April-July, 2016

Have you seen animals which want to become photographers? Well, we have couple of foxes visiting our garden and we must admit they are quite comfortable with camera gear.  But first, let's start from the beginning. 

The whole experience photographing red foxes was very excited and of course rewarding. During that time we did not have time for anything else; after work we used to rush straight to the garden for the evening with the foxes.

Close-Up of Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) On discovering camera equipment, foxes were excited as much as we were seeing them around it.​

At the beginning they acted a bit shy and cautious.

But later they tested every piece of equipment.

Foxes were ready to take some images.

These are the best shots :)

European Robin Reflection of Male Chaffinch

Foxes seemed pretty happy with the results. Sometimes no degree is required to become a photographer... 

It was a really special experience to see and photograph foxes and their emotions from such a short distance just in our back garden.

February, 2017

I have become increasingly interested in black and white images. When colour is stripped away, it leaves a true character of an animal.

Black and white images let me show wildlife in an artistic, different way. I really like photography by David Yarrow, David Lloyd, James Warwick and the way they use light and shadows, lines and shapes to show an animal or nature scene. Black and white landscapes by Ansel Adams and architecture by Julia Anna Gospodarou are wonderful.

Black and white photography works very well with portraits. In addition to black and white, I love adding a dash of colour for specific areas for more artistic, authentic look.

King Penguin Feeding a Chick in the Falkland IslandsFine art image of a King penguin feeding a chick in Falkland islands. Close-Up of Rockhopper PenguinBlack and white image with a dash of colour of a Rockhopper Penguin was taken in Saunders island, Falklands Portrait of a King PenguinBlack and white image of a close-up king penguin with a yellow-orange coloured beak By combining these elements I try to create a memorable image.

How to photogrpah

Not all images look good in black and white. It is important to look for the subject or scene that looks better in black and white than in colour. If an image does not have interesting light, contrasts, interesting textures or lines it could be quite a challenge to create a good black and white. The best moment to capture an image that will cover a large tonal distribution after converting it to black and white, is when there is not too many contrasts in the scene. It could be a cloudy day, or semi-cloudy, when the sun is showing through the clouds.

I always shoot in RAW and convert images to black and white in Photoshop later.

Musk Ox Running in the Mountains in NorwayBlack and White Musk Ox image taken in Norway during the winter in mountains.

How to convert to Black and White

There are lots of ways how to convert image to black and white. It could be done by using plug-ins, playing with the channels, by changing Saturation bar, or by using the 'Black and White' adjustment.

Desaturating and converting images to Greyscale are the worst methods which give a flat and washed out looking image; the entire photo is transferred to middle grey. 

Channel mixer is a good way to change image to black and white. By ticking the box “Monochrome” in the channel mixer dialog box and adjusting sliders labelled Red, Green and Blue quite good results can be achieved. Black and White adjustment layer gives  the same controls as the Channel mixer and also gives an option of presets, and allows to add a tint to an image.

My favourite method is to use NIK Silver Efex Pro plug-in as a starting point. NIK provides 29 presets and gives ideas how the image can be transformed. Then I use a mix of filters by using masks and selections to hide or reveal certain areas of the image. For final touches, I use Curves or Levels, Dodge and Burn.

Close-Up of King Cormorant, Falkland IslandsBlack and white photo of King Cormorant taken in the Saunders island, Falkland islands. White Tailed Eagle Catching FishBlack and White image of a white-tailed eagle with some colour for artistic look. Barn Owl in Flight Catching PreyFine art Barn owl image showing owl catching prey.

Vasaris, 2017

Su dideliu nekantrumu ir jauduliu laukėme kelionės į Islandiją. 2014 m. šioje gamtovaizdžiu išsiskiriančioje šalyje lankėmės vasarą, kur Westfjord pusiasalyje esančiame Hornstrandir gamtos draustinyje fotografavome poliarines lapes ir jų jauniklius. Įspūdžius ir nuotraukas iš šios kelionės galite rasti čia. 

Šiais metais nutarėme grįžti į Islandiją fotografuoti šias lapes žiemą. Nuoširdus ačiū žmonėms, padėjusiems suorganizuoti šią išskirtinę kelionę ir išpildyti mūsų svajones. Išties nedaug žmonių iki šiol lankėsi šiame atokiame, o kartais ir itin atšiauriame, vėjuotame, sraunių upelių ir grėsmingų uolų išraižytame gamtos kampelyje žiemą.

Prieš išvykdami į Hornstrandir, stabtelėjome Sudavik gyvenvietėje prie Isafjordur, kur aplankėme Poliarinių lapių centrą; tai muziejus ir tyrimų bazė, su nedidele paroda, kavine ir pora poliarinių lapių, laikomų aptvare.

Centro vadovas ir gidas Midge suteikė daug vertingos ir įdomios informacijos apie šiuos gyvūnus bei atliekamus tyrimus.
Kelionė nedideliu laivu į Hornstrandir truko apie 1 val. Apsistojome sename name, iš kurio gyventojai išsikraustė 1943 m. Nuo tada namas, buvęs fermos dalimi, buvo paliktas likimo valiai. 2012 m., nusprendus pradėti renovacijos darbus, namas buvo itin blogos būklės, tačiau jau dabar šiame name galima apsistoti.

Paprastai vasario mėnesį Hornstrandir būna nuklotas sniego sluoksniu, tačiau mums atvykus, tik kur ne kur matėsi nedideli sniego lopinėliai. Kadangi naktis buvo giedra ir vis labiau spaudė šaltukas, kartas nuo karto pajuokaudavome, kad pamatysime Šiaurės pašvaistę, tačiau išties daug vilčių neteikėme. Mūsų nuostabai, apie 22 val. išvydome nežymias žalsvas juostas danguje. Jų intensyvumas, išryškinantis tai vieną, tai kitą spalvą, nuolat kito.

Su nuostaba ir susižavėjimu žvelgėme į dangaus platybes iki 3 val. nakties, o jau 8 val. ryto ruošėmės pusryčių stalui. Tą rytą nutarėme eiti krioklio link bei tuo pačiu atidžiai apžvelgti apylinkes. 
Poliarinę lapę išvydome saulei leidžiantis.

Nakčiai nusprendėme palikti kamerą su judesio jutikliu (camera trap).

Poliarinėms lapėms būdingos dvi spalvinės atmainos. Islandijoje paprastai sutinkamos rusvo–melsvo atspalvio poliarinės lapės, prisitaikiusios gyventi pajūrio zonoje. 

Žiemą jų kailis būna rusvas su melsvu atspalviu, o vasarą įgauna tamsiai rudą spalvą. Tik baltųjų lapių kailis žiemą tampa baltas, o vasarą patamsėja ir įgauna palšą atspalvį. Šiaurės Amerikoje tik apie 1% lapių yra mėlynosios, Grenlandijoje apie 50 %, o Islandijoje apie 90 %.
Islandijoje baltos atmainos lapių išties mažai, tad labai nustebome, o tuo pačiu ir apsidžiaugėme pastebėję vieną jų. Atoslūgio metu ši lapė ieškojo maisto pakrantėje ir ilgai prie mūsų neužsibuvo.
Kitos dienos laukėme su dideliu nekantrumu. Orų prognozė žadėjo sniegą. Tad ryte pašokę iš lovų, iš kart žvelgėme pro langus. Veidai nušvito pamačius kalnus  padengtu sniegu. Nusimatė puiki diena. Kupini lūkesčių išskubėjome į lauką. Poliarinę lapę pastebėjome po poros valandų pradėjus snyguriuoti.

Po valandėlės kitos dangų dar labiau aptemdė debesys, sustiprėjo vėjas atnešdamas pūgą.

Paprastai žiemą poliarinės lapės miega ir ilsisi gulėdamos ant sniego. Atradusios užuovėją, jos susiriečia į kamuoliuką ir pasitiesia po savimi pūkuotą uodegą.

Per itin dideles pūgas ir šaltį jos išsikasa urvą pusnyje ir gali išgyventi temperatūrai nukritus net iki -70°C. Beje be maisto poliarinės lapės gali išgyventi net keletą savaičių.
Ši lapė buvo ką tik pabudusi iš miego ir dar nespėjo nusipurtyti sniegu padengto kailiuko.

