fluke blog

The swallows are here..

Jo — Sat, 15 May 2010 17:50:14 +0000

What joy it is to see our first swallows of the year (29th April this year) especially if we see them around our farm buildings, as we always hope they will come back to nest. The same day I was guided up our driveway by Wheatears.

Later that day Roger went fishing & saw his first Arctic terns & some swallows at Sandwick. On 4th May I was kept company by a swallow enjoying the evening sun whilst sitting on our washing line…

First Sightings!

Jo — Sat, 15 May 2010 17:39:55 +0000

Orcas from Rousay in Eynhallow sound by Craig

Here are the first sightings of the year!

May 2010

Monday 10th - There was a pod of five Orcas consisting possibly of; 1 bull, 3 females & 1 immature. They were seen to kill & play with 2 seals over in Eynhallow sound, Evie. There have been several sightings of Orcas off Rousay, Shapinsay, Kirkwall recently.

Wednesday 12th - A pod of approx 4-5 Orcas seen working as a group & playing with 2 seals between 6pm-7pm off the Brough of Birsay.

Thursday 13th - a pod of at least 8 Orcas off Rerwick Head.

Wednesday 19th - a minke whale heading north towards highest point of Brough of Birsay, not far out of the Bay ( seen by Jo!)

Wednesday 25th - a pod of Orcas in Eynhallow sound heading towards Gairsay sound. This in turn led to further communication with others that meant the same pod was seen between 2.30pm & 6pm that evening. The pod of about 7 – 8 animals including 2 large bulls was last seen near the Broch of Gurness, Evie.

Roger actually went over to the Broch & was able to enjoy them for a while.

Thursday 27^th May – 9 Orcas seen between Hoy & mainland during the evening, within sight of shore – reported by a customer of ours.

Thursday 27^th May – 5 Orcas seen in the flow near The lash at the end of Waulkmill Bay – thanks to Chris Booth

Saturday 29^th May – 2 Orcas seen near Seal Skerry, North Ronaldsay during the evening for about 50 minutes, took a seal – reported by a visitor at the NRBO to Alison

Orcas in Eynhallow Sound taken by Kevin Mccullen

A musseling we did go..!

Jo — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 11:54:11 +0000

The joys of finding mussels…

When we first moved to Orkney we certainly overdosed on shellfish due to the excitement of being able to easily get mussels, cockles, scallops, crab, lobster & those strange razor clams known locally as ‘Spoots’! What we should have realised was that we didn’t have to gorge ourselves on a combination of at least 3 types of shellfish in a meal! So we haven’t had any shellfish for a while. Recently some friends told us of a place to get lovely mussels, so off we went..

We left home fully waterproofed due to the fact the wind was a blowing, it was drizzly & low tide was between 6.30pm - 8pm! However, when we arrived there was a break in the weather & it became calm & fair. Having not been to collect mussels before I think we both envisaged clambering over rocks, slipping & sliding & hunting for these delicious bivalves. Selkie was the first one to find a mussel & brought it to us & dropped into our eagerly awaiting bucket. What a great hour we spent gathering mussels off rocks whilst stood in a few inches of seawater. It was so easy & plenty of them. Joyously we threw big mussels into our buckets & looked forward to going home to have ‘moule mariniere’..Selkie enjoyed pottering around in & out of the water, her favourite past time.

When we arrived home Roger set about cleaning them which was definately the hardest job! We then sat down & enjoyed delicious plump, sweet mussels fresh from the beach, thinking how great it was to be living in a place where we are able to go & gather our dinner with little effort. Enjoyed all the more with a lovely bottle of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc!! Here’s to more meals like that…

See more photos in Flickr.

Ohh mussels, Selkie!!

Spring or is it?

Jo — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 15:00:01 +0000

Well we were beginning to feel quite ‘Spring like’ until the weather turned mid week?!..

Wildlife News

Back in March the Sky Larks began their joyous spring songs, the Curlew started their spring flight & bubblings, Lapwings their calls which always remind me of an out of tune radio! We have had many still days & our resident Blackbirds heartily sing out at the start & end of our days. Of course the days are now longer & we can enjoy evening walks across the fields & down to the beach with Selkie. You really start to feel the anticipation of the joys to come..the sun sets at this time of year over the sea which we can see from our small hall window. We enjoy the lovely orange & red glows through that window which are always a warming sight. We saw our first bumble bees a few weeks ago busying themselves around the flowers in the garden. I enjoyed the first sighting of a Wheatear going about its business on Birsay beach 2 weeks ago. I felt quite excited to see this summer visitor again. Throughout the summer they flit about the road side leading up to our house, almost like a welcoming party!! Not unlike the birds do in a Disney fairy tale cartoon! The hares are more obvious now & are enjoying the warm sunshine (when its out!) & we see them sprinting across the fields. Roger had a good sighting recently & managed to take a photo of the hare through our kitchen window. It was having a good old wash! An Otter was spotted in a neighbours garden down at Northside whilst she was talking to me on the phone! Wow, what an amazing sight she had as it ran through her garden into a neighbours shed!

