Ospreys

One of the highlights of our Scottish holiday is being able to see and photograph Ospreys without being in a hide, in fact most of the observations were made from the comfort of the patio. Last year the visits by "Osvaldo" were pretty predictable and I could sit and wait for him to arrive. I think he found the trout in the lochan an easier option than some of the wilder places in the Cairngorms.

This year it was different, we had just five visits from three birds, two of which turned up at the same time and were a definite pair. None of the visits were of more than five minutes duration and as I witnessed only one dive, only one trout disappeared.

I think these shots can be safely called "action crops"  as at one stage one of the pair flew directly over my head, filling the viewfinder of the camera. One thing that I found odd is that the resident population of ground nesting waders went apoplectic at the presence of the Osprey, a fish eating raptor, and tried to drive it away with utmost effort. The actions of the nest plundering Crows, Jackdaws and Black-headed Gulls went virtually unchallenged.

This one truly bounced me, we were sat having our evening meal when I heard a loud splash. I grabbed the camera and captured what I could, shooting into the evening sun made it difficult.

I still haven't got that definitive shot, looks like I will have to have another go.

The crystal clear waters of the lochan make the trout easily seen, I was surprised that more were not predated by such efficient hunters.