I realise I’ve been neglecting my blog, mainly due to the pressures of work and although my images have been updated, I’ve not been writing too much. I now have a lot more time though, having taken the decision to leave the employer I was with (for a very long time!) as that amount of stress isn’t healthy for anyone……I now have the time I dreamt of when my wife and I first moved up here back in 2017 and can spend plenty of time in nature, the place I feel most relaxed and connected.

One of the best things about living somewhere like the Highlands of Scotland is that there is no shortage of choice of where to take the camera. I’ve learnt over the years that I am most definitely a coastal soul and love spending my time finding subjects on the many beaches here. On the east coast, where I am, is a mix of shallow sandy beaches, rocky headlands and sea lochs. Winter brings the waders, wildfowl and often flocks of sea ducks come closer to shore, so whatever the weather there is something to find.

Nature photographers have a few different approaches to finding subjects. Some adopt the full on “project” where they concentrate on getting the best from a specific subject, often for quite some time, others may prefer to make the most of the little time available to them and head for a well known site that produces results (can often be busy) or even pay to visit a hide. Alternatively, the “wander and see” method can pay dividends but is often hit and miss. My trips are definitely a mix of these. That said, with a little homework first you can significantly increase your chances. Images below are from one of those, just a wander with the camera. The duck images are from Tain Links.

Learning about your subjects is the first step to fully understanding behaviour, little things picked up here and there that can help you recognise and make the most from a moment that might last just a few seconds.

Some examples – if you see a Teal just dipping under the water a few times (not feeding, just washing) within a few seconds they will flap the water from their wings, almost rising out of the water and spraying droplets everywhere, a great photogenic opportunity.

Teal flapping wings after wash

Teal bathtime

Teal wingflap

Another piece of information that can pay dividends is where the birds are at each stage of the tide. At what point do they feed? Where do they go first for the earliest mud uncovered by a dropping tide? This is exactly what I used to get a few images from Dornoch Beach of the feeding Sanderings – I simply sat and waited close to the spot I knew they would be visiting and waited. Sure enough, as soon as the mud is about to show, in they came. Very busy little birds, darting everywhere and can be hard to keep in the viewfinder. I like to try and catch something a little different such as these images below – 

Sanderling with shell heart

Sanderling with a lug tail – probably missed the full worm…unlike….the next bird

Sanderling with a lugworm

Don’t forget though, even if you don’t manage to get any images on a trip out, just watching the wildlife can provide lots of tips for future use, so it’s never a wasted journey, it’s all part of the same path to improve your chances at a later date.

Just a quick blog for today but I’ll endeavour to make this a much more active space. Hope you enjoyed the images.