Click on any image to enlarge. I recently visited Secret World Wildlife Rescue Centre as part of my photographic study into the different forms of conservation in the UK. I had already heard great things about the centre and had even visited it once before (although I was too young to remember) so I was very keen and excited to get to see what goes on in order to care for rescued wildlife. I arrived on what must have been the mistiest day of the year and yet my spirits were not dampened - in fact I was rearing to get started. I firstly met Animal Carer, Dave Charles who showed me to one of the hospital rooms in the centre. I would be shadowing Dave and his other colleagues, to get a broad idea of the role rescue centres play in conservation. I was instantly blown away by the diversity of the wildlife being cared for. My admiration for the animal carers grew as I realised not only how much work is involved but also how varied their knowledge is to care for such a range of animals. These young domestic rabbits unfortunaly lost their mother so the best thing for them is to get lots of human contact and hugs so that they are used to humans when they find a new home. The staff are only too happy to oblige! It was very clear to me why this centre plays a key role in conservation from the very beginning. The staff devote themselves to the wildlife and work hard to care for any bird, mammal or amphibian that enters the door. Unfortunately this is a rescue centre and the sad truth is that most of the wildlife that is taken here, is usually injured or ill - often so much so that it would not survive in the wild. It was a real wake up call when one such case happened before my eyes. I have had somewhat of an attachment to Jackdaws. I find them fascinating and beautiful. With their piercing pale eyes and a head of feathers that produces a lustrous sheen - it has to be one of the most handsome birds of the crow family. It was difficult therefore to understand why, what appeared to be a healthy Jackdaw had been brought into the centre. As Animal Carers, Dave and Sara assessed the bird, the problem soon became obvious. In each wing the Jackdaw had a nasty wound - an entry hole for a pellet. As I watched - filling up with anger and sadness - Sara managed to remove a pellet from the birds wing and our concerns were confirmed. This bird had been shot several times making it unable to fly. These animals are hardy creatures, however without the ability to fly, they are not able to protect themselves from predators. To keep a wild bird in captivity would be cruel, only causing the bird stress. This Jackdaw's fate had been confirmed the moment the pellet left the gun and found its target (rather badly I might add!). As the staff prepared the sad task of putting the poor bird to sleep, we shared a few angry words against whomever could be so heartless to first of all shoot this intelligent creature and secondly in failing to finish off their cruel job, just left the bird to die slowly. My admiration for the staff grew yet again and I cannot imagine how difficult it must be to see so many animals sent to the brink of death for no reason. The staff are of course trained in the administration of the euthanasia drug and it is only used as a last resort - when it is the kindest thing to do. However, it's not all doom and gloom and you know what they say: where one life ends, another begins. Conservation is full of ups and downs and it is a constant battle to protect our wildlife against crime and extinction. I was treated to a new life spectacle in the form of three orphaned fox cubs having their morning feed. The cubs spend most of their time sleeping in a warm incubator before coming out in the morning and afternoon for toileting and feeding. The foxes are born blind and their eyes will not open until they are two or three weeks old. These cubs are unfortunately often mistaken for kittens or puppies and sadly they are sometimes knowingly sold as such for profit. The foxes aren't the only cubs I saw that day - I had the huge pleasure of meeting Hovis, the badger cub. Hovis is so called because the person who found the cub described it as being the same size as a small Hovis! I was fascinated to talk to Pauline Kidner who was looking after this young cub. Pauline, together with her husband, founded Secret World Wildlife Rescue Centre after being dairy farmers. I was intrigued therefore to talk to Pauline about the recent Badger culling since she has had experience with loving both wildlife on either side of the fence. I was not surprised to find that she was against the cull and believed that if she thought it would help solve the problem with Bovine TB in any way, then she would have backed it. After talking to her and watching the interview that she has gave Channel 4 News after Secret World commissioned a post-mortem of some of the badgers killed in the cull, I was left in no doubt that the cull had been inhumane, cruel and a huge waste of lives and money. The interview with Channel 4 can be seen here. It wasn't just the cubs I saw being fed - I also had the absolute pleasure of meeting some of the resident foxes that Secret World have on site. I shadowed Dave Charles as he fed these magnificent creatures and I was surprised to find yet another animal that gets such a bad press as being a timid and gentle creature. I am a strong believer that wildlife deserves our utmost respect. They are brighter than they get credit for and if they receive the respect they deserve, they will reward you with their own respect and trust. It was clear that these foxes trusted Dave completely, but were a little more timid with me. They soon relaxed with my presence and were happy to run around me and even gently take a chick from my hand. Foxes are another creature I have a huge fascination for so it was an imense pleasure to be in such close proximity to them. I would like to thank all the staff at Secret World Wildlife Rescue Centre for being so accommodating and allowing me to not only photograph throughout the day but to learn so much more about another huge factor in conservation. I have the utmost respect for the work that is carried out here and urge anyone to go and visit the centre on their special open days and to make a donation towards such a great cause.
