Coiled rope
It would be tempting to think that this coiled rope on Westray is a metaphor. It’s a call-back to the very first …
A life of contrasts
In late summer I checked the outbuildings at Einar for Swallows. Many of the nests were empty. This one wasn’t. It must …
Hook-nosed Seapigs
The scientific name of the Grey Seal is Halichoerus grypus. It means Hook-nosed Seapig. Everyone needs a rest after eating. I was …
I’m a laughing gnome
“Ha, ha, ha, hee, hee, heeI’m a laughing gnome and you can’t catch me.”
Starlings
There’s a young Starling, with a fluffy brown head, trying to negotiate the wind on Westray. It’s heading for my chimney pot. …
Turnstone at the Peedie Sea
Turnstones have a lovely mottled plumage. They always look as if they are in transition to me. Have they decided how their …
Signs
Changing a road system is always a problem. There’s the planning, the time it takes to do the work and then there’s …
Redshanks at the Peedie Sea
It’s only a few minutes after dawn and there’s a Redshank on the Peedie Sea. I can’t quite believe it’s being quiet. …
Dawn over Kirkwall Bay
Arriving off the Aberdeen ferry at nearly midnight gives me a quandary. Is it worth paying a small fortune for a few …
Peering Puffins
If Puffins can’t find an earth burrow, or if they live in a place with predators like rats and stoats, they will …
Charming!
My current mood.
Chin scratching
It’s a real talent to be able to scratch your chin with your foot. It’s fascinating to see this youngster’s dewclaw on …
Jenny at home
There’s a commotion in the bushes. It’s Britain’s noisiest bird in noise per weight; the Wren. My 1935 Outline of Nature says: …
Linnet at West Kirbest
A trip to West Kirbest results in a beautiful view of this male Linnet in full breeding plumage: It’s a farmland bird. …
Ebony and ivory
There are 33,000,000 sheep in the UK. Not all of them are in Wales; 15,000,000 are in England. That means 300,000 tonnes …
Bridled Guillemot
Visiting Noup Head on Westray is always exhilarating. It’s even more exhilarating the closer you get to the edge of the cliffs. …
Lichen on cobbles
I’ve been inspired by seeing how limpets have colonised a crack in a rock from year to year. I think I might …
Sunset Puffins
It’s a distinctive silhouette which has graced the shores of the UK for thousands of years. But now, due to marine pollution …
The One Minute Puffin Cure #8
Comical Puffins in golden sunlight on Westray: Recorded using a tiny remote control camera at the Castle o’ Burrian on Westray in …
Blackbird on Westray
The light is beautiful on this Blackbird. Aren’t they perky birds? I first drew them in 1977: My drawings may not have …
House Sparrow
This House Sparrow on Westray is part of a sizeable flock. It’s just as much a pleasure to see one now as …
Kittee-wa-aaake
The Kittiwakes at Noup Head are mesmerising. This one is a juvenile, flying freely, far above the sparkling sea below: I love …
The North our home, the sea our friend #5
The turquoise water off Westray breaks like a lacework of ice, frozen at 1/2000th of a second.
Seals and Salmon
It’s siesta time for the Common Seals at Broughton on Westray. It’s a time to let their food go down, let their …
Limpets and gypsum pseudomorphs
A fine day means the chance to walk the Westray coast: The blues are spectacular and the rocks are fascinating In the …
The One Minute Puffin Cure #7
Comical Puffins in golden sunlight on Westray: Recorded using a tiny remote control camera at the Castle o’ Burrian on Westray in …
Collapsed burrows
The headlands and inlets of Westray are covered in spongy tufts of damp grass. Beneath them lie normally invisible tunnels. They are …
Fulmars
The Fulmars look beautiful in this light. They look odd on land because they sit low down on their feet rather than …
The Fulmars of Backarass
We’re walking down past Backarass on Westray. It’s a special landscape of shattered rocks and still pools: The weather is fabulous and …
The North our home, the sea our friend #4
Earth exists in a goldilocks zone for life; the temperature is just right for liquid water. We are all here because of …