Kuo daugiau laiko praleidome su lapėmis, tuo labiau pažinome jas. Beje, poliarinių lapių elgesys labai panašus į rudųjų, kurias stebėdami praleidome daugelį įdomių valandų. Vienos lapės smalsumas ir drąsumas buvo itin panašus į mūsų "Pėdutės" charakterį. Apie ją ir kitas mūsų rudąsias lapes galite skaityti čia (anglų kalba). Gebėjimas suprasti ir numatyti gyvūno elgesį labai padėjo fotografuojant poliarines lapes. Beje, mes itin kruopščiai ruošėmės šiai kelionei, rinkdami pačią įvairiausią informaciją apie poliarines lapes, jų ypatumus, padėtį pasaulyje ir Islandijoje, analizavome kitų fotografų darbus, stilių bei atlikimo techniką.
Kaip minėjome, gyvūnų charakteriai skiriasi, tad fotografuodami visada stengiamės atskleisti to būdo ypatumus; šiam tikslui paprastai naudodavome teleobjektyvą. 

Ši lapė iš ties atrodė žaismingai...

Tuo tarpu lapinas atrodė labiau panašus į vilką. Norėdami pavaizduoti poliarinių lapių gyvenamąją vietą bei supančią aplinką, jei tik įmanoma, rinkdavomės plataus kampo objektyvą.

Kitą dieną vėjas nurimo, tačiau vis dar džiugino žiemiškas šaltukas.

Poliarinės lapės paprastai poruojasi kovo mėnesį. Šiais metais poravimosi sezoną lapės pradėjo vasario viduryje. Tai mums buvo puikios naujienos.

Pajūrio zonoje gyvenančios mėlynosios lapės paprastai atsiveda 6-8 jauniklius; metai iš metų vados dydis mažai kinta dėl maisto prieinamumo. Tuo tarpu tundroje gyvenančių lapių vados dydis itin varijuoja ir priklauso nuo tundrinių žvyrių bei graužikų gausos. Pastarųjų populiacijai būdingas cikliškumas. 
Paskutinę kelionės dieną praleidome laukdami poliarinių lapių netoli kranto. Šios lapės paprastai būna aktyvios ryte ir vakare, mat maisto paieškos itin priklauso nuo  atoslūgio laiko.

Minta poliarinės lapės žuvimi, paukščiais, moliuskais, iš jūrų išmesta gaišena. Maistui jos neišrankios. Lapės, gyvenančios arčiau pakrančių, galėdamos lengviau susirasti maisto, paprastai užsiima mažesnes teritorijas, palyginus su tomis, gyvenančiomis kalvotoje tundroje.

Beje, poliarinės lapės neblogos plaukikės, gebančios plaukti ilgiau nei 45 minutes ir daugiau nei 2 kilometrus. 
Paskutinę kelionės dieną kiek įmanoma greičiau susikrovėme kuprines ir likusį laiką skyrėmę lapių fotografijai. Apie 5 val. vakaro išplaukėme Isafjordur link, palydėdami akimis šį nuošalų kampelį, pamėgtą žmonių, mylinčių gamtą ir ieškančių iššūkių.

February, 2017

We were very excited to come back to Iceland to photograph the Arctic Fox. In 2014 we had a great adventure in summer. Check out it here. This year we had a superb opportunity to photograph arctic foxes in winter.

Hornstrandir, as it hosts the highest density of the Arctic Fox in Iceland, was our destination and home for 6 days. 

Travel info. We took a flight to Reykjavik Keflavik International airport. The transfer to the city centre takes about 45 minutes. There are several companies offering transfer service but most popular are Airport Express and Flybus. As we arrived to Reykjavik in the afternoon, we decided to stay overnight in the hotel and in the morning we took a 40 min flight from domestic airport to Isafjordur. It's possible to make both flights the same day.

Isafjordur is small town and a great place to buy something you forgot before heading to Hornstrandir - the most northerly part of of the Westfjords. In winter the boat to Hornstrandir has to be booked in advance. Borea Adventures offers great service as well as accommodation in Hornstarndir. It took us about an hour by boat to get to this isolated and unspoiled place.

Accommodation in Hornstrandir. We stayed in an old farm house which was abandoned in 1948 and renovated in 2012. It is very basic but has almost everything you need: electricity, heating, indoor toilet and shower, even sauna. Great hot meals are  provided as well. There is no Wi-Fi and telephone signal should not be relied upon.

Equipment. We brought various lenses, ranging from 16mm to 500mm. Most of the time 300mm and 500mm were used. We don't like working with tripods but if you are a fan of them, of course bring them. By the way, there was no problem at all to bring heavy gear in the hand baggage with a domestic Icelandair flight. The important thing that it has to fit in the designated space (under the seat or in the overhead).

 Photography. Day 1 and 2

When we arrived, in Hornstrandir there were just few patches of snow here and there. First day we saw one arctic fox far in the mountains. Nevertheless we were not disappointed because dropping temperatures and clear skies gave as unique opportunity to witness Northern Lights. At the beginning there were couple greenish streaks in the sky but later the intensity changed and faint streaks became more prominent.

The next morning we woke up with no sign of snow... Now the good news! Even the percentage of white arctic foxes is very low in Iceland, we were very lucky to have a short encounter with this beautiful animal.

Early afternoon, we decided to explore the area and headed towards the waterfall. On the way back we spotted a blue morph arctic fox. 

Iceland is one of the very few places in the world where it is possible to see and photograph the Blue Morph Arctic Fox.

 Photography. Day 3

The following morning we hopped off the beds and poked heads out the window. The mountains were covered in snow. It turned out to be one of the best days. That day we've spotted foxes early afternoon and the falling snow was a huge help to deliver more appealing images.

Later heavier winds arrived giving another pattern to the already beautiful winter scene.        Later that day we spotted a fox which could definitely be called as a snow fox as it just woke up after the blizzard and was covered in a layer of snow.

They are particularly tough and hardy animals. Surprisingly, a healthy Arctic fox can be without food for several weeks and can cope with temperatures below -40°C without increasing its metabolism to stay warm.

Photography. Day 4

The following day we awoke to a bit more snow, temperature stayed around -5 C degrees. 

For a better idea of where images were taken and where the foxes live, we used wide lenses.  Arctic Foxes are by their nature very curious animals and on many occasions approached within just a few feet from us.

During the breeding season Arctic fox pairs are strongly territorial. Most of the time Arctic foxes form mating pairs in March. Luckily, we've managed to spot couple of playful courtship moments which involved tail erection and wagging, ear drooping, chasing and play-fighting.

 
Photography. Day 5 - 6.

On the 5th day we stayed on the coastal area. We've noticed earlier that foxes used to scour the shore during low tides looking for shellfish, sea urchins and other shore animals or seabirds.

 We were surprised to find out, that Arctic foxes are proficient swimmers able to swim more than 45 min and for distances more than 2 km.

 On our final day we quickly packed the bags and stayed with cute arctic foxes for the rest of the time. 

We are really happy and delighted to have had the opportunity to visit such an isolated and unspoiled place. Heart-warming sight of an Arctic fox on the shore looking at the boat while we were leaving Hornstrandir is one of the most memorable encounters which we brought back home with us.

Interesting facts about Arctic Fox

• Arctic fox has two naturally occurring color morphs: blue and white. In continental North America only 1% of arctic foxes are blue, whereas in Greenland about half of the foxes are blue, and in Iceland most are blue.
• During the breeding season Arctic fox pairs are strongly territorial. They mark territory boundaries with urine, use their vocal abilities and demonstrating postures.
• Arctic foxes are proficient swimmers able to swim more than 45 min and for distances more than 2 km. The fur is oily and easily repels moisture from the fox's body. In addition, in the limbs the arteries and veins are very close. As blood flows down the artery, heat energy passes from it to the cooler blood which is returning in the opposite direction in the vein. It means that the arterial blood has already been cold by the time it reaches the end of the limb, so relatively little heat energy lost from it. In addition, it warms the venous blood before it gets back to the main part of the body.
• When the winter storms are at their worst, the Arctic fox lies down in a sheltered place and let itself be covered by snow, or it digs itself into a snowdrift.
• A healthy Arctic fox can cope without food for several weeks and can cope with temperatures below -40°C without increasing its metabolism to stay warm. Those that live in extreme Arctic environments can sometimes have to withstand temperatures as low as -70°C.
• Arctic foxes are well adapted to extreme weather condition: thick waterproof fur, dark skin, small ears and legs, padded paws, thick, long tail and etc. Even the eyes are golden/orange colour and pigmented much more than the average eye which helps to decrease the reflection of light off the snow. 
• When arctic foxes rest in the freezing conditions, they curl their long, bushy tails around their bodies to conserve heat and at that moment they look like a ball of fluff.