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Click any image to enlarge. I recently went into the Welsh valleys to meet with a conservation volunteer by the name of Keith Jones. Keith is part of a non-profit organisation, Hedgehog Helpline, that works in several locations around Wales to rescue hedgehogs that have been found in distress, revive them, care for them and eventually release them in a safe location. The charity was made official in 1990 and ever since, it has been growing, but they still need as much help as they can get. Keith spends much of his time travelling round schools and speaking at organised events in order to teach others about the importance of helping out a very fast-declining species. The charity relies on volunteers and on donations to be able to afford the necessary medicines and food to protect one of our most loved native species. The majority of the work undertaken is done just in a volunteers back garden or garden shed. I was shocked to find the amount of amazing things that can be done to help out a species just by converting a shed to have cages and a sterilised work bench for treatment. The main things that can affect hedgehogs are: worms, which can be treated with a daily injection of medicine and antibiotics and dehydration, which again is most quickly and efficiently solved with an injection of subcutaneous fluids. Hedgehogs have been declining at a shockingly fast rate with there being an estimated 30+ Million in the UK in the 1950's and now less than just 1 million. Despite much debate it is mainly our fault. Despite badgers being hedgehogs only known predator, these are not the main culprit for the decline in their population and a much higher percentage die due to human ignorance or mistake. If more people were aware of the dangers to hedgehogs then we could all do our bit to help stop the decline. Please take the time to read some general advice given by the Hedgehog Helpline:
Its not just the medicine and food that's expensive, but some much needed equipment costs money too, so if you would like to make a donation to help support this great work then please send a cheque (made payable to Hedgehog Helpline) to: Hedgehog Helpline 5 Foreland Road Whitchurch Cardiff CF14 7AR Many thanks to Keith Jones for allowing me to visit and photograph him and the great work undertaken by the Hedgehog Helpline. It is truly inspiring to meet people so passionate about conservation and saving our wildlife. Please click any image to enlarge. On Thursday 16th January 2014 I was privileged to get an insider’s view into the conservation efforts at one of my favourite birding locations in the country; Slimbridge Wetlands Reserve as part of the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust. Having stayed in The Tudor Arms pub and lodge in Slimbridge Village on Wednesday night, I was able to be up early to meet reserve warden James Lees who had kindly agreed to allow me to photograph him on his daily routine for two days. It was a wonderful experience to wander down the tranquil country lane with geese honking over my head as the sun started to rise. As I drew closer to the reserve entrance, flocks of several thousand lapwing rose suddenly into the air in a cloud storm that glistened in the early golden light. I would later hear this spectacle that continued throughout most of the day, described by James Lees on BBC Gloucestershire Radio as an 'Avian Firework'. James kindly took me under his wing and used not only his highly accomplished knowledge of the wildlife and the lands he cares for, but also his fantastic skills as a wildlife photographer to help me visualise my final photographs. The first job of the day was to walk around each hide on the reserve and get a rough head count of each species. These numbers can then be tweeted straight away for visitors to know what’s around, and then when back at the office, posted on the website and printed off for the public daily sightings book. It was staggering how much I saw in just one morning; at least three thousand Lapwing and a couple of thousand Golden Plover put on an incredible display whenever a Peregrine would fly over, flushing the whole field of its wading community – of which there is a record number this year. Not only was I able to witness wildlife spectacles but I had an incredible chance to learn about how the mild winter conditions of this year have lead to the lowest number of Bewick’s Swans since the 60’s and yet the largest number of waders – which is also partly thanks to the recent floods that help by bringing all the insects and grubs closer to the surface. Once back at the office I was introduced to a few other members of staff including Volunteers, who are highly important in helping out with the great work that the WWT wardens do. (You can apply here to