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 …
The thrill of Hen Harriers
Hen Harriers are such wonderful birds that it’s worth sitting out in a field for a whole afternoon just in the hope …
A Kestrel at Noup
I’m sitting at Noup Head in full camouflage waiting for a Hen Harrier to come and saunter over me. There’s been nothing …
Beaks like tweezers
Arctic Terns have beaks like tweezers. Or is it that tweezers are like Arctic Terns’ beaks? It’s all part of our inversion …
Working Westray #5
Louise is making a tapestry on her loom in the studio at South Hamar. It’s a beautiful commission and very different from …
Sedge Warbler at Roadmire
I love stopping at Roadmire, the house overlooking the Ayre of Fribo and the Bay of Tuquoy. It’s my favourite place on …
Rabbit ears flapping in the wind
There are 50 Ravens at the Sands o’ Maesan. One of them has the head of a Rabbit in its beak. I …
Sparrowhawk
I adore Sparrowhawks. I stumbled upon this one in a tree and it was always going to spot me and fly off. …
The ultimate Hen Harrier experience
Spending time hoping a Hen Harrier flies my way has been my favourite pastime this summer. After their summer of success breeding …
Fine adjustments
When you’re heading vertically downwards at an eye-bulging speed, aiming for a moving target, it’s useful to be able to make fine …
Purple Sandpiper
I’m used to seeing Purple Sandpipers in Devon in the winter. There are usually a few birds around Brixham Breakwater, and they’re …
Sedge Warbler
I’ve got a lot of love and appreciation for Sedge Warblers. They’re one of the first birds I took decent photographs of …
A curly Curlew
Having a Curlew fly over is always a thrill, especially if I can hear it call. It’s the haunting last sound of …
Something to say
I love it when a Sanderling has something to say. It’s beautiful on Mae Sands as I lie getting my elbows soggy …
Second bloom
The Thrift at Backarass is having a welcome second bloom. As am I.
A head-scratching moment
I’m watching Kittiwakes fly past Noup Head, where cliffs keep a huge breeding seabird colony relatively safe from predators. One amuses me, …
Hungry chick
We’re on the cliffs of Westray at Noup Head lighthouse, hanging over the edge again. I don’t like heights. There’s an amusingly …
A Wheatear explosion
I’ve never been able to get close to Wheatears before. They are very wary birds. There are a few families along the …
My spirit animal
I’ve walked the coast of Westray many times now, always with a large camera with telephoto lens. Partly, that’s out of fear …
Tiddly toes
Isn’t this Arctic Tern a stunning bird? One distinctive feature of Arctic Terns is that they have incredibly short legs. It probably …
Twisting and Terning
I love how high-speed photography reveals what’s happening, when the human eye and brain can’t process it. Here, an Arctic Tern is …
Incoming Tystie
The Black Guillemots are struggling to feed their chick. There’s even an outside possibility they have two chicks that they are struggling …
Catchlight
The Arctic Tern colonies on Westray all behave differently when approached. Their behaviour seems to depend upon which stage in the breeding …
A flock of Twite and an inside leg measurement
I’m walking one of the sections of coastal path on Westray. At least a path is what I call it. There’s actually …
On reflection
I’ve spent an inordinate amount of time with Arctic Terns this summer. It’s been a pleasure. I’ve been sit-in on the rocks …
Tystie takeoff
When I first saw a Black Guillemot hanging about on the cliffs with a fish, I was worried. Was I stopping it …
Missing out
Watching young birds being fed is entertaining, especially if they are twins. The look on the face of the bird which isn’t …
The diving Kittiwake
I’ve not watched a Kittiwake feeding before. It’s fascinating to see their wings beating, their eyes on the sea, their false-starts and …
The best camera…
They say that the best camera is the one you have with you. That was certainly true of my evening walk on …
And still the chase goes on…
The Arctic Tern chicks have fledged, yet Great Skuas still patrol and Arctic Tern parents still chase them off. It’s an ever-repeating …