Westray Coast 50 – Day One
My adventures on the first of five days walking the entire coast of Westray.
Goose Barnacles and Barnacle Geese
There’s a type of Goose Barnacle, a Buoy Barnacle, on the shore in Westray. Its full name is Dosima fascicularis. It’s one …
Swift by name
I’m used to seeing Swifts in Devon, high in blue skies, screaming. I spotted some recently in Reading, flying to and from …
Hoverflies on the cliffs
There are over 200 species of Hoverfly in the UK. I don’t know any of them and have to rely on support …
Nursery
There’s a beautiful nursery down below on these precarious cliffs: Adult Gannets are tending to their chicks and grooming themselves and each …
Pickieternos v Bonxies
Orkney has its own names for its birds. Many of these are from the Old Norse language and came with the Vikings …
Puffin with Sandeels
I’ve only had fleeting glances of Puffins with Sandeels as they whizz past at 30 miles per hour. I’m delighted to see …
Air Traffic Control
The RSPB say that Gannets are: “…distinctively shaped with a long neck and long pointed beak, long pointed tail, and long pointed …
Skewered by a Skua
I normally only see Great Skuas from behind as they disappear along the cliffs. They have a wonderful habit of cruising up …
Black Guillemot with Butterfish
I’m walking along the coast of Westray in Orkney when I spot a Black Guillemot come in to land from a fishing …
An evening with the Gannets of Noup Head
I’d love to tell you all about my evening at the RSPB reserve at Noup Head on Westray but all you need …
Two-Barred Crossbills from Russia
The three male Two-Barred Crossbills we saw on Westray created quite a stir. Rare Crossbills on the Links The next day we …
Declining Kittiwakes
The weather is dramatic and so are the Kittiwakes calling below: They are such refined and elegant birds. Their families are growing …
Rescuing a thirsty Hedgehog
Rescuing a thirsty Hedgehog from the road and having a heartmelting few minutes as we give it a much needed drink.Filmed on …
Razorbills
Our first trip out to see the Razorbills, Alca torda, is a success: we can see them: There’s even a brief chance …
Curious cattle
It’s ten years since I took this photograph of cattle on Westray in the field next to Einar: Curiosity Cow The cattle …
Good Gannets above!
Noup Head is an exciting place to be when the Gannets are flying: They are massive: When the weather conditions are just …
Razorbill and Puffin meet
I’m sitting on the cliffs of Westray on a beautiful day. I’m wearing full camouflage. I’ve been taking photographs of birds as …
An afternoon with the Black Guillemots
Black Guillemots are stunning birds in their summer breeding plumage. Here on Westray they nest on the cliffs and crags, with eggs …
Rock Pipit speaking with its mouth full
There’s a Rock Pipit on the cliffs on Westray: It’s incredibly well camouflaged visually: I say visually, because it just won’t be …
Posing for Puffin Portraits
I’ve opened a photographic studio here on Westray. No, not for people, but for Puffins. I have a range of natural backdrops, …
Kittiwakes are calling
Kittiwakes are the most beautiful and delicate of the gulls. Their yellow beaks, black legs, dark eyes and plaintive call are so …
The Lily Must Decay
Churchyards are always a sobering experience. I love looking at gravestones and the ones in the graveyard of the ruins of Lady …
Great Black Backed Gull
Great Black Backed Gulls are gulls, yet on an epic scale. Seeing one coming towards you is quite a sight: That’s some …
Spotted by a Skua
Seeing an Arctic Skua is like witnessing a mythical bird come to life. If they didn’t exist they would have to have …
Linnets on the wind-burnt Sycamore
There are Linnets on the tops of the wind-burnt Sycamore trees in my garden: They love being up high on bare, exposed …
When I see a Mallimack walk
“I seen a peanut stand, heard a rubber band I seen a needle that winked its eye But I be done seen …
Wren on the coast
The wild North Sea coast of Westray in Orkney is not for the feint hearted on a blustery day. There are Fulmars …
Rare Crossbills on the Links
I get the word that there’s a rare bird on the Island. In fact there are three of them; they are Two-Barred …
Groatie Buckies
On the table in the Groatie Buckies cafe on Westray, run by Stewart and Marian Groat, is a jar of Groatie Buckies. …