Sunset owl
There’s a Short-Eared Owl hunting over the fields and we see it land on a post just up the road from my …
Bristletails
Seeing Bristletails under the slates in one of my ‘range of useful outbuildings’ is enough to remind me that I really need …
Chattering
Chattering Fulmars are the best. They raise their chins, open their mouths wide, shake their heads and wave their heads from side …
Your Sharona
I couldn’t resist taking this shot. It was such a great scene I sketched it. It’s a pity I didn’t take any …
Razorbill flypast
I’ve spent all day taking photographs of Razorbills. It’s been lovely to spend the day on the cliffs in the sun and …
Double trouble
What’s more menacing than the largest gull in the wold, the Great Black-Backed Gull, flying along the coast? Two of them.
Butterfish
You need to have a serrated mouth and tongue to keep hold of a Butterfish. They’re called that for a reason. Just …
Head-on
Seeing a bird head-on in flight gives you a completely different perspective. This Atlantic Puffin over the turquoise seas of west Westray …
Stromness
I’ve passed through Stromness a couple of times but spent next to no time there. This evening is different. As I wait …
When your fish goes all curly
A problem with hunting for your food is that sometimes it carries on wriggling. This Black Guillemot was having problems containing its …
Getting close
Getting close to any wild bird is a privilege. It’s a wonderful feeling to be able to see how wild birds act …
The Puffin and the Shag
As soon as I see it, I can’t resist it. The image of that Puffin with an out-of-focus Shag behind is somehow …
The Arctic Tern and the Lumpfish
There are 60 Arctic Terns in this colony but sadly only three surviving chicks. That’s better than the collapsed colony at the …
Fresh crab
I’m surprised to see a Black Guillemot with something that doesn’t look like a fish in its beak. I track it through …
Puffins love a breeze on their bellies
It’s raining and a dull day on Westray when I get a call from my friend Martin. He’s out with the Puffins …
Razorbill in spray
When I visit one of my favourite places on Westray I’m usually frustrated that the sun and wind are coming from opposite …
Kleptoparasitism
Why bother fishing when you can steal another bird’s fish? Arctic Skuas are adept at kleptoparasitism. I’m on Papa Westray for the …
Fish delivery
On the North Sea coast of Westray the Puffins nest in old rabbit holes and their own earth burrows. On the Atlantic …
The Atlantic coast
The west coast of Westray is the Atlantic coast. The east coast of Westray is the North Sea coast. It’s possible to …
Finding a Cooter-neb
The Razorbills along the Westray coast make a spectacular sight. Their dramatic Emo-Puffin plumage is glorious against the dark rocks. The Orkney …
Butterfish incoming!
I’ve been enjoying the Black Guillemots on Westray this summer. Here’s one bringing a Butterfish, Pholis gunnellus, or Rock Gunnel, into its …
Common Cormorant v Shag
One of the trickiest id challenges for me when I re-started birding was telling the difference between a Common Cormorant and a …
Owl across the road
As I drive back to the house I spot a Short-Eared Owl on a fence post. I swing the car into the …
The Sand Messengers return
It’s a joy to see the Ruddy Turnstones have returned from their brief trip to the most northerly coasts on Earth. The …
North Sea spray on an Atlantic Puffin
My friend Martin and I are on Papa Westray for the day and we are both entertained by the Puffins flying along …
Diving Gannet and Noup Head
It’s a distant view of Noup Head lighthouse from the bay, but when I see a Gannet circling I know just the …
Nestled in a hollow and surrounded by Sea Pinks
It was lovely to see an Eider Duck incubating its five eggs in the middle of an exposed field at the far …
Always take your camera with you
One of my friends says, “Always take your camera to the supermarket”. It’s a wise suggestion. I’m outside in beautiful weather when …
Brightening a grey day
Linnets always brighten a grey day.
Lapwing in a field
I’ve wanted to take a photograph of a Lapwing like this, but not like this, for years. As I drive past the …