Raymond Besant @RaymondBesant Twitter profile

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

4 years

Venus is so bright just now that it's illuminating the sea. A super clear sky and just the sound of the gentle waves and the Pink Footed Geese heading north. Magic. #Orkney

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

5 years

Half light breaking wave, Yesnaby, Orkney Islands.

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

7 months

The Standing Stones of Stenness looking pretty special in the calm snowy Orkney landscape.

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

5 years

With winds of 103mph recorded in Orkney today there's some serious slabs of water heading to shore. This morning was some of the most difficult conditions I've filmed in. Shortly after this the sky got dark, the air filled with hail and it felt safer to be at home with a cuppa!

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

10 months

Days in Orkney don't get much better than this. Not a breath of wind and a big swell coming in from the east. Set after set made its way into Honeysgeo, the sea spray lingering and making a fog of the air.

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

10 months

The calmest of Orkney days.

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

9 months

There's been a messy sea from the west and an inky sky heavy with sleet. I can spend hours just watching Rowe Head taking the brunt of the Atlantic. Fortunately where I'm sitting there is a dip in the cliff where I can take shelter from the worst of the weather. #Orkney

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

9 months

Right then winter solstice, here's to longer days. #Orkney

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

5 years

The kind of day that lifts the beanie off your head! Wonderful high crashing waves at Skaill, Orkney today. @BBCSpringwatch @orkneycom #Orkney

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

5 years

The light at Yesnaby on Orkney's west coast this morning was just stunning. Big swell, no wind and my favourite, a Fulmar my favourite, flying through rising golden mists. There's no place I would rather be when it's like this! Filming with @orkneycom

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

5 years

Time to batten down the hatches. #Orkney

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

3 years

It's been a wild old day today. When there's more sea than sky at the Hole o Row at Skaill you know its been a good one! There were some really proper heavy lumps of sea coming in. These cliffs rise to about 50 metres, loved watching the ever changing waves as the tide dropped.

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

9 months

It's a wild one today! #Orkney

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

5 years

Gulls in a squally sky. #Orkney #Hoy #stormciara

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

1 year

Lovely to hear this group of Dunters 'chuntering' and chatting away, drinking from a burn at the shore's edge. #Orkney

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

3 years

That's the Grey Seal pupping season almost over for another year. Weaned pups like this one often make forays inland, putting off a life at sea for the comfort of a deep muddy puddle for a few weeks yet. #Orkney

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

4 years

There's some big shoals of young Herring around at the moment and cool to be in amongst them today, at times they seemed never ending. We are so fortunate to have such biodiverse and productive waters around Orkney. #Orkney

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

5 years

Not the first bird I would have expected to see at a foggy Gannet colony! One of eight Two Barred Crossbills I found at Noup Head, Westray today. Very flighty and mobile but still great to see. #Orkney

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

4 years

It’s been one of those ‘big sky’ days in Orkney. Cold air and not a breath of wind. Deep blues all around at Dingeshowe beach. #Orkney

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

4 years

It was fun shooting tonight’s slow tv piece. Unusually under no pressure, just filming the mood and light.

BBC Springwatch

@BBCSpringwatch

4 years

Sit back, relax, and enjoy some magical moments in the eternal light of Orkney's shores 💙 #Springwatch

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

6 years

Havent had a chance to do much photography recently but managed a few frames whilst out filming the other day. Fulmar flying through a Rainbow on Stronsay. #Orkney #Stronsay

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

6 years

Orkney can be a pretty spectacular place in winter, here a re a few of my favourite moments form the wilds over the darker months. @orkneycom @VisitScotland

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

4 years

Orkney is at its most ‘lush’ just now with vibrant vegetation everywhere. Normally I’m in the thick of it photographing birds or flowers so great to see one of my favourite spots on Harray Loch from a different perspective. #Orkney

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

9 months

The harshest of weather, the softest of palettes. Great Black Back over Hoy Sound. #Orkney

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

5 years

Not something you see everyday. Orcas and a John Deere tractor. That’s most of Orkney happy 😃 #Orkney

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

3 years

As a Scottish islander I'm very aware of the power of 'tradition and culture' and the complexities that surrounds it. But the killing of nearly 1000 Dolphins in the Faroes this week makes me sick to the stomach. What a damn waste.

