Razorbill flypast
I’ve spent all day taking photographs of Razorbills. It’s been lovely to spend the day on the cliffs in the sun and …
Getting close
Getting close to any wild bird is a privilege. It’s a wonderful feeling to be able to see how wild birds act …
Razorbill in spray
When I visit one of my favourite places on Westray I’m usually frustrated that the sun and wind are coming from opposite …
Finding a Cooter-neb
The Razorbills along the Westray coast make a spectacular sight. Their dramatic Emo-Puffin plumage is glorious against the dark rocks. The Orkney …
Razorbill
I’m used to seeing resplendent Razorbills in full breeding plumage on Westray. I’ve even photographed them bringing back fish to their rock …
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 …
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 …
Let me introduce the band…
Great! The backing singers have arrived. Now let me introduce you to the star of the show: Razorbills are such great entertainers. …
Razor totin’ Bill
I can’t hear the name Razorbill without hearing Howlin’ Wolf sing Wang Dang Doodle. Tell automatic slimTell razor totin’ jimTell butcher knife …
The Razorbill and the feral cat
As I walk along the coast I sit and rest at a place where the waves crash. There’s a Razorbill flying towards …
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 …
Bempton birds – when you know you’re being watched
Many birds are perfect parcels of protein. There are plenty of predatory species which would treat them as a tasty snack. This …
Bempton birds – Cousin Puffin and the Ancestral Auk
Non-scientists often think the mysteries of the living world have been solved. Nothing could be further from the truth. There’s plenty of …
Bempton birds – the miracle of flight
The power of flight still astonishes me. If only I could be up there with the birds at RSPB Bempton Cliffs. The …
Bempton birds – coming in to land
Landing makes flying seem easy: I love the way this Guillemot is dangling its feet, like two paddles, to provide enough drag: …
Bempton birds – staring at the sky
Gannets look astonishingly alien, don’t they? They’re not inhabitants of this world. When they display to one another they point directly at …
Bempton birds – Gannets, Gannets, everywhere
Try going to Bempton and getting a photograph without a Gannet in it. Try it. Go on. Here’s a Puffin in flight; …
Bempton birds – eggs and chicks galore
There are hundreds of thousands of seabirds here at RSPB Bempton Cliffs. I particularly love the Kittiwakes. They’re such delicate, elegant gulls, …
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 …
Razorbills
Our first trip out to see the Razorbills, Alca torda, is a success: we can see them: There’s even a brief chance …
Razorbill and Puffin meet
I’m sitting on the cliffs of Westray on a beautiful day. I’m wearing full camouflage. I’ve been taking photographs of birds as …
Razorbills
Looking back at my photographs from 2017 I come across some which I haven’t posted. They are Razorbills. They nest along the …
Never a dull day
The weather on Westray may be dull, but there’s never a dull day on Westray.
A white blanket of cloud shrouds the island but life continues as normal for the incredible menagerie which inhabits the shores of Westray.
Razorbill
I didn’t even see this Razorbill on the cliffs last summer at Noup Head until The Puffin Whisperer pointed it out to …