Mandarin Duck
Mandarin Ducks are one of the most spectacular birds in existence. They are originally from the Far East and were introduced to …
Saint Olaf in St Magnus Cathedral
In life Saint Olaf was a violent and brutal warlord; a killer Viking who lived 1,000 years ago. Yet he’s a Christian …
Long-Tailed Tits – forty years ago in my nature notebooks
I love the description of Long-Tailed Tits that I wrote in my nature notebooks forty years ago: They really are a very …
Telegraph insulator
I recognised this piece of pottery on a Westray beach instantly. It’s that bit attached to a telegraph pole which insulates it. …
Puffballs – forty years ago in my nature notebooks
When I was eleven years old I joined my local natural history and microscopical society. The next youngest member was called Darwin …
Diamonds under your feet
I love the way Westray’s flagstones break naturally into diamond shapes over their surface.
Colourful seaweed
I always had a sneaking suspicion that seaweed was all that strange brown colour. Not so. Just look:
Dacrymyces deliquescens – forty years ago in my nature notebooks
Forty years ago I was excited to see every mushroom or fungus I could find. Even something as plain as Dacrymyces deliquescens …
Snipe – forty years ago in my nature notebooks
Forty years ago I drew a Snipe. I was 13 years old and probably copied it out of a book I borrowed …
Lone tree
It was foggy.
Lapwings – forty years ago in my nature notebooks
As a child I remember seeing upwards of 500 Lapwings in a field on many occasions. I remember the ‘pee-wit’ sound they …
It’s getting late at the Bay of Tafts
I love sunsets at the Bay of Tafts. The sun is getting lower and there’s a warm glow in the sky.
Once the roof goes…
Once the roof goes, the walls are sure to follow.
Chocolate Headed Freshwater Gull
I remember reading as a small child that Black Headed Gulls don’t have black heads; they’re chocolate brown, and only that colour …
Seaweed on the shore
All it needs is a little rough weather and the beach at Grobust is filled with beautiful seaweed.
Greenfinch – forty years ago in my nature notebooks
It’s forty years since I started my nature notebooks. I was twelve years old and lived in a tiny terrace in Oldham. …
Turnstone procession
This seal is having a snooze in Pierowall as Turnstones parade across the wet rocky shore. It doesn’t look as interested as …
The Brough of Birsay from the air
One end of the Brough of Birsay in Orkney is very different from the other.
The eyes have it
Visiting Westray as a tourist, one thing must strike you; You’re on holiday on someone’s farm. There are beautiful beef steers everywhere. …
House Sparrow – forty years ago in my nature notebooks
I grew up in a tiny two-bedroom terraced house in Oldham. There, any bird in the back yard was a delight. Sparrows …
Kestrel – forty years ago in my nature notebooks
I can see a male Kestrel in the treetops as the sun sets near Liddington Castle. It’s forty years since I saw …
Frankie Howerd Calls
Hearing an Eider Duck call is something you won’t forget. It’s hard to describe to someone without the same cultural references. It’s …