volunteer!) One of James’s jobs around this time of year is to start ringing birds with special BTO (British Trust for ornithology) rings so as to track the bird’s movements throughout the year and beyond. Measurements of the bird’s wings and head were also taken and the wings examined so as to determine the sex and age of the bird – the wing structure, development of plumage and also plumage patterns can help determine sex and growth. This information is recorded and sent off to be processed at the London Natural History Museum which also allows other countries to track these birds efficiently. If the bird is already ringed when caught, the same measurements are taken and the ring number recorded so that the wardens will be able to find out where that bird was first ringed – be it here or elsewhere in the world. Some of the birds are still caught using traditional methods such as a Duck Decoy. James will send his dog Millie through a series of screens so she will appear at different points along the Duck Decoy structure. This will attract the attention of the ducks in the pond at the entrance of the trap - ducks are naturally curious and will follow the 'predator' at a distance through the netting till they are trapped at the smallest end. (See Image Below) The wardens have a very varied and hands on job on the wetland reserve which also involves managing the land as part of the overall conservation for wildlife. This could just be as simple as clearing overgrown foliage so that the public have a good view of all the surrounding lakes and land or more purposely done in the example of the willow trees. These trees have grown around wetlands for hundreds of years, and every now and then they need to be trimmed down. This not only allows the trimmed tree to become a nesting habitat for small garden birds but also stops them growing too large and splitting. I got the opportunity to witness some of this variety of the job in the afternoon of the first day as James had to cut down some small trees that were obscuring the view to part of the reserve from the Holden Tower. It was a great experience as I got to get involved and help put all the cuttings into neat piles amongst the reeds. These piles would then become perfect habitats for small mammals so nothing is ever wasted. The day ended with a commentated swan talk to the public that the wardens share between themselves daily. This gives the public the opportunity to watch the wardens feeding the birds on the Rushy Pen from the Peng Observatory and also learn all about the Bewick’s Swans. These stunning swans first took a liking to Slimbridge in 1964, where Peter Scott took a big interest in them and began sketching their bill patterns, noticing that every swan was unique - The same process is done by experts even today. It was a huge pleasure to gain an insider’s view of how the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust work for the conservation of wetland wildlife and how the wardens strive everyday to care for, protect and learn about each individual species. It is clear why WWT Slimbridge is an absolute haven for birds all year round and if you haven’t visited, then I highly recommend looking up where your nearest WWT wetlands centre is and get out there and support our wildlife. Without these wetland reserves, we wouldn't have the number of species that we do and in reference to our recent flooding – these reserves are there to help take in rain water and disperse it slowly so that it doesn't all run into areas of civilisation. I’d like to say a huge thank you to James Lees for aiding me in this project and to all the Reserve Warden Staff and Volunteers. For all the most recent updates from the reserve, follow the weekly video blog: http://www.youtube.com/user/wwtconservation1?feature=watch Or follow James Lees on twitter for updates and beautiful photographs from around the reserve: @JamesSLees I finally found a spare moment between writing essays and working during the Christmas rush to get up to one of my favourite places in the UK, WWT Slimbridge Wetlands Centre. (I believe all my other favourite wildife locations are on the other side of the Scottish border!) I was very excited to not only get out among the waders and ducks again, but to also put my brand new (second-hand) Nikon D3 through its paces. I was very lucky to have recently acquired this beautiful camera and as I am still currently paying it off, I thought it best to make the most of it whenever I can get the chance!!! Click Images to Enlarge. I was blown away by the performance of the full frame D3 in its speed, focus and low light capabilities. My previous attempts at flight shots with my Sigma 50-500mm on my D300s would fall short and 9 out of 10 times, unless the light was particularly good, the focus on the subject would ultimately be soft.