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

3 years

Arwen is in a right mood. #StormArwen #Orkney

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

3 years

Storm Malik and an altogether different kind of sea with white streaked wind driven waves. I don't like working in these conditions particularly. The gusts today were ferocious, pulling you one way then the next, strong enough to slap the camera back in your face. #Orkney

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

4 years

Approaching the wreck of the Juanita in Inganess Bay, she was a British tanker built in 1918 originally used as a Blockship before being refloated. Love the contrast between the rusty orange and deep blue. #Orkney

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

5 years

What a morning! Caught up with 27’s pod as it came into Kirkwall pier this morning. What a privilege to get such a close encounter with these fantastic animals! #Orkney @orkneycom @BBCSpringwatch

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

3 years

Yesnaby at its best. No wind to speak of but huge Atlantic swell that shrouded the cliffs in sea spray. Fulmars in their element gliding over the surf. #Orkney

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

5 years

Take the dog for a walk or look for Orca? Bit of a wild goose chase but such an impressive sight seeing an Orca surface close to shore. Managed to catch up with the 27's eventually #Orkney @orkneycom @BBCSpringwatch

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

9 months

This calm cold weather is good for the soul I think. It's so still you can hear the breath of Orca passing underneath the cliffs below whilst the 'blow's' from a pair of Humpback whales lingered as they dived. The horizon shimmered under an intense perfect peach sky. #Orkney

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

4 years

‘A first for Autumnwatch’ and a first for me too! Such a privilege to see and film this Grey Seal giving birth on the Isle of May. The weather was so awful I couldn’t help feel bad for it but shortly after it suckled for the first time. @BBCSpringwatch

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

3 years

The king of waves! This one made quite a rumble. Believe it or not a Grey Seal was bobbing around in here, quite able to cope with the wild conditions. #Orkney

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

2 years

I think this might have been one of the most perfect waves I've seen. A long line of Atlantic swell breaking in Birsay Bay. #Orkney

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

5 years

Managed to catch up with the Orca again this evening near Warbeth just as it was getting dark. They were on the move though, fairly made the legs work! #Orkney

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

8 months

It turned into a pretty wild afternoon here in Orkney.

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

10 months

Not the biggest or wildest of seas but still a decent swell on Orkney's east coast. I love the way the sea spray has made the light soft. With no wind it hung in the air and diffused the light when the sun briefly appeared. #Orkney

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

5 years

EPIC waves at Skaill today! #Orkney

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

4 years

I didn't quite manage to get the whole animal in the frame as I had a macro lens on and life became tricky the farther away I got from it! But still cool to see this Sunstar in Scapa Flow yesterday. #Orkney

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

3 years

Lovely views of this Surf Scoter today in the Bay of Skaill. #Orkney

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

7 months

It was seriously gusty today with consistently huge waves pushing into the Bay of Skaill. The light was very flat but I like that in these conditions, there was a lot of sea in the air adding to the softness. #Orkney

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

3 years

Skaill beach was pretty magical last night, a big swell and little wind making for beautiful conditions. When you suddenly find yourself feeling more relaxed than you have in a while, well, it felt pretty damn good! Nice to just sit and watch the power of the ocean.

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

4 years

Incredible fiery sky sunset over Scapa Flow this afternoon. #Orkney

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

2 years

Portrait of a Grey Selkie. I've been doing some fairly intense bouts of filming up in Shetland recently so haven't managed much photography of late. Really nice to be able to work away quietly with these animals today and try and capture them in a different light. #Orkney

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

5 years

Lots of southerly in the wind made filming conditions really challenging today, I couldn't film the backlit waves without being drenched in sea spray! Salty skin & battered by gale force winds but that light and spray made it all worthwhile. #Orkney

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

3 years

Beautiful colours and patterns on this Little Cuttle. A joy to watch as it glided over the seabed. A bit more pleasant being in the sea now too having warme up a little! #Orkney

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

6 years

Westray has some pretty spectacular coastline, inspiring the Dundee V & A no less (apparently!) Luckily the sun came out, illuminating the waterfall spray being pushed back up the cliff by the strong winds. #Westray #Orkney #nikon