Idėja keliauti fotografuoti avijaučius kilo spontaniškai. Tų metų žiemą planavome ir ruošėmės išvykai į Japoniją, tačiau kylant vis naujiems trukdžiams ir kėblumams, nutarėme patraukti į Norvegiją. Avijaučiai per tūkstančius metų prisitaikė prie itin atšiaurių klimatinių sąlygų ir šiauriniame pusrutulyje jau tada gyveno kartu su mamutais.

Pasaulinė avijaučių populiacija siekia apie 130 000 gyvūnų, iš šių didžioji dalis gyvena Kanadoje ir Grenlandijoje. Norvegijoje avijaučiai išnyko prieš 2000 metų. Idėja atgaivinti jų populiaciją kilo 1913 m., kuomet, statant geležinkelį, buvo rastos avijaučių kaulų liekanos. 1931 m. buvo nutarta įvežti dešimt gyvūnų iš Grenlandijos. Po septynių metų, siekiant genetinės įvairovės, buvo reintrodukuoti dar du gyvūnai. Deja, Antrojo pasaulinio karo metais, avijaučiai buvo išžudyti dėl maisto ir drabužių. 1947- 1953 m. laikotarpiu vėl buvo bandoma sugrąžinti šiuos gyvūnus į Norvegiją. Šį kartą sėkmingai; bandą šiuo metu sudaro apie 300 avijaučių. Visgi dėl šiltėjančio klimato šių gyvūnų išlikimas nėra garantuotas.

Avijaučius fotografuoti planavome dviejose skirtingose vietose: Oppdal ir Dombas. Šie maži miesteliai įsikūrę skirtingose Dovrefjell kalnyno pusėse.

Iš Oppdal kalnų link pajudėjome ankstyvą rytą. Sunki foto technika ir įvairūs daiktai, reikalingi nakvynei, itin vargino, bet statūs kalnų ruožai apie vidurdienį buvo įveikti.
Pirmuosius avijaučius pastebėjome ankstyvą popietę. Žiemos metu, siekdami taupyti energiją, didžiąją laiko dalį jie praleidžia ilsėdamiesi.

Vidutinis avijaučių ūgis 1.35 m, ilgis - 2.45 m. Sveria šie gyvūnai apie 300 kg. Avijaučiai išvaizda labiau primena jautį, tačiau visgi jie giminingesni avims.

Avijaučiai minta samanomis, kerpėmis, viksvomis, asiūkliais. Žiemą jie buriasi aukštikalnėse, kur vėjas neleidžia susidaryti storam sniego sluoksniui. Maistą avijaučiai kanopomis atsikasa iš po sniego. Taip, tenkindamiesi skurdžiais maisto ištekliais, jie sugeba išgyventi itin atšiauriomis sąlygomis. Beje, avijaučių priekinės kanopos yra platesnės nei užpakalinės; tai palengvina sniego nukasimą. Vasarą avijaučiai renkasi prie vandens kur augalija būna turtingiausia. Avijaučiai gali išgyventi iki 20 metų.   

 Avijaučiams gulint, mes kelias valandas lūkuriavome kartu su jais iki vėlyvo vakaro.

Musk Ox at Sunset, Dovrefjell

Saulei beveik nusileidus, suskubome leistis į pakalnę, statyti palapines ir rengtis nakvynei.

Naktis buvo rami ir be vėjo, tačiau šaltis neleido užmigti. Puiki kompanija, dangus su begalybe žvaigždžių, geliantis šaltis ir šilti pusryčiai giliai įstrigo atmintin.
Prieš patekant saulei patraukėme vėl aukštyn į kanlus.

Musk Ox, Dovrefjell National Park Musk Ox, Dovrefjell National Park Avijaučiai, nutarę pasigalinėti, suteikė puikių foto akimirkų.

Įnirtingesnės kovos, paprastai tarp 6 - 8 metų patinų, vyksta vasarą bei rudens pradžioje. Avijaučiai įsibėgėja ir vidutiniškai 40 km/val greičiu trenkiasi galvomis. Smūgiai gali kartotis iki 12 kartų, kol vienas iš avijaučių atsitraukia. Kaulėta ragų dalis kaktoje bei oro pagalvė tarp smegenų ir kaukolės, sumažina smūgį ir teikia apsaugą. Tokios kovos retai kada baigiasi mirtimi.
Pasigalinėjimui nurimus, įsispyrėme į sniego batus ir pajudėjome tolyn kito kalno link. Neužilgo pradėjo snyguriuoti.

Musk Ox, Norway Musk Ox in Blizzard Manėme, kad atstumą įveiksime per 1-1.5 valandos, tačiau stiprėjanti pūga lėtino mūsų ėjimo tempą ir sekino jėgas.

Tik laimingo atsitiktinumo dėka pastebėjome nedidelę grupę avijaučių. Šie gyvūnai puikiai prisitaikę gyventi itin atšiauriomis sąlygomis. Jų kailį sudaro išorinis ilgų plaukų ir tankus povilnio sluoksnis. Povilnis šeriasi kartą per metus. Sakoma, kad ši jų vilna, dar vadinama "qiviut", yra keletą kartų šiltesnė nei avies. Be to, ji lengvesnė, o išplauti šios vilnos drabužiai nesitraukia. Avijaučių vilnos kepurės kainuoja apie $150, o megztiniai $600.

Stiprus vėjas ir sniegas labai apsunkino fotografavimą, tačiau kartu ir džiaugėmės ekstremaliomis oro sąlygomis.
Musk Oxen in Snowstorm Musk Ox in the Snowstorm

Kitą dieną laukė nauji adrenalino pripildyti nuotykiai ieškant avijaučių haskių pagalba.

Labiausiai atmintin įsirėžė pirmosios akimirkos, kai patys pasikinkę aliaskos haskius ir gavę trumpą "vairavimo" pamokėlę, visu greičiu leidomės pakalnėn ir ritomės iš rogių į purų sniegą. Tolesnė kelionė ėjo sklandžiau: žinojome, kur reikia stabdyti, kada paraginti bei padėti haskiams.

Oras tądien buvo permainingas. Saulėtas akimirkas keitė pūgos, per kurias negalėdavome matyti vienas kito ekipažo ir orientuodavomės tik haskių lojimo dėka. Keletą avijaučių pastebėjome pakalnėje aprimus pūgai.

Musk Ox, Norway Avijaučiai išties mėgsta pasikasyti šonus į akmenis. Prie kai kurių akmenų susidarydavo netgi eilės.

Kiek tolėliau pastebėjome keletą jauniklių. Jie turėjo virusinės ligos (Orf (angl.)/Munnskurv (norv.)) padarinius - skaudžias kraujuojančias žaizdas lūpų bei nosies srityse.

Paprastai gyvūnai pasveiksta nuo šios ligos, bet galimi ir mirties atvejai. Kiti matyti jaunikliai atrodė sveiki ir guvūs.

Juvenile Musk Ox

Juvenile Musk Ox in Winter Avijaučių patelės paprastai veda vieną jauniklį kasmet ar kas 2-3 metai balandžio - gegužio mėnesiais. Pastarieji svera apie 10 kilogramų ir stiprėja itin greitai, priaugdami po 0.5 kg per dieną.

Trys dienos, pilnos nuotykių ir išbandymų fotografuojant avijaučius, praėjo akimirksniu. Kaip ir buvome planavę, iš Oppdal važiavome į netoliese esantį Dombas miestelį, įsikurusį priešingoje Dovrefjell kalnyno pusėse. Ryte spūstelėjo šaltukas, tačiau lipant į kalnus to nejutome. Avijaučių bandą, kurią sudarė patelės su jaunikliais, pavyko rasti po 2-3 valandų.

Nebuvo lengva išbūti lauke spaudžiant -20°C laipsnių šalčiui, tačiau karšta arbata ir rankų šildikliai gelbėdavo šalčiausiais momentais. Avijaučiams nepavojingi tokie šalčiai; jie gali išgyventi temperatūrai nukritus net iki -70°C.

Paskutinę dieną fotografuoti avijaučius nusprendėme sugrįžti į Oppdal. Užlipus į kalnus pastebėjome keletą avijaučių.

Musk Ox, Dovrefjell National Park Nutarėme pasilikti su grupele vienas kitą besivaikančių avijaučių. Beje, bandų dydis varijuoja vidutiniškai nuo 10 iki 20 gyvūnų. 

Prireikus, avijaučiai gali bėgti 60 km/val greičiu. Paprastai žmonių jie nepuola, išskyus atvejus, kai jaučia pavojų ar yra netikėtai užklupti. Rekomenduojama laikytis 200 metrų atstumo. Pranešama, kad 2015 m. Norvegijoje buvo užpulti vokiečių, o 1981 m. italų turistai. 1963 m. vienas žmogus žuvo. Beje, 2008 m. Kauno zoologijos sode žuvo avijaučio užpultas zoologijos sodo prižiūrėtojas.

