OWL, FOX, BADGER, PINE MARTEN, SPArrowhawK, ADDER, Kingfisher

Scottish Photography Hides

Two days, multiple locations, early mornings and late nights with little rest inbetween is what was in store with the option to see, Tawny Owl, Badger, Red Fox, Sparrowhawk, Pine Marten and Kingfishers. I had two shots in mind for the weekend and getting either one would have made the trip a success but luck was on my side this time. As well as a last min treat from Alan.

The first shot was Owl and Badger at night with lighting from behind. Low powered flash units are set to provide a backlight that surrounds the subject in a glow or rim of light. It's a striking look and something different to the norm. Capturing the Tawny Owl was a challenge as it was likely to only make one visit and the use of flash means you cannot rely on high shutter speeds.

The second shot was of the Red fox, with reflection and the seasonal bluebells. This was going to require a flat calm night and a hope the fox would decide to visit. Luck was certainly with me as not only did the Fox come, he sat down and posed with the bluebells!

With the two pictured images in the bag it left some time for exploring some more familiar subjects like the Sparrowhawk, Adder and Kingfishers. The Sparrowhawk is the star of Alan's hodes and this year we had a treat of three different birds visiting. With all this action I decided to try and capture the speed and acrobatic skill of the hawk.

Finally came the un expected offer, Pine Marten in the day time! Having watched this cheeky animal at night a few times it was on my list to capture some images under natural light. The offer was made with no guarantee of success and was accepted without hesitation, to good a chance to resist. As you will see below, the cheeky chap did not disappoint and ticked another shot of the bucket list!

So two days, not much sleep, seven species and three bucket list images acquired made this weekend something I wont forget in a long time. Thanks to Alan as always for providing an amazing place to visit and photograph our native wildlife.

Hope you all enjoy the images. There is a link at the bottom of the page to see larger versions of all the animals.