Gannet on the water
I’m used to seeing Gannets flying at head height. Since their colonisation of Noup Head cliffs, their numbers have soared like a …
You see a Pigeon
The weather in Orkney may be grey but it’s never dull. I’m waiting at Kirkwall harbour for the Westray ferry when I …
Attacked by Arctic Terns
I’m off for a walk on the Westray coast. Today I’m heading from Mae Sands to the Knowe o’ Skea. It’s not …
Einar
My house is called Einar, just like the Viking Earl of Orkney mentioned in the Orkneyinga Saga. That’s because of a spelling …
Black Guillemot
I’m on a day trip to the Mainland. That’s the mainland of Orkney. In the harbour at Scapa there’s a bird paddling …
Redshank ballet and Ruddy Turnstones
There’s a Redshank on the rocks. I don’t think it wants to fly away. That would mean getting its leg out and …
Ringed Plover
Ringed Plover are meant to breed on the coast. Human destruction of the environment means they now breed in gravel pits and …
Feeding the family
Being a baby bird means knowing when to keep your mouth open. Many have exaggerated gapes, decorated in bright colours to encourage …
Star Starling
When a Starling flies by I always take notice. They are spectacular birds, either on their own or in flocks of thousands …
Why the long face?
I’d like to know why Grey Seals have a long sloping head. What’s the evolutionary advantage? What’s the adaptation for? What does …
Horsetails at Roadmire
The Horsetails at Roadmire are beautiful. Their stalks and leaves are covered in harsh mineral silica. They’re a bit scratchy and hard …
Something’s moving
There’s something moving in the field next to Einar. I can see flower stalks trembling. It’s moving along behind the wall. All …
Sea Rocket
There’s Sea Rocket, Cakile maritima, on the beach at the Bay of Swartmill. It’s a member of the mustard family. This is …
Neighbours
Not everyone can get on. Conflict is inevitable. When we are all packed in too close to one another then tempers are …
Splash!
The seas are magical here. There are exhilarating waves at the Knowe o’ Skea. Out on the skerries, the wary Shags gather, …
Uncommon Common Gulls
There’s a young Common Gull, Larus canus, flying past. They are very elegant fliers: Just as we have done for much of …
Patterns
The Starlings at Einar make incredible abstract patterns on the wires.
Sanderling #3
Westray has a certain palette of colours. It’s a world of muted blues, greens and purples; of greys and more greys. The …
Sanderling #2
You know that feeling of panic when you realise your feet are going to be caught by a wave and you’re not …
Dock
Stumbling across the thick grass behind the bay I see these tall flower spikes. I’m struck by their contrasting colours. And, as …
Sanderling #1
There are Sanderling on Mae Sands. They are energetic beyond imagination. They work the tideline as if their lives depend upon it, …
Ruddy Turnstone
There’s a Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres on the beach at Mae Sands. It’s just turned this stone over. They are very smart in …
Small, dumpy and short-legged
The RSPB says, “The ringed plover is a small, dumpy, short-legged wading bird.” Read more. That’s not very complimentary, is it? I …
A life of contrasts
In late summer I checked the outbuildings at Einar for Swallows. Many of the nests were empty. This one wasn’t. It must …
Hook-nosed Seapigs
The scientific name of the Grey Seal is Halichoerus grypus. It means Hook-nosed Seapig. Everyone needs a rest after eating. I was …
I’m a laughing gnome
“Ha, ha, ha, hee, hee, heeI’m a laughing gnome and you can’t catch me.”
Starlings
There’s a young Starling, with a fluffy brown head, trying to negotiate the wind on Westray. It’s heading for my chimney pot. …
Turnstone at the Peedie Sea
Turnstones have a lovely mottled plumage. They always look as if they are in transition to me. Have they decided how their …
Redshanks at the Peedie Sea
It’s only a few minutes after dawn and there’s a Redshank on the Peedie Sea. I can’t quite believe it’s being quiet. …
Dawn over Kirkwall Bay
Arriving off the Aberdeen ferry at nearly midnight gives me a quandary. Is it worth paying a small fortune for a few …