Fake is not the four letter word you were looking for…
On Christmas Day we went to the South Devon fishing town of Brixham. It was a beautiful day so we decided to …
Dolphins in Brixham Harbour
It was Christmas Day 2019 and the Puffin Whisperer and I went for a day trip to Brixham. We spent the morning …
The Top Ten ways to help wildlife (and people) this winter
Would you like to know the most effective way of encouraging wildlife this winter? Here are some of my personal suggestions which …
Air rage
Spending time in nature really helps you appreciate it. I’ve had such a great summer on the gentle hills and cliffs of …
Curlew
It’s a warm evening, bathed in orange light. I hear the call first. Then it’s the flypast. It’s a Curlew. There’s been …
A juvenile Arctic Skua flypast
I have to say it. These juvenile Arctic Skuas are… a little bit ginger. It’s fabulous to watch them sweep imperiously past. …
Arctic Skuas v Arctic Terns
I’ve seen Arctic Skuas get into quite a few scraps this summer. There was the time one chased a Raven. Then the …
The Hall of Einar Sunday Recommendation #22
Adenine by Adenine
Welcome to Oldham – home of the tubular bandage
Three years ago I took a trip around my old home town of Oldham. It’s the place in which I grew up. …
Wrens
There is a family of Wrens flitting along the field boundary in front of us. They’re working the margins for insects and …
Injured animal
Arriving on Papa Westray, we have to walk the full length of the island to get to North Hill and the drama …
Kittiwake, Kittisleep
There’s a Kittiwake at the end of the pier where the Papa Westray ferry arrives. It’s stunning in the early morning light. …
The pool
There’s a rock pool fed with fresh water fram a tiny waterfall on the west coast of Westray. I love how green …
Escape?
After seeing a couple of successful attacks by Great Skuas against juvenile Kittiwakes I feared the worst when this one strayed over …
The Hall of Einar Sunday Recommendation #21
Secrets of a Devon Wood by Jo Brown
Atlantic Wave
I love walking the west coast of Westray. On a beautiful day there’s no place like it. I’ve been enjoying getting to …
If rocks could think and feel and see…
If rocks could think and feel and see then life would be very different from their perspective. These rocks are so contorted, …
It looks like the end of the world out there but it’s only Asperitas.
I look out of the window and I know something seriously weird is happening. It looks like the end of the world …
Great Northern Diver
I had such a wonderful time last winter going to see Great Northern Divers in Brixham in Devon.
Juvenile Arctic Skua
Arctic Skuas come to Orkney to breed. They’re kleptoparasites, attacking birds with fish and stealing their meal. They also attack people with …
Wave rainbows and bubble-bath seals
Seeing transient rainbows flicker into and out of life on the crests of waves is a magical feeling. At the north end …
A lone Swift at Noup Head
There’s a Swift at Noup Head on Westray. Swifts are called that for a reason. Can you see the fly it’s about …
I Dream of Puffins
I dream of Puffins. I dream of being out on the soft, grassy cliffs and being surrounded by quirky birds cocking their …
Noust
A noust is a boat-shaped hollow. It’s an ancient word from Scandinavia. There are nousts made from stone laid by Vikings on …
Stenness sheep
We’re at the Standing Stones of Stenness when a sheep stares at me. There are only four of the twelve ancient stones …
Sunset and the whale
When you can see the horizon, on days when you can spin and see the sea and the clouds surrounding you, there’s …
Puffins are good for the soul
Puffins are the size of pigeons. They can fly at up to 55mph. And they are always a joy to see. Puffins …
You’ll never find Brian here
I’ve always thought Brian was a strange name. The name had a peak of popularity around the time of The Magic Roundabout …
Heartwave
One August day, while walking the wild west coast of Westray I experienced the most marvellous Atlantic waves. The intense translucent turquoise …
Light and shade
I’m walking the wild west coast of Westray again. It’s magnificent. For a few months each year it’s inhabited by Arctic Skuas, …