The Fulmars are cackling on the rocks as they start to take up residence. Just need to keep an eye out for our first Puffins now & Great Skuas..I wonder what Cetaceans we might see this year?…

Craiglands

When we got back from our holiday I started chitting our tatties. Always a sure sign that spring is around the corner! They are well on their way now & I suppose it won’t be long until they can go out, weather permitting..I’m trying Rocket & Cara this year. I’ve decided not to do main crop now as I don’t get time to weed them in the back field throughout our busy season. I sowed my favourite next ,the dwarf broad bean. I used not to like these beans but I think it was because they were the larger bean & always quite leathery. However, my friend Fiona introduced me to these little beauties a few years ago & they are so tender & sweet. They crop so well we are still eating last years store from the freezer! Plus last year they won 1st prize at the Dounby show I’ll have you know!! However, we do have a friend who thinks they are evil vegetables & can’t understand how we could eat them let alone grow this ‘devils food’. I’ve now sown all veg in the house that I had to - to give them a head start ie cucumbers, courgettes, broccoli, cabbage, leek. For the first time sugar snaps & butter nut squash. It is always exciting to try a new vegetable each year..fingers crossed for a good growing season again.

As much as I love the birds up here I do get annoyed when the sparrows enjoy any tender flowers in pots ie violas..all I’m trying to do is make it look pretty around the house & the gallery, is that too much to ask? All the flower heads I noticed this morning that I enjoyed putting out in a trough by the front door, have been well & truly chomped!! aaggrr..Oh the joys of gardening!

I enjoyed the wee tour I did last November with Fiona & Graham promoting both our albums. It was so lovely because at each gig there was at least one Fluke Jewellery customer. Thanks to you all for coming along! My album has been received well & I have put some of the reviews on my website so take a look if you are interested at www.jophilby.co.uk Only a month to go until our Folk Festival at the end of May which is fantastic. See www.orkneyfolkfestival.com for more information.

Fluke News

The gallery has undergone its spring clean & is all set for the season ahead. There are several new pieces of jewellery that have been added to our collections including small fluke earrings, Sperm whale necklace, new ‘groatie buckie’ bracelets & rings that will appear on our website shortly. We will keep you posted about these when they are available online. Roger is working on several commissions at the moment & is also designing & making new wall sculptures. We are also in the process of updating information on our website, busy, busy..

Orkney has certainly begun to come to life again & the farmers are out ‘plooing’ the fields & preparing for the season ahead. It won’t be long now until the cows are returned to the lush fields of our beautiful island. Over Easter it has been good to see visitors to the gallery again & as always some returning friendly faces. We look forward to seeing some of you again this year so please come past & say hello.

Until next time enjoy the spring..

Jo & Roger

Belated Happy New Year to you all!

Jo — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 22:35:18 +0000

So we have managed to come through the otherside of the yuletime & Ice!!

Unlike the south we didn’t have the volume of snow but what we did have froze because it was so cold. The skies were wonderful with lovely white fluffy clouds. The lighting never ceases to amaze us during the winter. I actually went for a moonlit walk one night about 9pm in the snow & ice. There wasn’t a breath of wind so it was absolutely beautiful. I sat on Birsay beach for a while as it was so light with the moon & reflection on the snow. I always find it strange walking on the beach with snow!

We were actually iced in our road for about a week & a half over the christmas period. We couldn’t get the car out because it was like an ice rink! The ice really put pay to folk in Orkney getting out & about as I’m sure the snow did south. So we just had to stay in & have cosy fires & enjoy good food & wine! Have a look at the photos in Flickr of our snowy escapades! Everyone likes the thought of a ‘white christmas’…

So this year is already in full swing! Roger is developing his sculpture ideas using driftwood, copper & shoreline findings. Our Fire & Ice collection has been received really well.There are now only limited numbers of the pendant & drop earrings left due to them being part of a limited collection of 50. Valentine’s is just around the corner you know? However, we should point out that we are away between the 23rd January - 12th February so are unable to send out any orders during that time. We apologise for any bother there! We will deal with any orders on our return..

I had a successful tour in the south of England with Fiona & Graham during November. We eventually arrived through the terrential rain that swept across the north of England which had caused extensive flooding. We were fortunately in the right place for our first gig! We had a great time & it was lovely to see so many familiar faces during my travels, including Fluke jewellery customers at many of the gigs. So thank you to you all for coming along. We found it a very rewarding experience.

Until next time keep warm & safe.

Jo & Roger

Christmas Posting & things!

Jo — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:39:25 +0000

Hi all,

Just wanted to let everyone know to check our christmas posting dates which are on our homepage. We are encouraging you all to place any orders early just in case there is any disruption to the post before christmas! Thanks.

Exciting News! Jo is about to go on tour to the south of England from 20th November - 28th November to promote her debut album ‘Saltwater & Stone’ & her friends album ‘Orkney Fire’ by Fiona Driver & Graham Simpson. For further details go to www.jophilby.co.uk

“It would be great to see some of you along the way if you can make it!” - Jo

Summer Whales continued..

Jo — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 13:50:09 +0000

Here are the latest sightings from the summer. We have had some amazing, flat calm seas, perfect for whale watching ….