I was therefore pleasantly surprised to look back at the images from the D3 and find dead sharp images one after the other. The low light capabilities of the larger sensor allowed me to shoot at ISO 800 without even a second thought and with only about 5 stops of Luminosity Noise Recovery on Lightroom. This allowed me faster shutter speeds even when keeping my aperture at f/8 - the sweet spot for my 500mm (the downside to this lens is that shooting anywhere below f/8 will unfortunately be quite soft focus). The overall performance of the D3 has proved to be worth every penny with incredible colour reproduction in comparison to the D300s, ultra quick focusing with barely any hunting before locking on and a spot on metering system! (Spot the pun?!) I really can't wait to get out again! On a side note: the shutter sound on a full frame is just INCREDIBLE! :O Click Images to Enlarge. Red Squirrel, Sciurus Vulgaris The American Grey Squirrel was introduced to Britain in 1876 by our Victorian ancestors who loved exotic animals. Being a larger and more adaptable cousin of the native Red Squirrel, it soon started out-competing them for food and habitat. It also carries a deadly squirrel pox - a skin disease that the British Red is unfortunately susceptible to and once affected, the disease will spread over its body eventually reaching its mouth and paws, making it impossible to eat anything. It can take a week for an infected Red Squirrel to starve to death. We now only have very few left, mainly residing in the Scottish Highlands, the Peak District and small British islands where slowly but surely, conservation efforts are playing a part in preserving the beloved symbol of the Red Squirrel. Day One: Glenmore On Tuesday 29th October 2013, I visited Aviemore in the Cairngorm National Park, Scotland to go in search of the charismatic Red Squirrel. I was treated to a flurry of Pine and Birch with an assortment of orange and yellow foliage. It was straight away clear why the Scottish highlands are one of the only places where this species on the brink, is left to roam free. I left my hotel early the next day, wrapped up for arctic conditions, and braved the Scottish Autumnal weather feeling nervous but determined. I had two clear days up in Aviemore and for the first day I had decided to visit the Glenmore Cafe, as featured on AutumnWatch 2012, as I knew they had feeders with regular sightings of Red Squirrels. This also gave me a chance to scope out the area as I had paid to use the Rothiemurchus Red Squirrel hide on the second day for which I needed to meet the ranger at the main Rothiemurchus Visiter Centre. The bus journey proved successful and I passed right by the Visiter Centre and then by following the journey on my iPhone's maps app, I knew to get off on the approach to Loch Morlich. It must have been meant to be! As I walked round the Glenmore Cafe and spotted a bird feeder or two, I had my first sighting of those tufty red ears and bright bushy tail of the Red Squirrel as it ran right in front of me and went for a peanut from the feeder. This is a creature that I have wanted to see ever since I was first inspired to photograph the natural world - my heart began pumping furiously and the adrenalin kicked in as I turned my lens towards the squirrel and positioned myself so as to get a clean background. I was photographing this incredible mammal for about five minutes before a second showed up. They ran around each other for a few seconds before the first Squirrel thought it best to leave. I was intrigued to find that this food source was so important to them that they had become quite territorial to it. The second squirrel gave me a few opportunities to photograph before it too disappeared into the undergrowth. The whole experience barely lasted ten minutes and yet I was left with a moment I would never forget. I later returned to the feeder around one o'clock and was treated to the presence of another and this time younger looking squirrel. I spoke to the staff at the Glenmore Centre about the Red Squirrels and was told that they were seen mainly in the morning and early afternoon and then would normally return later in the afternoon closer to four o'clock. I decided therefore to walk out into the Glenmore woodlands and see if I could find one myself. I was treated to wide open Forrest's of pine that wouldn't look out of place in Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings and apart from the occasional backpacker, it was completely deserted. Unfortunately that went for wildlife too. It was shocking to realise that you were very unlikely to spot a red Squirrel unless your by a dedicated feeder at the right time; especially as when you walk anywhere in Britain that remotely tree covered, you are bound to see a little grey face peering down at you from the foliage. The Red Squirrel used to be just as common as the American Grey and now it has been cut right down to size. Even after researching the plight of the Red Squirrel for quite some time, I don't think I appreciated how scarce they really were. I returned to the feeder around half three, sat down and wrapped up as best as I could as the temperature had dropped and the wind speed risen. I was doubtful considering the sudden gale that had blown up, that they would return. Unfortunately my hunch must have been right as by about quarter to five I decided to call it a day. I was not however, disheartened and looked forward to continuing my adventure the next day with a dedicated and hopefully warm hide...how wrong I would be. Day two: Rothiemurchus I woke up the second day with the same excitement as the day before and couldn't help but smile to myself as I opened the curtains to be greeted with the sight of mountains in the distance and rabbits feeding on the grass below me. As I walked towards the bus wrapped up in every item of clothing I possessed, whatever hope I lost at the sight of the dreary, cold weather was rekindled in an instant as a Red Squirrel bounded across in front of me. It was with a heavy heart that I tore myself away to go catch the bus but in the hope that this was an omen for a good