Photography

Spoonbill at Parkgate, Deeside, 10th March 2012

We went to Parkgate on the Wirral for the spring high tides of 9th and 10th March and whilst it did not turn out to be one of the “spectaculars” that they sometimes have there, the trip did have redeeming features including opening our hotel bedroom window to see a Spoonbill feeding in a pond in the marsh.

Spoonbill, Parkside, Deeside, March 2012

Spoonbill, Parkside, Deeside, March 2012

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Red Kites at Lerrocks Farm, Doune,Scotland September 2011

We fulfilled a long time ambition on September 2011 to go to Lerrocks Farm at the Braes of Doune in Stirlingshire to observe the feeding of the Red Kites that has been going on there for years now. The viewing conditions were comfortable inside a modern hide but the angle of view was somewhat restricted and there was little room to manoeuvre. I was only able to use a monopod to stabilize my Nikon D300 with 500mm lens attached. With the birds largely crossing my field of view it was very hard to keep them in focus as they swooped down and then straight back up again. Often I had to pre focus on the bait and fire off a few shots as the birds flew into the focus area. In the air it was somewhat easier as their flight paths were more varied. I was pleased, however, to get a few decent shots in the end.

 

Puffins on the Isle of May, Scotland July 2011

We took the long route to get to the Isle of May in the Firth of Forth, leaving from the harbour at North Berwick rather than from the closer coastal town on Anstruther in Fife so it took us about an hour to get there in the RIB, scudding along the choppy waves in the heavy rain. Being so low in the water gives you a fantastic view of the Puffins, Guillemots and Gannets in their own watery world however and when the rain abated enough to see clearly the views were amazing. As we landed, the researcher who greeted us seemed surprised that we had made the trip but it appears it was as safe to continue as it was to return to harbour, so we made landing after all ! The reward was more Puffins than one is ever likely to see in one place – their place. I had decided to carry only one lens in order to be mobile and I had previously made the mistake of taking too long a lens to the Bass Rock so I settled for a 70 – 200mm lens with tele-converter. Ideally I would have liked to use both a wide angled lens and a 500mm lens but perhaps I can do this another time. In any case the opportunities for photographing the varied wildlife on the island were plentiful but we went there mostly, of course, for the charismatic Puffins.