Lucy: I’ve got a new camera, purchased with the express purpose of capturing some of the wonderful wildlife I see. It is no big deal really but for me quite a radical departure as I’ve never allowed a camera to come between me and wildlife before. I’ve generally preferred to stay “in the moment” and to focus all my attention in absorbing the joy of watching something wild in its natural habitat.
The change came in part because I realised that in this digital age, there is an expectation that everything is documented and recorded in full colour. I reluctantly considered that for our Arran Wild Walks business to stay “up to date” I’d have to get a proper camera as my beloved compact is not up to the job. However, I did quite quickly become interested in the idea, once I began to ponder over the sort of pictures I would actually like to take.
The fascination of watching nature for me is in the small things. The mundane details in the daily lives of wild creatures delight me more than a fleeting glimpse of something big and rare. It’s unsurprising therefore that I turned my attention to small birds as soon as the camera arrived, and it is with these subjects that I have been having the most success, and fun. Sitting with my camera amongst the seaweed watching the feeding and squabbles of chirping rock pipits is as close to meditation as my busy mind gets. Focusing my camera on them brings a kind of flow, that I don’t find anywhere else. These little brown birds feast all year round on the invertebrates that live along the strandline. Always busy, always striving, I’m hypnotised by their constant activity.
I should add, that on our wildlife trips, whilst local knowledge means that we do generally have great success with Arran’s “big and rare” type things, these sightings are never guaranteed, but by paying attention to the little things, there is always something of nature to enjoy, to delight and warm the soul!