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Papay ranger - Jonathan Ford @papayranger.bsky.social · 17m

An island where the sense of time elapsed increases with every ebb and flood. Freshly exposed shell midden along North Wick, Papay today.

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Papay ranger - Jonathan Ford @papayranger.bsky.social · 5h

Red-throated diver off the New Pier this morning.
Feels like winter.
Papay
#orkneybirding

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Papay ranger - Jonathan Ford @papayranger.bsky.social · 2d

Portrait of a young Solan goose, learning to fish. In a gale.

Bothican, Papay, yesterday.

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Papay ranger - Jonathan Ford @papayranger.bsky.social · 3d

Yeah, that’s the local name for them..

Papay ranger - Jonathan Ford @papayranger.bsky.social · 3d

Just showing off. Solan goose in the Papay Sound.

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Papay ranger - Jonathan Ford @papayranger.bsky.social · 3d

Looking North from the Watch Hut, now a hide. More for the ghosts of birds than reality. Still a welcome shelter from incessant Westerlies. Papay - Orkney - Mull Head

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Papay ranger - Jonathan Ford @papayranger.bsky.social · 3d

Endings and endlings

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Papay ranger - Jonathan Ford @papayranger.bsky.social · 5d

South wick in light, the North end in shadow. A fine October day in Papay, with the sea showing true colours.
Also note our new boat naust seating area at The Kelp Store, constructed by our master builders Alistair Hourston and Son.

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Papay ranger - Jonathan Ford @papayranger.bsky.social · 5d

Bright stormy days are very cool.. just getting the days right, ideally the day after the height of a storm and some good sunshine, not always compatible!!

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Papay ranger - Jonathan Ford @papayranger.bsky.social · 5d

Excellent, I hope they enjoy it..

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Papay ranger - Jonathan Ford @papayranger.bsky.social · 6d

The Pillar of Mad Geo.
A line of sight.

Papay - Orkney.
Stonebuilt.

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Papay ranger - Jonathan Ford @papayranger.bsky.social · 6d

Big seas with birds lost and found. Fowl craig, Great auk, Snow bunting and Twite from a North end excursion yesterday.
Papay - Orkney.

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Papay ranger - Jonathan Ford @papayranger.bsky.social · 8d

70mph winds, fine fishing weather for Gannets..

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Papay ranger - Jonathan Ford @papayranger.bsky.social · 8d

Think of us in our loss, the first windsock of the Winter to pass away.

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Papay ranger - Jonathan Ford @papayranger.bsky.social · 9d

Here are some installation photos of our show currently on at The Reid Gallery - Glasgow School of Art
Even better in real life though, so if you are in Glasgow pop in for a survey of our Papay SurvØY.

www.flickr.com/photos/glasg...

Saoirse Higgins and Jonathan Ford – SurvØY, 20 September – 1 November 2025 Reid Gallery

SurvØY was developed over four years as a contemporary artist ‘island almanac’, surveying and monitoring scales of change in the context of the island environment of Papa Westray, one of the most nort...

www.flickr.com

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Papay ranger - Jonathan Ford @papayranger.bsky.social · 10d

A group chat along the East Road, Stone and Whin, a moment of serenity before it gets a little breezy over the weekend..

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Papay ranger - Jonathan Ford @papayranger.bsky.social · 11d

Thanks Liz…

Papay ranger - Jonathan Ford @papayranger.bsky.social · 12d

For the early birds, through a passing shower. Greylags and Curlew awake.

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Papay ranger - Jonathan Ford @papayranger.bsky.social · 13d

A day of fast flyers. Juvenile Peregrine over Fowl Craig during the Papay Tour, and a lone Swift over Holland this evening.

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Papay ranger - Jonathan Ford @papayranger.bsky.social · 13d

Just passing through, a Wheatear on the Sandy Road, and a Horse Gok (post bath) at the Quarry Garden today.
#Papay #orkney

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Papay ranger - Jonathan Ford @papayranger.bsky.social · 18d

A backlit St Boniface, while the clouds are drawn in the blue.

The old kirk this evening, Papay, island of the Papar.

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Papay ranger - Jonathan Ford @papayranger.bsky.social · 18d

One of two Taiga bean geese on Papay this morning, as found by @papaybirder.bsky.social

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Papay ranger - Jonathan Ford @papayranger.bsky.social · 19d

The Equinox gales failed overnight, leaving us to wander in the stillness.
South Wick, Papay, this morning.

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Papay ranger - Jonathan Ford @papayranger.bsky.social · 20d

Our SurvØY show is up at Glasgow School of Arts Reid gallery until the 1st of November. Islands in time, space and fragments of flint.. SurvØY is a Papay based artist collaboration between Jonathan Ford and Saoirse Higgins.

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Papay ranger - Jonathan Ford @papayranger.bsky.social · 22d

Lovely to see you both, thanks for popping in on your way North.. enjoy Eday

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