Trials Of Photography

Today’s photo of a female Short Eared Owl and her young is the ultimate climax to a week on Islay when we have had to endure every type of Hebridean weather. Early in the week there were strong winds and rain which, when it settles on the camera lens in the hide makes filming impossible. as the weather improved I had two sessions when condensation formed inside the lens which again makes it impossible to continue. If that was not bad enough when the good weather arrived with high pressure the next problem was one I have never had before – midges!!! Two sessions were written off as I could not see through thousands of midges. So many in fact they somehow got into the lens system of the camera making it impossible to remove them. To make matters worse I stood on my glasses as I got out of the hide and had to manage the last few days with them stuck together with tape. However with perseverance I obtained some remarkable film of the female and her young being fed by the male.

It is always good on Islay to see all the male Hen Harriers flying around looking for prey for their partners who are now on well incubated eggs.

As for flowers it is a late season but the recent hot weather will help them catch up. There was however, a good show of one of Islay’s rarest flowers the Narrow Leafed Helleborine.