Sunset and the whale
When you can see the horizon, on days when you can spin and see the sea and the clouds surrounding you, there’s …
Puffins are good for the soul
Puffins are the size of pigeons. They can fly at up to 55mph. And they are always a joy to see. Puffins …
Light and shade
I’m walking the wild west coast of Westray again. It’s magnificent. For a few months each year it’s inhabited by Arctic Skuas, …
If ever I could fly
Of all the birds of the sea, the greatest fliers are the Fulmars: There is no bird so alive to the shifting …
Peregrination
We’re walking the coast of Westray when I see it perched there. “There!” I say to the Puffin Whisperer, as I crouch …
The Great Skua and the Gannet’s tail
Gannets are big birds. On the cliffs they dwarf their Guillemot neighbours. They have fearsome beaks and could easily do you severe …
Noticing
Noticing. It’s a newly fashionable word. I used to say observing. It’s something I do all the time. Noticing. The act by …
The Gift
I spent many days with the Puffins on the coast of Westray this summer. All were a joy. Some days were too …
A Comedy of Puffins
These Puffins have quite a lot to say to one another. They’re surprisingly social birds, with calls, displays and occasional disputes with …
Sedge Warblers
I’ve had great views of Sedge Warblers in Somerset. They manage to fly non-stop from sub-Saharan Africa to the exact spot they …
Not every Puffin makes it
Puffins face constant threats. There are Great Skuas overhead every day on the lookout for the weak, the old, the unwary, or …
I’m exhausted and exhilarated at being a witness to something so primeval
May I introduce you to the cast of characters of this eternal struggle? This is an adult Kittiwake, one of the most …
The bottle in the wall
I’m looking for nests in my garden. I’ve found two occupied ones and an abandoned one with an egg still in it, …
Tame Puffins and wild captions
This Puffin photograph looks as if it deserves a caption. So does this one: This one already has a caption:
Flocking heaven
Getting a photograph of a Puffin flock is tricky. They’re fast and fly with seemingly random twists and turns. Too few birds …
Rock Pipits close up
It’s taken me four years but I can now safely call myself a nature photographer. That’s worrying. The first time I was …
Puffin blow-dry
Some Puffins are just so… pristine. This one has definitely just had a cut and blow-dry. Don’t you love that feeling? When …
Razor totin’ Bill
I can’t hear the name Razorbill without hearing Howlin’ Wolf sing Wang Dang Doodle. Tell automatic slimTell razor totin’ jimTell butcher knife …
Ravens and rocks
The west coast of Westray has some of the best walking in the islands. There are fossilised remains of ripples on the …
Last call of the Curlew
Every time I mention that Curlews are threatened, that their populations are collapsing, that several of the species worldwide are threatened or …
When you’ve been working hard on the family farm all day
Westray farmers work hard. Their familiar blue overalls billow in the wind as the breeze blows the washing on a fine day …
Iridescent clouds
The clouds are like the insides of shells today. There’s a beautiful mother of pearl effect on the edges of the high …
Solan Goose
There’s time for a quick trip to Noup Head. Dramatic cliffs, tens of thousands of seabirds, breathtaking views over the Ocean. What’s …
The Ogre and the Peregrine, master of peril
The coast is full of anxious Guillemots transporting a single silver fish each, flying in strict convoy. There are parading Puffins waiting …
Flying Aaks
There’s a low flying Guillemot coming past the bottom of the cliffs. It’s a great aerodynamic shape, although perhaps I should say …
An Arctic Skua and the Atlantic Ocean
There are dramatic seas today. Here’s the Atlantic Ocean. There’s nothing west of here but the weather. And an Arctic Skua.
Arctic Skua hunting sequence
Here’s a Guillemot flying past me on the west Westray coast. It’s a grey day, but the rain has cleared and there’s …
Arctic Skua
I’m walking the west coast of Westray again. It’s wild and wonderful. There are processions of Guillemots coming past fast and low. …
The Razorbill and the feral cat
As I walk along the coast I sit and rest at a place where the waves crash. There’s a Razorbill flying towards …
Terns, Skuas and chimney clouds
I’m expecting to be attacked today. No, I’m not in an inner city, I’m on an island with a population of fewer …