End of a year and the beginning of a new one.

A new year brings with it the promise of fresh hopes and an essential drive to fulfill any new objectives that we may have set for ourselves. It is a time for reflection, growth, and the pursuit of aspirations that can lead to personal and professional development. I haven’t been able to write a blog post since the summer months, which feels like quite a long time.Busy with photography, work, and caring for two young boys.One of my new resolutions for this year is to update my website much more regularly than I have done in the past, in order to keep it fresh and engaging. Additionally, I aim to create a dedicated platform for selling my prints, allowing me to share my photography with a wider audience.

In terms of my photography endeavors, I’m looking at doing more wildlife videos throughout this year. I believe that capturing the intricate behaviors and natural habitats of various species can add a compelling dimension to my work. Sometimes, you can’t effectively purvey the true wonder of nature with a still photograph, where a carefully crafted video would serve as a much better medium to capture the dynamic beauty and movement of the natural world. I've always found that the most difficult part of wildlife photography is capturing that precise moment when an animal is telling its story in the most compelling way. This fleeting instant can reveal so much about the creature’s behavior, emotions, and environment, making it essential to be both patient and observant.

Looking back at 2024, I feel as though I have made a fair amount of progress in both my personal and professional pursuits. The experiences I had this year greatly helped me grow.. I am the kind of photographer who doesn’t plan too much in advance and instead prefers to be reactive and spontaneous in my approach to capturing images. This method allows me to fully embrace the unexpected moments that nature often presents, making each photograph a unique glimpse into the world around us. Most of my photography work stems from spending as much time as possible out in nature, immersing myself in the environment and observing the intricate details that often go unnoticed. I check the weather forecast for my available time, choose a location that fits the weather, and consider what wildlife I might see there during that time of year or season. Even when I’m out and about exploring different locations, the camera is always readily at hand, allowing me to pause and capture a photo whenever an interesting opportunity presents itself. Roads can be a particularly great spot for observing various species of birds, for instance. These avian visitors may be attracted by litter, unfortunate roadkill, or even the grit that often accumulates along the roadside. Additionally, fence posts and electric poles can serve as excellent perches for birds of prey, such as a kestrel or a buzzard, for example. It's not always safe to stop by the side of the road to take a moment and enjoy the beautiful views that nature has to offer. This year, I want to be more organized, but we'll see what happens. Last summer, I had several fairly successful trips to the picturesque south east of Ireland, where I dedicated my time to photographing a variety of terns, waders, and stunning birds of prey. Hopefully, I’ll get the opportunity to return to the east as much as possible this year, as there is so much more to discover in this beautiful region. I’ve had the pleasure of photographing in remarkable locations in Wexford, such as Tacumshin, Lady's Island, and Cahore Marsh, where I experienced great success capturing beautiful images. However, I am aware that there is still an abundance of areas to investigate and new species to document.

Also this year, I would like to think that I will be able to enhance my photography fieldcraft significantly. By this, I mean I aim to get much closer to the subject, allowing me to truly immerse myself in their natural behavior and capture more authentic moments. It’s actually what I spend most of my time diligently trying to achieve and perfect. There is so much to think about, consider, and explore in this area that one could easily write a comprehensive book about this intriguing subject, and perhaps even several volumes dedicated to its many facets and nuances. It's all about the process of learning, and this is truly the enjoyable part of the journey!

Finally, I would just like to take a moment to sincerely thank everyone who has followed me on Instagram. I greatly appreciate those who have taken the time to like, share, and send me messages of support. It's a challenging platform to navigate at the best of times, and I am grateful for your engagement and encouragement. Thank you for your time in reading my blogs, and I truly hope that you find enjoyment in the content I share.

Wildlife every way I tern.

I’ve had a rather hectic couple of weeks. The school holidays have just kicked off here in Ireland, and I took a short trip with my wife and kids. Being the photography enthusiast that I am, I couldn't resist bringing my camera along. I visited areas in the northwest and southeast of Ireland: Sligo and Clare, along with Waterford and Wexford. The weather, as always has been changeable. Mostly bright and cool, but also overcast and muggy. Despite being pestered by the kids (I have two boys aged six and eight) I was able to get the camera out and shoot some half-decent stuff.

