Saturday 19th December 2015. On every Saturday since then a new
page has been added to this site; these 365 pages have alternated
between this, the Picture Posting section, and the Mosaic section.
Three watchers, red feet on display (but
red gapes
discreetly hidden)
A large part of the cliffs are inhabited by gulls
This page is rather indulgent as it is devoted to the birds of Papa Westray, and actually there are too few photographs of too low a quality, but I so like the tysties (black guillemots) that they just had to be featured. The other cliff birds which particularly catch the visitors eye are the razorbills and bridled guillemots. These live on the low cliffs at the north east corner of the island, where, within the tightly covered ledges, they have reasonably safe nesting spaces.
A razorbill with a sea of thrift
Rather like a whirring mechanical toy this razorbill flaps and nods
Whereas this razorbill is more placid in its contemplation of the skies above
At this angle, the white outline given by the front feathers of the razorbill can be seen
Guillemots enjoying the full protection of this ledge, with little more than their white fronts showing
Bridled guillemots, like this one, can account for up to half of those occurring in northern parts of their range. The white bridle by the eye seems to be connected with the sea's temperature when the young are born, but the reason is not understood
Another cliff nesting bird is the shag, here a pair are seen in a solitary nest. Saying they are shags is rather risky, at this resolution they might be cormorants, and from the back, like this one on the right, it is also hard to tell - ...
...whichever; it is happy to share a ledge with guillemots
And yet another probable shag; however, in the photo to the right, a parent, with three beaks of young behind...
...is kindly raising its head to show a lack of lighter colour around the beak, and so should be a shag
Here a bird no longer seen anywhere. This memorial is to the last great auk in Britain which was killed here, on Fowl Craig, in 1813. The last ones anywhere were brought to extinction on
Aedey island,
north of Iceland, in 1850. [Photography tip, see the flat unnatural look given to the monument - much better not to have used the fill in flash]
Scattered heads of fulmars, quite what...
...these cliff nesting birds are doing down...
...here is puzzling. But the way their...
...snow-white heads reveal their location just goes to show how confident they are in the foul smelling gum that they spray from that gland over the beak
A razorbill chick finds a hiding place in a crevice in the rocks
These two eggs are probably those of a fulmar. Eider's eggs are similarly protected, but are a touch sea-green
To finish two portraits: tystie...
...and of course a puffin must have a look in somewhere
Another three tysties, their restless activity defying the camera to catch them in the low light, but hopefully catching something of their constant sociability
Trailers...
The next
Picture Posting page takes you from the cold waters of the North Atlantic to the warmth of the Red River beside
Hà Nội.
The next page
of the Mosaic Section is headed 'Cooperation and Language'.
Or go to the contents Go to the contents of the Mosaic Section. of the Mosaic Section.
The last page had photos from around Papa Westray
Off to Iceland and 1,000 foot cliffs stretching for five miles
A Scottish island dominated by one species - gannets
...guide to this site