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 …
A male Hen Harrier hunting
We’ve come to look for the Short-Eared Owl. Instead, as I pull up the car, there’s a male Hen Harrier heading over …
A wild Neolithic hat-trick
It’s time for me to catch the ferry away from Orkney for a short while. I have an evening to spare and …
What’s better than seeing a Hen Harrier?
I always hope to see Hen Harriers. If I had to have a spirit animal it would be a Hen Harrier. They’re …
Sparrowhawk
I can recognise a Sparrowhawk flying now: flap-flap-glide, flap-flap-glide. It’s a distinctive pattern. I saw one as a child from a train …
2018 highlights of a wilder Orkney life
My trips to Orkney in 2018 were full of wildlife surprises. I spent some time in the summer with the Black Guillemots …
The most persecuted bird in Britain
I’m hoping to see a Hen Harrier today. I’m going to visit the Eddie Balfour hide on the mainland of Orkney. The …
A Hen Harrier in my back garden
When a Hen Harrier came to visit
Harrying the Hens
I’m hoping that the Hen Harrier will be hunting on Westray this summer. I’ve seen a Hen Harrier over Westray’s moorland several …