Red Grouse Guided Wildlife Photography Day in Cairngorms National Park
Available All Year Round
Prices
1-1 tuition £200 per day
1-2 tuition £300 per day (for you and a friend)
Red Grouse is a nice and easy wildlife photography day, and a great introduction to the genre if you’re new to photographing animals. Red Grouse (Lagopus Lagopus Scotica) are a specialised sub-species that are found only in Scotland, elsewhere in Europe they are know as Willow Ptarmigan, and unlike its European cousin the Red Grouse does not change plumage in winter. Instead, it stays in its distinctive reddish-brown colouring all year round.
The Latin name Lagopus which is given to most of the grouse family means hare foot, referencing their feathered white feet. It is an iconic species of Scotland with Famous Grouse Whisky using the bird as its mascot and label, so it should be on anyone’s photography list when visiting Scotland.
Unfortunately as the Red Grouse is in the game bird family there is quite an industry in Scotland geared towards the hunting of the bird with large swathes of land used to artificially increase the numbers of birds.
This is ecologically damaging to the land but it does make them a lot easier to find. Hopefully in the future we will create a balance of conservation and Red Grouse management.
Red Grouse live in the Scottish Moors across the Highlands and there are a few locations that I visit regularly in the Cairngorms National Park.
A few of my favourite locations are easily accessible, and we will begin the day driving along some roads from which it is often possible to photograph the birds from the car. We will also take a couple short walks from the car and stalk some of the birds across the moor.
As they are a shot bird they can be quite skittish and nervous of humans, but as with all wildlife they have a cushion of security and we will respect that. If we get too close they will fly a short distance across the moor and we will track their movements and try again.
The moors are very un-even ground with mounds and holes across the terrain, and there are often swampy areas. So we will move cautiously when we are stalking the birds, and we will get low down crawling across through the heather to get close.
I prefer to photograph the birds early in the morning, it’s a bit quieter and tranquil and the moors are just waking up, so the day will begin at around 08:00 and will last until late afternoon, around 18:00 or 19:00.
If you would like to extend the day in the summer to include the sunset, which will cast beautiful golden light on the birds and provide some dramatic lighting then that can be arranged with a little change to the price but we will discuss your needs.
We will continue no matter what the weather is, as the rain or snow can often provide for some new and interesting images.
Personally, I think it’s a good idea to have an idea of what kind of image you would like to get before we head out. We can work on getting some close portraits of Red Grouse with the colours of the heather in the background and we can also try for some wider images, placing the bird in its environment.
You should bring all of your equipment that you can and we can explore different images using the car to store our equipment before heading out on to the moors.
We will discuss images, ideas, compositions and techniques throughout the day, and I hope to give you some information on field techniques for wildlife photography.
It depends on your level of photography as to how much we will need to cover, but I can give you as much tuition as you desire.
In the car there will be a box of fresh fruit and a box of chocolate bars, and some hot water to make hot drinks, such as coffee, tea or hot chocolate. You are welcome to help yourself and we will take regular breaks.
You will need to bring your own packed lunch for the day, but if you are unable to bring a lunch we can stop at a supermarket or shop for you to buy your lunch for the day.
Payment will be taken at the time of booking via bank transfer or Stripe to secure your dates
Fitness Level
This is a fairly easy day based around the car, as we will utilise it as a mobile hide. As well as that we will take some short walks across the heather moors, which is very un-even and often wet underfoot. We will often be crawling through the heather to get closer.
What’s Included
Photography Tuition
Transport throughout the day
Water, hot drinks and snacks
Species We May Encounter:
Red Grouse!
Golden Plover
Mountain Hare
Meadow Pippit
Lapwing
Oystercatcher
Curlew
What’s NOT Included
Equipment Rental - unfortunately I don’t have equipment such as cameras, lenses or filters to lend you for the day and you will be required to provide your own
Lunch - please don’t forget to bring a packed lunch for the day, I would recommend bringing a little extra than you normally would as it is a long day
Recommended Equipment
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DSLR/4:3/Mirrorless Camera (a camera of some description, I use a Canon 1DX mark II)
Telephoto lens (such as Canon 100-400mm f4-5.6 or Tamron 70-300mm f4-5.6)
Prime Lenses like Canon 400mm f2.8, 500mm f4 or 600mm f4 would be very useful or their equivalent for your system
Teleconverters (such as Canon 1.4x or Canon 2x teleconverter)
Tripod (such as 3 Legged Thing Winston Tripod or Gitzo Series 3)
Waterproof jacket and trousers (such as Berghaus Deluge Trousers and Jacket) a real must to be able to crawl around the heather comfortably
Warm clothes, hat and gloves
Spare Batteries, memory cards and anything else you may need
Don’t forget your Lunch
Please familiarise yourself with the Health and Safety Policy regarding Guided Photography days and in particular the Risk Assessment for your chosen activity. By booking a guided session, you agree to the Terms and Conditions set out in the booking form.