Eider Down
I’m walking in the far north of Westray. I’ve been scrambling up cliffs, walking across rocky beaches and yomping across grassy fields. …
Sandwich Tern dive
I’d like to know if there’s some research about the angle of dive which different tern species use. Is the angle they …
Orkney: a choice of islands
It would be easy to think, as an outsider, that Orkney is a single place. It isn’t. It’s a whole series of …
Oystercatcher in sunshine
Sometimes Oystercatchers call out in alarm as I approach. Sometimes they fly and harass me. Sometimes they just sit and watch. This …
Skylark on a stab
Walking, cycling or driving around Westray is accompanied by Skylarks tinkling and fluttering in the air. They’re either buried deep in cover, …
Terns in tandem
At this time of year there’s much interaction between Common Terns on Westray. They call, fly together, have mock-beak-battles and chase one …
Touching waves with wing-tips
I love to walk along the Sands o’ Maesan, climb the rocks at the end of the beach, and make my way …
Sanderling incoming
It’s a dull day when the Sanderling arrive. It’s soon bright and beautiful on the white shell sand beach as they pick …
Cattie-face
There’s been a Cattie-face (a Short-Eared Owl) hunting in Skelwick for months now. I see it often when I travel to the …
Sedge Warbler at Roadmire
It’s reassuring that the Sedge Warblers are back at Roadmire. Their song is an itch you just can’t scratch.
Atlantic Puffin enthroned in Sea Pinks
Here’s a Puffin, elegantly enthroned in a garden of Sea Pinks. That orange and pink is quite a severe clash. And here’s …
Feeding time
It’s important to time having your chicks at the time of maximum food abundance. The Starlings of Westray seem to have mastered …
A trip to the Arctics
I’m going on a trip to the Arctics. No, not the North Pole, I’m going on a trip to see the Arctic …
Scurrying Sanderling
Sanderling are one of my favourite wading birds. Actually, they’re one of the few species of waders I can identify reliably. I …
Honey Buzzard
Our friend Tina sends a message on the local wildlife WhatsApp Group. It’s a photograph of the back of her camera showing …
Eider
I’ve never had a close view of a male Eider drake before. And now I have. They’re sailing the coasts of Orkney …
Close up with a Great Northern Diver
As I drive past I can see there’s a Great Northern Diver in Pierowall Bay. It’s unusually close to the shore. That …
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 …