – Whaligoe Eye

Daily Challenge (Part 7) – Whaligoe Eye

Daily Challenge (Part 8) – Whaligoe Eye

Daily Challenge (Part 9) – Whaligoe Eye

Whaligoe Steps 365 (Part 10) – Whaligoe Eye

Whaligoe Steps 365 (Part 11) – Whaligoe Eye

I began these adventures walking down the Whaligoe Steps each and every day from May 1st, 2023… By the end of this month of October I will have succeeded in tackling a trek around this rustic coastal location for a whole six months. Encounters with deer, rabbits, curlew, various seabirds, a stoat, a grey seal and being gifted the many witness accounts of varying sunrises have all shown me the wonders of what the natural world has to offer, alongside the coldest sea in the world.

This blog entry is sharing some highlights collated from October 2nd, 2023 up to and including Sunday, October 15th, 2023…

Oct. 2nd, 2023: In one direction was a stunning sunrise over the North Sea… I turned around and noticed behind the flora, a faint but present moon fading into the daylight…

Oct. 3rd, 2023: A rabbit plays peek-a-boo whilst a dazzling sunrise takes place on the horizon, melting clouds and shimmering at the beginning of daybreak.

Oct. 4th, 2023: Despite the temperatures dropping, the wind picking up and the general lack of daylight, the local flora still puts on a show during the overcast conditions of the day.

Oct. 5th, 2023: Off-shore wind farm called Beatrice is just over eight miles from the coastline, and the shadows of the wind turbines loom in the foreground of another scorching sun.

On this particular trek, I caught a glimpse of Star as she went hunting in the verge…

Oct. 6th, 2023: Shades in a sunrise differ depending on the skies. Not that it would cross the mind of a grey seal, which was spotted at Whaligoe Steps perusing the local waters…

Oct. 7th, 2023: Early on a Saturday afternoon, I was fortunate enough to not only witness a rock pipit hopping from stone to stone, but also one of the wild rabbits which inhabit a vibrant community here at the ‘Steps.

Oct. 8th, 2023: Looking magnificent after Charlie’s stonemasonry, the second flight of the six which make their way down the cliff face.

Despite the drizzle during this trek, I was pleased to witness the grey seal swimming around in some restless tides.

Oct. 9th, 2023: Waves became excitable when analysed closely, yet from a distance they rapidly diminished when seen within the context of a radiant sunrise.

Oct. 10th, 2023: Jagged rock and the Whaligoe Steps provide the shapes for what nature likes to work with. Below is a point beside the Bink where a hole exists filled with rubble.

An angle taken of the ‘forgotten flight’ (fifth flight of Whaligoe Steps) as it curls towards the Bink.

Oct. 11th, 2023: There’s gold in them skies I tell you!

During a Wednesday trek I was astounded by the beautiful sunrise. A wonderful opportunity to capture a silhouette too.

Oct. 12th, 2023: Talking of silhouettes…

These past few days, the waterfall has been rife as the water from the higher ground has been adding to the generosity of flow.

Oct. 13th, 2023: The wild rabbits love the sunshine.

A photograph showcasing the work Charlie Juhlenski did on the third flight of Whaligoe Steps.

Oct. 14th, 2023: A grim day as the weather continues to bite. The lack of seabirds has made an eerie presence to the skies and the ledges of the cliffs, so it was a delight to see this great black-backed gull enjoying the ripe breeze of the North Sea.

Oct. 15th, 2023: During my Sunday afternoon trek down and around Whaligoe Steps, not only was the weather cold and almost uninviting, but Star provided some light relief by being cute.

Jackdaws ponder over which direction to travel via the John O’Groats trail…

So until the next blog entry, I must say with hearty gratitude a sincere THANK YOU for your support reading and looking at these blogs, and for taking some time to check out my postings on social media.

This whole experiment with investing time and money in ‘Whaligoe Eye’ has been a truly profound experience, and with the Highland Council working in the background on how they’re going to utilise their £90,000 budget to create a better infrastructure here at Whaligoe Steps, there is some real room for optimism regarding a safer and more appropriate car park for residents and visitors alike in the future.

I hope you take care, stay safe and have a positive fortnight until my next blog entry.

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This is my third blog documenting highlights and outlining what was achieved around Whaligoe Steps, and in some isolated instances, further afield in the county of Caithness, during a The Wildlife Trusts | The Wildlife Trusts initiative called ’30 Days Wild’.

Since 2015, the Wildlife Trust has inspired individuals of all walks of life to appreciate and understand better the natural world which surrounds them.

DAY 21: TUESDAY TREK

DAY 22: CELEBRATING ‘INSECT WEEK’

DAY 23: FOREST WALK… (welcome to Dunnet Forest)

DAY 24: STONE PAINTING (“PSYCHEDELIC CARPET FISH”)

DAY 25: WILDLIFE TRUST LIVE STREAMS… (Webcams | The Wildlife Trusts)

DAY 26: COLOUR BLUE

DAY 27: EIDER DUCKS (SOMATERIA MOLLISSIMA)

DAY 28: DEER SIGHTING!

DAY 29: GREY WAGTAIL (MOTACILLA CINEREA)

DAY 30: CELEBRATING WHALIGOE STEPS

Morning has broken…

Evening Descends…

So many highlights and revelations were taken from this thirty day duration of wildlife observation and study. There were moments of creativity like the stone painting and a little poetry. Times of celebrating specific wildlife or in the case of literature, celebrating the writings of author John Horne.

Expectations were dashed and simultaneously exceeded when no sighting of an orca during a tour of the north sea coastline took place, but yet despite not seeing deer during the ‘wild camp out’ a sighting was made several days later. The photo of a gannet (Morus bassanus) above on the very last trek down the Whaligoe Steps was a real gift, as were the images captured of butterflies from the garden here.

Snails were abundant one soggy morning eclipsing all other wildlife, as white-lipped snails danced in slow-motion on the prominent flora. Initial ideas for that specific day were sidelined as I photographed the snails moving about all around me.

Plenty of captured memories which give me a lot of pleasure in sharing with you. If you’ve visited this location before at Whaligoe Steps, maybe it’ll be of interest. On the other hand, if you simply enjoy viewing wildlife images including birdlife, wildflowers, the sea or even the skies, then I hope this blog entry with the previous two give you something of interest.

LINK to 30 Days Wild ’22 (June 1st – June 10th) 30 Days Wild ’22 (June 1st – June 10th) – Whaligoe Eye

LINK to 30 Days Wild ’22 (June 11th – June 20th) 30 Days Wild ’22 (June 11th – June 20th) – Whaligoe Eye

Locations during this month of natural appreciation ended up with most love landing at the door of Whaligoe Steps obviously, but you’ll also note the north coastline boat trip I took around the John O’Groats area, Dunnet Forest for some alternative terrain, two local gardens to the Whaligoe Steps and the recognition to the Wildlife Trust streaming section of their official website. This is where I tipped my hat to Norfolk (water voles) and ‘Scotland’ (Peregrine falcons).

Thank you only always for your time and interest, time for me to set sail again…

Stay safe and take care.

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