day of photography ahead. I misjudged the time it would take to get to Rothiemurchus Visiter Centre and after less than five minutes I was pressing the bell to get off the bus. I had managed to arrive an hour early on what must have been the coldest day of the year so far. I had no choice but to explore the area in order to keep moving. My spirits were starting to dwindle as my hands turned blue and my nose reddened and yet I could never be unhappy in such a beautiful part of the world. Eventually the time passed and I was very thankful to meet the ranger who was to drive me down to the hide in a very warm Land Rover. The hide was at least a ten minute drive away from the main centre and was situated deep in the Forrest, close to Loch an Eilein. I wasn't sure what I was expecting but I was greeted with the sight of a small two person capacity shed. I helped the warden lower the front flap of the hide so that I was exposed to an open stretch of land between the trees with logs and branches lying around for the Squirrels to run around on. I was the only person to have booked the hide so I had it all to myself till late afternoon. It was at this point that the heavens opened and the rain began to soak everything around me, drenching my hopes and spirit. I braved the weather and began spreading nuts around the branches in good photographic spots. It didn't take long before I spotted dashes of red running around the tops of trees in the distance. Slowly but surely one approached. The adrenaline was running but was soon dashed as I struggled to get a fast enough shutter speed to freeze anything. The sky had turned to a murky grey which didn't allow for much light in the clearing under the trees. I was forced to push my ISO limits further than is comfortable which resulted in nothing but soft, dull and overly grainy images. I tried not to lose hope and to use what I had. I purposely tried photographing them so as to cause blurred movement but it mainly looked like mistakes rather than being artistic.It was a hard, cold day and I was left feeling a mixture of joy for having seen four or five Red Squirrels in close proximity, and annoyance at myself for not getting what I needed. The truth of it comes down to the fact that wildlife photography is hard. Then add the limitation of only two days, the unpredictable weather of the Scottish Highlands and the fact that the subject is so scarily scarce these days. Even though I had not got all the shots that I had hoped for, I had gained a knowledge of an incredible species with a tragic history. I got to share in their lives if only for a short time, watch their characteristics and learn their habits. It was a truly rewarding experience and one that I would not hesitate to do again. I've decided to dedicate a whole blog post to these particular species of bird because of how much I have enjoyed working with them. They were not only a joy to watch and photograph but it was also a joy to process and work with the images too. On this particular day in Skye, I had just arrived back to the house in Broadford Bay, after a morning of enjoying a lunch in a local village hall with accompanying folk music from Skye famous, Rick Taylor and friends. Having been on the Island for a week already, I had developed a routine glance towards the beach and the mud flats that lay merely yards from the house we were staying in, for it had fantastic views of all the waders and sea-birds that passed by. I had come accustomed to spotting the odd orange beak of the Oyster Catcher and recognising the movements of the thousands of Dunlin that roamed the shore - but this time I spotted something I did not recognise in the distance. The binoculars proved to me a wader with an orangey plumage and a straight pinkish beak. I had enough experience to piece together the clues to understand that what I was in fact watching was what I believe was at least 20 Godwits feeding further down the bay. I was out the door with my camera and 500mm already pre-attached to a monopod in an instant and half ran, half tiptoed across the beach. (I was distracted momentarily by the ever wonderful Dunlin and Ringed Plovers and even a couple of Red Shanks along the way.) Once I got closer I realised that I was going to have to get my boots a bit wet in order to get near enough. I crept forward, stopping every couple of steps to get a few shots, until I realised the water was now above my boots and starting up my legs. I couldn't stop there. I was so close and the adrenaline was kicking in - so I carried on forward. I was busy firing away at the shutter, blessing my lucky stars that the light was so good as to allow me to be shooting at 1/640th at f/10 giving me plenty of clarity and freezing their characterful movements. It was however, at this point that I realised that the inlet of land ahead of me was disappearing fast, the Black-tailed Godwits and the 2 or 3 Bar-Tailed Godwits I had discovered with them, were moving away from the sandy bank and moving into the fast approaching sea. I had a few more moments working with them with nothing behind them but sea and rock when the water level had became too high for them to look for grubs and they took off in a splendor of noise. Turning back towards land, I was shocked to find the tide had come in behind me and now had no choice but to wade back through the sea that had now risen above my knees, with my camera and monopod above my head. I was extremely glad to have left my phone at the house in my rush, as it would surely have drowned in my pocket from my foolish but worthwhile misjudgment of tide times. I hope you enjoy the images as much as I have enjoyed taking and working with them! Click images to enlarge. This august I returned to the Isle of Skye with my family for the fifth time running. It is my favourite place to be in the whole world and it is where I find myself most inspired photographically. The landscape and wildlife are in abundance and I hope that the following images give some justice to the beauty of the 'misty isle'. Click image to enlarge. I will post images of the wildlife of Skye as soon as I've worked through them.