Avijaučiai išties stiprūs gyvūnai, tad fotografuojant būtina įvertinti situaciją ir stebėti gyvūno elgesį.

Male Musk Ox Fighting Musk Ox Fighting

Musk Oxen Fight

Tai buvo puiki išties įsimintinos ir išbandymų kupinos kelionės pabaiga. Grįžome kupini neišdildomų įspūdžių.

October - November, 2017

If you want to see the Red Fox, there aren’t many better places than Netherlands. We’ve spent couple of years successfully photographing foxes in our garden in a suburb of London but there has been a lot of hype around this “Dune Fox” site recently, so we decided to visit the place.

Getting there. We booked a flight from London to Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. From there we took a train to Amsterdam Sloterdijk, and then changed for Zandvoort. The journey takes around 50 min. Really easy!

Equipment. We took 70-200mm, 300mm and 500mm lenses. Sometimes even phone camera was useful as the foxes were very relaxed and easy approachable. We photographed using all three lenses depending on the situation, but 300mm and 500mm were used most of the time. Telephoto lenses were very handy for portrait and close-up shots.

Portrait of Mr. Fox Cute Fox Portrait of a Young Fox Close-up of Red Fox If you decide to take your 500mm, bear in mind, it is a long walk to and from the nature reserve. Be careful that your heavy bag does not wreck your back.

Best part – Photography. We’ve spent six exciting days photographing red fox. There are certain “hot spots” where foxes are most likely to be seen. 

The weather was on our side most of the days, so we enjoyed soft warm light with a mix of autumn colors. 

Autumn Colors Foxes in Dispute

At the end of autumn foxes look chubbier as they get ready for winter.

Fox in Autumn Mr. Fox Fox in Winter Coat

Cubs, which are born in March, by the end of October, are much more mature but not quite adults.

Dune Fox Bushy Tail We call them “teenagers”. Nevertheless, they are quite playful and it’s a joy to observe their behavior.

Sunny Afternoon Fox Chase Playful Foxes Naughty Foxes

 We’ve witnessed some fights between foxes. Most of the time it was young adults fighting older foxes for territory.

Fox Fighting Fox Fight Fighting Scene Hot Dispute In Huge Argument Fox Fighting

 What we like most about the place is the possibility to catch golden colors of beautiful sunsets.

Sunny Afternoon Fox at Sunset Fox at Sunset Golden Colors Fox Silhouette Fox Silhouette

Conclusion. Well, you would probably ask: “Was it worth visiting Dune Foxes?” Of course, yes. It’s an adventure, excitement, memories and most important people you meet. Thank you very much Menno and Ruud.

Atoki gamta, kvapą gniaužiantys statūs ir uolėti krantai, gausios ir itin triukšmingos jūrinių paukščių kolonijos. Taip būtų galima apibūdinti Šetlando salas - salyną Britų salose, kurio krantus iš rytų skalauja Šiaurės jūra, o iš vakarų – Atlanto vandenynas. Artimiausi kaimynai – norvegai. Jie už 360 km į rytus.

Šetlando salyną sudaro virš 100 salų, tačiau tik penkiolikoje jų įsikūrę 23000 žmonių. Didžiausia - Mainland sala su Šetlandų sostine Lerviku. Negyvenamos salos priklauso augmenijai ir gyvūnijai. Tad salynas pilnas gyvybės bei skrajūnų šurmulio. Šetlando salose peri virš 70, o praskrenda virš 430 paukščių rūšių.

Lengvai pasiekiamas, nors ir ne itin gausias,  jūrinių paukščių kolonijas galima išvysti jau už poros kilometrų nuo Sumburgh oro uosto esančiame gamtos draustinyje. Aplinkinėse pievose bei ūkininkų laukuose peri Šetlando karetaitės, kūltupiai, pieviniai kalviukai, jūrinės šarkos, ganosi Šetlando poniai, kurie buvo naudojami žemei įdirbti, nešuliams gabenti bei darbui anglių gavybos šachtose atlikti.

Kvapą gniaužiančiose Sumburgh Head uolingose pakrantėse peri laibasnapiai narūnėliai, tripirščiai kirai, alkos, šiauriniai fulmarai ir kt.

Labiausiai išsiskiriantys ir bene charizmatiškiausi jūriniai paukščiai yra mormonai (Fratecula arctica).

Atlantic Puffin in Flight

Juos matėme įvairiose Šetlando salyno pakrančių vietose, tačiau dėl gerų fotografavimo sąlygų Fair sala yra mūsų mėgstamiausia. Joje peri virš 100 000 porų paukščių, iš kurių - 25 000 mormonai.

Fair sala 3 km pločio ir 5 km ilgio.  Joje gyvena apie 70  žmonių, yra mokykla, dvi bažnyčios, parduotuvė, paukščių stebėjimo observatorija. Salą galima pasiekti keltu dvylikai žmonių arba lėktuvu. Pasirinkome pirmąjį variantą, tačiau greitai supratome, kad vykti reikėjo kita transporto priemone. Jūros liga kelionę pavertė tikrų tikriausia kančia, kuri truko 2.5 valandos. Be jokių dvejonių nusprendėme, kad grįšime mažyčiu aštuonviečiu lėktuvu.

Fair saloje, kaip ir kitose Šetlando vietose, nuo birželio vidurio iki rugpjūčio pražios naktimis nesutemsta. Mažiausiai vėjuotą liepos mėnesį saulė čia vidutiniškai džiugina 136 valandas; kaip kontrastas gruody – 20.6 valandas. Dėl šiltosios Golfo srovės čia temperatūra retai nukrenta žemiau nulio. Pagrindinės mormonų kolonijos įsikūrusios salos šiaurinėje dalyje.

Mormonai  didžiąją gyvenimo dalį praleidžia atvirame vandenyne. Į krantą grįžta pavasarį perėti ir auginti jauniklių. Tad ant kranto pirmąsias dienas jaučiasi nerangiai, tačiau su kiekviena diena įgauna daugiau pasitikėjimo ir skuba ruošti perimvietes - urvus, kurių ilgis paprastai siekia 70-110 cm. Atsiveda mormonai vieną mažylį ir maitina jį 5-8 kartus per dieną kaskart po vidutiniškai aštuonis gramus maisto. Šetlando salose apie 90 proc. mažylių raciono sudaro nedidelės žuvytės tobiai, vadinamos "sandeels".  Atlantic Puffin with Beak Full of Sand-eels Jie snape, kuris beje didėja su amžiumi, vienu metu ir nepraryjant geba nešti kelias žuvytes: sugriebia vieną, prispaudžia liežuviu, nepaleisdami pirmosios čiumpa antrą, tada trečią ... Didžiojoje Britanijoje užfiksuotas rekordas – net 62 žuvytės.

Sutvirtėję jaunikliai lizdą palieka naktį dar nemokėdami skraidyti. Eidami, bėgdami bei plakdami sparnais jie vieni, be tėvų pagalbos, pasiekia vandenį. Į krantą parskris tik po 2-3 metų.

Suaugę paukščiai rugpjūtį taip pat grįžta į vandenyną, kur pavieniui gyvens visą žiemą. Kolonija lieka tuščia iki kito pavasario.

Fair Saloje galima pamatyti ir Šiaurinio padūkėlius, tačiau jų kolonija sunkiai pasiekiama.

Į jau beveik šimtą metų negyvenamą Noss salą keltu kėlėmis fotografuoti kito įspūdingo jūrinio paukščio - Šiaurinio padūkėlio (Morus bassanus). 

Čia šių paukščių populiacija siekia 10 000 porų. Įdomu paminėti, kad kovo – rugsėjo mėnesiais Didžiojoje Britanijoje peri apie 70 proc. viso pasaulio Šiaurinių padūkėlių populiacijos. 

Stačios ir aukštai iškilusios pakrančių uolos baltuoja nuo Šiaurinių padūkėlių gausos, o šių paukščių skleidžiamas garsas ir kvapas pasiekia už keliasdešimt metrų. 

Šiauriniai padūkėliai peri kolonijomis, labai arti vienas kito. 

Šie kaimynai deja visiškai nenusiteikę draugiškai ir geranoriškai. Į mažiausią neatsargų teritorijos pažeidimą visada reaguojama itin agresyviai - pasitaiko ir sužalojimų, ir žūties (paprastai jauniklių) atvejų. 

