If we hadn't enough snow this winter there have been further flurries this week and a biting wind. I heard somewhere that it was Spring elsewhere in Britain but that is not a concept with which we're familiar in the Highlands as this shot taken this morning testifies. At least the daffs are out now!

I know us photographers would live in the Highlands are always banging on about the weather but this year's snow has been unprecedented and we have just had another 40-50cm in the past 36 hours and it's still falling. Whilst this looks great, local wildlife is struggling. I found a dead roe deer a few weeks back that had succumbed to the harsh conditions as well as two brown hares. Along with putting out peanuts for the garden birds I also put out carrion for buzzards and a male kestrel that hangs around near the house. Today for the first time he was feeding on a road-killed blackbird just metres from the kitchen window, so hoping to get my lens trained on him over next few days. This is one of the same bird taken last year.

Its now been over 2 months with snow on the ground save for a few days last week with another 6 inches arriving today. Not that I'm complaining - it has been great  for photography. Last week I hosted Edwin Kats a friend and fellow photographer from Holland and we enjoyed a pretty intensive 5 days out in the field. To be honest, on all bar one of these days I would have normally stayed in behind the monitor but as is often the case when you make the effort to get out there it yields results. A windy day on the tops was perhaps the highlight of the week with good numbers of ptarmigan and interesting conditions to help capture something different. These are a couple of minimalist images I liked.