Adult Human female
I was at the Natural History Museum in London a month ago when I saw the skeleton of an adult human female. …
2022 highlights of a wilder Orkney life (part 2)
August in Orkney can be quieter than May, June or July when it comes to bird life. In 2022, August was hectic …
2022 highlights of a wilder Orkney life (part 1)
2022 was a very happy time for me on my visits to Orkney. I spent hours on the low cliffs and rocks …
One Arctic Skua evening
Arctic Skuas are one of my favourite birds. Their swept-back wings, hooked beaks and pointed tail feathers make a distinctive silhouette. I …
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 …
Webbed feet
If you are wondering how Puffins catch fish, they actually fly under water. They float on the surface of the water, sticking …
Rock home
It’s entertaining to spend a day on the cliffs with a flask of tea and a local cheese sandwich on home-made bread …
Masters of the side-wind landing
Puffins still have to land whichever way the wind is blowing. That’s tricky, because ideally they would like to land into the …
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 …
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 …
Razorbill – with fish!
I’ve seen hundreds of Puffins with beak-fulls of fish recently, but it’s still a rarity to watch a Razorbill fly past fully-laden …
Juvenile Puffin flypast
I’ve taken a few thousand photographs of Puffins flying past me in the past few days. Most of them have fish in …
Twinkle twinkle little Puffin
Evenings are special when the sun sets slowly over the North Sea. Puffins gather in huge floats in the bay and fly …
Fish!
I’ve spent several days recently photographing Atlantic Puffins with fish. It’s for a wonderful creative project I’m involved with. More about that …
We’re going on a Puffin hunt
Arctic Skuas are one of my favourite birds. They do, however, hunt Puffins to rob them of their fish. I’ve previously photographed …
Flypast
I’m sat on the cliffs of Westray in pleasant light. It’s the middle of summer and it’s finally made it to 16 …
2021 highlights of a wilder Orkney life
I had a wonderful time on Westray in Orkney in 2021. The Puffins returned to breed and provided constant entertainment with their …
10 ways you know you’re in Orkney
10 ways you know you’re in Orkney Orkney is a very special place. What makes it so special? Here are ten ways …
Puffling in a flap
It’s rare to see a puffling, as young Puffins are called. They’re usually hidden in their rock or earth burrows, safe from …
Tysties with Butterfish
Black Guillemots are one of my favourite birds. I’m told, “They’re the purist’s bird for those who dislike the easy familiarity of …
Scootie Allan over Muckle Water
Perhaps the best part of the coastline for walking in Westray is the west coast. The section from Mae Sands to Noup …
The Bay of Tafts
The Bay of Tafts is not quite, but almost, my nearest beach. It’s a five minute cycle ride away, although the time …
Puffling preparations
In a sheer rock cliff there is a natural cavity in which a pair of Puffins have made their nest. Today their …
Puffin bedding
Living in a hot burrow underground in summer with a youngster must get a bit smelly. Even at this late stage the …
A day trip to Stronsay
Stronsay is one of the ‘other’ Orkney islands. I’ve not been there before because there’s no way of getting there from Westray …
Bumpy landing
I’ve seen Puffins flying underwater in an avian aquarium. They’re incredibly elegant. I’ve seen them flying and been amazed by their speed …
Gannet missile technology
As I child I read a book called Magic of the Senses by Vitus B. Droscher, a popular science exploration of the …
Sparkly Puffin
Humans and Puffins. We share a love of sunlight on turquoise ocean. And sparkles. We both love sparkles. I’ve just added another …
Sparkly Puffin – ultraHD Photo Print
Sparkly Puffin captures a beautiful moment as an Atlantic Puffin flies across the Atlantic Ocean.