Rock Pipit
This Rock Pipit on the coast of Westray reminds me… I must plump up my duvet when I make my bed.
Return to Oystercatcher beach
I can’t resist their orange good looks. Birds with red plumage have enhanced vision in the red of the spectrum. I wonder …
The fish dance
Black Guillemots like to display their fish on the cliffs. It would be a shame not to spend some time appreciating their …
I can’t resist a flypast
Whenever there’s a Great Black Backed Gull flying past I just can’t resist taking a portrait. I love their faces. Am I …
Flashy wings
The go-faster stripes on this Great Skua are very distinctive. They’re very Starsky & Hutch and their 1976 Ford Gran Torino.
Arctic Terns at sunset
We’ve been out with the Arctic Terns this evening and I’ve loved seeing their behaviour. They interact with all the other bird …
Attention-seekers
Waders. They’re either nearly invisible, clad in the most extreme camouflage possible, or they’re Oystercatchers. This Oystercatcher was attempting to get my …
Stayin’ Alive
Many birds have short and difficult lives. Every day is a struggle to find food and shelter, find a mate, raise a …
An afternoon with the Tysties of Westray
I love our trips out to see the Tysties – the Black Guillemots – on Westray. They seem to enjoy sitting on …
Old Carrot-Face is noisy today
Oystercatchers are a noisy fact of life here on Westray. There’s not a spot of coastline which isn’t guarded by some zealous …
A scuttling Sandy Laverock
The Orkney name for Ringed Plover is Sandy Laverock. It’s a beautiful name for a beautiful bird. They appear to be always …
Bonxies
Bonxie is the name for the Great Skua, Stercorarius skua, here in Orkney. It’s the Norse name for them. If you’ve ever …
Chuckie
A walk up the west coast of Westray revealed several pairs of Wheatear, which are very active at the moment. They’re exceptionally …
From a mile away
I’m at least a mile away from the Arctic Tern colony here when one passes overhead. It’s clearly not found enough to …
Incoming!
We spent an amazing evening with the Scootie Allans of Westray. Arctic Skuas are beautiful, impressive birds, with sleek bodies and swept-back …
Skylarking
An evening walk in the warm, low sun and there is a pair of Skylarks in the field. They’re difficult to get …
Mallimack surprise
The Fulmars on Westray are littering the coast with their ungainly earthly forms, as well as flying effortlessly along the cliffs with …
A Heather Lintie at the Castle o’ Burrian
Twite are such beautiful birds. Their subtlety is exceptional, with the softness of their stripes and the paleness of their beaks. It’s …
A Scootie Allan attacking a Mallimack
A Scootie Allan attacking a Mallimack. An Arctic Skua attacking a Fulmar. A Stercorarius parasiticus attacking a Fulmarus glacialis. Dramatic, isn’t it, in …
Perching Linnet
I loved seeing this male Linnet perching on the wind-burnt twigs in the garden of Einar this summer. He’s a beautiful sight …
Raven
Have you ever looked at a photograph and seen something in it which you didn’t see at the time you took it? …
Lovely Linnets in the garden
Each year at Einar, the Linnets build their nests and raise their chicks. It takes two weeks from laying to hatching and …
The most delicious taste for a creature of one mouthful
It’s always a delight to see a Wheatear. They’re quite incredible in their capacity to migrate. They can travel many thousands of …
Fledgling Rock Pipit
I’m climbing down the shallow cliffs to the sea to take photographs of Puffins in flight when I hear the usual pipping …
Puffins
Here’s a small collection of some of my previously unposted Puffin shots from this summer. Little sweetheart: Don’t look now, but I …
One dramatic evening
It’s a dramatic evening, already quite dark, yet this Fulmar is still flying. The sun is lighting up the high clouds with …
Sundogs and Skuas
There’s an Arctic Skua hunting Puffins for their fish. The weather is stunning, with interesting clouds making rainbow sundogs either side of …
Final Puffin evening
It’s time to head out to the Castle o’ Burrian to see the Puffins for a final time. The light is unexpectedly …
Juvenile Peregrine pursued by Arctic Skuas
I hear a loud Keeeeoww; a scream coming from above me. I manage to get its source in my viewfinder. It’s a …
King of the Castle o’ Burrian
It’s been great to watch the Puffins this year. This one was collecting last-minute bedding for its Puffling. The air must get …