A Scooty Allan is the Arctic Skua (Stercorarius skua).  They are bullies and attack other birds to get their food.

A Tirrick is an Arctic Tern (Stercorarius parasiticus).  They are not without their faults and during nesting time will dive bomb with intent to peck your head.

So, I went to beach to watch them arguing together.

The Scooty Allans were trying to steal the sand-eels off the Tirricks who were happily fishing in the afternoon sun.

This is a Scooty Allan.  They have a wingspan from between 107–125 cm and they are very nifty fliers.  They may look like a Lancaster Bomber but their flight is direct and powerful.

The Tirricks are much smaller and are little zippy fighter planes – the Spitfire of the bird world.

Their favourite food is sand-eels and the Scooty Allans like to wait until the Tirricks have caught one.  They then fly in and chase the little seabirds until they drop them.

To catch the sand-eels, the tirricks dive-bomb the water, vanish for a second and then fly out triumphantly with their catch.

If you look careful at these photos, you can see the tiny sand-eels in the tirricks mouths as they emerge from the water.

The Scooty Allans depends on the other fish-catching birds for its food.  It will harass the Tirrick until it drops the food – a very spectacular air battle to watch.

So I sat in the late afternoon sun and watched them perform their aerobatics listening to the screams of rage from the indignant Tirricks and the blue clear waves gently roll onto the beach.

I had a lovely ride this afternoon with Jo. She rode Klængur and I rode Haakon – we pottered up the road and back again putting the world to rights.

Afterwards, I grabbed my camera and iPod to spend the afternoon with BeAnne, lying on my waterproof coat enjoying the sunny weather with the horses and ponies.

I love pony watching.  My favourite sport.

One thing that occurred – I watched The Minions with Iacs and the little ones started to go over the burn (stream) to the other side of the field.  Iacs gave Kappi, who was not part of the group, a very long look and Kappi left everything and strolled up.  Then Iacs left the scene and the next thing I could see was Kappi chasing the little boys back over the burn and getting them to then follow him to another part of the field.  Most odd.  You could almost hear Iacs’ and Kappi’s conversation.

It was very nice watching The Minions jump the old dry stone dyke (wall).  Waffle jumped like a stag!

And so I lay on my coat with my camera taking the odd snap of the pony politics and enjoying the warm autumn sun.

Taktur came over to stand beside me.  He was watching too in a sleepy afternoon ZZzzzz sort of way.

Next thing, he had flopped down beside me.  The iPod was playing Ólafur Arnalds (a BAFTA-winning multi-instrumentalist and producer from Mosfellsbær, Iceland).  It is beautiful evocative music and together Taktur and I listened sleepily together for half an hour or so.

It is good to see The Minions and Taktur get on well together.  There is no aggro, no nothing really though I did see Waffle trying to have a sneaky nibble of Taktur’s back leg!

It was an interesting afternoon.

I was looking for Taktur in the field when I came across this little group.

It made me smile.  Kappi was taking his baby-sitting responsibilities very seriously though Waffle was wearing a blade of grass – he is like that.

Storm was sitting by himself looking enchanting in the long hill grass.

While  I was removing Waffle’s hair decoration, Kappi flopped down by my feet to nod off.

Well, he would’ve liked to have had 40 winks if he could….

But I doubt, somehow that little Storm was going to let him.

(Someone woke the children)

So I left them sitting in the middle of nowhere.

and eventually found Taktur waiting by the gate to be fed.  He didn’t have anything except grass while he was on his honeymoon but he has fallen back into his old routine very quickly.

Taktur has also remembered how to put his feet in the bucket to tip it up, which is a very annoying habit.  So I moved his bucket to be next to me and BeAnne and we kept him company while he ate.

He is easily distracted and tends to wander off if left by himself.

Luckily BeAnne doesn’t mind helping as she eats all the bits that fall out while he looks up to think.

I always think Taktur is my Ferdinand (my most favourite of books).

Ferdinand ran to the middle of
the ring and everyone shouted
and clapped because they
thought he was going to fight
fiercely and butt and snort
and stick his horns around.
But not ferdinand.  When he
got to the middle of the ring
he saw the flowers in all the 
lovely ladies' hair and he just
sat down quietly and smelled.
He wouldn't fight and be fierce
no matter what they did.  He 
just sat and smelled. 

 

I knew tomorrow (i.e. today) was going to be a “day o shite”, so I went out last night (i.e. yesterday) with my camera last thing to see if the boys were all settled down.

It was a lovely calm and peaceful evening.  Red (ish) sky and no wind which makes a mockery of the saying “red sky at night, shepherd’s delight”.

Taktur is settling back in again. I am sure he enjoyed his summer holiday but is glad to see his old friends.

He is tolerating The Minions and I expect, and hope, them to all be firm friends by the end of winter.

So this is last night.  All quiet, peaceful and calm. Nothing moving.

And this is today.  As you can see the field is  flooded and you can imagine the weather is vile.  I am already on my second pair of trousers having taken the aged Jack out for his walk.  He can’t half shift when the weather is bad.  I was impressed.

The horses are ignoring what is going on.  This is still summer for them and it is not that cold so they are happily stuffing their faces.  I am worried that I cannot see Storm in this photo but he is very small so probably tucked under Iacs’ belly or something. (Update – OH says he saw him on Loki’s dog walk – phew, relief).

Oh yes, and if you have ever wondered how BeAnne gets through the fences…..

Well now you know!

The winter change-over happened today.

Hammy and Indy had to leave for another field miles away as Taktur was coming back to start his training again.  I know in my heart that Indy and Taktur will never live together in peace and harmony.  It is just not going to happen.

So, we put Taktur in the field and, once he had worked out how to go through the gateway (not bright, but achieved after a few attempts). he reacquainted himself with his old herd and, at long last, met The Minions.

This is Haakon’s very cross face.

I am keeping a very close eye on everyone as last seen, before we took Hammy and Indy away, was Taktur chasing The Minions in a rather bullying way….. not good.

But they seem undeterred and I won’t move them out unless I have to.

They have to learn how to behave and perhaps playing “Grandmother’s Footsteps” with a stallion is not the way to make friends.

After putting Hammy and Indy in their new field in Sandness, I went for a quick walk with Jo and Freyja out hunting (sadly Freyja was too fat and so we gave up).

Then home to see how everyone was getting on.

Haakon had a small cut under his eye and taken up with The Minions, which is most unlike him.  He usually doesn’t have any time for them.

My little boys were unhurt and seemed happy enough.

The field is big while they work out their politics and there is always a friend about.

Meanwhile, Taktur was away from the herd pooling on every pile and shouting for his lady but getting no reply.

Like I said, I am keeping a close eye on them all.