Strange place to put a wall!

10th July

 Sunset over Marwick Head last night.

 

  Last night, the car park started to fill again with camper vans and motor homes. Next to us came a converted van with a sliddy door. We hate sliddy doors, although we did have one in NZ with the Toy (my name for the Toyota Hiace.) Why do some people have no regard for their fellow campers because slamming the door every time they left or went back in seemed to be the norm. In NZ, we tried our hardest to close the door quietly, ever mindful of folk still sleeping. That one next to us didn't care a toss! 5.15 am the person got out, slammed the door and then slammed it again. We think he must have gone for a P because he returned very quickly, slamming the door twice again!

The rain started around 6 am. Just a steady drizzle, but soon turned into a deluge. This was set to be in for the day. So what to do? The rain continued up until 10 30 when it slowed to a drizzle again. We made a break for the bird hide at The Loons. At least it would be dry inside. But it appeared as if the birds were not at all interested, the weather must have put them off because, apart from a few ducks, they failed to put in an appearance. We stuck it out for an hour. On the blackboard inside the hide, sightings of an Otter had been seen not many days ago. We lived in hope, but it was not to be.

Ducks, Curlew, Hooded crow and Oyster catchers, that was all we saw.

The only other place on our agenda for today was the Brough of Birsay. We rather fancied the walk across to the island at low tide, which wasn't until 18.08pm. 

Strange as we travelled along one of the lanes that beside the road was a semicircular wall. Anchors went on as Ian suddenly exclaimed it was the Listening Wall. A convenient lay-by in which to stop meant we could go and see what it was all about. 

 We stood silently waiting to be amazed by the bird sounds, but all we got were cars going past, wind whistling around the wall, and a tractor in a distant field!

Our destination car park with its picnic tables was lovely, and would be idyllic in calm warm weather conditions. Today, with the wind coming from the North, it was cold and blustery. We were still determined to walk across the causeway to the island later, even though the wet, cold and windy conditions will remain for the rest of the day, thank goodness I remembered to bring my thermal underwear!