Skylarking
An evening walk in the warm, low sun and there is a pair of Skylarks in the field. They’re difficult to get …
Mallimack surprise
The Fulmars on Westray are littering the coast with their ungainly earthly forms, as well as flying effortlessly along the cliffs with …
A Heather Lintie at the Castle o’ Burrian
Twite are such beautiful birds. Their subtlety is exceptional, with the softness of their stripes and the paleness of their beaks. It’s …
A Scootie Allan attacking a Mallimack
A Scootie Allan attacking a Mallimack. An Arctic Skua attacking a Fulmar. A Stercorarius parasiticus attacking a Fulmarus glacialis. Dramatic, isn’t it, in …
A bird I’m still trying to identify
I took this photograph of a bird on the west coast of Papa Westray in Orkney last summer. At first I thought …
Grobust
This is where I’d like to be now. Grobust on Westray.
Einar
Here’s an aerial photograph of my house in Westray. It’s called Einar because, well, I’ve written a blog about it: Actually, I …
Perching Linnet
I loved seeing this male Linnet perching on the wind-burnt twigs in the garden of Einar this summer. He’s a beautiful sight …
Raven
Have you ever looked at a photograph and seen something in it which you didn’t see at the time you took it? …
Lovely Linnets in the garden
Each year at Einar, the Linnets build their nests and raise their chicks. It takes two weeks from laying to hatching and …
The most delicious taste for a creature of one mouthful
It’s always a delight to see a Wheatear. They’re quite incredible in their capacity to migrate. They can travel many thousands of …
Fledgling Rock Pipit
I’m climbing down the shallow cliffs to the sea to take photographs of Puffins in flight when I hear the usual pipping …
Tracing the outlines
I’m tracing the outlines of a barnacle city on the rocks of Westray’s shore. The outlines remind me of looking down on …
Puffins
Here’s a small collection of some of my previously unposted Puffin shots from this summer. Little sweetheart: Don’t look now, but I …
One dramatic evening
It’s a dramatic evening, already quite dark, yet this Fulmar is still flying. The sun is lighting up the high clouds with …
Sundogs and Skuas
There’s an Arctic Skua hunting Puffins for their fish. The weather is stunning, with interesting clouds making rainbow sundogs either side of …
Final Puffin evening
It’s time to head out to the Castle o’ Burrian to see the Puffins for a final time. The light is unexpectedly …
Juvenile Peregrine pursued by Arctic Skuas
I hear a loud Keeeeoww; a scream coming from above me. I manage to get its source in my viewfinder. It’s a …
King of the Castle o’ Burrian
It’s been great to watch the Puffins this year. This one was collecting last-minute bedding for its Puffling. The air must get …
Razorbill – with fish!
I’ve seen hundreds of Puffins with beak-fulls of fish recently, but it’s still a rarity to watch a Razorbill fly past fully-laden …
Working Westray #3
It’s Wednesday, so it’s time for my series on Working Westray. Cass, the vet, has come out to the island to scan …
Kittisleeps
Fledgling Kittiwakes are littering the inlets and cliffs of Westray. They seem like they are playing, delighted with their wings, whirling around …
Chasing
Once species chasing another is the order of the day. Inter-species conflict is breaking out all over the island. We’ve had an …
Feeling the breeze on your belly
Why do I like birds? A large part of it is that they make you feel intensely, vibrantly, alive. Seeing individuals going …
How low can you go?
I’d like you to have a look at two of my photographs, taken a minute or two apart. They are of a …
Synchro Puffin
Synchro Puffin should be a new Animal Olympics sport. Or should that be Animalympics? Maybe not, that was a cartoon. These two …
Working Westray #2
It’s Wednesday, so it’s time for my series on Working Westray. I’m in a spacious garage in Pierowall with Edith of Westray …
Juvenile Puffin flypast
I’ve taken a few thousand photographs of Puffins flying past me in the past few days. Most of them have fish in …
Twinkle twinkle little Puffin
Evenings are special when the sun sets slowly over the North Sea. Puffins gather in huge floats in the bay and fly …
The Black Guillemots of Aikerness
I’ve had a few trips recently to the far north of Westray. It’s a great place to go as it’s too far …