Mull'icious Weather
Well, it has been a great couple of weeks on the Isle of Mull, despite the very changeable weather. Up until the day I arrived, Mull had enjoyed an early summer having only one day of 'proper' rain in seven weeks! Well, all that changed the moment I set foot on the Island. Along came the clouds, the weather fronts, and the rain. It wasn't all doom and gloom though. In the first week there were a couple decent days and the second week was positively summery! Now I am back home, staring out the office window and (as a thunder-clap explodes overhead) wondering where our summer has gone... again!
Sorry, there are no images on this post. I'm just sorting through them now. It was a very successful trip photography-wise. Even after the first dirty edit, I have over 200 otter images to play with. Some of these are my best to date. I will post a few on here, once I have finished. I really focussed on the otters this time and was rarely distracted from my goals. I wanted otters in beautiful light and blue water. I almost achieved it, but not quite. Another goal was to capture an image of more than one otter in the same frame, preferably rubbing down and fluffy. This I did achieve several times, so I am over the moon!
The only other subjects I photographed was a very approachable Short-eared Owl (looking very handsome perched on a moss-covered fence post), a pair of tame sandpipers, and an oystercatcher that I snapped whilst waiting for an otter.
The Island is very beautiful at this time of year. I had only seen it during Autumn and Winter before as I usually travel to Mull out of season to avoid the crowds. However, the daylight hours are so short and the weather is usually so inclement, that the job of photographing otters is incredibly difficult. Anyway, no publishers or agents want dreary images of otters in the rain.
In May, June, and July, the trees are green, the moors are covered by swathes of cotton grass, thousands of foxgloves adorn the lanes and hedgerows, and tiny orchids and other flowers add a delicate note of colour to the moorland, coastal grasslands, and shoreline. Most importantly, the sun rises at around 3:30am and doesn't set until after 10:00pm. It was still light enough to walk around after 11:00pm!
The midges are around, but it is not too bad near the coasts. Occasionally I had a cloud of them around my head, but it is a small price to pay... Although I don't think my girlfriend would agree. They savaged her one morning and the poor lass looked like she had measles!
There has been a rodent population explosion on Mull this year. Mice, bank voles, and rabbits have multiplied beyond reckoning and the owls and raptors are taking full advantage - as well as the domestic cats! Hopefully it will be a bumper years for the Barn Owls and SEOs which have declined over the past few years.
I just want to say a big thank you to my hosts on the Isle of Mull - Richard and Maggie Edwards at Barrachandroman . Cheers for the copious glasses of wine and great company!
Sorry, there are no images on this post. I'm just sorting through them now. It was a very successful trip photography-wise. Even after the first dirty edit, I have over 200 otter images to play with. Some of these are my best to date. I will post a few on here, once I have finished. I really focussed on the otters this time and was rarely distracted from my goals. I wanted otters in beautiful light and blue water. I almost achieved it, but not quite. Another goal was to capture an image of more than one otter in the same frame, preferably rubbing down and fluffy. This I did achieve several times, so I am over the moon!
The only other subjects I photographed was a very approachable Short-eared Owl (looking very handsome perched on a moss-covered fence post), a pair of tame sandpipers, and an oystercatcher that I snapped whilst waiting for an otter.
The Island is very beautiful at this time of year. I had only seen it during Autumn and Winter before as I usually travel to Mull out of season to avoid the crowds. However, the daylight hours are so short and the weather is usually so inclement, that the job of photographing otters is incredibly difficult. Anyway, no publishers or agents want dreary images of otters in the rain.
In May, June, and July, the trees are green, the moors are covered by swathes of cotton grass, thousands of foxgloves adorn the lanes and hedgerows, and tiny orchids and other flowers add a delicate note of colour to the moorland, coastal grasslands, and shoreline. Most importantly, the sun rises at around 3:30am and doesn't set until after 10:00pm. It was still light enough to walk around after 11:00pm!
The midges are around, but it is not too bad near the coasts. Occasionally I had a cloud of them around my head, but it is a small price to pay... Although I don't think my girlfriend would agree. They savaged her one morning and the poor lass looked like she had measles!
There has been a rodent population explosion on Mull this year. Mice, bank voles, and rabbits have multiplied beyond reckoning and the owls and raptors are taking full advantage - as well as the domestic cats! Hopefully it will be a bumper years for the Barn Owls and SEOs which have declined over the past few years.
I just want to say a big thank you to my hosts on the Isle of Mull - Richard and Maggie Edwards at Barrachandroman . Cheers for the copious glasses of wine and great company!
Labels: Isle of Mull, otters
posted by Elliott Neep at
7/07/2008 04:51:00 PM
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