A Grayling
I’m trying to have a relaxed breakfast but there’s too much to see. I want my Italian coffee and croissant but I …
I’m trying to have a relaxed breakfast but there’s too much to see. I want my Italian coffee and croissant but I …
We are walking in Abruzzo in Italy at a height of 1,500 metres above sea level. It’s invigorating: Amongst the grass are …
We’re spending a few days walking in Italy. We’re in Rocca Calascio, part of the Parco Nazionale del Gran Sasso. That means …
The L’Aquila region of Italy is named after Aquila which means eagle. It’s an area of breathtaking high peaks. “Do they have …
It’s time for breakfast in Italy which means more delicious food and breathtaking views are on the way. Sitting outside in October …
Puffins live so close together that there are frequent small territorial acknowledgements and disputes. They also pair for life so there are …
Last year we used well over a billion plastic bottles a day. Fewer than half of these bottles were collected for recycling. …
This Puffin was sitting outside its burrow in the soil at the top of the cliff last summer. Its mate was inside …
Get out of the house. Stop staring at a screen. Ignore the day-to-day. Take some time. Go on a trip. Immerse yourself …
Puffins have a wide variety of poses which humans find appealing. We can easily imagine them as having human characteristics, or anthropomorphise …
I’m on the deck of the Northlink ferry from mainland Scotland to Mainland Orkney when I see a black fin in the …
As soon as you begin to look at the natural world there are never-ending chains of relationships between living organisms. The classic …
The name Wheatear sounds so romantic, so descriptive and so elegant. Wheatear. In fact the name is a polite form of its …
It’s Mr Punch on the rocks on Westray.
The Northlink Ferry from Scrabster on the Scotland mainland to Stromness on the Orkney Mainland is always entertaining, thankfully in a good …
There’s a crowd on the deck of the Northlink Ferry from Scrabster to Stromness. We’re passing the Old Man of Hoy, scene …
At the very north of Westray the coast is exposed. In the far distance I can see a falcon. It’s so far …
There are small brown birds on the lichen-covered rocks on the coast of Westray. It takes me a while to identify them. …
Redshanks must be one of the most annoying birds for British birdwatchers. They are beautiful, active, entertaining to watch and have great …
It’s good to enjoy the Puffins while we can. They are critically endangered. They are ‘red listed’ which means they are at …
The Links of Notland is such an amazing place for archaeology. It has a huge neolithic settlement, site of the discovery of …
I’ve been very lucky with jellyfish this summer on Westray. The jellyfish haven’t been quite so lucky. This looks like a Compass …
Fulmars are one of my favourite birds. All animals have some sort of compromise in their bodies because of the range of …
Sea Rocket covers the top of many beaches on Westray. Cakile maritima has either white or a pinky-lilac shade of flowers. It …
There’s a green caterpillar on the sand of The Ouse. It’s got a bright yellow line along its side and tiny black …
In Orkney wood rots and metal rusts. Door handles fall off. A piece of twine through a hole though? A piece of …
The Sand Martins are teetering on the edge of leaving Westray now. Their chicks must be fully grown and there are only …
They say ‘Take only pictures, leave only footsteps,’ but we decided to take a footstep home. I just need to draw a …
It’s been a very blustery day, it’s nearly dark and I’m just settling down for the evening when there’s an urgent message …
The scientific name for the Lapwing is Vanellus vanellus. It means fan. Well, it means Fan fan if you’re being strictly accurate. …