MONIQUE SLIEDRECHT: Senses refreshed as Caithness spring lifts the spirits
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Northern Drift by Monique Sliedrecht
Tonight, if it is clear, we will see the full glory of May’s appropriately named "Flower Moon". I always love this time in spring, when the wildflowers emerge and bring such brightness and varying colour to the Caithness landscape.
Days are now significantly lengthening, tides continue to ebb and flow, seaweeds are thriving in their underwater and sunlit habitats, and birds are breeding and nesting in the trees, fields and clifftops.
Aside from an unusually warm week in the middle of April, we’ve had some wintry weather of late. I am hoping for more sunshine and further signs of spring soon.
Recently some guests came to the north for a very special celebration held in Freswick Castle. One of the friends who visited is the founder of the international conservation organisation, A Rocha, and is a notable ornithologist, called Peter Harris.
On returning from a walk to the Duncansby Stacks, his hair tousled by the northern wind, binoculars in hand, Peter exclaimed that this is a "world class site" – truly one of the top birding locations in the world.
A Rocha centres are established in more than 20 countries, so Peter’s opinion is a powerful reminder of our heritage in the far north. Looking out over the Pentland Firth, he said he saw pomerine, Arctic and great skuas, razorbills, guillemots, cormorant, and on a previous visit to Freswick, he spotted seven varieties of raptor in one day.
He mentioned that the rip tide at the end of the Pentland Firth is amazing for gathering all the seabirds migrating north.
The RSPB agrees: "The Caithness and Orkney coastlines are internationally important for migratory and breeding seabirds, including Atlantic puffins, black-legged kittiwakes, Arctic skuas and Arctic terns, razorbills, northern fulmars, common guillemots, storm petrels, great northern divers, Slavonian grebes and greater black-backed gulls. European shag colonies also exist on Sule Skerry and Sule Stack and the region's only gannet colony is located on Sule Stack."
Just over a month ago, the BBC released a documentary series called Wild Isles, featuring the UK and its various unique ecosystems and wildlife. David Attenborough is the narrator and speaks passionately of the richness all around us.
There is one episode called Saving our Wild Isles that was left out of the public broadcasting series, but can be found on BBC iPlayer under "Extras".
To me, it is the culmination of the series as a whole, and a call to action while we still have time. It is well worth watching, if not to be inspired by the new innovations of people who are trying to restore populations of sea- and wild-life, trees and meadows in Scotland, Wales and England.
In my recovery from a concussion, I’ve slowly been reconnecting to the natural world around me. When I go out and stand on the clifftops, my lungs expand to breathe in the salty air. It is exhilarating. I experience the joy of spreading my own wings as I span the distance beyond my familiar territory. My eyes are opened. It is like seeing the world for the first time. I feel a new appreciation for our precious environment and the unique wildlife.
Every spring, my senses are attuned to the sights and sounds in a fresh way, lifted by the song of the curlew, encouraged by the presence of the swallows building their mud nests, and enamoured by the auks settling on the precarious sea-facing rocks.
This year it all seems even more poignant somehow, especially when I think about how we might lose some of these gifts of life around us. UK nature is incredible and it’s our life support system, but it is in crisis.
"Our wildlife and wild places are on the brink – we have just enough of the natural world left to help it recover if we all act now." (Save Our Wild Isles)
- Monique Sliedrecht is an artist, blogger and podcaster based at Freswick – www.moniquesliedrecht.com
