The first year I picked up a camera was the first time I visited a Seabird colony. That first trip saw me visit the Isle of May in the fourth of firth, Scotland. I have tried every year since to get my annual seabird fix. We are blessed with some fantastic colonies in the UK and so are spoilt for choice. I have been to most of them over the years and it is difficult to pick a favourite. The Shetland Isles has a special draw for me and the colonies there are huge and quite accessible. The remote colonies that I have been to like Sule Skerry and the Flannan Isles are a special kind of trip because there are so many logistics involved in getting to these locations and so once you are there it is a more a sense of relief and achievement. All of them have there special charm and all equally produce great photographic opportunities.
Since the start of setting up Natures Images with Mark Sisson we have added our own seabird trip to the programe and so this year I was co-leading it again with Ellie Rothnie, our ninth year in doing so. I am not sure it says much about us or for that matter how lucky we have been over the years but we still don’t have a plan B for the weather but I have not had to execute it much in that time. The two islands that we visit during our week in photographing Seabirds is Saltee in southern Ireland and Skomer of the Welsh coast, both offer certain species and a certain charm.
Now the UK supports some huge Gannet colonies but most of them are impossible to visit. The ones like Bass Rock can only be visited during the middle part of the day so if it is a sunny day the light can be awful. Bass is a wonderful experience and it is a huge colony but it can be challenging for photographers. Saltee on the other hand is a photographers dream. The colony is relatively small compared to the Bass but it is very accessible and we are under no time constraints to leave the island, so can work in the best possible light if we get it.
After many years experience in photographing Seabirds I think the best time to visit a colony is during the early part of the season. The birds are much more active and in the Gannets case look their best as their bright plumage with those wonderful yellow heads really stand out. Gannets also do a lot of courtship bonding during those first few weeks on arriving back at their colonies.
They are also busy re-building their simple nests with a constant supply of birds dropping in with various objects to line them with. This behaviour is great for photography and when they start gathering vegetation from grassy slopes at the top of the cliffs, this can be great fun to watch.
Saltee is not just good for Gannets as there are lots of other seabirds on this small island to photograph. I think Saltee is one of the best Islands to get pictures of Razorbills and Guillemots. They nest on the ledges and amongst the boulders of the island but because it is not to steep you can get eye level with them at a number of points. I spent a lot of time this year trying to photograph these members of the Auk family against the dark shadows of the cliffs. It worked well with these black and white birds and dark backgrounds, especially when we had a couple of rain showers as the background looked like the birds were against the stars.
After our visit to Saltee we then head back to Wales and onto our next Island Skomer. Incorporating Skomer into this trip then completes our objective in our seabird quest. I think Skomer is one of the best places to photograph Puffins in the UK, again it is not a huge colony but in places this beautiful bird can be really accessible. Skomer is visited by a lot of people too throughout the summer season and so the birds have become very confiding. The great thing about Skomer too is we stop on the island for a couple of nights.
The great thing about stopping on Skomer is again you can work in the best possible light in the early mornings and late evenings. You kind of get the cliff tops to yourself too as the day trippers don’t come on until after 10am and are gone by 5pm. It really is a special experience staying on an of shore island and you can feel a world away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
So there you go two islands in two countries but only 60 miles apart. Both have a unique charm and both offer the photographer a great chance to capture images of some of the main seabird species that occur in the UK oops and Ireland (I must stop referring Saltee as the UK sorry my Irish friends). They really are the best to combine for a trip like this. The beauty of this trip as well is you don’t need all the latest gear and the most expensive telephoto prime lens. The birds are confiding and so it is a trip that suits all levels of photographers. If you fancy a bit of seabird photography then please bare this trip in mind as it really is a great experience too.
