Beautiful conflict
Aikerness is the most northerly part of Westray, where the wild waves crash and the wind blows uninterrupted by walls or buildings. The sea swirls in sea caves and explodes in foamy fragments into the rocky inlets. Far below, the sea boils turquoise with bubbles from the conflict between earth and water.
A trip to see the Arctic Terns at Aikerness this year was a much more reassuring journey. Last year the colony collapsed and left early after raising no young.
This year they are still interacting in the skies. It’s hard to tell whether these ‘squabbles’ are greetings, neighbour disputes, or predator distractions.
It seems like beautiful conflict to me.
More Arctic Terns
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