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

4 years

Beautiful golden light under the Brig O' Waithe. #Orkney

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

3 years

It turned out to be a pretty epic afternoon at Borwick. I think these were some of the heaviest waves Ive ever seen in Orkney. At one point the swell was unbroken between the Noust of Borwick to Ramna Geo. I was pretty giddy at times! #Orkney

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

5 years

Had a really lovely encounter this morning watching, filming and photographing this handsome fellow. Even the light was beautiful ! #Orkney

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

9 months

The lingering seas of Storm Gerrit at Dingeshowe beach. #Orkney

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

6 years

Look out for my ‘Orkney Storm’ film tonight on ⁦ @BBCSpringwatch ⁩ 8pm BBC2. Hope you enjoy it!

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

11 months

It's always a challenge to try and see something new in a familiar place. The fleeting light was ok and the showers driven hard enough to make it a bit unpleasant to be out in. For a moment the top of the Yesnaby cliffs turned silver and I had a frame I was happy with. #Orkney

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

5 years

Even the lochs had breakers this week. Loved watching the way this drake Mallard dealt with the conditions. Instead of floating over the top of the waves it was almost like a surfer, dipping underneath and through the waves as they approached. #Stenness #Orkney

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

3 years

Such a beautiful day, flat calm and lingering mists. Looking over Scapa Flow towards Flotta with Morven prominent across the Pentland firth. #Orkney

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

4 years

Northern Marsh Orchids are really prominent this year, springing up everywhere from wetlands to lawns. They’re visually striking but that’s around where my interest stops. Orchids readily hybridise with other orchid species making ID tricky. I’ll leave it to the experts! #Orkney

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

3 years

Some lovely conditions on Orkney's west coast just now. Swell and spray at the Bay of Skaill #Orkney

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

2 years

A surreal and incredible moment flying along the front of the massive Store Glacier in Greenland as we embarked on filming the calving sequence as seen on BBC Frozen Planet 2 last night. #FrozenPlanet2

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

3 years

I've just spent a few days on the lovely island of Westray, mostly photographing waders and waves. But straight off the ferry the sun was rising behind this beautiful Fulmar. #Orkney

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

4 years

We had one properly cold crisp day this week. It made for some lovely soft light in which to capture this Sanderling racing up and down the shore. #Orkney

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

8 months

Arctic Norway was my kind of place. Beautifully bleak with a subdued palette but the birds I was assigned to film there definitely weren't subdued! Tune in tonight to BBC2 at 9.00pm to see the last in the series of Wild Scandinavia 'Ice and Fire'.

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

3 years

Another day of crashing Atlantic waves but nice to end the day with a little calm watching the beautiful sunset. #Orkney

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

2 years

A surprise today whilst filming seabirds on Hoy, noticed some thrashing on the surface. A Harbour Seal eating an Octopus! #Orkney

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

7 months

I watched this small shoal of Sandeels circle around this silty opening in the St Peter's Pool Seagrass beds for ages. The warm calm water and the suns rays made for a mesmerising scene.

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

5 years

The air was thick with sea spray today, no wind and a big swell. #Orkney

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

4 years

It's tricky making wildlife films at the best of times but especially so during lockdown. So a big thank you to those who helped make this short film about Orkney's Otters happen! Tune in tonight for some wonderful creatures in a wonderful landscape. @BBCSpringwatch @orkneycom

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

4 years

This year will be a very different @BBCSpringwatch which starts tonight at 8.00pm on BBC2. Look out for my soothing slow tv moment from the Orkney Islands. A little bit of calm amongst the chaos. #Orkney

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

4 years

Water wall. Swell breaking on Orkney’s shore.

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

4 years

Cormorants nesting under a fiery Orkney sky. They build up the tall nests using heather taken from the surrounding moorland. #Orkney

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

3 years

A beautiful end to the day with the moon illuminating the wreck of the Juniata at Inganess. @orkneycom

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

4 years

What a cracking day to visit the north Isles! Spent the day filming with the drone on Rousay, an Island I've little explored. If only the conditions were as favourable on every drone flight! #Orkney

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

4 years

A lone Gannet flying through an Atlantic sunset. #Orkney .

