Bass Rock - Part 1

Took a trip to the Bass Rock back in late June, just have not had any time recently to start processing the images so here is a sneak preview of what's to come. I hope to have several more posts of Bass Rock to add to my blog in the next few days.

Local Peregrines

Have been visiting the local Peregrine family most mornings recently, but have really struggled with some crap light conditions. Dull, dark weather followed by a couple of days of dense fog coming in off the sea.

Anyway that's enough of the moaning lets get to the birds. The three juvenile birds are in overdrive at the moment chasing Kittiwakes like there's no tomorrow, with the adults just perched on the cliff face watching with amusement. At one stage I very nearly had all five birds in my view finder, which would of made a very interesting image.

I am keeping my fingers crossed for a good day of decent weather so I can make another visit and try and get some sharp images.

Isle of Lunga

I took a boat trip out to the Isle of Lunga to spend sometime with my favourite bird - The Puffin. I have been many times to the Farne Islands and Bempton Cliffs to see the Puffin, but on Lunga is the closest I have been to this species. You can get so close, to within 3 0r 4 feet to be exact.

I got talking to a couple of wardens on the island and they were telling me how the seabirds on the island have taken quite a decline this year. I noticed how hardly any birds where frequently returning with sand eels and what I thought would be great numbers to be seen on the island just turned out to be a few hundred.

I buried myself in to a small community of Puffins for a couple of hours and managed to get some great shots, above is just a taster of what I have taken on my visit to the island. I will probably add another post later in the year, just to remind myself what a great place Lunga is for photographing this little special seabird.

Red Kite

On the way back from Mull, dropped in at the Red Kite Feeding Station at Bellymack Hill Farm, Nr Laurieston, Galloway. This is the first time I have visited a feeding station and what an incredible site. I actually had missed the main feed by an hour, but there was still 40+ birds present flying around the farm.

Local Osprey

Took a drive up to Wykeham Forest Raptor View Point (only 10 mins from my house) to try and capture a glimpse of the Honey Buzzards that have been seen recently. Had know joy with the Buzzards, was just about to pack up when a large raptor came gliding past at a distance and to my surprise it was an adult Osprey, my very first local tick, just managed to snap a few record shots.