Orkney interlude

My wife and I visited Orkney for the first time this September. We accompanied our daughter who had come over from New Zealand to attend her brother's wedding.

Although we only spent two nights there we found it to be a destination we have to re-visit. There are many amazing places there including Skara Brae, a neolithic village over 5000 years old, and the Circle of Brodgar, a stone circle to rival Stonehenge. These sites coupled with the wildlife and local produce such as Highland Park Single Malt Whisky and Orkney Dark Island draught beer make the Orkney Islands truly wonderful

Wedding

Our son was married at Preston Registry Office on Friday 14th September followed by an informal family meal at the Calderbank Country Hotel, Oakenclough. The day afterwards, Saturday September 15th, the blessing took place at St Lawrence Church, Barton. The reception was held at Tino's Restaurant in Preston.

Friends and family came from Wales, Scotland, USA and New Zealand to celebrate the happy event. The photograph shows the bride and groom with both sets of parents.

August wildlife

This beauty was one of the wildlife highlights seen during a hectic August at Leighton Moss RSPB reserve.
During the first week we saw an amazing Grayling butterfly as we stopped for lunch at the Pepperpot in Eaves Wood, Silverdale. It was perfectly camouflaged but moved for a split second giving away its position against the limestone where it was hiding.
The second week saw a group of young people enjoying a "Wildlife Discovery Week" which included osprey, marsh harrier and various species of moths as well as learning about the plight of the Sumatran Rainforest
The third week included sightings of 18 little egrets, three spoonbills, an osprey successfully fishing and the kingfisher in the photograph. We also saw stoat and at least ten species of butterfly together with common darter, black darter southern hawker and migrant hawker dragonflies.
The last week was capped off by some magnificent views of red deer and the visit of a great white egret to the Eric Morecambe complex