Sunset over Einar
If you’re new here, Einar is the name of my house of Westray.
What to do on arrival
What do you do first when you arrive in a place you know well. It could be home, or your good friend’s …
Ruddy Turnstones
No, I’m not being rude about Turnstones. That’s their full name. I love to see them skipping over the waves, their wings …
Fast and scratchy
This Common or Greater Whitethroat has a grey head and a very white throat. That means it’s a male. It’s fast and …
Claire’s Music Club at the Orkney Folk Festival 2026
It’s a pleasure to listen to Claire Hastings work with babies and young children and their families in the Pier Arts Centre. …
Glossy
There’s a Glossy Ibis overhead again. That brown striped head probably means it’s a non-breeding adult. It’s heading across the water at …
Haverin at the Orkney Folk Festival 2026
It’s always a pleasure to hear Haverin sing. Especially since they have so many great voices in the band. Aileen and Megan …
Early nesters
Grey Herons are early nesters. There’s a lot of growing to do for a Heron, to get from egg-sized to a full-size …
Cormorant
A Cormorant emerges from the water just in front of the hide here at RSPB Otmoor. It’s still an amazing experience to …
Greylag
There’s a large pale grey goose flying past. It’s a Greylag Goose, the ancestor of the domesticated goose. This was taken at …
Damn Tall Buildings at the Orkney Folk Festival 2026
Photographing the Orkney Folk Festival was a blast. They booked an incredible earthen house for me to stay in, left a wonderful …
This day was not that day
Look carefully and there are a few pixels of Bittern in this photograph. One day I’ll get a stunning photograph of a …
Blackening
Fancy getting drunk while being covered in molasses, eggs and flour and then tied to a lamp post with clingfilm by your …
Glossy Ibis
There’s a Glossy Ibis flypast at RSPB Otmoor and I’m here for it, in more ways than one. The Wildlife Trusts say, …
*uckoo
Just before my trip to Orkney, I managed to fit in a trip to Dartmoor and one of my favourite places for …
Dirk Powell, Cedric Watson and Amelia Powell at the Orkney Folk Festival 2026
I was delighted to be invited to photograph the Orkney Folk Festival this year. I love folk music, Orkney, and photography, so …
An early morning Peregrine
I’m used to the general impression, size, and shape of a Peregrine Falcon now. That means when I saw this one perched …
Hobby
Taking photographs in the middle of the day is often a bit disappointing. Just look at those shadows. The only thing lit …
High wire walker – with a twist
A Dunnock at RSPB Otmoor doing a display for a partner. A beautiful fluttering fan dance.
Territorial
Mute Swans get on well with one another until they don’t. Then they attack. And when they attack one another they are …
Goldfinch underwing
A fluttering Goldfinch landing on a small branch is a delight. The yellow pattern on the underwing is wonderful. The sadly infected …
Another Song Thrush broadcast
The song of the Song Thrush would be beautiful. If only it weren’t so repetitive. If only it weren’t so repetitive.
Fluffy feathers and sharp claws and beak
The tinkling of Goldfinches is approaching and I’m thrilled to see one perching nearby. I love their upright stance, and those fluffy …
Two of my favourite things combined
Blue Tits and blossom. Always a winning combination.
Red Kite surveillance
This Red Kite clearly knows I’m here. Its threat-awareness and predator-avoidance systems are working overtime. I suspect I’m a distraction from hunting …
Warble, warble
I never realised that the inside of a Sedge Warbler’s mouth is so intensely red. What a glorious punch of colour in …
Greater Whitethroat
One of the most distinctive features of the Greater Whitethroat, or Common Whitethroat, or just Whitethroat, is, well, yes, its white throat, …
South of the Sahara to here
I’m in Oxfordshire, and a photograph of a Greater Whitethroat in deep pink cherry blossom is my aim. Especially if I can …
260,000 territories
There are 260,000 territories of Sedge Warblers in the UK. They manage to fly non-stop from sub-Saharan Africa to the exact spot …
Water droplets on a Great Crested Grebe
I love how waterproof all this Grebe’s preening has made its plumage. It has a headdress of raindrops.