The Ogre and the Peregrine, master of peril
The coast is full of anxious Guillemots transporting a single silver fish each, flying in strict convoy. There are parading Puffins waiting …
The coast is full of anxious Guillemots transporting a single silver fish each, flying in strict convoy. There are parading Puffins waiting …
Faraway People by Reg Meuross and The Wooden Postcard Company’s Matt Sewell’s birds
There’s a low flying Guillemot coming past the bottom of the cliffs. It’s a great aerodynamic shape, although perhaps I should say …
There are Puffins far below in the ocean. I’ve never been able to photograph them in the sea before, except as dots …
There are dramatic seas today. Here’s the Atlantic Ocean. There’s nothing west of here but the weather. And an Arctic Skua.
Here’s a Guillemot flying past me on the west Westray coast. It’s a grey day, but the rain has cleared and there’s …
I’m walking the west coast of Westray again. It’s wild and wonderful. There are processions of Guillemots coming past fast and low. …
After nearly all life on Earth is extinguished there will still be lichens. Why? Because they’re a composite organism. Lichens are mixture …
As I walk along the coast I sit and rest at a place where the waves crash. There’s a Razorbill flying towards …
I’m expecting to be attacked today. No, I’m not in an inner city, I’m on an island with a population of fewer …
I’m walking the remote western coast of Westray today. There’s enough phone signal for an emergency call and precious little else here. …
Great Skuas are large birds. They’re the size of a gull. They are powerful and barrel-chested. Bonxie is their local name, originally …
The west coast of Westray is by far the most beautiful and magnificent. It’s largely empty of buildings apart from ruins. Here …
Kittiwakes are beautiful, elegant gulls. Yes, those words really do go together. The UK has 8% of the world’s population. It’s one …
Hello and welcome to my Sunday Review. Every week I read great wildlife and nature books, see engrossing websites and hear wonderful …
Clamour. That’s the best word to describe it. That’s if you’re talking about sound. Pungent would probably the thing that comes to …
I’m off to the north today on the trail of Red-Necked Phalaropes. Yes, I know, it’s a silly name, isn’t it? I’ve …
I’m very pleased that my friend Martin’s on the Island at the moment. He’s completing filming for a documentary on Puffins for …
Ravens are large and impressive birds. I’m at Noup Head, the lighthouse on Westray, when I see three of them arrive. “They …
How much do we have the freedom to do whatever we please and how much are we blind robots carrying out biological …
Today I’m heading north to the most desolate coastline on Westray. Here, even the lichens and seaweeds and barnacles struggle to maintain …
Any patch of good weather means there’s a chance of cutting hay for silage. The people of Westray have perfected the art …
I always hope to see Hen Harriers. If I had to have a spirit animal it would be a Hen Harrier. They’re …
Coronavirus has destroyed my livelihood. I’ve had all my work cancelled for a year and will have absolutely no income. I’m also …
It’s still a shock to me how small Puffins are. I spend 10 months of the year telling people that they’re the …
Arriving back on Westray means I want to experience it all at once. I want every sensation. I want to be at …
Arriving back in Orkney is always a pleasure. This time it’s different. Out of respect for those who always live on Westray …
Hello and welcome to my Sunday Review. Every week I read great wildlife and nature books, see engrossing websites and hear wonderful …
I can recognise a Sparrowhawk flying now: flap-flap-glide, flap-flap-glide. It’s a distinctive pattern. I saw one as a child from a train …
You may have read my blogs about the Long-Tailed Bushtit family which took up a week of my life. Once they fledge …