June 2009

4th June - 5 big dolphins (possibly Rissos) coming out of water in Bay of Ireland 6am. Heading towards Hoy sound.

8th June - X2 porpoise going to & from Rousay, west of Wyre

9th June - Fin Whale was seen in the Pentland Firth, a massive blow, 1 animal with possibly 2 others. travelling east. Harbour porpoise seen off Grimness Head

10th June - 1 Minke whale, groups of 3+2+2 Harbour porpoise off Grimness Head. During the evening a pod of Risso’s dolphins & 2 Harbour porpoise.

16th June - Possible x2 Minke whales seen close to Noup head, Westray

27th June - x2 Basking Sharks seen off Burwick, South Ronaldsay

27th-29th June - School of dolphins in the Holm & scapa Flow area. Some were Rissos’s dolphins

July/August

1st July - Basking shark seen off Saviskaill Head, Rousay

15th July - Basking Shark seen in Birsay Bay & we didn’t see it!!

3rd August - Minke Whale & Harbour Porpoise seen at in Eynhallow sound, Costa.

6th August - Basking Shark seen in Eynhallow sound, Costa during the evening.

7th August - X12 Rissos Dolphins & Harbour Porpoise seen in Eynhallow sound, Costa at 8AM!

Summer Whales

Jo — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 15:35:02 +0000

May 2009

9th May - 4 Orcas seen off North Ronaldsay

10th May - Despite rough sea conditions 1 adult Rissos dolphin (very big & pale) & a pod of 4 Orcas including 1 bull seen at Noup Head Westray

11th May - 4 Orcas seen on Stronsay, possibly the same pod as day before?

12th May - an amazing pod of 15+ Orcas slowly cruised past the North Ronaldsay Bird Observatory just offshore and along the west coast! Go to www.nrbo.co.uk for some amazing photos.

25th May - 5 Orcas heading north from Egilsay

What an amazing month for Orcas? Unfortunately we haven’t seen anything as yet, fingers crossed. Thanks to all those keen cetacean watchers ie Steve Sankey from Orcadian Wildlife, NRBO & many others.

‘Saltwater & Stone’ - Jo Philby

Jo — Sun, 31 May 2009 11:52:10 +0000

‘Saltwater & Stone’ - Jo Philby (Debut Release)

Hi all,

Just to let you all know I have just released my debut album at last weeks Orkney Folk Festival! It is a mix of traditional & contemporary songs I have been singing over the last 13 years. I am accompanied by an ecclectic mix of some of Orkney’s finest musicians. My Cd finally arrived the day before my launch gig - Phew! It was an enjoyable, exhilarating, sometimes stressful 6 months but above all it was a very rewarding experience.

Read more and purchase at www.jophilby.co.uk or contact me here.

Spring has Sprung!

Jo — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 16:16:07 +0000

Farm & Wildlife News

The island is now alive with the singing of Larks, the bubbling of the Curlews & Oyster Catchers! One morning early spring I was joined on an early morning walk with Selkie (our dog) along the cliff by first one Skylark then another until there were 6 above me! The sound as you can imagine was glorious. I smiled to myself feeling, that I was pleased to be living in such an unspoilt environment . I also saw my first bumble bee early March which is also a sure sign that things are preparing for the season ahead. The weather was quite settled at this time & I was often greeted either end of the day to the happy song of the blackbird. For a while now we have had a wren flitting & hopping about the garden. It has now been joined by its partner. One has taken to singing at the top of its little/big voice on the top of our weather vain on the greenhouse, wonderful. There are plenty of hares around & we enjoy seeing the tips of the black of their ears in the surrounding fields. Many groups have been seen dashing about in the fields around our house in the spring sunshine. There are far too many rabbits this year. A bit too close to the garden, so we will keep them under control before I start on the veg garden!!

We are hoping that ‘Olive’ our sow will soon be ‘in pig’ so we can enjoy seeing the piglets rooting about the fields.

Craiglands

I am glad I spent the time in the autumn planting lots of early tulips, crocus, sea squill, grape hyacinths etc as we have enjoyed the first bursts of colour around the house & gallery. I have finally sown some veg seeds a little later this year due to our holiday. However, Roger has rotavated the veg garden & used our pig manure so I should be able to plant the early tatties this week. This is always a great job because I love new tatties the best!! My poor greenhouse is on its last legs but I can still use it but no tomatoes this year, shame. Roger is going to at some point, in between making jewellery etc build me a new one, wow! Watch this space..

Fluke News

So we have started preparing for the season ahead. Roger has been busy through the winter working on various pieces. He has also worked on a few commissions which has been very exciting & rewarding for him. Our newest collection ‘Fire & Ice’ should be available online from mid May but in the mean time you can view the collection on our Flickr page.

Next month will be the time when we start seeing more visitors to the island so we hope to see some of you again this year. Please come & say hello as it is always good to see some familiar faces throughout the season. We are hoping that we see more cetaceans this year, so fingers crossed…

So until next time, enjoy the anticipation of the coming months.

Keep well & see you soon

Jo & Roger