A Cambetown Landscape and some birds at Loch Spynie

weepete · May 16, 2021

Had a bit of an epic journey from Cambeltown to Burghead a couple of weeks ago with work. Managed to stop breifly on the way to grap a quick landscape shot and got a little time after work and get out to Loch Spynie nature reserve and see what it was like. The hide was closed, and birds were a bit further away that I would have liked but sometimes you just have to get out and see what's about.

Black Headed Gulls at Loch Spynie by wee_pete, on Flickr

Chaffinch in the trees by wee_pete, on Flickr

Goatfell from Cambeltown by wee_pete, on Flickr

jeffashman · May 16, 2021

A wonderful set!

weepete · May 17, 2021

jeffashman said:
A wonderful set!

Thanks Jeffashman! I quite like the terns, the RSPB had built a nesting platform for them out in the loch and they were fighting for space, so there were some interesting interactions going on. Like many of these places though, the platform was ugly and clearly man made, with large perspex panels. I suppose that's better for seeing the birds, but didn't make for good photography so I cropped it out. I'd have liked to include a little more water in the shot too but sometimes you need to do what you can with the framing.

The chaffinch was really pretty close, I had been trying to shoot the swallows in flight which were skimming the water, I had neglected to turn my shutter speed back down and it pushed my ISO higher than I would have liked. I might rework this one a little more, think it could do with a bit more NR now I see it outside of lightroom.

I've probably overcompensated a litte with the processing it the landscape shot, I would have liked to shoot it at a bit of a longer focal length, but I've only got a 16-35mm right now, hopeing to add a 24-70mm at the tail end of next year. It's a bit of an example of one of those shots that look really nice in person, but doesn't quite translate to 2D that well. Ideally I'd have got there at another time of the year when the sun was lower in the sky and a bit more golden, maybe earlier in the day might have worked too. I really liked the foreground rocks, the winding water and the seweed on the shore with the mountains and stormy clouds moving in. Didn't quite have the time to stay until the light improved because of the long drive ahead either, so it's just a quick shot but been so long since I've done any landscapes I felt it was important for me to just try and get something!

Space Face · May 17, 2021

They ain't terns Pete. They're black headed gulls.

The landscape at Campbeltown looks awesome. Although Spynie isn't that far from me, I've only ever driven past it. Should stop there some day.

weepete · May 17, 2021

Doh! Thanks mate, now you point it out I dunno why on earth I was calling them terns :happyblush:

Spynie could be worth a stop mate, though if I was going again I'd probably take a crop sensor body for the extra reach. Did see an osprey overhead, but it just had a quick scan of the area and was off. Some large noisy birds from RAF Lossiemouth too
:friendly_wink:

. The weather turned pretty quickly and the wind was already cold and cutting so I didn't stay out for too long though the walk in the woods was nice. I was hoping to see a red squirrel and some more forest birds but no joy on that trip. Cambeltown's quite nice, a few photo opportunities on the single track road on the east coast of that penisula. I'll maybe take a trip over on my own time and can get more time to shoot

Space Face · May 17, 2021

weepete said:
Doh! Thanks mate, now you point it out I dunno why on earth I was calling them terns

Spynie could be worth a stop mate, though if I was going again I'd probably take a crop sensor body for the extra reach. Did see an osprey overhead, but it just had a quick scan of the area and was off. Some large noisy birds from RAF Lossiemouth too
. The weather turned pretty quickly and the wind was already cold and cutting so I didn't stay out for too long though the walk in the woods was nice. I was hoping to see a red squirrel and some more forest birds but no joy on that trip. Cambeltown's quite nice, a few photo opportunities on the single track road on the east coast of that penisula. I'll maybe take a trip over on my own time and can get more time to shoot

I believe there are Kingfishers at Spynie too. Something of a rarety up these here parts. Might venture up in the Motorhome during the summer. They're still in level 3 at the moment. Not that, that bothers me.