Perėjimo sezonui pasibaigus, jaunikliams sustiprėjus ir priaugus apie 4 kilogramus svorio, suaugę Šiauriniai padūkėliai vėl grįžta į vandenyną, tačiau paprastai neskrenda toliau nei 800 -1600 km nuo perėjimo vietų. Jaunieji, nusileidę į vandenį, negali paskristi dėl per didelės kūno masės. Po 2-3 savaičių netekę svorio, jie išskrenda į pietus. Pilnai subręsta penktais gyvenimo metais.

Ant 180 metrų siekiančių Noss salos uolų peri ir kiti paukščiai: laibasnapiai narūnėliai, tripirščiai kirai, alkos, šiauriniai fulmarai, mormonai.  

Pakrantėse bėgioja jūriniai kirlikai,  aulėje šildosi gagos bei ruoniai, ant žemesnių uolų nutupia raudonburnės taistės.

Pelkėtuose laukuose tenka spartinti žingsnį nuo virš galvų zujančių didžiųjų plėšikų. 

Noss saloje galima būti tik iki 5 valandos vakaro, tad persikėlus atgal į Bresey (Bressay), mes pasivaikščiodavome aplinkinėse pievose. Čia pavasarį bei vasarą galima stebėti Šetlando karetaites, juodakrūčius bėgikus, kūltupius, geltonsnapius čivylius, dirvinius sėjikus bei kt. paukščius.

Mažuose ežerėliuose galima pamatyti retą ir vieną mėgstamiausių mūsų paukščių – rudakaklį narą.

Hermaness gamtos draustinis Unst saloje – viena išskirtiniausia Šetlando salų vietų. Čia uolos alsuoja nuo šiaurinių padūkėlių, alkų, tripirščių kirų, kuoduotuojų kormoranų gausos, pakrantėse juokingai krypuoja mormonai pilnais snapais mažų žuvyčių.

Kur ne kur matomi gagų pulkeliai bei saulėje besišildantys ruoniai. Didieji plėšikai pasitinka nuklydus giliau į pelkėtus viržių. Hermaness draustinyje peri trečia pagal dydį pasaulyje šių paukščių kolonija. 

Eidami švyturio link, pakrantėje pastebėjome negyvą kašalotą.

Į pietus nuo Unst esanti Fetlar sala pasižymi apvaliasnapių plaukikų gausa - net 90 proc. Didžiosios Britanijos populiacijos. Tai nebaikštus, pakrantes mėgstantis paukštis.

Lankydamiesi šiaurinėje Šetlando salų dalyje didžiausią dėmesį skyrėme ūdrų fotografijai. Tai mielas, bet baikštus, ne itin lengvai pastebimas gyvūnas. Šetlanduose suskaičiuojama jų apie 1000. Skirtingai nuo daugumos ūdrų, kurios aktyvios būna naktį, Šetlando ūdros adaptavosi prie ilgų vasaros dienų ir matomos šviesiuoju periodu, visgi dieną jos nėra aktyvios. Beje, jos būtinai turi turėti priėjimą prie gėlo vandens, kad grįžus iš žvejybos sūriuose vandenyse galėtų išplauti iš kailio druską.

Ūdras fotografavome ryte iki 10-11 val. bei vakare nuo 5-6 val. Nuo to, kada prasideda potvyniai ir atoslūgiai, priklausydavo ir mūsų fotografavimo laikas. Ūdros nepasižymi geru matomumu, tačiau labai reaguoja į bet kokį judesį ar netikėtą, aukštą, iš aplinkos išsiskiriantį siluetą. Jų uoslė itin jautri, tad artindavomės taip, kad vėjas mums pūstų į veidą arba nuo vandens.

Teko stebėti ūdros patiną ir dideliam mūsų džiaugsmui dvi pateles su mažyliais. Daugiausia laiko praleidome fotografuodami ūdrą mamą su vienu mažyliu.

Patinas nesirūpina ūdriukų auginimu ir visą priežiūrą palieka patelei. Ūgtelėję mažyliai maitinami įvairia žuvimi, krabais.

Ūdriukai augdami išmoksta žvejybos subtilybių, sužino vietas, gausias žuvies ir svarbiausia įgunda, kaip prižiūrėti kailį. Nuo mamos atsiskiria būdami vienerių metų.

Šetlando salų bioįvairovė ir neišdylantis laisvės pojūtis traukia grįžti į šį nuošalų, vėjo neapleidžiamą, bet mielą gamtos kampelį.

Liepa, 2014 m.

Poliarinės lapės (Vulpes Lagopus) aptinkamoms Arkties bei tundros regionuose, kurie driekiasi per šiaurinę Europą, šiaurinę Aziją bei Šiaurės Ameriką. Europoje Islandija išsiskiria poliarinių lapių gausa. Į šią vulkaninę salą poliarinės lapės atkeliavo ledu paskutinio ledynmečio pabaigoje ir šiuo metu šių gyvūnų skaičius siekia apie 2000. Didžioji dalis jų aptinkama šalies šiaurės vakaruose esančiame Hornstrandir gamtos draustinyje. Tai mažai žmogaus paliestas gamtos kampelis, kur medžioklės draudimas bei ilgi, paukščių pilni pakrančių ruožai sudaro puikias sąlygas poliarinių lapių plitimui.

Kelionei į minėtą gamtos draustinį ruošėmės itin kruopščiai, apgalvodami kiekvieną smulkmeną. Hornstrandir nėra parduotuvių ir viešbučių, elektros bei karšto vandens tiekimo, telefono ar interneto ryšio. Paskutiniai nuolatiniai gyventojai iš šios vietovės išsikraustė 1952 m.

Viską, kas reikalinga savaitei išgyventi ir fotografuoti gamtoje, turėjome atsigabenti su savimi.

Dieną prieš išplaukiant į Hornstrandir, apsistojome kalnų apsuptame, 2600 gyventojų turinčiame Isafjordur miestelyje. Čia papildėme maisto atsargas, nusipirkome dujų maisto gaminimui (dvi talpas po 450g ir vieną 230g), o likusį laiką skyrėme pasivaikščiojimui po apylinkes. 

Į Hornstrandir draustinį plaukėme nedideliu laivu. Diena pasitaikė rami ir šilta; žvilgsniu sekėme praskrendanžius jūrinius paukščius bei tolyje likusias aukštas, kur ne kur sniegu padengtas, uolėtas pakrantes. Vietovę pasiekėme apie vidurdienį, o popiet išsiruošėme žvalgytis poliarinių lapių. Vakare bei ankstyvą rytą kalnai atgyja nuo šių gyvūnų balsų.

Poliarinės lapės paprastai asocijuojasi su balta spalva. Lapės, kurios žiemą paprastai yra baltos, vasarą patamsėja, įgauna palšą atspalvį ir atrodo truputį keistokai. Hornstrandir teko sutikti tik dvi baltąsias lapes.

Islandijoje paprastai sutinkamos rusvo–melsvo atspalvio poliarinės lapės, prisitaikiusios gyventi pajūrio zonoje. Vasarą jos taip pat keičia kailio spalvą, įgauna tamsiai rudą atspalvį.

Nors ir žinojome, kad poliarinės lapės nedidelės, vidutiniškai 55 cm ilgio, išvydę pirmąją lapę truputį sutrikom - ji buvo kur kas smulkesnė nei mes įsivaizdavome. Nuėjome ne vieną kilometrą ir netgi bridome per ledinę upę ieškodami šių gyvūnų. Dienomis oro temperatūra siekė 13-15 C laipsnių, naktimis apie 10 C. Apskritai Hornstarndir rekomenduojama lankytis tik nuo birželio vidurio iki rugpjūčio pabaigos. Kitu metų laiku gamtinės sąlygos ne itin svetingos, tačiau jos neatbaido poliarinių meškų, kartkartėmis žiemą užklystančių iš Grenlandijos.

Liepos mėnuo šiame atokiame krašte šilčiausias. Beje tai ir tinkamiausias metas pamatyti poliarinius lapiukus. Vidutiniškai poliarinės lapės susilaukia 5-8 mažylių. Mes daugiausia laiko praleidome fotografuodami lapę su penkiais jaunikliais, kurie gimsta rusvai pilkšvu kailiuku. 3-4 savaičių mažyliai mieli ir guvūs. Jie tampa drąsesni ir kartkartėmis vieni, be tėvų priežiūros, išlenda iš urvo susipažinti su juos supančia aplinka.

Cute Little Arctic Fox CubThis little Arctic fox cub was quite adventurous and sneaked out of the den on his own.

