Late Breeding Sandmartins
When our Sand Martins arrived in late April and early May they were faced with ice-cold north winds and snow. Sadly at my local colony many disappeared and presumably died. The big numbers never returned but those that did survive have now bred into early September. This weeks gallery photos were taken in deep shade […]
The Master Of Camouflage
Until I recently spent two weeks at the nest site of Nightjars I had forgotten how camouflaged they were. This weeks female is only the third that I have spent time with and I enjoyed every minute of the experience. Such is their rarity you never know when another will come along! Enjoy the Gallery […]
Distraction Display
There are some birds that if their young are threatened they perform an elaborate distraction display, in order to persuade the predator to follow them. The Nightjar’s display is one of the most spectacular but because of the Nightjar’s illusive nature it is seldom seen. Last month, after more than fifty years of trying, I […]
Garden Bonanza
In the last fifty plus years we have never had as many species of birds visiting the garden with their young. During the last two months seventeen different species have brought their young to feed on the fat balls and sunflower hearts.Of these the star species was a female Great Spotted Woodpecker and her two […]
Juvenile Long Eared Owls
Once young Long Eared Owls fledge the nest your chance of a photograph has usually finished. They are, however, still fed by the male for up to three months at which time they have usually mastered the skill of catching prey. In the last ten days I have been watching four juvenile Long Eared Owls […]
Road Kill
In more than fifty years of filming wildlife I have never been in a position to film a Stoat. All that changed last week on a moorland road near Inverness. As we drove around a bend in the road I noticed a Stoat with an injured Rabbit. I just had enough time to reverse back […]
Super Red
No trip to the Highlands is complete without searching out the Red Squirrels. The Caledonian forests are their stronghold and we were rewarded with some good views and photos. One of my favourite Highland areas is Lochindorb which not only has Red Squirrels but Ospreys, Peregrines, Divers, Red Grouse and an abundance of butterflies. A […]
Scottish Rarity
With less than thirty breeding pairs in Britain the Slavonian grebe is one of our rarest breeding birds. Last week, while walking on a public footpath around a reed-fringed Scottish lock, we could not believe our luck.Amongst the reeds were a pair of Slavonian grebes with two small young. They paid no attention to us […]
An Islay Bonus
One of the spin-offs of going to Islay in summer is the additional wild-life subjects that come along. Last month we found Herons nesting in rhododendrons, mating Red Breasted Mergansers, singing Skylarks – on the ground! Hares, fields of Buttercups, newly emerged Marsh Fritillery butterflies and delicate Banded Demoiselle Damselflies. For gallery photos see my […]
Black Magic
One of the must birds to find on Islay is the Black Guillemot. They breed all around the island and are one of the latest breeding birds in Britain only pairing off in June. As a result our recent visit was perfect timing for photo action and we even had a pair copulating – a […]