Winner, winner, chicken dinner
I’m delighted that I’ve won a prize in the inaugural Orkney Nature Festival Photography Competition 2026.
My image, Black Guillemot flying past with a Butterfish, won first prize in the Terrestrial Animals of Orkney category. I’m particularly delighted that the prize is sponsored by Ola Gorie, whose jewellery I adore. I’ve been collecting her cuff-links for years. My favourites are a pair of silver ones from 1979. I’ve bought old pieces of jewellery by Ola at auction and bought new ones in Kirkwall. It’ll be wonderful to receive something from their collection.
I’ve been delighted that the competition has been featured on the BBC’s website:
Here’s a link: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cre30pkpn0w3o
It’s currently on the BBC Scotland home page:
It’s a shame the BBC chose to credit me only as ‘David’ rather than ‘David at the Hall of Einar’, which is my full name for photography purposes.
A greater shame is that my dad, whose encouragement means I entered some photography competitions in the first place, has dementia which has progressed to such a point that he’s not really able to understand the success. I’m sure he’d be thrilled. He loved a good competition. Congratulations to all five of the other category winners and the six runners up. There are some beautiful images.
More adventures on safari in Kenya
Male African Jacanas raise all the chicks Having so much food available changes the dynamics between the sexes of African Jacanas. They're a rare example of polyandry.… read more
Johnson and the Ross’s Turaco The Governors' Camp in the Masai Mara has been a wonderful place to stay. Having breakfast with Common Bulbuls eating… read more
The first bird we see on arrival is an African Fish Eagle We're on our first drive from the camp in Amboseli, on safari in Kenya, when we see the first bird… read more
A troop of Anubis Baboons It's my last day in the Masai Mara and my last trip out in a 4x4 here. I'm about to… read more
A Common Hoopoe appears I've seen a Common Hoopoe before, in Italy. It's not a bird I'm expecting to see in Kenya, yet there… read more
Old hairy-ears, the Waterbuck We've happened up on a small group of Waterbuck, Kobus ellipsiprymnus, here in the Masai Mara. They are large grassland… read more
Spotting a Brown Parrot There's a Brown Parrot, Poicephalus meyeri saturatus, at the top of the tree. They always look such friendly birds, as… read more
Why Elephants love a dust bath Elephants love a dust bath. I'm sorry, but please don't scroll past the photograph above without giving that baby Elephant… read more
Lyre-shaped horns The Impala is an African Antelope with lyre-shaped horns. The slight problem I have is that I'm so close to… read more
Lion cub playing Here in the Masai Mara, the Lioness is playing with one of her cubs. She's very patient and forgiving at… read more
The marvellous Green Woodhoopoe My safari guide Johnson has spotted the nest of a Green Woodhoopoe in a hole in a tree. I love… read more
An African Spoonbill I've seen Spoonbills in Somerset and in Italy but they were the Eurasian Spoonbill, Platalea leucorodia. I'm in Kenya now… read more