I got back from Scotland last night and had a nice time. I did lots of photography although in hindsight I probably should have spent more time revising for my GCSE's.
On the first morning, while taking the dogs for a walk along the beach I managed to spot something very unexpected...an otter. It was very far away but I was sure of it. This was the first wild otter I can remember seeing. Originally, I thought it was a seal as the only part of the otter showing was the head, but as the animal dived down, I saw the tail flick up out of the water. It was only when the otter came out of the water onto a large rock off shore that I was certain. I took as many photographs as I could including these two.
On the second day, again whilst walking the dogs, we spotted a couple of dippers next to a large waterfall on a river near Golspie. The next day, I set myself up near where we saw the dippers. While I did see them, they kept their distance and lighting was terrible. Both dippers were collecting nesting material around the rocks but decided to stay close cliff wall. I hope to photograph them again next time I go up there.
I decided that I should spend more time revising after this so I decided to photograph the birds in the garden rather than going out further a field. This meant that I could take photos during my breaks. The feeding station I had set up attracted lots of common and some more unfamiliar species to me, for example, siskins, of which I had only seen in my garden once a few years ago. The siskins were by far the most difficult birds to photograph as they were constantly flitting between branches. They were also by far the most aggressive towards other birds, despite their small size. Same with the goldfinches which would also attack other birds if they came near the same feeder as them.
It was a brilliant trip but unfortunately I will most likely not take many more photos until my exams are over, or the half-term, depending on my timetable.
I hope that everyone has had a good easter.
All images © Samuel Aron
