2022 Highlights
A round up of my top adventures in 2022, I had a few things on my wish list that I was pleased to fulfil! I saw new wildlife, stunning landscapes and experienced nature closer than ever, Focused on the changing seasons and drove a lot of miles and took a lot of images! I also planned a lot more adventures for 2023! I hope you enjoy this review of my year!
Mull - Eagles
Without a doubt, the major highlight of the year was visiting the wildlife photographers mecca that is the isle of Mull off the west coast of Scotland. This island has the highest density of nesting Eagles in the whole of Europe and straight at the top of the wish list was the White Tailed Eagle - Britain’s largest bird of prey. During our 4 days here we were on the lookout for these huge “flying barn doors” but despite their size proved illusive! I got a tip off about the location of a nest site and spent the last day hunting it down. Once found we didn’t have to wait long before the first of the pair of Eagles flew in and then not much longer until the second parent flew in with prey to feed the chick in the nest. Mission accomplished! Not only a White Tailed Eagle but a nesting pair with a chick!
Mull - Otters
With over 300 miles of coastline, Mull is also one of the best places in the UK to spot the Eurasian Otter. They hunt for food among the seaweed along the shore and many roads on Mull follow the coastline so many people drive around looking out for a glimpse of one of these mammals. We actually struck incredibly lucky, catching sight of one on our first day - This in fact would turn out to be our best sighting as further sightings were far away and fleeting of them swimming. Totally amazing to see but still near the top of the photography wish list
Isle of Mull
As well as the main wildlife attractions, Mull was amazing for spotting other species such as Cuckoo, Heron, Curlew, Oystercatcher, Wheatear and Buzzard to name a few, In fact when on an island famed for its Eagles a Buzzard is “Just another Buzzard” which is a big raptor in its own right! There were also some wonderful landscapes to be seen in Mull and I particularly enjoyed visiting the old fishing boats in Salen Bay - One of the shots here became the cover image on my 2023 calendar!
Staffa
While on the Isle of Mull we took a boat trip to the Isle of Staffa, a small island just 45 minutes sailing time from the town of Fionnphort. The island is famed for “Fingal’s Cave” and in the spring the colony of breeding Puffins. I wrote a separate blog for Staffa so I won’t go into much detail here but it definitely made the highlights list with close up views of Puffins and Common Dolphins! Just a shame it was over so quickly!
Cairngorms
I was hoping to see some rare wildlife famous in this area high up in Scotland, one was the Crested Tit which ONLY lives here in the whole of the UK and the other was the Osprey. In fact I managed to see 3 Osprey nest sites on this trip! Wonderful birds of prey! I was also keen to take some images of the stunning lochs and scenery up here…Separate blog here
Bempton Cliffs
Slightly closer to home, the Yorkshire coastline provided no less than 4 trips out with always something amazing to see! First in January on the hunt for Short Eared Owls, then in Spring and Summer for the nesting seabird colonies and a couple of real rarities! An off course “Turkestan Shrike” and an even more off course “Black Browed Albatross” which has become lost from its usual home in the south Atlantic. My favourite RSPB reserve and one I can’t wait to return to.
Argaty - Red Kites and Red Squirrels
Not too far from Stirling in Scotland is Argaty, a farm estate famed for its role in helping to bring back Red Kites from extinction. They have a feeding station here where they throw meat out on the field for the birds to dive in for. These hand outs help to sustain these magnificent birds of prey and as such are helping these birds to grow again in numbers and spread across the region and indeed the country. In the adjacent woodland they also have a photography hide to capture Red Squirrels so I booked into this too!
Donna Nook
This vast stretch of beach on the north Lincolnshire coast is actually a designated RAF bombing range but during the winter it is a protected area to safeguard the huge colony of Grey Seals that come ashore to give birth. Over 2000 seal pups are born here every year and are visible very close to the viewing area made available by the Wildlife Trust.
Paid Hides
I have had the pleasure of visiting a few photography hides this year where you turn up and the wildlife is so regular it is almost guaranteed! Argaty already mentioned above, the other most notable are the Mouse Nest night hide to photograph Owls and Foxes and the Woodland Stream hide to see Kingfisher and Sparrowhawk. I love these places and can’t wait to return!
Other Notable Mentions
A few highlights in their own right must include my first sighting of an Adder, the UK’s only venomous snake! Seen basking in the sun in the Wood of Cree in the Galloway Forrest Park.
The bluebell woods in Esholt were stunning and I finally managed to come away with a nice image of this major sign of Spring!
Obviously the company! Wonderful trips with my family. We have visited some stunning places and long may it continue!
New Camera!
In October I finally received my eagerly awaited new camera that I had pre ordered brand new from Canon - The R7. My first “mirrorless” camera and packed full of new technology that had the camera market amazed! It is 14 years younger than the Canon 7D I have been using so I am getting used to it but its very impressive so far! I am excited to get out and use it more in 2023!
I hope you enjoyed this recap of the year, I certainly did! As well as the amazing places I visited, and the amazing wildlife I encountered, I also grew my business online, held market stalls and produced my second wall calendar. I am so grateful to all those who have supported me, followed me, liked, commented, shared my work and visited my website and indeed read these blog posts. Thanks for coming on the journey with me!
Exciting projects to come in 2023!