PHOTOGRAPHING OSPREYS IN THE TROSSACHS – July 2024
Ospreys have fascinated me for many years and for a lot longer than the 3.5 years that I have been doing wildlife photography.
The thing that amazes me the most is when they are diving for fish – they just don’t seem built for such impact, when they hit the water. Obviously they are, but it just doesn’t seem like it. After all, kingfishers and gannets look like piercing arrows, as they tuck everything in & streamline themselves, before impact. White tailed eagles can just pick prey from the surface of the water, without submerging themselves. But ospreys seem to hit the water, in the same way that any fast moving object, hits a brick wall.
Over the years, whilst watching ospreys fish, I have never been able to get very close to them. So I was delighted when the Trossachs Osprey Hide opened, near Callander last year. Visiting this hide has given me the opportunity to see them dive & fish within 15-25 yards. They dive so quickly that they are very difficult to photograph, hitting the water. After many failed attempts, I went out this month again to try my luck and get at least 1 or 2 close up diving shots.
The photos below are from my visit on the evening of 23rd July & the early morning of 24th July. It’s still a work in progress but one I am happy to continue with! There were also a few other wildlife creatures that appeared as I was waiting for the ospreys.