Out on the cliffs
Out on the cliffs, in the windiest and most exposed spot, where the Puffins are, is a Wren.
Westray Connections 2017 – Taster Sessions around the Village #3
The Graand Owld Byre on Westray is a great venue for music in every respect apart from one. It has super acoustics, …
Westray Connections 2017 – Taster sessions around the Village #2
The second free ‘Taster Session’ of music around the village of Pierowall as part of Westray Connections 2017 is in the Westray …
Westray Connections 2017 – Taster sessions around the Village
Westray is a small island but it’s big enough to have a school and a care home, a doctors and a hotel. …
Ringed Plover
There’s a bird on the rocks in Rapness Bay. In fact, there are two now: It’s a Ringed Plover. In Orkney it’s …
Westray Connections 2017 – Aly Bain and Phil Cunningham
It’s Friday night at the Westray Community School Hall and Phil and Aly (or is it Aly and Phil) are on stage …
Rapness rolling rocks
Rapness has some of the most interesting rocks on Westray. There are lots of rounded red sandstone pebbles. These rocks were dragged …
Stanger Head
Walking along the sea cliffs towards Stanger Head and the edges are covered in Sea Campion Silene uniflora: It’s got very distinctive …
Wildflower meadow
It’s no wonder the field at Einar is a literal hive of activity with bees. The Red Clover Trifolium pratense is here …
One foot out of the duvet
When you’re just getting comfortable in bed and you realise you’ve got one foot sticking out of the duvet.
Gannet families
The Gannet chicks at Noup are massive. They are so big and yet so fluffy still. Their main flight feathers are still …
A Linnet in the garden
Einar has a small area of walled garden. It’s grown over almost completely with shrubs and wind-dwarfed trees and where there is …
Mae Sands
Much of Mae Sands is so low-lying that it never really drains of seawater. Walking on it looks beguiling, but wet feet …
The Wild Westray
On the West Westray coast there’s nothing between you and America except the Atlantic Ocean. The coast is a fractured and windswept …
Turquoise
On the west coast of Westray, the wild Atlantic coast is full of sea caves and breathtaking horizons. Each inlet has a …
Admiring the garden
It’s beautiful evening sunlight on Westray when we see this Puffin emerge from its rock burrow and stand in the open air. …
Sea Thrift
In August the Sea Pinks, known as Thrift, are often just dried husks on the coast of Westray.
Green pools
Westray’s coastline has magnificent layers of sedimentary rocks. In places there are folds and cracks: A crack in the rocks leads to …
Puffarazzi
The RSPB are running a great citizen science project at the moment. They are calling for Puffarazzi – an army of Puffin …
Curious Beef Steers
They always say you can judge a man by the quality of his shoes. You can also identify the type of an …
Long evening shadows on the Shags far below
As afternoon turns to evening we walk along the Westray coast to Stanger Head. The light is low and warm and blinding. …
Flying Puffins
I’m currently without my telephoto lens. It’s being repaired. That means my prime chance of photographing Puffins is going to waste. I’m …
Fattie Cutties
No trip to Westray is complete without a visit to Peter Miller’s shop for some Fattie Cutties. Now even though Fattie Cutties …
Puffins on Parade
Puffins are always a pleasure to see and to photograph: They are such elegant birds, with stunning details in their plumage: Sometimes, …
Rapness Mill, a Puffin, a rainbow and the sunset
The Mill at Rapness is falling down. I’d love to help save it. Red Campion grows around it: Red Champion And Sea …
Blonde Bombshell
I’m buzzing with excitement. There are big blonde bees in the garden at Einar. I suspect they are Great Yellow Bumblebees. I …
Here Kitty Kitty – the birds without thumbs on their feet
The mystery of Kittiwakes’ toes.
Flagstones and Slaters
Looking into the cracks in the flagstones I see what looks to be a freakishly large Woodlouse. It’s a Sea Slater…