
Tystie takeoff
When I first saw a Black Guillemot hanging about on the cliffs with a fish, I was worried. Was I stopping it …
Notes on a very small island
When I first saw a Black Guillemot hanging about on the cliffs with a fish, I was worried. Was I stopping it …
Watching young birds being fed is entertaining, especially if they are twins. The look on the face of the bird which isn’t …
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 …
They say that the best camera is the one you have with you. That was certainly true of my evening walk 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 …
I’m waiting for my car to be MOTd. After a dull hour I have to go back to check how it’s going. …
Evolution by natural selection has resulted in the most incredible diversity of life on Earth. One of the standout examples in my …
I’m walking along the barren rocky coast of the north of Westray. There seems to be very little directly north of here …
I’m walking along the beach at Mae Sands on a beautiful morning. I’m heading out to see one of the Arctic Tern …
There’s a report on our local WhatsApp group that there’s a stranded Risso’s Dolphin on one of the beaches on Westray. Our …
We’ve been out to the north end of Westray again, taking photographs of Black Guillemots with their fish. I had in mind …
Please don’t tickle this Sand Martin. If you do it’s likely to splutter flies everywhere from cheeks bursting with them. Seriously, birds …
Water; it’s incredible. Humans have evolved senses to see, smell, and taste a wide variety of sensations and yet we see water …
Butterfish are the Black Guillemot’s most common catch. Here’s a Butterfish which is deep red and still wriggling. Black Guillemots usually grip …
Arctic Terns move between air and water, between north and south, between being territorial and migratory, between Arctic and Antarctic. Their life …
The light is incredible on the west coast of Westray. It’s golden, and reflects beautifully off the Atlantic onto the rocky coast. …
The word Starling means little Stare, a young Stare, a juvenile Stare. Stare is what adult Starlings were always called until everyone …
There are young Arctic Terns here which have yet to get their full adult plumage. Smart, aren’t they? We’ve walked a mile …
We’re on Mainland Orkney for a few days because my car needs an MOT. That’s a happy circumstance, because it gives us …
Skylark, exhausted after all that shouting from on high.
As the weather in Orkney has been so idyllic, I’ve been out with my camera for many, many hours, including sitting on …
Calling a plant as wonderful as this Potentilla a weed seems deeply unfair, but that’s botany for you. The underside of the …
I’ve taken to walking the Westside of Westray. Yes, I’ve been taking a Walk on the Westside. The glorious weather has meant …
This Atlantic Puffin has come to rest on the low, grassy cliffs, where its burrow faces the North Sea. It flaps its …
This Rock Pipit on the coast of Westray reminds me… I must plump up my duvet when I make my bed.
I can’t resist their orange good looks. Birds with red plumage have enhanced vision in the red of the spectrum. I wonder …
Black Guillemots like to display their fish on the cliffs. It would be a shame not to spend some time appreciating their …
Whenever there’s a Great Black Backed Gull flying past I just can’t resist taking a portrait. I love their faces. Am I …
The go-faster stripes on this Great Skua are very distinctive. They’re very Starsky & Hutch and their 1976 Ford Gran Torino.
We’ve been out with the Arctic Terns this evening and I’ve loved seeing their behaviour. They interact with all the other bird …