I was lucky enough to recently have the chance to join well acclaimed Gull expert, Peter Rock, on the rooftops of Bristol to ring some young Gull chicks. Peter's knowledge of these intriguing birds is in my opinion, second-to-none. His advice and experience has been sought after by many, including BBC's Springwatch and through countless interviews with Britain's newspapers. He was very generous with his knowledge and his passion for what he does was very clear. Even though many consider these birds as pests and as dangerous scavengers (myself included previous to this experience!), they really do have an incredibly fascinating life above the busy city. But why are they here and not out at sea as their name suggests? Well that is the main reason that Peter rings these chicks with individual rings. By giving them clear identities, he can keep track of their habits and location. Peter told me that there are birds in Bristol that he ringed before I was even born in the early 90's. By just looking at the rooftops, where these birds nest, it becomes rapidly clear as to the reason for the big move to the city. The ground is scattered with chicken bones. Where Gulls would originally have searched the coasts for fish (which many still do) they have now taken your 'Bargain Bucket'! It is as simple as that - they have found areas where they can nest in safety high above the dangerous bustle of city life and yet be close enough for an easy meal of scraps that you and I throw away everyday. As we stood on the roof, looking for other birds that Peter had ringed in the area, the parents of the chicks would constantly mob us with aerial attacks and deafening screeches. The chicks stayed rather calm in the corners of the roof by their nests and were easy for Peter to catch and place carefully within a Gull sized bag. This may seem cruel but once the Gull can't see us - it believes we cant see it and will become perfectly calm and docile. Peter then continued to measure the birds to get an idea of age and gender (the males have much larger heads) before attaching not only a BTO (British Trust for Ornithology) certified ring but also a larger coloured ring of his own design which would be much easier to spot. Click images to enlarge. Peter will use a different coloured ring each year with a unique code on each so that he can tell when each bird was ringed. I photographed this Herring Gull (right) while he was working away and when I showed him the image, he straight away told me it was one of his from 2002. If you look carefully you will see the small silver BTO ring on the birds left leg, whilst on it's right leg is Peter's light green ring with the unique code M:H. Click images to enlarge. Unfortunately, the council have been trying to discourage Gull activity in the cities by replacing some eggs with fakes in the hope that the Gulls will not lay any more eggs once these fakes don't hatch. This doesn't however, have much effect on the population size and is a pointless task. This is just a cruel alternative to straight culling due to the Seabird Protection Act. Other methods used are large nets that are erected over the tops of buildings. This may discourage nesting on that particular building, however, those that are lucky enough not to get stuck in the netting and die will simply find somewhere else to nest. I think it is about time that the council starts respecting wildlife and leave it be. Overreaction and anger towards a species that most do not understand are the main reasons for complaints against Gulls - personally I do not believe this is good enough to endanger a living birds life. On the 19th June I had the extreme privilege to visit the beautiful island of Skomer, just off the Pembrokeshire Coast in Mid Wales. This is a trip that me and my friend Daniel McNeil have been planning and waiting for for a long time not only because of the incredible scenery that this part of the British coast has to offer but also for the reason that everyone visits Skomer (whether they admit it or not) - Puffins! For myself, it was the first time seeing these characteristic birds and even though they have become somewhat of a cliche'd image, I was transfixed by their antics and their comical habits that has made them so popular among photographers and bird watchers alike. Even before we left Martins Haven on the 11:00am boat (having missed a spot on the earlier boat despite arriving at 8am!) we were treated to Linnets, Kestrels and even one over friendly Razorbill. Skomer Island takes it's wildlife very seriously and as you land upon the small jetty, surrounded by tiny black birds peppering the bright blue sky, you will be given strict but fair instructions from the wardens. If there is one thing you walk away remembering from that island - it is to stay on the paths. The Island is covered in warrens and tunnels belonging to Puffins, Rabbits and