Bird Photographer Scotland Bound:
It’s been a whirlwind few weeks. First a road trip to Scotland — my first time ever heading that far north — then straight on to Estonia with Digital Camera Magazine for a reader apprenticeship, where I spent three days at Wildlife Dream Photographic hide.
Two very different experiences, but both unforgettable. Now that I’m finally catching my breath, it feels like the right time to write them up — reliving the excitement as I go. There’s a lot to cover, so I’ll take it, as Anne Lamott says, “bird by bird.”
A Frog, a Flock of Lapwings, and a Passing Osprey – 5th September 2025
Brockholes Nature Reserve, Preston Lancashire
When Scott and I set off for Fort William, we knew the eight-hour drive from Milton Keynes was too much to do in one go. We decided to break the journey with an overnight stop in Cumbria — and that first leg quickly turned into its own mini adventure.
The trip’s main aim was birding, though this was also my first ever visit to Scotland and the furthest north in the UK I’d been. I knew the scenery would impress me just as much as the birds.
I wasn’t quite sure what weather to expect in Scotland at the start of September — it always looks cold — so I packed plenty of jumpers and wet weather gear. We’d booked a caravan by a loch with no mains electric, so this was going to be properly off-grid. I stuffed in some books as well as my camera gear.
For kit, I was taking my Sony A7RV and my backup A6600 that I’d keep a wide lens on for senery and to avoid lens switching. I’d recently bought a new photography rucksack for my 400–800mm lens, as it wouldn’t fit in my Lowepro with the body attached. I went for the K&F Concept 30L (review to follow soon). I also packed my all-time favourite lens, the Sony 70–200mm GM II — fast, sharp, and funnily enough bought second-hand from Glasgow. It felt like it was “going home,” and I wondered what images it had already captured there before. I also packed my 16mm Sigma and ND filter for the waterfalls I was hoping to shoot.
A Perfect Pit Stop: Brockholes Nature Reserve
We set off up the M1, joined the M6, and by around 2pm reached Lancashire. Instead of the usual service station lunch, I searched for nature reserves nearby — and was amazed to find Brockholes Nature Reserve, just off the M6 with a floating visitor centre. Too tempting to pass up!
Read more about Brockholes Nature Reserve here.
Run by the Wildlife Trust, it was an impressive site. The motorway felt a world away: green, tranquil, and peaceful. It certainly beat queuing at a busy McDonald’s. Being a Friday, the place was quiet. We grabbed sandwiches from the Kestrel Kitchen and sat outside overlooking the wetlands — a few grey herons and pied wagtails kept us company. Lighting conditions were perfect with sun appearing every so often for some back lit heron pics from the cafe terrace and the light cloud as a natural diffuser.
Scott suggested we had time for a little birding before driving on. We found a hide and sat for a while, watching huge flocks of lapwing circling the lake. They’d settle briefly, only to rise again — the white flashes of their wing-tips catching the light like glitter tossed into the air. I suspected a raptor was nearby, and sure enough, two buzzards appeared. Then, a shape with white markings: an osprey!
I had the 400–800mm on and managed a distant shot as it passed overhead. It didn’t stop to fish, but even seeing one in transit was incredible. Likely it was on its migration route south to Africa — a reminder of just how extraordinary bird journeys are, and how lucky I was to catch even a glimpse of one. Five years ago, I wouldn’t have had a clue what I was looking at.
We walked a little further into the wooded area and spotted a small frog crossing the dappled footpath before diving into a pile of damp leaves like a duvet of protection.
Back at the car, we were fed, watered, refreshed, and ready for the road north. Brockholes had been an absolute gem of a stop-off: good food, peaceful surroundings, and a wealth of wildlife. A diamond of a pit stop for any birding road trip.
