Puffling preparations
In a sheer rock cliff there is a natural cavity in which a pair of Puffins have made their nest. Today their …
Fattie cutties and Kevin the kayaKing
My friend sends me a message saying her son is on the island with his, “Ace wife”. “Do meet him”, her message …
Brakes deployed
It takes every inch of wing space to stop a Puffin. And both feet.
Not-so-cool bag
We’re out for the sunset and choose a beach with a view. There’s cloud and sunshine and the most beautiful atmosphere to …
Puffin bedding
Living in a hot burrow underground in summer with a youngster must get a bit smelly. Even at this late stage the …
Finding where the noise is coming from
There’s a bird calling and we don’t know where it is. The sound is coming from below our feet somewhere on the …
Alternative nesting sites
On the cliffs of Westray are two Fulmar resting places. They’re both in the north-end of the island. One is a bare …
Bumpy landing
I’ve seen Puffins flying underwater in an avian aquarium. They’re incredibly elegant. I’ve seen them flying and been amazed by their speed …
Twite are seriously underrated
Twite are such beautiful birds. They’re small brown finches, closely related to Linnets. The subtlety of their plumage is just sublime and …
Black Guillemot with Butterfish
I can see a Black Guillemot in the Atlantic. It has the familiar shape of a Butterfish in its grasp, held tightly …
A funny Tern
I love the small bright yellow boat in Pierowall bay. Having called it a boat, someone will probably correct me and tell …
Let the Puffin photographs begin
There are entire manuals written on posing for portraits. They tell you exactly how to stand, hold your arms and hold your …
Gannet missile technology
As I child I read a book called Magic of the Senses by Vitus B. Droscher, a popular science exploration of the …
Flying Wren
I’ve enjoyed the Wrens at Einar this year. They’ve been a joy. Their lives are led in a sheltered garden, full of …
A Common Tern in the Bay of Tafts
There’s a Tern hunting for fish at the Bay of Tafts. It’s a beautiful day and visibility is good. Amazingly there’s someone …
Feather bed
The encyclopaedia says there are four seasons in temperate latitudes. Billy Connolly, however, said, “There are two seasons in Scotland; June and winter”. …
Absolute scenes
Absolute scenes here today at Einar as the Wrens fledged. I’ve been watching the parents bringing invertebrates into one of my ‘useful …
Great Yellow Bumblebee – Bombus distinguendus
This time I know what I’m looking for. I’m a man on a mission to find one of Britain’s rarest bumblebees. I’ve …
Island life and using your loaf
I’m on North Ronaldsay for the day. My aim is to cycle and see some wildlife but I’m distracted. There’s a choice …
Pecked
This cobble has been tumbled by the waves until it is not quite smooth. It has been ‘pecked’ by crashing against other …
Kitchen drawer wildlife
Woodlice. There are 3,500 species in the world and between 35 and 40 in the UK. They’re animals which many children know. …
Puffin icon
It was a very Puffin Christmas here. I received a Puffin Icon from the Puffin Whisperer. She used a solid wooden block …
The tortoise and the hare
We’re watching a kayaker paddle across Pierowall Bay with his fishing rod safely stowed when a motorboat comes past. Which one would …
A Fulmar at the skeleton house
A Fulmar from summer, sitting pretty on the top of a wall in the skeleton house. Its beached carcass and exposed ribs …
Slip
It’s hard to see that cliffs are dangerous from the top of them. Seeing the Island from the sea gives a completely …
Triple lintel
Orkney is full of the evidence of master builders. Once stone is placed upon stone, then something is created which can last …
Scottish Primroses
In August we went looking for the Scottish Primrose, Primula scotica. It’s one of the few plants which grows in Scotland and …
2020 highlights of a wilder Orkney life
In 2020 I managed two trips to Orkney. I did it by self-isolating for two weeks before travelling and then taking all …
Life, clinging on
There was a solitary flower of what looked like Sea Mayweed on the rocks on the exposed coast of Westray this summer. …
Eyebright
In this time of darkness it’s pleasant to think back to the summer when, on glorious days, we would walk the coast …