Running away to the circus
No, not that kind of circus. I mean Circus cyaneus, the Hen Harrier. Sitting in the window seat looking over the fields …
Gannets
Gannets have started breeding on the Noup Head cliffs and are taking over many of the narrow ledges and expanding the number …
Weather and wildlife strip the carcase clean
A 16 metre-long adult Sperm Whale beaching its carcase on the Bay of Tuquoy in 2007 was a source of much excitement …
Slugs and Fine China
When you move to an abandoned house there are always inhabitants who need to be evicted. Some are simply guests. Some are …
Common Seals on a Grey Day
Common seals strike ridiculous poses in Pierowall Bay. Apparently Common Seals have a characteristic ‘head-up, tail-up’ posture when they are hauled out. …
Dunlin on the Tide Line
Dunlin are wary birds. As I walk along the Bay of Tafts they jerk in nervous motion and skit further along the …
Flatfish on Feet
Idyllic weather in Orkney? T-shirt and shorts on the beach? It must be August and it must be a fluke, surely? Westray …
Stoneware Goblets, Punctures, Oatcakes and Missed Otters
Another day, another cycling trip to the shops. Having no fridge means buying fresh and Westray is full of fresh produce. This …
What’s the weather like inside today?…
is not a question you want answered by a slow but persistent drip, drip, drip somewhere near your head at 04:38am. It’s …
Dog Whelk
A Dog Whelk perches on a barnacle-encrusted rock, waiting for the moon to pull the sea back over it like a foamy …
Cracked Earth
The Lochs at Aikerness are empty, dry and dusty. There has been no proper rain for weeks.
Cereals and Sunshine
At this time of the year the ripening cereal crops take on the colour of the sun on a seemingly endless summer …
The Day of the Jellyfish
Today the jellyfish came; hundreds were washed up on Westray’s beaches. Mostly they were clear with pale pink and lilac frills, a handful were deep inky purple. Their alien life forms litter the shore.
Seabird City
Noup Head, the RSPB reserve, is seabird city. Here is a Fulmar, crouching ungainly on the cliffs, waiting to wheel into the air.
Mushroom Magic
A long walk along the cliffs to Noup Head. Giant mushroom fairy rings lie like targets on the fertile hillsides.
Pick ‘n’ Mix
Top Shells, Dog Whelks, Limpets, Flat Periwinkles and pebbles litter the shore like scattered pick ‘n’ mix.
Thistles
Thistles sprout in the rough grass on the dunes as the sun sets.
Footprints on the Beaches
Footprints of gulls pattern the sand.
Mallimack
A Fulmar glides past like a flying boat over the Knowe o’ Skea on Westray.
Periwinkle on the Beach
Flat periwinkle (Littorina obtusata) on the beach in the Bay of Swartmill.
Pony Poo
Allowing ponies into our field has finally had the much anticipated and appreciated effect. The mushrooms have come. What would we do …
Majestic Cliffs
It’s August and the cliffs around the north of Westray in Orkney are covered with the dried husks of Sea Pinks. Seals snort curious noses and Gannets plunge headlong into the sea, whilst we keep a watchful eye out for a pod of Killer Whales.
Goose Barnacles
Evie finds a collection of Goose Barnacles on the beach at Tafts.