Claws
The hind claws of Meadow Pipits really are something special. Just look at them: The long hind claw is probably an adaptation …
Working Westray #6
Ros is carving a stone house name at South Hamar. I love the simplicity of her tools and the clean lines of …
The Great Skua, the Ravens and the Rabbit
There are fifty Ravens at the Sands o’ Maesan. (I know that because I counted them from my photographs when I got …
The thrill of Hen Harriers
Hen Harriers are such wonderful birds that it’s worth sitting out in a field for a whole afternoon just in the hope …
It’s all in the details
I love walking around the Vatican Museum. It’s great to see the treasures that were accumulated while the majority of the population …
A Kestrel at Noup
I’m sitting at Noup Head in full camouflage waiting for a Hen Harrier to come and saunter over me. There’s been nothing …
Beaks like tweezers
Arctic Terns have beaks like tweezers. Or is it that tweezers are like Arctic Terns’ beaks? It’s all part of our inversion …
Working Westray #5
Louise is making a tapestry on her loom in the studio at South Hamar. It’s a beautiful commission and very different from …
Sedge Warbler at Roadmire
I love stopping at Roadmire, the house overlooking the Ayre of Fribo and the Bay of Tuquoy. It’s my favourite place on …
Rabbit ears flapping in the wind
There are 50 Ravens at the Sands o’ Maesan. One of them has the head of a Rabbit in its beak. I …
Sparrowhawk
I adore Sparrowhawks. I stumbled upon this one in a tree and it was always going to spot me and fly off. …
The ultimate Hen Harrier experience
Spending time hoping a Hen Harrier flies my way has been my favourite pastime this summer. After their summer of success breeding …
Fine adjustments
When you’re heading vertically downwards at an eye-bulging speed, aiming for a moving target, it’s useful to be able to make fine …
Purple Sandpiper
I’m used to seeing Purple Sandpipers in Devon in the winter. There are usually a few birds around Brixham Breakwater, and they’re …
Sedge Warbler
I’ve got a lot of love and appreciation for Sedge Warblers. They’re one of the first birds I took decent photographs of …
A curly Curlew
Having a Curlew fly over is always a thrill, especially if I can hear it call. It’s the haunting last sound of …
Something to say
I love it when a Sanderling has something to say. It’s beautiful on Mae Sands as I lie getting my elbows soggy …
Extra nesting material
It’s a little late for this Gannet to start bringing back more seaplants to the nest. Their chick is already massive and …
Second bloom
The Thrift at Backarass is having a welcome second bloom. As am I.
A head-scratching moment
I’m watching Kittiwakes fly past Noup Head, where cliffs keep a huge breeding seabird colony relatively safe from predators. One amuses me, …
Ballerina
The White Wagtail is the name of the European version of our Pied Wagtail. They’re not called Wagtails in Italy, though. They’re …
Hungry chick
We’re on the cliffs of Westray at Noup Head lighthouse, hanging over the edge again. I don’t like heights. There’s an amusingly …
St Peter’s Kirk, Sandwick
I’ve only ever seen St Peter’s Kirk in Sandwick from the air. It was a wonderful experience flying over the Bay of …
Eider
If you’ve ever seen an Eider Duck you may have wondered what they’re doing when they splash their bills in the water. …
A Wheatear explosion
I’ve never been able to get close to Wheatears before. They are very wary birds. There are a few families along the …
My spirit animal
I’ve walked the coast of Westray many times now, always with a large camera with telephoto lens. Partly, that’s out of fear …
Tiddly toes
Isn’t this Arctic Tern a stunning bird? One distinctive feature of Arctic Terns is that they have incredibly short legs. It probably …
Twisting and Terning
I love how high-speed photography reveals what’s happening, when the human eye and brain can’t process it. Here, an Arctic Tern is …
Incoming Tystie
The Black Guillemots are struggling to feed their chick. There’s even an outside possibility they have two chicks that they are struggling …
Catchlight
The Arctic Tern colonies on Westray all behave differently when approached. Their behaviour seems to depend upon which stage in the breeding …