Red-Backed Shrike
There’s been an influx of Red-Backed Shrikes throughout Orkney and Westray has had its fair share. I’ve seen one before, in Italy, …
Little Tern
I’ve never had such close views of Little Terns as I’m getting today. They’re strange, compact birds, unlike the other more elongated …
Sandwich Tern
I’ve seen Sandwich Terns before, but only briefly. There’s one parading along the beach at the 3rd Churchill Barrier in Orkney and …
Wait for it to dive and then run like the clappers
I’ve just arrived in Orkney and have an afternoon free to get a badly sunburnt neck at the 3rd Churchill Barrier. There …
Deadwood
There’s a beautiful piece of driftwood on the beach at Sidmouth. It’s the sort of thing which would become an essential structural …
The Great Chicken Disaster of 1952
There’s a reason chickens are mostly kept inside in Westray. It’s because of the great chicken disaster of 1952. On 15 January …
Pipit, pipit
Meadow Pipits have a rather serious, stoic look. There are hundreds of families of Meadow Pipits on Westray, and, as I stood …
Life and death on the waves
Strange things happen in the natural world. Here’s a photograph from a sequence that I’m still mentally processing. From left to right: …
Big fish
I’ve loved watching the Arctic Terns in Orkney this summer. They’re fascinating. I spent hours watching them come back to their colonies …
The Hall of Einar Sunday Recommendation #49
Hello and welcome to my Sunday Recommendation. Thanks for joining me. Every week I read great wildlife and nature books, stumble upon …
Arctic Terns and Lumpsuckers
Watching Arctic Terns pull Lumpsuckers out of the water is a thrill. I love the spray of water around this one and …
About turn
I love the way that Hen Harriers can turn so quickly. The combination of strong wings and a long tail mean they …
Whoopers
I’ve not seen a Whooper Swan before so it’s a thrill to spot a couple on the Loch of Swartmill. They’re handsome …
Harrying
My favourite sight is a Hen Harrier harrying.
Diving Arctic Tern
Something I enjoyed this summer was taking multiple exposures of some of the bird species on Westray and creating composite images from …
Flatfish
What’s actually happening isn’t what appears to be happening. It’s laughing at the other one’s fish flapping in the wind, isn’t it? …
A family affair
An Arctic Tern family from this summer. I wonder where they are now? I suspect they’ll be somewhere on the way to …
Swallow shuteye
When the sun shines in Orkney, it’s best to make good use of it. This Swallow agreed.
Working Westray #8
Mike restoring the stone well in the village, watched over by Nessa. There’s an old capped well, overgrown with plants in a …
Aerial ballet
I’ve been enjoying reviewing some of my images from Orkney Mainland taken this summer and this one, from a sequence I took …
Dunlin
I love to see Dunlin on the tideline.
Merlin
Every time I see a Merlin it’s a fleeting glance. It’s either only resting for a second before heading off to hunt …
Working Westray #7
I’ve loved being invited to see people working on Westray. I’ve even invited myself. There are many jobs I’ve no experience of, …
Singing in the bath
I’m driving along the car-bottom-scraping track to Noup Head. It’s first gear all the way unless I want to have my exhaust …
Golden Plover
I’ve never had the chance to see Golden Plover close up before. Whenever I’ve driven past a field of them on Westray …
Ewedini
While waiting for a Hen Harrier, which never arrives, I see a distant sheep, which I assume is in a bit of …
The Raven and the Rabbit’s head
Ravens are so difficult to get close to. Their eyesight is exceptional and they recognise any threat from a great distance. They’re …
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 …