Kiekvienas garsas jauniklius gąsdina. Sunerimę jie tučtuojau neria atgal į olą saugiam prieglobsčiui. 

Lapė, sugrįžus iš medžioklės, kviečia mažuosius lapiukus išlysti iš urvo. Pati į jį nelenda.

Mažieji akimirksniu sukrunta ir skuba pas mamą.

Didžiąja laiko dalį jaunikliai leidžia žaisdami.

Jaunikliai labiausiai rungiasi dėl rasto "žaislo" - plunksnos, medžio gabalo ar žievės.  

Pienės žiedas mažuosius taip pat domina.

Lapiukais rūpinasi abu tėvai. Lapinas paprastai pasirodydavo vakare nešinas įvairiu maistu. Vieną dieną nustebome išvydę jį parskubantį įsitvėrus tripirštį kirą.

Mažieji džiaugėsi tokiomis lauktuvėmis ir pasistumdydami traukė paukštį į urvą.

Daugelyje šalių pagrindinis poliarinių lapių maistas yra lemingai. Islandijoje šių graužikų nėra, tad lapės maitinasi paukščiais, jų kiaušiniais, bestuburiais, gaišena bei uogomis. 

Hornstrandir islandiška vasara džiaugėmės kelias dienas. Poliarines naktys nebuvo tamsios ir šaltos, tad gyventi palapinėje buvo smagu. Valgiu, nors normuotu ir ne itin gausiu, nesiskundėme. Pusryčiams valgėme avižinę ar grikių košę, kiaušinienę su lašinukais, juodą duoną; užkandžiams - riešutus, džiovintus vaisius, šokoladą, baltyminius batonėlius, vakare skanaudavom vištieną su ryžiais, lašišą su bulvėmis, lazaniją ar daržovių troškinį. Skamba neįtikėtinai, tačiau mums tik reikėjo užpilti karštą virintą vandenį ant sauso dehidratuoto maisto (naudojome "Mountain House") ir valgis po 10 min būdavo paruoštas. Jei kam įdomu, naudojome Coleman F1 degiklį (atsargoje turėjome Optimus Crux)  bei du MSR Quick 1,5 ir 2,5 l puodus.

Hornstrandir gyvenome apsupti krioklių, vandenyno, upės bei kalnų.

Žmonėms išsikrausčius iš pusiasalio, namai čia liko stovėti. Dabar savininkai tik kartkartėmis juose leidžia vasaros atostogas.

Kai lapiukai nebūdavo itin aktyvūs, dienas leisdavome fotografuodami paukščius (baltabruvį strazdą, sniegstartę, jūrinį kirliką, gagą, apvaliasnapį plaukiką ir kt.).

Prieš atvykstant į Islandiją, žinojome apie šios šalies ypač permainingą, o kai kada ir ne itin svetingą klimatą. Pirmosiomis viešnagės dienomis tikrai nesiskundėme oru, nors saulę kai kada pakeisdavo lietus ar pakildavo stipresnis vėjas. Blogos žinios pasiekė mus ketvirtą kelionės Hornstrandir dieną. Kempingo vietos prižiūrėtoja pranešė apie besiartinančią liūtį ir vėją, galintį siekti 35 m/s. Mums patarė persikraustyti į didesnę ir tvirtesnę kareivišką palapinę, kurią buvo palikę laivo, plaukdinančio turistus į Hornstrandir, savininkai.

Pirmadienio vakare kempinge apsistojo belgas, vokiečių pora ir du lenkų turistai. Jiems buvo patarta sustabdyti savo kelionę per kalnus dėl artėjančių blogų ir pavojingų oro sąlygų.

Ketvirtadienį, lietui truputį aprimus, planavome pereiti kalną ir taip pasiekti kitą pusiasalio krantą, į kurį atplauktų laivas mus paimti. Ketinimą teko atmesti, mat dėl smarkaus lietaus upė patvino ir aplinkinės pievos skendėjo vandenyje. Likome gyventi palapinėje. Kitą dieną vėjas nerimo; buvo aišku, kad laivas ir šiandien netplauks. Trumpam išėjome į lauką prasimankštinti ir sušilti, bet pradėjus lyti smukome atgal į palapinę. Nepraėjus nė 5 minutėm, išgirdome lyg malūnsparnio, praskrendančio virš mūsų, garsą. Suklusome atidžiau ir regis jis kažkur netoliesi nusileido. Nėrėme visi iš palapinės ir sunkiai galėjome patikėti savo akimis - tai tikrai buvo pakrančių saugumo malūnsparnis, atskridęs patikrinti, ar mums viskas gerai. 

Akimirksniu susipakavome savo mantą ir visi septyni išsišiepę stovėjome prie malūnsparnio pasirengę skrydžiui.   

Icelandic Coast Guard Helicopter

Dar kartą dėkojame Islandijos pakrančių saugumo komandai ir ypatingai Henning Adalmusson už rūpestį ir pagalbą parskraidus mus iki pat Reikjaviko.   

Ekstremali poliarinių lapių fotografija Islandijoje ilgai išliks mūsų atmintyje. 

2017 m. žiemą sugrįžome į Hornstrandir. Aprašymą, kaip mums sekėsi fotografuoti lapes, galite rasti čia

October - January, 2014

When autumn comes and October approaching, we have a few things to look forward. Deer photography during the rut is definitely on top of the list. This time of year is full of amazing action and dramatic scenes. It would be a shame to miss it.

This year autumn was warm with temperatures well above average. With such summery conditions we couldn’t expect to make photos of a roaring deer on a frosty morning. Fortunately we had some great misty sunrises with spectacular light.

Red Deer Stag during the RutRed deer photography during the annual rut is always exciting experience especially if it's a cold and misty morning.

During the peak of the rut stags behave aggressively, chase off their rivals, roar and grunt all day long trying to impress females.

This young male tried to blow away hinds with a superb "hairstyle".

We have witnessed some fights between  young males, stags and even females.

Admittedly, some of the fights are really brutal and end up with injuries and scars.

Red Deer During the Rut Red Deer Bellowing

Little ones kept a distance from the fights and stayed closer to their mums. 

Birds sitting down on deer always gives a smile. It's a good resting and feeding place; deer hair is also a perfect nest material. Magpies and starlings are one of the most adventurous birds.

While photographing deer, birds always chirp around.

European stonechat and wren are common but they like to keep a distance from people. This year a bit of camouflage helped us to get closer and make the pictures we were quite pleased with.

Rogue jackdaws were not too bothered about our presents but always kept a distance.

By a narrow stream we used to spot Grey heron trying to catch a fish. 

One of the days was very lucky for both Heron and us. 

October is the the peak of the deer rutting season. At the beginning of November the tension among stags is calming down. In the middle of November the rutting season is over.

In December we had couple weeks of colder weather, so we decided to revisit the deer sites again.  Cold, frosty and sunny winter mornings were brilliant for photography.

The picture was taken on the 31st of December - a cold and frosty winter day.

European stonechat looked like from a Christmas card. 

Stonechats are robin sized birds. Females lack the male's black head, but have brown backs and an orange chests.

Overall this year's deer photography was a brilliant experience. 

If you have any queries or would like to leave a comment, please drop as an e-mail.  We are always happy to hear from you.

January-February, 2015

Sea Lion Island holds more than 90% of the Falklands Southern Elephant Seal population and is the most important breeding spot in the islands. We stayed here for four nights and truly enjoyed every minute of it.

The Southern Elephant Seal is the largest seal in its family. Adult male weights up to 4 tones. Elephant seals spend most of the time in the ocean but go ashore for two reasons: to breed and moult.

Breeding season is between September - November, followed by the moulting season during which seals loose fur and skin in large patches.

When moulting occurs seals are easily susceptible to cold, so they must stay on land rather than in cold waters. This means that on land animals fast and rely on stored body fat. Even from time to time they stop breathing to lower their heart rate and conserve energy.

During the moulting process Elephant Seals are constantly disturbed by Blackish Cinclode locally known as Tussock-bird.

This small creature picks through the skin and flash of seals that sometimes it was painful to watch.

Clearly seals didn't like the "attacks" and tried to shoo the birds away.

During the day the atmosphere on the beach is sleepy and relaxed. Everybody enjoys a rest or snooze in the sun.

Elephant Seal Pup on the Falkland IslandsDuring the day the atmosphere is very sleepy on the beach in the Falkland islands. Elephant seal pup clearly enjoys a snooze in the sun.

Even blowing sand doesn't make any difference.

