Penny Buns
It’s wet again and my trousers are soaking after lying in a wet field photographing these marvellous Penny Buns, Ceps, Porcini, or …
The Spectacular Rustgill
It’s that season again. There are dense clusters of Spectacular Rustgills in this woodland. In the light they are a fabulous bright …
Dunlin delight
There are stuttering Dunlin all over the sands at The Ouse on Westray. Lovely, aren’t they? I’m still learning to identify waders …
Aurora Borealis
I’ve seen the Aurora Borealis before, over my house, Einar, on Westray. I’ve only ever seen the green arc of the lights …
Ringed Plover
Now that I can identify a few species of waders my next task is to understand whether they are adults or juveniles. …
Curlew Sandpipers at The Ouse
A trip to The Ouse means I ought to have worn full waterproofs. We’re going for a walk but there are wading …
The Pizza Cafe
Sketching Newton Abbot is a great way of engaging with my built environment. It’s also a chance to celebrate meaningful places. Here’s …
Two of my favourite things – sunsets and Puffins
The golden light of sunset is my favourite. That’s because dawn can easily be shortly after four in the morning and I’m …
Boomtown Fair portrait #5
Boomtown Fair gave me the chance to try photographing people. Here’s a woman from the Copper Feel Cabaret in her sequinned bra …
“Alas, poor Puffin! I knew him…”
We’re not here very long, so let’s make sure we safeguard the natural world for future generations.
Magpie Moths
There are Magpie Moths, Abraxas grossulariata, all over the island at the moment. Beautiful, aren’t they? The caterpillars feed on Hawthorn and …
Backarass Puffin
I love a trip to Backarass. There’s a precarious trip through a public footpath down to the cliffs. Gannets are diving, Kittiwakes …
Swallows
Watching birds is a constant joy. For me, taking their photographs enhances the pleasure at the time. And editing the photographs improves …
The beauty of Arctic Terns
The Arctic Terns at the Bay of Tuquoy have had success with their breeding colony this year. It’s been a pleasure to …
Curlew chicks
Driving on Westray I see bird running in the tiny road ahead of me. It’s a Curlew chick. There’s another in the …
To those who say sex isn’t binary…
The definition of biological sex is simple. The Universal Biological Definition is that sex is the two evolved body types which produce …
Grass trails
I love seeing the fields when they’re cut for hay or silage, especially when they’re undulating. This one has Oystercatchers, Curlew and …
Great Northern Divers
I’ve spent four days lying on the rocks near Mae Sands trying to film Great Norther Divers. It takes time to work …
Artificial Rubbish – part 5
Let’s bring real life back to wildlife.
Bristletails again
It’s time for me to pop to one of my ‘range of useful outbuildings’ here at Einar to see whether I can …
Rabbit supper
At the top of Fitty Hill I can see a couple of Great Skuas. They must have a chick or two nearby …
Eyebright
Eyebright is tiny. It’s one of the smallest, low-growing plants that it’s possible to see and recognise while walking. To photograph it …
An Uncommon Gull
There are fields full of the uncommon Common Gull here on Westray. For some reason I never get round to photographing them. …
This Puffin life
A final evening with the Puffins is always an emotional experience. They’ll be gone for nine months for a life on the …
Feeling on edge
It’s time to destroy my car’s suspension driving on the track to Noup Head Lighthouse. Crawling to the edge of the cliffs …
They’re not knock-knees
No, those are this Rock Pipit’s ankles.
A perfect hat-trick
A perfect hat-trick in football is when you score three goals, one with your left foot, one with your right foot and …
Adult Human Female Athlete – a word from the Professor
I recently posted on my Facebook profile about the unfairness of men being allowed to compete in women’s sport, specifically pool. I …
Not long out of the egg
Arctic Terns are colonial nesting birds. I’m sure of that fact. I’ve spent 18 years exploring Westray and seeing their colonies, large …
The Toothed Weaver
The most common spider at Einar is the Toothed Weaver, Textrix denticulata. They are tiny, only about 7mm long. Many of them …