Foraging in gale force winds and waves

A female otter foraging in gale force winds. Encounters like these offer a fascinating insight into just how challenging life can be for an otter on the Shetland coasts. The wind was at least up to force 8 at times, probably gusting more with the occasional shower that swept in from th south east. I was actually out with returning otter photography guest Dave Curley.
I took Dave to this particular site to try to capture some slightly more unusual images, knowing that there was a good chance she'd be out and that the sea conditions would be excellent to try to capture some different and unusual otter images.

Landing a codling

More catching up...
Another sequence from mid August.

A mother catching a beautiful and bright red codling, takes it in to the shore where she releases it for her cub.

A fantastic flatfish

Backdating a couple of blog posts from as long ago as August! Where does the time go...

This was a session with a mother and cubs. The image of her landing the lovely flatfish was her sneaking ashore, obviously needing the meal herself as when she was powering in for the shore- from as far out as 40 metres or more with cubs chasing after her- she shrugged off the two cubs chase and changed direction. She landed just in front of me whilst the cubs ended up together on the shore further along, seemingly bewildered by loosing her- but the meal too. She ended up just out of view only 20 metres away where she scoffed the lot.

This image was slightly later when they were reunited.

Late summer and still together

Each year working on otters here in Shetland I get to know many families, their routines and the ranges they use. Its crucial to the trips we run that I keep up to date with each of the sites I use and each family in those ranges around the isles.

This particular mum and two cubs, one of three families along one particular stretch of shore I work, have stayed together well over a year now. One of these families the cubs are now actually coming up on 16 months old and not surprisingly spending long periods away from mum but these guys are slightly younger, still under a year old.

Spent a few hours with them throughout which enjoyed an insight to their daily routine; foraging, , grooming, resting and for the cubs, some play. Unfortunately they were always quite a distance away so the images I managed needed quite a crop- that's often just how it is with photographing otters, the terrain can sometimes offer opportunity to stalk or crawl closer but this open shore constrains that. Beautiful to watch.

 

 Mum lands a sea scorpian with one of cubs in hot pursuit. Interestingly this family in particular seem to specialize in this particular prey with mum catching several good sized every time Iv'e been with them this summer.

A good old rough and tumble after foraging and feeding, minutes after this, they were fast asleep, which was my time to retreat.

I then continued along the shore to the far end of the range where I suspected one of the other families would be and found them just starting to snuggle down to sleep off a foraging session.

A long awaited 'fix'....

Its a strange concept to get used to for any photographer; making photographs happen but not actually taking any! This is of course a small price to pay of course, being out in the field on a weekly basis, very often daily even, in an environment you love and with a species you adore. But that's just how it is when you lead photographers and make a living around leading tours.
Its a feeling anyone in a similar position will know well- the desperation that builds and builds to get out with your own camera again and man what a buzz when you do. This is how I felt to get out on my own  recently after several weeks leading and enjoying some superlative otter photo opportunities for guests- what its all about of course and I'm luck to be so busy doing so.
Here's a sequence from one of several families I have been working on this summer. It was so good to spend a couple of hours with them.

A Marigold moment...

Not something I manage to do very often- in fact Iv'e never actually nailed a shot of an otter amongst, alongside or even near Marsh-marigolds. I say 'nailed', I haven't really done so at all here but never the less, was pleased to capture a frame or two of an otter alongside a blaze of beautiful marsh-marigolds in a freshwater stream. It makes such a difference to the usual 'conventional' seaweed shoreline habitat they are usually captured in here.
So many times when out working with otters in spring I see spots where my camera trap would work so well or imagine setting up one of my hides to wait out the opportunity of a shot- its not a shot you see anywhere really which illustrates how hard a shot it is to get.
Not quite what Iv'e dreamed of but hay ho....

A close encounter

Photographing, or at least, had been photographing a mother and her two cubs until they returned to their holt. Whilst waiting to reappear this dog turned up on the scene. A brief sniff at the holt entrance  was met with an abrupt send off by mother.
He continued on, following the shore some 40 yards to in front of where I was hiding amongst the cover of some boulders. Without knowing I was there, he landed right infront of me on the shore, took a few steps up the beach where he sprainted then continued along his circuit of his range, seemingly unaware I was ever there. It was typical of such a close encounter, when your out of site and scent, when their eyes feel like they are right on you but yet they don't actually see you. He ended up too close to focus with my 500mm. I just sat tight and stayed silent.