Scotland week 2 Part 2

When we pulled up to the lodges at Loch Garten the gentleman who runs the place was there to meet us. He explained all about the lodge but I was more interested in asking about the Pine Marten. He said if we kept the water bowl topped up we would definitely see a female (we would recogniser her by her bent ear). The first few nights came and went and I was beginning to think Pine Martens were only mythical creatures, only ever seen on celluloid or digital pixels, however at 23.01 on our 4^th night we saw the female Pine Marten drinking out of the water bowl, fantastic. Over the next few nights, not only did the female turn up but she also brought her two kits with her, brilliant.

I managed to photograph the Slavonian Grebe early one morning on a Loch when I was the only one there but unfortunately, the light was not very good. I went back to the Loch, however on the afternoon I went I was not the only one there. On the Loch side was a man with a dog and a fisherman, the light was nice but the fisherman was not so nice. Suffice to say I had a bit of a run in with said fisherman. He took exception to me being there to photograph the Grebe. He said he was there to protect the Grebe from people like me? Now I know the Slavonian Grebe is a scheduled one bird and you need a licence to photograph the bird on the nest and you are not supposed to disturb the bird, but I did not know where the nest was and I did not want to know where the nest was. I know some photographers want to get as close as they possibly can but I‘m not one of them. The Grebe was swimming out in the open that would do for me. I can’t even call the fisherman a jobsworth he said he was “protecting” the bird voluntarily. Now it begs the question who was going to disturb the bird more, the man who was letting his dog run around, the fisherman who was fly fishing in waders or me sitting on the Loch side with a 500mm lens and all the gear on to blend into the trees and bushes. Howay man I ask you? Anyway enough of the rant here are some of the images I got.

 

Female Pine Marten just outside the patio doors

Female with one of it’s Kits

With both of them

The female was looking was looking up at me from underneath the steps of the decking. I was only about four foot from her.

Slavonian Grebe

I’d been looking for Crested Tit all week but it was not until our last morning at Loch Garten that I managed to catch up with one. This was the only decent shot I got.

Male Ring Ouzel

Juvenile Ring Ouzel

Two juvenile Ring Ouzel

Red Squirrel