Manx Shearwaters. One step off the path could lead to your leg disappearing into the undergrowth and right on top of a Puffling sleeping below! After the talk we hung back and allowed the school trips and other holiday makers to shoot off to The Wick - the best spot to get within inches from the colourful little Puffins. We decided, after a little friendly guidance from the wardens, to head instead for the old farm buildings in the hope of spotting the resident Little Owl and Long-eared Owls - No such luck unfortunately, however, we did manage to spot hunting Kestrels and Peregrine Falcons. After a wonderful picnic lunch accompanied by an extremely loud Wren - we continued around the island in the scorching heat to spot Great Black-backed Gulls feeding on an unfortunate rabbit, a few Oystercatchers and took in the glorious landscape. We eventually arrived at The Wick and as hoped - the school trips had long gone. It was still rather crowded but there was plenty of space to spread out. The next hour or so will always be a highlight in my photographic life. These birds are infectiously characterful and are full of charm. I found a comfortable spot to sit down with my Sigma 50-500mm on my monopod and sit and wait for the shots I had already planned in my head. I was particularly after a head-on shot of a puffin coming into land. However, the spot I had chosen was also the spot that the gulls had chosen to try and nab any sand-eels coming in via Puffin beaks. This meant that most of the puffins either aimed directly for their holes, or came in at extreme speeds out of the blue! It was a wonder to watch even if I didn't get a record of it. As the crowd of people began to disperse as it came closer to the time of the last boat, I shunned my long lens and took out my Nikkor 16-85mm and settled myself next to a puffin hole. The hole I had chosen was luckily quite active and two puffins allowed me to get within inches of them which allowed me to shoot wide-angle shots at 16mm to give the puffin context of their habitat. The 2nd joy of being so close to the entrance to their nest was the fact that I could hear one of the pair down below calling out to the other in their characteristic moaning voice. I hope you enjoy the images as much as I enjoyed taking them! Click images to enlarge. I would like to thank Daniel McNeil, Diane McNeil and Tim Collier, all of whom made this trip both possible and enjoyable.
Work by Daniel McNeil can be seen here... Daniel McNeil Photography Work by Tim Collier can be seen here... Tim Collier Photography 1/6/2013 2 Comments Badger Cull - June 2013It is a sad day. A day full of sunshine, fresh green grass, birds singing, and young wildlife everywhere - fledging and leaving the safety of their homes for possibly the first time this late spring. Yet today is a sad day to be both wild and alive. It should be a happy start to the summer and yet as I write this, people are gathering together in London in their hundreds to march alongside Dr Brian May in one of many protests against the culling of our black and white elusive neighbour – the badger.
I do not pretend to have any extra knowledge on this subject other than the basic facts of when and where. The ‘why’ is – as is the case to many – still not enough for me. What I do know is what I was born with and what I learnt as a human being growing up - I know what I perceive to be right and wrong - I know that killing a living animal is just as ethically absurd as killing a human being. Flesh, blood and bones, a will to live and a protection for our families - we share the same fundamentals of life and yet we somehow choose to wipe out such a large proportion of a species in yet another political spectacle of misjudgement. I am not a vegetarian – in fact my favourite meal is roast beef – however, I can’t believe our last resort to protect our cattle is to kill badgers. And why else would we choose to kill if not as our very last resort? If vaccinations can be ready in 10 years then let’s focus our money and time on that. Because that is going to be a long term deterrent to this horrible disease. Culling is a short term solution that may or may not resolve our farming community's very real problem with Bovine TB. Again, I am just a wildlife enthusiast with no political agenda. I am simply a bystander watching in horror as one of my favourite mammals is taken back to the brink of survival. I have added my name to many petitions against this cull and I wish I could be marching in London today. However, I only have 20 years life experience and I have already lost all hope in the leaders of this country listening to what is morally right and I have no choice but to watch on and hope that my own, local black and white neighbour and his small family that he will be raising now… is not about to be counted as one of the hundreds dead. Tommy Campbell – 1st June 2013 |