March 2022 Viewfinder
Species old and new spring into action in this month’s Opposite View Wildlife Photography newsletter.
Three roe deer burst out from a front garden, just metres from the car bonnet.
As they bounded across the lane and sprung over the grass lawn, the thought crossed my mind that wildlife encounters on this holiday weren’t going to get any better than this near miss on the final approach to our holiday let.
We headed down to Cumbria for another break at the start of the month. It was a calm and bright week, unlike our last visit to the Lakes when Storm Arwen hit. Not many photographs were taken, but I grabbed every opportunity to relax with both hands, including a break from social media and frantically planning blogs and videos.
What I lacked in wildlife sightings on holiday was more than made up for by the species on my local patch this month. Foxes frolicked while buzzards caused a bit of a buzz (more on that below). If you follow me on social media [please do if you don’t already!], you are probably thinking same old, same old but March has been a month for new subjects too. I captured my first (distant) images of wigeon on a stroll next to the Clyde and photographed the moment greylag geese flew overhead as we walked by the stunning Three Sisters next to Hunterston. I’m still to get that elusive ring-billed gull.
As quickly as you press the shutter on the winter visitors, the change in seasons presses them to move on. I hear the ospreys have returned to Loch of the Lowes. My dad thought he saw one in Hertfordshire the other day, which is possible, but we will note it as an unconfirmed sighting (and a potential should’ve gone to Specsavers moment). The puffins have landed on the Isle of May, though not all have moulted into their full breeding plumage. I heard my first chiffchaff a couple of weeks ago in Ayrshire and am now hearing them pipe up on my daily walks. Nature feels ready to spring into action.
Sticking with springing, I will leave you with one of the few images I captured on my holiday. It’s the bouncy bird that can brighten the dullest day with a fizz of lemon drop yellow - the grey wagtail.
I hope the early signs of Spring are giving you a buzz.
Best wishes,
Rhiannon
Opposite View Wildlife Photography
Through my lens
Buzzing over buzzards plus top tips for photographing birds in flight
My local common buzzards have been on top form recently; they even stopped traffic. Well, one car, but that driver was pretty excited when he drove away. I struggled for a long time to photograph these birds in flight but have improved my success rate with a few techniques that I cover in this post.
Species spotlight
Cormorant - the prehistoric-looking poser
If you're looking for a visual example of the missing link between modern bird species and the therapod dinosaurs they are related to, the cormorant might fit the bill. If you are beginning your wildlife photography journey and looking for a subject, you could also do worse than a cormorant.
And finally…
I opened up a new document on my phone a little over a year ago and typed at the top: Why are there fewer women wildlife photographers than men? It was International Women’s Day, a missing woman was front-page news and, as the questions around women and wildlife photography had been floating around my head for a long time, I thought it would be as good a time as any to start addressing them. I jotted down a few ideas and shared a post on the SheClicks Facebook group to ask other female photographers what they thought. More notes.
Then the body found in Kent woodland was confirmed as Sarah Everard’s. I closed that document and did not reopen it. The limitations for women taking part in activities like wildlife photography felt secondary to the raw reinforcement that we can't even risk walking home alone.
On International Women’s Day this year, I decided to reopen those notes.
I’d love you to read the resulting blog - Wild women don't - what is stopping female amateur wildlife photographers? - and leave a comment, either here or on my website and whether you identify as female or male. I look forward to hearing what you think.
Keep in touch
Thanks for reading this! If you have any comments or questions, opportunities for photography or if you would like to use any of my images, please leave a comment. I’d love to hear from you.
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