Wildscotphotos - Eric & Lesley's Wildlife Blog

Summer Warbler

3/7/2019

I spend a lot of time at my little hide. Why? Because I enjoy it. There are around seven regular birds I see almost every time. These are a challenge to see whether I can show them in a different light. Of course it is a pleasure to get a window into their lives whether it results in a picture or not. Then there are the more irregular visitor. For the past couple of months I have heard Blackcap frequently but he is only very rarely interested in the food. Sometimes one comes to bathe.
This time it neither drank, bathed or feed. It just appeared and allowed me to enjoy it. That's why I spend so much time; for these few moments.

Giving A Good Impression

25/6/2019

Come the summer months I spend less time with birds and, consequently, more with beasties. I enjoy a walk with a camera, looking down instead of up and ahead. If I find something I take a picture and then try to identify it. In past times this was tough but now it is a bit easier with so much (and better quality) reference material.
A couple of day ago I took this picture. At the time I wondered if it was a hoverfly rather than a bumble bee. It is. This is Volucella bombylans, a hoverfly that mimics a Bumble Bee. There are two versions of this species for two different hosts. The white tip on the abdomen indicates this one mimics the White-tailed Bumble Bee, Bombus lucorum. This gives it a degree of protection from predators since Bumble Bees sting. However this species of Hoverfly also begins life in a Bumble bee nest so the association is much tighter. Endlessly fascinating.

A Project Fulfilled

14/6/2019

Increasingly we take pleasure from not travelling too far for wildlife images. There are always species that gnaw at our brains because they should be possible, if difficult, but not yet achieved. Such was the case with Badger. We have photographed them here and there in the UK but not close to home and always thanks to someone else who has carried out the fieldwork.
Last year we set ourselves the task of getting Badger pictures - we failed. The sites we chose either had no Badgers or they emerged too long after dark. This year started in the same vein, however in June it changed and suddenly it didn't seem the impossible dream. We had a site that was sufficiently private and the Badgers were comfortable enough to emerge with a little light remaining. The relief and joy is overpowering.

Furry Friend

27/5/2019

Some visitors to the hide are unsurprisingly seasonal. Examples are migrant birds which only appear in the warmer months in contrast to Long-tailed Tits which are generally confined to winter.
Rabbits, however only appear in the afternoon. Both last year and this year rabbits have occasionally been sighted from the hide. The one that is regular this year seems very young and so sweet.
Who would have thought that rabbits could become rare but they are declining due to diseases. As well as myxomatosis there are newer diseases that are affecting them. I am sure I would miss them if they disappeared from our countryside.

Sweden in Spring

6/5/2019

Just back from a very satisfying short trip to Sweden. Mostly we were photographing birds which are present in Scotland, however, for some species opportunities are better there. These include the two Diver species (Red-throated and Black-throated) and the two Grebe species (Great Crested and Slavonian). These and Osprey were targets.
One bird that we had seen before but hadn't photographed before was the Ural Owl. We photographed one by the road and another which was flushed during the ringing programme for this species. The Ural Owl is an impressive Owl with a huge range, all the way from Norway to Japan.

A Surprising Swimmer

22/4/2019

The tide is an important factor to be aware of as a wildlife photographer. I am lucky enough to have a hide on a tide line. However, so that it is never swept away it has to be placed for the highest tides. At most, these are once a month for two or three consecutive days. In March, there was one usable day but in April we had two days of the perfect height - enough to immerse the landscape in front of the hide but not too much or the birds will go past. Redshank, Curlew, Dunlin and Godwits all fed close by.
One view I sometimes get is of waders swimming. I have seen Knot swimming but most often it is the commoner Redshank crossing a flooded stream. They look comical, concentrating on getting to the other side quickly.

Spring Break

19/4/2019

To get away for a short break, somewhere reachable in the car we drove north past Aberdeen to Fraserburgh for a couple of days. Having booked it a month before, the weather would be a lottery. In fact it turned out to be the windiest, wettest weather of the Spring. This certainly hampered our efforts, however, in these circumstances you plough on. We visited Troup Head, Scotland's only mainland Gannetry. From a distance it looks like a seabird cliff which you would expect to be populated with Auks and Gulls. However, close up, a myriad of Gannets plastered the slopes.The Gannet's breeding cycle had begun and some were gathering moss for a nest lining. This Gannet, pictured, was quite calm, just preening and taking in the cold air. Chilled out you might say.

All's Well that Ends Well

26/3/2019

Every year I spend time in the winter following the local Dippers. This time it was different. Usually I see them every visit but it was not until the fifth visit that I was informed that there had been a pollution incident. Whilst I was devastated by the news, at least it explained why I wasn't seeing them. Usually they are displaying in January, giving a chance of a picture.
However, in late February a bird was first seen then it was obviously a pair. From a selfish point of view that was excellent since we now had nearly two months of extra light to record their activities. This bird, pictured, is displaying to its partner which is flying towards it. I felt privileged to witness the courtship.

Spring Time?

8/3/2019

Despite it only being early March the local weather has meant that many birds have responded to the fairly mild conditions and decided its time to think about breeding. Consequently, there's plenty of song from the residents. They are setting up and defending territories. So far, I have not seen any true migrants although others have seen Wheatear and Osprey There's plenty of time for their decision making to seem rash. Its too early for confidence.
This Long-tailed Tit has got in on the act and is gathering nesting material. Even with both birds working together, for this species it is a long process with very many visits to build the nest from small components.

February Skylarks

27/2/2019

Out to the coast in warm sunshine on a February day - who would have thought it! And to add to the feeling of Spring, we found singing Skylarks filling the sky with song then descending to feed on the grassy ground below (as this one pictured shows). Its easy to understand how the New Zealand colonists missed the song so much they introduced them to the new country. We only have to do without for a few months and we still miss that joyful sound.
There were also pairs of Stonechats in the dune grasses flying from perch to perch. Fulmars seemed to be picking their nesting ledges too. We found Oystercatchers on the beach, but also inland in fields already anticipating spring.