When onshore, Elephant Seals may look a bit unwashed and snotty-nosed because of eliminated excess salts. As the days were unusually worm in the Falkland Islands (to our big surprise temperatures reached 18-19 C), animals were struggling a little bit. Southern Elephant Seals tried to cover themselves with sea weed or flip sand over themselves to keep their bodies cool.

There are no fights during the moult period. From time to time seals will have arguments over a better spot on the beach or enjoy a bit of wrestling in the water.

We remember one evening, we were on the way back to the lodge. At the moment of sunset, intense yellow and orange colours painted the sky. We just sat and enjoyed the view.

Orcas are one of the main predators for Elephant Seals. They mostly prey on inexperienced young. December is the best month to see killer whales but we were very fortunate to spot one too.

Small Southern Sea Lion colonies can also be spotted around the south coast of the island. Unfortunately Sea Lion population suffered a steep decline due to massive hunting and even at peak times there are less than 100 of the animals. So the name of the island is a little bit misleading. Seals can only be  photographed from the cliff here, so telephoto lens is very handy.

Sea Lion males are much larger than females. They weight up to 350 kg.

Pups are born between December and February. For a week mothers don't leave the little ones alone. Later females have to make trips to the sea to get their own food. Pups enter water when they are about four weeks old.

More detailed information about our trip to the Falkland Islands you can find in this blog.

If you have any queries or would like to leave a comment, please drop as an e-mail.  We are always happy to hear from you.

January - February, 2015
 

We recently returned from the Falkland Islands. It is a fascinating place and definitely worth visiting if you are a nature lover. There are five penguin species breeding on the islands. This blog is about King penguins. 

Volunteer point is a home to the largest King penguin colony within the Falkland Islands with 1000 breeding birds (world population is 2 million breeding pairs). 

Unfortunately, some eggs were left unattended.

Newly-hatched young are very vulnerable and entirely depend on their parents for food, warmth and comfort.

Chicks are fed by partly digested food, regurgitated by their parents.

King penguins are aggressive towards other chicks, so parents keep a close eye on neighbours. In fact, breeding Kings spend up to fifth of their time fighting trying to protect their chicks and defend their half-metre square territories. 

Even outside colonies King penguins try to get things sorted out in quite an aggressive way.

Around June King penguin chicks have thick brown down, they become more independent although still rely on parents for food. At this age they still are very different in appearance to the adults. Actually early explorers described them as different species, the "woolly penguin".

While both parents go off to the sea, young penguins stay in larger groups and wait for food. Chicks will often be left for three month without a meal. This continues until the summer of their second year. So roughly it takes 14-16 month for penguin chicks to be ready to go to sea.

During our visit in January we've spotted couple molting King penguin juveniles. They looked a bit ridiculous at the last stages of molting. 

One of the youngsters looked very similar to adults but clearly didn't get rid of excess weight.

There is a comparison of young and adult King penguin. Juvenile king penguins are similar to adults, but their coloration isn't as vivid. They do not reach full adult coloration until three years of age.

King penguins generally prefer living in colonies but sometimes they enjoy short breaks on their own especially immature and non-breading adults.

Penguin and Sheep

According to seaworld.org information, King penguins have been recorded with a maximum swim speed of 12 kph (7.6 mph), although they typically swim from 6.5 to 7.9 kph (4–4.9 mph.) Most dives of king penguins last less than four to six minutes, although dives of up to eight minutes have been documented. The maximum recorded depth for a king penguin dive was 343 m (1,125 ft.) At night King penguins dive to the depths of less than 30 metres (98 ft).

During three days at Volunteer Point, the weather didn’t let us down and there was plenty of activity from the penguins on the beach.  

King Penguins on the BeachKing penguins are aquatic birds and spend lots of time in water or close to it.

Overall our stay at Volunteer Point was brilliant. We were very fortunate that our problematic accommodation situation was resolved thanks to wardens Derek, his wife Trudi and their friends. Two nights we stayed in a lovely warden's house and one in a warm cabin lit by candles. Thank you Derek and Trudi once again for your hospitality and of course delicious meals. Grilled chicken and fish chowder were exceptionally tasty.

We were fortunate enough to visit some beautiful places but the Falkland Islands without a doubt would have to be on the top of our list. It sank so much to our minds and hearts that even two weeks later we can’t stop having dreams about penguins...

More about our trip to Falkland islands please read in our blog.

If you have any queries or would like to leave a comment, please drop as an e-mail.  We are always happy to hear from you.

 January - February, 2015

Gentoo penguins are the third largest from all 17 penguin species behind Emperor and King penguins. The total world breeding population is over 300,000 pairs. The Falkland Islands hold 21,500 breeding pairs. 

We photographed Gentoo in three locations: Sea Lion Island, Saunders and Volunteer Point.

The best way to reach Sea Lion island is by plane. Airstrip is next to the lodge - the only hotel on the island.

User comments

Sea Lion Island is a stunning location. It holds a wide variety of wildlife. Gentoo penguin colonies are easily reachable and some of them can be observed through the window of the lodge.

At Saunders we stayed at the Neck - a location where a narrow sandy strip divides two large peaks. Accommodation here was very basic but the wildlife was just on the doorstep. 

Volunteer Point is a home for over 1000 pairs of Gentoo penguins. Their colonies were easily reachable in 15 minutes from a warden's house.

Gentoo penguins are quite easily distinguished by white marking across the top of their heads.

They also have stiff tail feathers which stick out like a brush. Only Adelie, Chinstrap and Gentoo penguins have such brush-like tails.

Gentoo penguins are excellent swimmers and divers. They hold the swimming speed record at 36 km/h (22.4 mph) while for example King penguins reach 12 km/h (7.6 mph). When travelling fast, all penguins leap of the water to take a deep breath.

Gentoo penguins are quite good on the ground too where they enjoy a bit of jumping.

Weather is very changeable in the Falkland Islands. We experienced heavy fog, sandstorms and beautiful sunsets.

One of the most spectacular sights is Gentoo "rush hour" when birds head out to the sea in big numbers on their "highways" and come back after fishing.

Penguins tend to be safer on land but even here aggressive Skuas are ever present and keep a close eye on the life in the colonies.

The Gentoo chicks are fed by their parents until the chicks are around three months old. Gentoo “teenagers” are very cute and “stylish” part way through the moulting process.

At that age they are very curious. If we were spotted sitting or lying on the ground, in minutes fluffy young would come and stand couple of feet away from us.

With Gentoo Penguin Chicks We spent lots of time watching these little fellows and particularly enjoyed so called “chick chase” when Gentoo chicks run after their parents to get fed. Penguins may look a bit clumsy on land, but they definitely can run and even out-run a man over short distances.

Chicks compete with each other and race like crazy.

Only the fastest one is fed.

Chasing builds up strength of the chicks and also encourages them to come closer to water.

Constant begging for food drives adults mad and chicks several times a day are shouted at with frustration.

Gentoo PenguinsThe Gentoo chicks are fed by the parents until they are around three months old. Constant begging for food drives adults mad and chicks several times a day are shouted at with frustration.

Photographing Gentoo penguins and especially their chicks without a doubt was one of the best photographic experience in the Falkland islands. 

More information about travel arrangements and wildlife photography in the Falkland Islands you'll find in our blog.

If you have any queries or would like to leave a comment, please drop as an e-mail.  We are always happy to hear from you.

January-February, 2015

Magellanic penguins don't live in a world of cold, ice and snow. They are only found around the Falkland Islands (population 100,000 pairs) and South America (1.2 million pairs). 

In the Falkland islands Magellanic penguins are easily spotted and found over a big area. Mainly we photographed them in Sea Lion island and Volunteer point.

Magellanic penguins nest in the burrows like rabbits giving preference to soft soil, peat and tussock areas. 

Magellanic penguin chicks prefer to stick tightly to their parents' side and stay close to the burrows which are up to  2 m (6ft) long.

After a rainy day they come out of the burrows looking like they desperately need a shower.

Fresh water pond is a perfect place to enjoy a refreshing "bath".

Magellanic penguin, locally known as Jackass, can produce a loud, donkey-like braying call which is funny considering it comes from such a small bird. Penguins can recognize each other out from among hundreds of others just by their voices.

"Teenagers" try to act like adults and copy their parents.

Magellanic penguins lay two eggs. After hatching, chicks remain in the nest. By the end of 30 days they develop their thicker down. January is a month when they start moulting and part way through the process the chicks start looking like little punks.

Magellanic penguins in general are known as shy birds. From our experience we can tell that it depends on a bird; some will hide in the burrows as soon as they notice us, others wouldn't mind to walk right up to us.

With hungry chicks to feed adult Magellanic penguins head out to the sea to forage daily.

