Shag on the cliffs

The weather is incredible on Westray today. There are blue skies, blustery winds and waves which roll and roll. I’m enjoying sitting and admiring the west coast, where there’s only water all the way to North America.

Shag come here to dry themselves in their dozens. This one has taken off from the cliffs and is wobbling in the wind towards me.

Shag have delicate necks and steep foreheads with a narrow hooked bill. As you can see from this photograph, they also have long wings and large paddle feet.

Their bodies are a constant compromise between life in air and water.