Welcome the Wheatear. The first of the year. Surhoose this morning.

Heading North. Magnetic. Redwing at Whitelums today. #Papay #Orkney #magneticnorth

Barnacle goose. When the bird fits the day. #Papay #Orkney #islandbirds

First swift. First swallow. First cuckoo. You can keep them all. Nothing uplifts the spirit more than the first Bonxie. Over Hinso today. #Papay #firstbirds #Orkney #greatskua #bonxielove

A whistle stop tour of Papay today.. A patient auk. Arrival. Knap of Howar. Island all. #Papay #Orkney

Snowflake or Snow bunting. At Backaskaill this morning. With each day the birds arrive. #Papay #Orkney

A pioneer. Big Pickie (Sandwich tern) First of the year for me. #Papay #Orkney

Raven shapes. #Papay #Ravens #Orkney

The view to the west from Munkerhoose. Aflame. #Papay, this evening. #Orkney

St Tredwell's chapel, the Knap O'Howar and Open Doors.. on a half dry, half wet Papay Tour today.. #Orkney #islandtours #adayoftwohalves

While the other birds are still thinking about it. While some have not even arrived yet. The Ravens are getting on with it. Fingers crossed for seven more to come. #Papay #ravens #orkney

The Mallimack, patron bird of Papay. Always curious. Always showing off. #Papay #Orkney #fulmar

A first Winter Great auk. Seasons negotiated. #Papay #Greatauk #extinctionevent

The Haas of Habrahellia on a fine and showery Saturday, with the Mallimacks. #Papay #fulmars #orkney

An island affinity for clouds. #Papay

That's the Papay Tour bus back on the island after it's regular winter service. All ready for the tour season. Papay tours start at the beginning of April, looking forward to a sunny, Puffin filled summer. Thanks to Orkney ferries, and the Papay pier staff. #Papay #islandtours #orkney

I was lucky enough to take part in this film project by Bevis Bowden, exploring climate change, placemaking & loss on the River Isis in Oxford. Marginalia: Song to the River shorturl.at/8Q4M7 #EnvHist #Film #Ecopoetics #Ecocriticism @profpitches.bsky.social @futuremountain.bsky.social

South Wick on the leeward side of the island during a westerly gale today. #Papay

Papay's only amphibians (non-native) are popping their heads above the waterline, to see if Spring has arrived. Frog heaven at the Sink O' The Mull. #Papay #islandoffrogs #Orkney

Perhaps a hint of Spring in the air today.. Good to have the Dawn Harvest back in sight, perfect for wind direction reasons.

One of the 170 Mallimacks counted on the North Hill yesterday. For the Wetland Bird Survey. #Papay #Orkney #foolishgull #fulmar

Skarfie at Skarfie Geo. Part of the Wetland bird survey around Mull Head this morning. #Papay #Orkney #coastaldialect

Today's #BirdOfTheDay theme is #WaterDroplets The last days of Spring, when the Immer gos are ready to fly further North. #Papay #Orkney #greatnortherndiver

Today’s #BirdOfTheDay theme is #WingsOverWater any bird flying over water set by @alan678.bsky.social Bonxie incoming... #Greatskua #Papay #Orkney

A brittle cold day. Where the sand may as well have been snow. Only saved by the colour of the sea, the arrival of the last plane of the day, and a Short-eared owl at Sunnybraes. #Papay #southeasterly #Orkney

Today's #birdoftheday by @robcrank68.bsky.social is #BranchBirds A Spotted flycatcher on Spring passage through #Papay a few years ago. Found a branch on a largely branchless island. #Orkney #birdmigration

Today’s #BirdOfTheDay theme is #PeacefulSolitide a singular bird, in a peaceful setting. Immer Gos caught in a static sundown. Great Northern diver Common Loon #Papay #Orkney

Where golden light. Runs to the sea. Ettan's Pow. Today. #Papay #Orkney #islands

@robcrank68.bsky.social has chosen #CollectingFood as today’s #BirdOfTheDay. The ultimate food collector.. A #Papay #Puffin #Orkney

For the #BirdOfTheDay theme of #WinterSurvivors Our only auk to last the Winter. Plumage changes to suit the season. A frosty Tystie. #Papay #Orkney #auks #birds

Summer timetable for the plane begins today!!

High altitude limpets at Herti Geo today.. #Papay #Orkney

The Duck With The Golden Butt. The #BirdOfTheDay theme is #BirdButts Green-winged teal #Papay #Orkney #birdarchives

Bring me the head of a Pilot whale they said... #Papay #Orkney #beachfinds

For the early birds and the big clouds… #Papay #Orkney

The North wind brings clouds as big as islands. The view toward Nouster from the Old Pier today.

My three favourite #Papay divers for food For today's #BirdOfTheDay theme is #DivingForFood Caloo - Long-tailed duck Tystie - Black guillemot White-billed diver #Orkney #threediverse #threedivers

Up the Sandy Road. The blue roads of #Papay are back. #Orkney #winterlight #islandblue

A Wheatear with a mouthful. As #BirdsAndBugs is the #BirdoftheDay theme.. #Papay #Orkney

Mallimack on the Y-Axis. If I could, I would. At last some light, time to re-acquaint with the #Fulmars. #Papay #Orkney #mallimack

One of my favourite #Waterbirds A Red-necked phalarope, on a fresh water pool on Mull Head #Papay. Thanks to Alan and Rob for #BirdOfTheDay

The extinct and the extant (for now) #OddCouples for today's #BirdOfTheDay Great auk vs Great skua (Bonxie) Skua = Auks backwards. #Papay #Orkney #Bonxie

Papay doesn't really do #Urban so for todays #BirdOfTheDay theme here are some town Rooks from Stromness on mainland #Orkney

For #TombTuesday a lesson never to believe fish farm site assessments when they say they will have no visual impact on archaeological sites. Holm of Papay South Neolithic burial cairn, amongst the industrialisation of the sea. #Papay #Orkney

Stone built. To last. Flag stone. Sand stone. Clestrain. #Papay #islandarchitecture #orkney

A Goldcrest with little bird syndrome. For the #BirdOfTheDay theme of #StareDown #Papay #Orkney

On Papay you would say stabbed.. For the #BirdOfTheDay theme of #Posted Horse gok on a stab. #Papay #Snipe #Orkney

A Great aak for #SuperSeabirdSunday Our brothers of the Arctic on Fowl Craig, one fine summer. #Papay #Orkney

There aren't many serene days on #Papay But on a calm Autumn day a Grey phalarope, obliging as ever. Known as a Haf web on Papay. For the #BirdOfTheDay theme of #Serenity

A good airt of wind for the Mallimacks today. #Papay #fulmars #Orkney #winddialect