Check out the new 2020VISION trailer for an insight into Britain's most ambitious conservation photography project. Great images, great video clips and superbly produced - well done, John (MacPherson)!

2020VISION. Britain’s most ambitious conservation multimedia initiative ... ever! from 2020VISION on Vimeo.

I had been staring out from a wooden hide at a dead fox lying on a snow swept hillside for the best part of ten hours when one of my inmates happened to mention the classic Monty Python 'Dead Parrot' sketch, featuring a Norwegian Blue (for a reminder, or for those not old enough to remember it, the full sketch can be seen here http://www.mtholyoke.edu/~ebarnes/python/dead-parrot.htm). The fox that had our undivided attention in no way resembled a parrot but it was definitely dead albeit its tail did 'twitch' every so often or so it appeared in the strong wind. The unfortunate fox and parallels to the Norwegian Blue had at least relieved some boredom whilst we waited for our target to show up. Some of us had taken to photographing said fox and I even filmed it! It wasn't an action-packed sequence but at least the spindrift added some drama!


By now it was 16.30 and we had been in the hide since well before dawn so as not to betray our presence to any eagles that might be in the vicinity. The wind had been blowing fiercely all day and we hadn't seen a bird, not even a crow. Still, our guide would soon be coming to let us out and we could warm up. It was around -10 degrees outside and the small heater had done little to keep the cold from nipping at my toes. Then from nowhere an eagle landed on a distant pine tree where it began to feed on a black grouse (again put out as bait). The eagle was clearly struggling to get much meat from the now frozen carcass and it soon turned its attention to the fox.


The light was fading quickly and we knew our guide would arrive any minute and inadvertently scare the bird away. Each time the eagle paused to look up between feeds, a simultaneous volley of shots rang out at 10 frames per second. It was an impressive bird, almost certainly a female judging from its large size (males are much smaller). I took several variations and then turned to filming. The windswept snow looked great as it rushed past the eagle, at times almost obscuring it from view. A second eagle landed briefly behind the first and I hoped that a fight over the food might ensue but instead it retreated to a nearby tree to watch and wait its turn.


The feeding eagle was quickly away as Ole Martin Dahle appeared to collect us but by then the light was dimming quickly. It had been a long and mostly uneventful day, as is often the case when photographing wild eagles that don't always read the script. Hoping for more action, we returned under the cover of darkness the following morning. It was still freezing cold and blowing hard but the sky was clear. It was like Groundhog Day, at first waiting in the dark trying to catch some sleep, then watching the sun creep slowly down the far hillside and finally lighting up the dead fox. A pair of eagles gave us brief hope as they soared down the valley but by 14.30 the sun had faded from in front of us and no shots had been fired. Then, just like the day before an eagle flew directly in and landed on the fox. There was a tangible holding of breath from all of us inside the hide as the eagle eyed us suspiciously. But it soon relaxed to feed and our memory cards began to fill up. A second eagle put on a good show for us later on as the light turned blue and by the time Ole Martin came to release us from the confines of 'the box' we had all well and truly filled out boots.

After a week sat in front of the computer it was good to get out on Friday for a 'field meeting' at the Coigach Scottish Wildlife Trust reserve north of Ullapool. The weather forecast was pretty poor and photography wasn't the real purpose for the visit but I took my kit as usual - you never know when an opportunity may arise. Rain and grey clouds were a constant companion as I headed north but on arriving at Achduart near Achiltibuie dramatic 'god rays' pierced through the storm clouds that hovered menacingly over Loch Broom. I quickly grabbed the camera and 24-105mm lens and began to shoot a number of images. The sun continued to break through the clouds for the next half hour or so painting a continually changing picture over the dramatic Dundonnell skyline. A fantastic sighting of an immature golden eagle further lifted the spirits, its huge size made obvious by the 'sparrow-sized' ravens that mobbed it as it soared high and out of view over Ben More Coigach. The rain and heavy grey clouds returned soon after but I was more than happy.

Photography, whether as a hobby or a profession, is a fickle business for all sorts of reasons and there is often a very thin line between success or failure, certainly in photographic terms. Yet the whole experience of obtaining the images can be hugely rewarding even if the pictures themselves can be a bit of let down when viewed back at home. But does this really matter. Is it the experience or the final image that is more important? I would like to think that the experience is the most enjoyable part of the process but then I'd be lying to say that I wasn't bothered about the outcome of my pictures both from a personal perspective and in the reaction I gain from showing them to others. Of course ideally I want both the experience and an award-winning image to show for it! That said, the joy of achieving what I consider to be a good shot is relatively short-lived whilst I will remember the experience of being there for much longer.


Why am I rambling on about such philosophical thoughts. Well, I sat down this evening to update this blog which I've neglected for the past few weeks (although there have been regular updates on Facebook!) and started by looking back at some images from last month when we were in the midst of a mini ice age. On opening the folder there were a set of images that I took along the River Dulnain which runs very close to where I live. The morning I took these shots the temperature was down to -18ºC and the diesel was frozen in my 4WD so I was limited to explore on foot, which is what I did, setting off through very deep snow across several fields to a part of the river I had never explored before, but which under a mantel of virgin snow was hugely appealing.


It was like I had found an amazing new place. In reality it was little more than a few hundred metres of river that had been briefly transformed by snow and ice. It was magical and I was like a kid in a sweet shop, shooting everything in sight. But it was the experience that I was really enjoying - finding roe deer tracks that led right across a frozen part of the river, and clear signs of otter activity in the form of an obvious 'slide' that led down to the water as well as numerous footprints. My thought at the time was, "This is what it's all about" - getting out there and finding new things to experience and photograph. And yes, I was quite pleased with some of the pictures - they're by no means world beaters, but then that's not really the point.

You may have noticed that its turned a tad nippy over the past week - in fact as low as minus 17 here and not much above minus 7 all week so least it to say the garden birds have been keen to get to the feeding station to top up on peanuts, seed and apples. With snow hanging on the branches I've spent several sessions sat in my deckchair whilst birds have been dropping in to feed all day long.