The beginning of last week we travelled to Sligo, a small county on the west coast of Ireland. It’s not particularly known for its wildlife diversity but that was where my wife wanted to go, so that was that. I did a little research in terms of places to go that were both kid and wildlife friendly. We were based a very short distance from the town. We decided on a few spots which were the beach and dunes at Strandhill, the woodlands of Union Wood and the Isle of Innisfree on the banks of Lough Gill. Strandhill has a partially sand and pebble beach, a links golf course and amazing dunes. Here I was able to photograph Ringed Plover and Skylarks. The Skylarks were plentiful and fine with my presence. The Ringed plover were not so obliging but I was still able to get some good ground level shots. Union wood, to the south of Sligo town is a part coniferous, part native woodland with a small lough. There were lots of common woodland birds, an amazing number of coal tits and I saw crossbills briefly but was unable to photograph them. I was hoping for a sight of a pine martin or red squirrel but it wasn’t to be. I could see lots of deer tracks, which I suppose are from fallow deer. I did get a glimpse of one on my way up to the wood in the car but was unable to stop. The woods here are absolutely full of rhododendrons and i have never seen so many foxgloves. Last of all, we visited the woodland and bog at the Isle of Innisfree. An amazing, somewhat managed, mature native woodland and heath bog on the banks of lough Gill. The woods were full of small birds. Lots of long tailed tits, treecreepers, goldcrests and chiffchaffs. Once through the wood you come out onto a heath bogland which has a timber raised path to walk along. Here I saw a kestrel, lots of meadow pipits and was able to photograph reed buntings. With the kids around my feet it was difficult to get close, so most of my photos were of birds and their environments which actually I enjoy as much as any other wildlife photography. Stunning scenery and plenty of life but it was time to move on.

In Sligo town itself, I was able to take some wildlife photos despite many people asking or commenting about my ‘big’ lens. However, I was able to photograph a young bullfinch, a common whitethroat and a cormorant fighting an eel at the quays.

On our way home we were able to stop in county clare, more specifically the Burren. The weather however was horrendous with driving rain. We didn’t have long between the showers but I did find Bullfinches and lots of Blackcaps and Willow warblers. It doesn’t matter how much you plan, one thing for sure is you can’t plan for the weather. The lens was dried off and off back to cork we went.

Back home in West Cork, I was able to get out a few times with the camera. I found goldcrest fledglings, which was a first for me but the real highlight of the last couple of weeks was a chance encounter with two Irish hares just a few miles from home. I spotted the hare as we drove down a country lane. I pulled over, realised my battery was almost dead, changed it, turned off the engine and started shooting. I was so happy when one of the hares decided to come and see what I was doing. I was able to get a crazy amount of shots in just a few minutes. Fantastic stuff!!

So to the start of a new week and off to the south east of the country for the day. I took my wife to the first day of her new job in Waterford and then went looking for wildlife. I had heard of a couple of great places to go in Wexford so hastily made my way to Our Lady’s Island near Rosslare, where I knew there was a pretty good chance of photographing terns. No sooner was I out of the car park, I was snapping away at arctic terns, common terns and sandwich terns. What incredible birds these are but also difficult to shoot, especially with a 800mm lens. Many attempts ended in missed shots, but persistence paid off with a handful of sharply focused flight shots, including a captivating image of an arctic tern shaking off water while soaring gracefully through the air. I played around with my focus settings, frame rates and shutter speed and my keeper rate improved no-end. Most of the birds were flying south from the sea with sand eels and heading to feed young on the small islands in the lake. It was quickly getting easier to plot their flightiness and behaviours and thus helping to improve the composition of the photos that I was taking. I also got some lovely shots of black headed gulls swooping and diving. A truly amazing few hours with very special birds. On the way home I was able to stop off on a main road and photograph great-crested grebes and their young at Lough Aderry, in East Cork.

So, thousands of photographs to sift through, hopefully many keepers and possibly one or two ‘bangers’. Maybe, in fact definitely, some will need a fair amount of post enhancement. Looking forward to going back to wexford and photographing more wildlife at tacumshin and cahore marshes. Both places that I had no time to visit this time.

An arctic tern (sterna paradisaea) shaking off water after it was diving for sand eels.

Irish Hare (lepus timidus hibernicus) standing proud.

Ringed Plover (charadrius hiaticula)

Peak fledging time in West Cork.

It's been a really busy week with my wildlife photography. I have made trips to the coast, the river and the mountains in search of wildlife. I’ve shot diving juvenile Gannets that were feeding close to the shoreline, swans with their cygnets on my local river and Northern Wheatears up the nearby mountains.

