Swallow shuteye
When the sun shines in Orkney, it’s best to make good use of it. This Swallow agreed.
Working Westray #8
Mike restoring the stone well in the village, watched over by Nessa. There’s an old capped well, overgrown with plants in a …
Aerial ballet
I’ve been enjoying reviewing some of my images from Orkney Mainland taken this summer and this one, from a sequence I took …
Dunlin
I love to see Dunlin on the tideline.
Merlin
Every time I see a Merlin it’s a fleeting glance. It’s either only resting for a second before heading off to hunt …
Working Westray #7
I’ve loved being invited to see people working on Westray. I’ve even invited myself. There are many jobs I’ve no experience of, …
Singing in the bath
I’m driving along the car-bottom-scraping track to Noup Head. It’s first gear all the way unless I want to have my exhaust …
Golden Plover
I’ve never had the chance to see Golden Plover close up before. Whenever I’ve driven past a field of them on Westray …
Ewedini
While waiting for a Hen Harrier, which never arrives, I see a distant sheep, which I assume is in a bit of …
The Raven and the Rabbit’s head
Ravens are so difficult to get close to. Their eyesight is exceptional and they recognise any threat from a great distance. They’re …
Claws
The hind claws of Meadow Pipits really are something special. Just look at them: The long hind claw is probably an adaptation …
Working Westray #6
Ros is carving a stone house name at South Hamar. I love the simplicity of her tools and the clean lines of …
The Great Skua, the Ravens and the Rabbit
There are fifty Ravens at the Sands o’ Maesan. (I know that because I counted them from my photographs when I got …
The thrill of Hen Harriers
Hen Harriers are such wonderful birds that it’s worth sitting out in a field for a whole afternoon just in the hope …
A Kestrel at Noup
I’m sitting at Noup Head in full camouflage waiting for a Hen Harrier to come and saunter over me. There’s been nothing …
Beaks like tweezers
Arctic Terns have beaks like tweezers. Or is it that tweezers are like Arctic Terns’ beaks? It’s all part of our inversion …
Working Westray #5
Louise is making a tapestry on her loom in the studio at South Hamar. It’s a beautiful commission and very different from …
Sedge Warbler at Roadmire
I love stopping at Roadmire, the house overlooking the Ayre of Fribo and the Bay of Tuquoy.
Rabbit ears flapping in the wind
There are 50 Ravens at the Sands o’ Maesan. One of them has the head of a Rabbit in its beak. I …
Sparrowhawk
I adore Sparrowhawks. I stumbled upon this one in a tree and it was always going to spot me and fly off. …
The ultimate Hen Harrier experience
Spending time hoping a Hen Harrier flies my way has been my favourite pastime this summer. After their summer of success breeding …
Fine adjustments
When you’re heading vertically downwards at an eye-bulging speed, aiming for a moving target, it’s useful to be able to make fine …
Purple Sandpiper
I’m used to seeing Purple Sandpipers in Devon in the winter. There are usually a few birds around Brixham Breakwater, and they’re …
Sedge Warbler
I’ve got a lot of love and appreciation for Sedge Warblers. They’re one of the first birds I took decent photographs of …
A curly Curlew
Having a Curlew fly over is always a thrill, especially if I can hear it call. It’s the haunting last sound of …
Something to say
I love it when a Sanderling has something to say. It’s beautiful on Mae Sands as I lie getting my elbows soggy …
Second bloom
The Thrift at Backarass is having a welcome second bloom. As am I.
A head-scratching moment
I’m watching Kittiwakes fly past Noup Head, where cliffs keep a huge breeding seabird colony relatively safe from predators. One amuses me, …
Hungry chick
We’re on the cliffs of Westray at Noup Head lighthouse, hanging over the edge again. I don’t like heights. There’s an amusingly …
A Wheatear explosion
I’ve never been able to get close to Wheatears before. They are very wary birds. There are a few families along the …