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

3 years

Just back from filming in Africa, what a privilege to see Elephants up close each day.

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

8 months

I spent a happy week filming waders on the Wadden Sea on the Danish coast for the first episode of 'Wild Scandinavia'. Tonight BBC2 8.25PM - enjoy and Happy New Year when it comes folks!

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

4 years

Cold, crisp and soft light over a mirror calm Harray Loch. The only ripples were from a hunting Otter and diving Goldeneye ducks. #Orkney

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

4 years

It’s always such a joy to see the great swathes of thrift carpeting the cliff tops. I hate to say it but they are already past their best and the summer is full speed ahead! This is an adult Pied Wagtail, but newly fledged birds can be seen all over Orkney at the moment. #Orkney

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

11 months

It's not often my teenage daughter accompanies me into the wilds. So it was especially nice to take in the drama of Storm Babet together, our faces stung by the sand lifted off Dingeshowe beach. #Orkney

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

5 years

One of the really great things about being interested in wildlife is meeting and learning from like minded folk. There's never a need to tell someone to 'f*** off' when you're out photographing (didn't happen to me). Be kind folks! Anyway, share the wildlife love, rolling Otter.

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

4 years

I found these beautiful Goose Barnacles attached to a large piece of driftwood on Orkney’s east coast. I wonder where they started out their ocean drifting life? and whether they gave birth to any Barnacle Geese!

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

4 years

Bits of ship, of stories told and missing. Churchill barrier number three, Scapa Flow. #Orkney

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

5 years

Last day filming in the Cairngorms with the wonderful Winterwatch team. Always worth trying to bribe the presenters before you leave ⁦ @IoloWilliams2 ⁩

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

4 years

Slipping through the rays into the blue green #Orkney

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

3 years

The relative calm after the storm. Warbeth Beach, Orkney.

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

4 years

It’s not been much of a winter so far for generating these beautiful waves. Ordinarily I wouldn’t complain about a lack of bad weather but nothing quite beats watching the power of the ocean reaching the shore. #Orkney

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

4 years

Love the symmetrical shapes of nature! There’s some beautiful big swathes of Sea Sandwort in the tops of sandy shores just now. #Orkney

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

8 months

A fun day in the Hoy Hills watching Mountain Hares and the ever changing weather. #Orkney

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

4 years

Nice to see Yesnaby from a different perspective yesterday and to sit on the cliffs watching the Fulmars floats by. #Orkney

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

6 years

Serene morning at St Peter's Pool. #Orkney #Nikon

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

4 years

The sun briefly appeared through the gloom to light up the sandbars on Applecross beach.

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

7 months

Just a simple picture of a Mute Swan but the sun came out very briefly and just elevated the light for a moment bringing out its beautiful plumage.

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

5 years

An Atlantic White Sided Dolphin slicing through the morning light. #Orkney

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

9 months

A perishingly cold day but worth staying out for the sunset and some beautiful light amongst the clouds.

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

3 years

St John's Head on Hoy under heavily laden skies. #Orkney

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

3 years

Waves don't need to be big to be beautiful! This little roller took on a light green bottle sheen as the sun rose behind it on Westray. #Orkney

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

3 years

The violent end of Atlantic swell. #Orkney

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

8 months

My exhibition celebrating the biodiversity within Orkney's seagrass meadows is now on display at the @HighlandPark shop in Kirkwall until the 2nd of March. Thanks to @ProjectSeagrass for the support, please do go in and take a look!

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

4 years

I feel a little bit overwhelmed and certainly humbled at the response to my Orkney scenes on @BBCSpringwatch last night. I think the programme brought out a lot of emotion in people and just reiterated the value of nature in our lives.

Gwyneth Davies

@GwynethDavies9

4 years

@RaymondBesant @shetlandnature I absolutely love Springwatch but your clip brought tears to my eyes. Only the 2nd time in Lockdown I have got emotional. The power of film. Lovely. I think it was a reminder of what we've been missing. Thank you.🤗

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Raymond Besant

@RaymondBesant

2 years

Spume surfing selkie. A bull grey Seal making its way ashore in the strong south eaterlies. The weather has postponed filming in Shetland for now but the unexpected bonus is getting to work with the Grey Seals at home this week. #Orkney

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