In order to photograph diving Northern Gannets I photographed handheld. It allows me to manoeuvre the camera much more easily than using the camera on a tripod, even with a gimbal head. The image stabilisation on modern mirrorless cameras and in-lens stabilisation is amazing. These birds move quite a lot in the air, circling a fair bit and it’s good to focus on one bird at a time in order to get the symbolic dive in focus. I shot with a fully open (f/6.3) Nikon z 800 pf lens, as the weather was dull and the birds were a fair distance away. There was no need for increasing the depth of field at those distances. I shot at relatively high iso in order to brighten the birds plumage. A polariser would be great on this lens while photographing over the ocean but they are fairly expensive and I would prefer to spend the money on good glass instead. The Nikon z8 has excellent autofocus with bird detection and wide area AF, achieving a 100% success rate even when birds dive-bomb quickly. It's also beneficial to increase the frame rate to a minimum of ten frames per second to enhance your probability of capturing that ideal moment during the bird's dive, specifically when the bird's bill makes contact with the water's surface.

I have also managed to capture some stunning images of the swallows and sand martins during the past week. I found shooting sand martins in flight against wind much easier. Spent an hour and a half waiting for swifts at a nest site to enter the nest. I missed both flights into and out of the nest but got one of these fantastic little birds looking out of its nest hole, which felt like a success at the time. The swifts are still chasing thier mates at the moment and therefore aren’t feeding young in the nest yet so once the eggs have hatched, I should have a better chance as they’ll be much more busier around their nests.

I was lucky enough to see and photograph cute little cygnets (juvenile mute swans) riding on their mother’s back. They do this in order to rest i’m told, but it makes for a great photo. The male was closely behind as they travelled up the river towards me.. With the mums feathers fluffed up and backlit and the two cygnets peering out from the plumage, I was very happy with the shot, particularly the composition. The only negative was that I couldn’t get down to eye level as the river banks are very steep and dangerous. To enhance the overall composition of your wildlife photographs, consider positioning yourself at eye level with the animals. This technique often results in a more captivating background, with a pleasing blur effect that elevates the visual appeal of the image.

The challenge I have set myself this week is to get photos of adults feeding their young. Keeping an eye on areas around nests for the birds will give me the best opporunity as the chicks fledge yet remain dependant on their parents for their food. Foxes will by now be travelling around the fields with their cubs in tow, maybe practicing to hunt or just playing with other cubs or even just pestering their mother for milk. It’s been quite cold this summer in West Cork and i’m finding most animals are a bit behind with their breeding. No sign so far of fledged kingfishers or Irish dippers near the river. I’ll keep an eye out for them as they should be fledging any minute now. Both fledged at the end of May last year and it’s already half way through June.

I had been thinking of selling my old Nikon z6II, but today the new model, the Z6III was released which undoubtedly will reduce the used value of its predecessor so I have decided to keep it and will probably use it for macro stuff in the future. Ive also been struggling with precapture on my Z8. the mode eats the battery power as well as heating up the SD card that I use. I’ll be looking at faster cards to solve this problem and will let you know the results. I may have to add another battery to my collection as i’m finding precapture very useful with birds in flight but it really does use a lot of power.

Thankyou for reading my blog and good luck with your photography or just enjoying wildlife.

Mute Swan Cygnets catching a lift.

Early summer delights..

We are approaching midsummer's day here in West Cork, a period of rejuvenation for most animals. Fox cubs can be spotted exploring the freshly silaged fields alongside their mothers. Vibrant flowers are blooming, and birds are busy fledging in every direction. I have been fortunate to observe numerous juvenile birds, specifically robins, stonechats, blue tits, and wrens. Despite the season being well advanced, I recently had the pleasure of hearing my first Cuckoo of the year, adding to the magic of this time.

Only a few weeks ago, the coast around West Cork was teeming with feeding basking sharks. However, it appears that they have since moved away. Despite their absence, there is still a plethora of marine life to observe in the area, such as graceful fulmars gliding overhead and majestic Northern Gannets plunging into the water with remarkable precision.

I have recently observed an increase in the number of Irish Hares in the area, potentially attributed to the extensive cutting of grass fields. While there have been no sightings of leverets, I came across a video this week capturing a hare swimming across the nearby river, a novel experience for me. In the woodland just a stone's throw away from my home, we have Sika Deer. The regular visits from foxes to my garden, albeit at later hours, have presented opportunities for me to experiment with ISO and shutter speed adjustments in low-light conditions. By reducing the shutter speed and decreasing the ISO, I have noticed a reduction in noise in my images, as long as the subject remains still for an adequate duration. Surprisingly, I have even managed with a shutter speed of 1/50 sec when the wind subsides.

