Water Horsetails at Roadmire
Roadmire is a great name for the boggy area leading to Letto Sands. These Palaeozoic horsetails flourish there undisturbed.
Clinging to the edge
On Gill Pier this tiny plant clings on to the edge. A little like this Island does.
The red hand of seaweed
The red hand of seaweed grasps a pebble at Rack Wick.
Welcome to May in June
The Hawthorn is in flower at Einar. It’s also known at the May-tree because it flowers in May. In Orkney it should …
Purple orchid
Cycling past the sign for the Cleaton House Hotel I see a beautiful purple orchid with spotted leaves. I lie flat on …
Huffing and Puffin
This afternoon I cycled down to the Castle o’ Burrian. The wind was against me. The wind is always against me. I …
Thrifty
Thrift or Sea Pinks grow all over the coast here and their pink lollipops of flowers are beautiful at this time of year.
I’m listening to a Corncrake calling at the Bay of Tuquoy. It sounds like wood creaking. If only I could see it! → 10 June, 2015
Horsetails from the Palaeozoic
There are Horsetails on the verge at Einar. They’re hard and scour my hands with their brittle covering of silica. They’re so …
Dandelions
If only I had a Guinea Pig. They would be in Guinea Pig heaven. These dandelions have roots as big as turnips.
This year’s dead animal is…
There’s always a dead animal somewhere in Einar. Sometimes it’s a mummified starling. This time it’s a rabbit. Before it died it chewed through the electricity cable to my boiler. Then something ripped it to pieces and scattered it over the floor. There’s an isolated rabbit’s foot lying there. It wasn’t lucky for the rabbit.
Birds on The Scaun
Shags and gulls face the wind as huge turquoise waves break at The Scaun.
Whaup
Curlews are called Whaups in Orkney and there are thousands of them here all year round. They’re our biggest wading bird and …
400 million years of separation
Glad to be alive? Thank a plant today. The oxygen you breathe, the food you eat and the fuel you burn all …
Waxcaps
On Fitty Hill I’m surprised to find a wonderful collection of Waxcaps. These fungi are classic inhabitants of poor, unimproved grassland and …
Primula scotica – tiny, delicate and beautiful
It’s a long climb up to the top of Fitty Hill. As we walk there are two fences where the ground changes …
Gone looking for the Scottish primrose. → 26 August, 2013
Pulling a Pollock
It’s a misty morning so our fishing trip gets delayed from its planned 7am start. By mid morning, though, it’s beautifully bright …
Waiting for flies
Unaware of the smartphone camera inches from their heads.
Westray and Papa Westray – the Movie
I never tire of hearing the narrator’s voice on this wonderful video
A Mermaid’s Purse
A stroll down the beach this morning and we find a Mermaid’s Purse; the egg capsule of a Dogfish. The tendrils are …
Waiting impatiently
This morning the young Swallows are huddling on the toilet window ledge. This time I try photographing them with a Nikon D300 …
Fish and chips and owls
We’re driving in the Land Rover to the village when the Short Eared Owl appears over the fields with its white wing …
Who’s the daddy?
It’s a shame for the house that the double glazed unit has failed, water has got in and mould has started to grow between the panes of glass. It’s brilliant for photography though.
Clinging on
Families of young swallows are fledging and cling to the window ledges of Einar in the strong winds.
Window ledge
Window ledge beachcombing finds
I’ve got a serious problem
Why do people not believe me when I tell them that I have a serious Woodlouse problem?
Twittering and chattering
It’s early in the morning and I can hear the sudden twittering and chattering of birds. It’s so loud it must be …
There was only one woodlouse on my face flannel this morning. My worry is that they’re all still alive inside the Hoover … → 18 August, 2013