2020 highlights of a wilder Orkney life
In 2020 I managed two trips to Orkney. I did it by self-isolating for two weeks before travelling and then taking all …
I Dream of Puffins
I dream of Puffins. I dream of being out on the soft, grassy cliffs and being surrounded by quirky birds cocking their …
Puffins are good for the soul
Puffins are the size of pigeons. They can fly at up to 55mph. And they are always a joy to see. Puffins …
The Gift
I spent many days with the Puffins on the coast of Westray this summer. All were a joy. Some days were too …
A Comedy of Puffins
These Puffins have quite a lot to say to one another. They’re surprisingly social birds, with calls, displays and occasional disputes with …
Not every Puffin makes it
Puffins face constant threats. There are Great Skuas overhead every day on the lookout for the weak, the old, the unwary, or …
A Puffin evening to say goodbye
It’s nearly time for the Atlantic Puffins to depart. I’d like to say goodbye and good luck to them, so I set …
Tame Puffins and wild captions
This Puffin photograph looks as if it deserves a caption. So does this one: This one already has a caption:
Flocking heaven
Getting a photograph of a Puffin flock is tricky. They’re fast and fly with seemingly random twists and turns. Too few birds …
Puffin blow-dry
Some Puffins are just so… pristine. This one has definitely just had a cut and blow-dry. Don’t you love that feeling? When …
Out of the Maelstrom
I had the most incredible day’s photography on the west coast of Westray. The sea was a raging tormented soul, with fomenting …
Fish envy
There’s a week in July which I call ‘peak Puffin’. It’s when every burrow is full of a hungry growing Puffling. Adults …
When you’ve been working hard on the family farm all day
Westray farmers work hard. Their familiar blue overalls billow in the wind as the breeze blows the washing on a fine day …
A Puffin life on the ocean wave
There are Puffins far below in the ocean. I’ve never been able to photograph them in the sea before, except as dots …
Sparkly Puffins, the horizon and evolutionary hairpin bends
The west coast of Westray is by far the most beautiful and magnificent. It’s largely empty of buildings apart from ruins. Here …
Puffins, Japanese TV and Monk and chips
I’m very pleased that my friend Martin’s on the Island at the moment. He’s completing filming for a documentary on Puffins for …
The Puffin experience and pint-sized love
It’s still a shock to me how small Puffins are. I spend 10 months of the year telling people that they’re the …
2019 highlights of a wilder Orkney life
The turning of the year is always a great time for reflection. Celebrating the darkest day with the thought that longer days, …
I’m a laughing gnome
“Ha, ha, ha, hee, hee, heeI’m a laughing gnome and you can’t catch me.”
Peering Puffins
If Puffins can’t find an earth burrow, or if they live in a place with predators like rats and stoats, they will …
Charming!
My current mood.
Sunset Puffins
It’s a distinctive silhouette which has graced the shores of the UK for thousands of years. But now, due to marine pollution …
The One Minute Puffin Cure #8
Comical Puffins in golden sunlight on Westray: Recorded using a tiny remote control camera at the Castle o’ Burrian on Westray in …
The One Minute Puffin Cure #7
Comical Puffins in golden sunlight on Westray: Recorded using a tiny remote control camera at the Castle o’ Burrian on Westray in …
Collapsed burrows
The headlands and inlets of Westray are covered in spongy tufts of damp grass. Beneath them lie normally invisible tunnels. They are …
Pottering Puffins
I’m pottering and decide to have a look at this summer’s Puffin portraits. There are a few I haven’t developed yet. I …
The One Minute Puffin Cure #6
It’s time for another One Minute Puffin Cure. Recorded using a tiny remote control camera at the Castle o’ Burrian on Westray …
Puffincoming!
Looking back at some of this summer’s Puffin photographs I find a sequence I really enjoy which I haven’t developed. How entertaining …
“I’m shy!”
Not everyone wants their photograph taken. Especially when you’re just getting ready to go out.
A floating circus
I’ve heard of a travelling circus. I’ve heard of a flying circus. But a floating circus? That’s a new one on me. …