Having struggled considerably to capture images of flying hirundines and swifts, I decided to shift my focus to the more leisurely small birds, resulting in capturing some satisfying shots. A highlight for me was successfully photographing a juvenile stonechat mid-flight. Recently, I delved into the precapture mode for the first time, recognizing its potential after some experimentation. Although there were still some missed shots, this feature appears promising, particularly in scenarios where birds are in the process of taking off.

I may have well seen my first pied flycatcher ever, but have only sighted it once. Unfortunately, I was unable to photograph it or even see it clearly enough to confirm the sighting. I am eager to return and search for it as soon as I get the chance.

This week has been filled with capturing images of various wildlife species, including foxes, Sika deer, reed buntings, juvenile stonechats, spotted flycatchers, meadow pipits, dragonflies, and skylarks. The weather has been bright and harsh, prompting me to venture out late in the evening or seek shade during the day to pursue my photography. I am focusing more on incorporating the background and landscape into my bird shots, taking advantage of the colorful backgrounds provided by flowering meadows and the stunning blooming heather backdrops that define this time of year.

This week, amidst a hectic schedule, my wish is to allocate ample time by the river. I am optimistic that the kingfishers and Irish dippers have either fledged or commenced the fledge process. With some luck, the sighting of otter cubs might be on the horizon, and capturing the Pied flycatcher on camera, which I believe I spotted last week, would be truly rewarding. Any additional encounters with wildlife would be a delightful surprise.

A juvenile Stonechat (saxicola rubicola) gracefully soaring through the air, displaying its exquisite plumage as it navigates its surroundings with nimble precision.

Wildlife Photography Blog…

My first blog! It's early June, and there's a lot of wildlife activity around my home in West Cork because most animals are breeding. Birds are gathering food for their babies, either in the nest or their fledglings. This week in Irish birdwatching, a rare Yellow-crowned Night Heron was found in Mayo. Bird fans travelled to Mayo from all over Ireland and even some made the trip from the UK. The first seen in Ireland ever, having travelled from across the Atlantic from the US I’m told.

I haven't seen any vagrants or visiting birds like this in West Cork this week , but I have seen many familiar birds and animals in my local area. This week alone, I have been lucky enough to have photographed Kingfishers and Irish Dippers, numerous Spotted Flycatchers along the river banks and an adult otter. However, ive not seen any otter pups so far this year. The hirundines are in full breeding behaviour and I’ve even been able to find my first swift nest location. Of course, i’m keeping my distance away from all nests and minimising any impacts my presence may cause to the birds. I've been trying to take photos of swallows and swifts this week. I will keep trying because I haven't succeeded yet. They’re not the easiest birds to photograph in flight as they are so small, fast and erratic.

I’m lucky enough to have Red foxes in the fields around my house and they have become very confident with my presence. There is one particular vixen that allows me to get very close and am working towards the perfect fox portrait. Hopefully, she’ll bring her cubs with her soon. I have already got some cub photos and video this year but despite the 800mm lens they were still a long way away.

Last week I was lucky enough to see my first Basking Shark and then some more. In fact, I counted at least thirty of them at one time, feeding and seen from the cliffs just a few miles from my home in West Cork. Such large, gentle creatures and the second largest fish in the world. I was able to photograph the Basking Sharks (and a Minke Whale) from a distance but ideally I would have brought my drone with me but sadly I didn't . The following day, the ocean changed from perfect for watching basking sharks to too rough. Still, it had been an unforgettable sight.

It's been a hectic week capturing wildlife through my lens. I’ve had numerous opportunities to photograph a variety of creatures this last week. Amidst the successful shots, there were a few missed chances, yet i’m staying focused on capturing swifts and swallows for the perfect shot. I am also eagerly anticipating encountering the nearby fox cubs, confident that their playful presence will be a joy to behold. The BBC programme Springwatch, a show that never fails to captivate me, is airing this again this week. I am also especially excited as I have noticed chicks in all my nest boxes, so I’m eagerly awaiting the first signs of fledglings beginning their journey.

Thank you for reading.

My favourite photo of the Week: Spotted Flycatcher