Phil McLean Nature Photographer Blog

At the weekend I managed to come across some brown hares in a barren stony field,not too far from home.I spotted two of them stand and confront each other,as I was slowly driving along a quiet back road.I quickly found a gap in the hedge,stopped the car,and shot the pictures using a bean bag on the open window.The whole scrap only lasted about 10-15 seconds and then they slowly settled back down again,but farther from the road unfortunately.

I went back the next day hoping for a repeat,but the farmer had rolled the field flat and there were no hares to be seen.

The face off.

The Weigh In.

Here we go.

Ouch!

Take that.No,you take THAT.

HA.Missed!

Don't you call me a Big Girls' Blouse.Is this a fight or a dance?

Handbags now is it? Is that all you've got?

The referee calls it a draw.

I just hope I can get a ringside ticket for the rematch.

I came across this brown hare as I was driving around the local back roads,here in the Borders.It wasn’t doing any running around,never mind boxing,but at least it had a bit of a wash and groom.

Watching the world go by.

A bit of foot cleaning.

Face wiping.

Just starting to really get into it,now.

Then two horse riders come galloping up the field.So it's flat to the ground,apart from its' big backside that is.Big Backside.Reminds me of someone.Uummm!No, can't remember her name.lol.

Back up and having a scoff.

Settling back down,for some more grooming.

Let's see.Do my bits need cleaning?

Yeah.Better get in there.

Hope you enjoy.Please come back again.Bye Bye.

Here’s a few more images from my time spent down at Duns Castle lake,last month.

By under exposing in the strong,late afternoon sunlight the birds are highlighted against the very dark water.It improves the reflection and produces a more pleasing set of images.To my eye,anyway.  

I’ve been slowly driving around the back roads of Berwickshire,looking for any brown hare activity.Up here in the Borders there are still a mixture of stubble,ploughed and newly seeded fields and I’ve seen a good number of hares lying up in the ploughed field furrows in the middle of the day.There’s still not much friskiness going on but pictures can still be had.

Here’s a few,along with a couple of other subjects I came across in my travels.

She says she's got a headache.

Late afternoon sunlight.

Having a stretch.

Hunting over rough pasture.

This male was hunting along the hedgerow.

Come back soon,there’ll be more.

I’ve been driving around the local back roads,for an hour or two,looking for any wildlife to photograph.Boxing hares would be nice,but as yet,no luck.A number of them do appear to have paired up,but I’ve witnessed very little action.There’s plenty of time though,as it is not confined to ‘mad march’ when the hares are frisky,although it is often easier to witness, when the vegetation/crop is close to the ground.

Here’s a few images of a brown hare and grey partridge(our native partridge,as opposed to the imported red legged variety).

Face washing.

Feeding.

  Ollie wants to stir them into action.’WHAT’ I said.’With your cake belly’.'Hurrumf’,he said.                                                                                                                                                         ‘Til Next Time.It’s Good Bye from Ollie and Me. Here’s the final two.

Thought I’d go back and revisit the grey squirrel drey.Normally a drey would be at the top of the tree,obscured by branches and difficult to get any decent images of, but this is the first one I’ve come across that I could get a clear view of.So I had to try and take the opportunity and get some pictures.

I’d seen a squirrel enter the drey as I approached and so Ollie and I sat on some banking and waited for it to come back out.It wasn’t having any of it,just stayed hidden.

‘Sorry’,I said to Ollie,’but he doesn’t like the look of you.You’ll have to go and sit in the car.”O.K’,Ollie said,’but I think you should cover up your face too.It’s more likely that ugly thing that’s frightened it’.

Anyway,he went in the car,I covered myself in some camoflage net and 30 minutes later I had some pictures.We’ll never know who’s the scarier!

The Yawn.

Having a look about.

Has that fierce looking dog gone?

Both the scary lumps have gone!

Making a break for it.

On it's way.

I’d much prefer the drey to have belonged to our native red squirrel, but we introduced this  North American tree rat(the grey),and unfortunately we’re now stuck with it.The grey squirrel carries a pox that it, is immune to,but when our native red is affected,it dies a horrible death.

On a happier note,here’s three that Ollie didn’t scare off.

Reflection.

Drinking in its' reflection.

Grooming.

On Wednesday evening the annual Borders photographic competition was held in Selkirk and a number of us travelled across from Duns Camera Club.Alot of the pictures were very good and our club did well.Where we didn’t do so well,the judging was c**p and where we did do well,the judge was spot on!

The judge managed to get it right in the nature print category and this was my winning image.

Taken up at Jim Wilson's farm.

This has been a popular image this past year,selling in commercial cards,magazines,a calendar and also through my own cards and prints.Hope you like it too.

Last week the photographers who entered the ‘Scottish Nature Photography Awards’ were notified if they had made the shortlist.This is the first time that I had entered this competition and this year is only the second time that it had been run.

I was fortunate enough to have 2 images shortlisted in the portrait category and 3 in the botanical category.I’ll find out if they get any further before the end of March.

Here are the 5 images.

Shortlisted in the Portrait Category.

Shortlisted in the Portrait Category.

Shortlisted in the Botanical Category.

Shortlisted in the Botanical Category.

Shortlisted in the Botanical Category.

I’ve not managed to get out as much as I would like this past week and when I have it has not been for long.I’ve taken a few pictures,nothing too exciting,some more distant than I would like and I’ve even included 2 more images of the Dunbar fox.

Even Ollie says I need to pull my finger out,otherwise he WILL start to take the pictures, as well as write half the blogs, as he reckons he does now.

The resident Whitesands fox from 3 weeks ago.

Hiding in the newly ploughed field.

Drinking in its' reflection.

Newly constructed on top of an old buzzard nest.

And here's the American tree rat outside its' new home.

Attractive member of the thrush family and a winter visitor.

One of a flock of forty fieldfares feeding feverously in a field. Repeat 5 times fast.

In hunting mode,looking for small mammals.

A bit of variety for you.Hope you enjoy.

This month the organisers of the British Wildlife Photography Awards have started calling for entries for this years’ competition.It is open to photographers from around the world but the images must have been taken in Britain.To learn more about it,go to this website.http://bwpawards.org/

Last year I entered and was fortunate enough to have 3 images shortlisted in the Hidden Britain Category.2 of those then went on to be Highly Commended.These were then included in the accompanying book and the touring exhibition.

These are the 3 images.

Highly Commended.

Shortlisted.

Highly Commended.