Birdcage bower

Today I went over to Rousay with the Wisconsin art prof and her students. We drove along to Midhowe Broch where they settled down to draw and I walked along the cliffs. I passed the Rough of Scabra and Quern of Whisberand along to Scabra Head and Hole of the Horses. There were hundreds of kittiwakes on the cliffs and quite a few seemed to be juveniles. Also lots of arctic and great skuas. Most skuas I've seen recently were heading south but these seemed still in their territories and I think some were juveniles. I think birds that haven't bred or failed to fledge young head off sooner. The great skuas divebombed me even though the season is past. I think at least one divebomber was a fledgeling which was being trained to the skill by parents circling above. Hard to get a good shot. I carried on to the blowhole with the name Sinians of Cutlaws and an old stone dam before turning back to the broch.On rejoining the artists, we went around the island and up to Trumland House gardens where I took this. The design is romantic, but the effect sort of sinister. I will upload other shots onto flickr....here.