Return to Sanday

After some years in which plants took first place in his life, in summer 1928 he returned to the birds of Sanday in the Orkneys. He stayed at the Galillee croft as in 1919, this time with his son Mervyn. Mr Guthrie, had died in the interim and they were looked after by his widow and her sister. They stayed briefly in Kirkwall before going on to Sanday, where Collingwood was soon skeyching

Kirkwall, Orkney, 19 June 1928

Blackbirds are quite common in Kirkwall and have a distinct Orcadian accent – a song at any rate very different from the rather drawn-out melancholy fluting of their Wealden relatives. It is a more ‘compact’ melody and uttered from the top of a chimney in the midst of this grey-toned city was a very cheering utterance. It reminds me vaguely of a Rock Thrush’s song. ……

…… while on shore at Westray, Mervyn found a Corncrake’s nest with ten eggs. This was ensconced in thick herbage under a stone wall. We flushed the bird in the corner of the field. As she had undoubtedly run down the strip of thick uncultivated growth under the wall I suggested retracing our steps, which resulted in the discovery of the nest.

The Herring Gulls at Scrabster were astonishingly bold and while the trawler hands were unloading their herrings would raid the barrels and hurriedly seize and swallow one of these comparatively large fish from under the men’s very noses.