They return late afternoon or evening. 

Magellanic penguins are social birds and love gathering together to “discus things” and share small secrets.

One day we've spotted a Magellanic penguin covered in thick sea foam by a rocky Sea Lion island coast. He was followed ashore by other "foamy" and a bit strange looking penguins. It was a very windy day and we believe that an agitation of the water from stormy weather created this thick ocean foam. 

Magellanic penguins are wide spread in the Falkland islands. A few of them we even spotted near an "airport" runway on Saunders island. By the way, a white shed is an airport base.

Magellanic Penguin is a summer visitor to the Falkland Islands so by mid-April colonies are deserted. The birds return in September which is spring in the Southern Hemisphere.

More information about wildlife photography in the Falkland Islands you'll find in our blog. 

If you have any queries or would like to leave a comment, please drop as an e-mail.  We are always happy to hear from you.

January - February, 2015

We have spent two amazing weeks in the Falkland Islands photographing different species of birds and animals, but our primary target was penguins. There are five penguin species breeding on the islands. This blog is about Southern Rockhoppers. 

In the Falkland islands one of the best places to photograph Rockhoppers is on Saunders island. We've stayed in two locations:  the Neck (three nights) and  Rookery (two nights).

Here we found a map on the wall where we pined our native town in Lithuania.

User comments Rockhopper penguins can be reached on foot (roughly a 10 minute walk).

Small chicks hardly resemble their striking looking parents.

Rockhoppers, who are part way through the moulting process, look completely ridiculous.

Southern Rockhoppers are small penguins (average length of around 52 cm) but they have super strong little bodies. They hop great distances to their nesting sites up steep cliffs and incredibly easy get around rocky and dangerous places. 

The ones who are not very confident in jumping are encouraged by others...

As we visited the Falkland Islands in late January, penguins already had their chicks. Nevertheless the birds carried on "refurbishing" their nests with stones and sticks.

In general Rockhopper is quite an aggressive bird. Conflicts between the penguins are very common.

With hungry chicks to feed adult Rockhopper penguins head out to the sea to forage daily. It's highly dangerous activity. Predators are not only in water but also on land. Southern Giant Petrels wait for a right moment to attack Rockhoppers.

It creates an atmosphere of panic and fear. 

At the end of the day penguins return from the sea back to their colonies.

Rockhopper Taking a Refreshing ShowerRockhopper “shower” is the main sight of Saunders island, Falklands. Penguins need to wash their bodies not only from salt but also from smelly guano.

If you have any queries or would like to leave a comment in our guestbook, please drop as an e-mail.  We are always happy to hear from you.

January-February, 2015

We have spent two amazing weeks in the Falkland Islands photographing Rockhopper, Magellanic, Gentoo and King penguins. These birds were our primary target.

Rockhopper Penguin taking a ShowerRockhopper “shower” is the main sight of Saunders island, Falklands. Penguins need to wash their bodies not only from salt but also from smelly guano.

Penguin Racing Falkland Islands have a big variety of other birds too which could be seen on the coast or cliffs, in tussac grass, ponds or wetland areas. 

Tussacbird also known as Blackish Cinclode is one of the most common bird on the islands. As the name suggests it prefers tussac grass as well as rocks and kelp. 

On the Sea Lion Island the bird preferred to stay not only in the tussac grass but also close to the moulting Elephant Seals. Surprisingly this small creature easily picked through the skin and flash of these huge animals.

Cobb's wren is another highlight of the Falkland Islands.

This tiny bird is unique to the Falkland islands and is found in places free of rats or cats. For example, Saunders island is the second largest offshore island in Falklands but Cobb's wren is absent there and only a few songbirds are seen because of presence of feral cats, mice, rats and rabbits.

It is difficult for songbirds to adapt in the Falkland Islands due to lack of trees and harsh, windy conditions. Tussac grass which grows up to 3 metres tall and usually is found around the coastline plays an important role here. 

Wading birds are numerous on the Falkland Islands. Pied Oystercatcher, Two-banded Plover, White rumped sandpiper are easy to spot.

Persistent drumming of Snipe can be heard in wetlands and moorlands.

Skuas are widely distributed around the Falklands. 

They stay around colonies of penguins looking for food.

Dolphin Gulls often harass penguin colonies but do little harm.

In the Falkland islands there are plenty of freshwater ponds and lakes. They are the best place to spot Silvery Grebe.

King Cormorants, also known as Imperial Shags or Blue-eyed Shags, nest at over 100 sites around the Falkland Islands.

In late January King Cormorants had their chicks already. Nevertheless the birds carried on "refurbishing" their nests.

King Cormorants nest tightly in the neighbourhood of Rockhopper penguins. Such colonies provide not only interesting observations but also super strong smells from guano, urine and regurgitated baby food.

Colonies of Rock Cormorants are quite difficult to approach. These birds nest on the ledges of steep cliffs or jetties.

One day we were very happy to spot a Black-crowned Night Heron at Volunteer Point. 

Falkland Islands hold about 70% of the world population of Black-browed Albatrosses.

These long-lived birds spend most of their lives soaring above the southern oceans and land during the breeding season. A wingspan of 2,5 m (8 ft) enables them to glide effortless.

We loved watching their courtship displays when birds clack their beaks, raise bills skyward and fan their tails.

Albatrosses lay one egg in the nest made of mud and guano. This tall pillar later is occupied by a fluffy chick.

Another bird similar in size to the Albatross, is Southern Giant Petrel. It constantly soars above colonies of penguins looking for prey.

Falkland islands without a doubt is a great place for bird photographers. With about 227 species of birds around there is always some action around.

Penguins in Falkland islands

More information about travel arrangements and wildlife photography in the Falkland islands you can find in our blog.

If you have any queries or would like to leave a comment for our guestbook, please drop as an e-mail.  We are always happy to hear from you. 

January-February, 2015

Everything started from a conversation with a keen photographer John whom we met in the park couple of years ago. John mentioned his recent trip to the Falkland Islands and showed his brilliant photos. The name of the islands came across again while gathering information about remote wildlife locations.  The decision was made – our next trip must be to the Falklands – a land of penguins.

We started booking accommodation and flights six month in advance which was a bit late but luckily everything was sorted more or less as we wanted. All the bookings we've done ourselves without any help of travel agents.

Travelling to the Falkland Islands from London means spending lots of hours in the air. The first 13 hour flight was from London to Buenos Aires. 

User comments

We've heard stories about awful airplane food, dehydration, uncomfortable seats, lack of sleep  and etc. Well, what can we say... The food was good, the wine was nice, the seats were ok, we slept 3-4 hours, the neighbours didn’t bother us and it was fantastic to listen to our favourite songs somewhere high in the sky under dimmed airplane light.

From Buenos Aires we took another 3 hour flight to Santiago where we made an overnight stop.

The following day we had our flight from Santiago to the Falkland Islands with a short stopover in a Chilean city Punta Arenas where customs formalities for Chile were completed.

Bear in mind, LATAM operates a flight only once a week - on Saturdays, from Santiago (Chile). So if you miss a flight, your journey will be delayed by one week.

It is worth mentioning as well, that there is a direct 18 hour flight from Oxfordshire, UK. It is bit pricey and on this occasion we’ve decided to save £1500 for our other trips.

All flights in Falkland islands arrive at Mount Pleasant Airport. From their we were picked up and transferred to our hotel. The car was booked via hotel.  

Stanley is a small seaside town with the resident population of 2115, while the total community of the Falklands is 2932 people. There are also about 1500 British military personnel located about 30 miles (48 km) from Stanley (because of the conflict with Argentina).

The Falkland Islands are a group of about 740 islands but only 15 are inhabited. We’ve decided to stay at three locations: Sea Lion Island, Saunders (Neck and Rookery) and Volunteer Point. Pebble, Carcass and Bleaker islands are popular among photographers as well.

We were not keen on travelling too much as we wanted to spend as much time as possible with the photographing object. Our practice showed that even short flights could take away up to half a day of our precious time.

 Sea Lion Island was our first destination. It is just five miles (8 kilometres) long and over a mile (around 2 kilometres) wide. The island can be reached by a 40 minute flight from Stanley with a 8-seater plane operated by Falkland Islands Government Air Service (FIGAS). Airstrip is next to the lodge - the only hotel on the island. The Sea Lion Lodge is a 3 star hotel. Prices for rooms are about £145 per person per night in October, £170 per person per night in November-February.

User comments Sea Lion Island holds more than 90% of the Falklands Southern Elephant Seal population and without a doubt is the most important breeding site in the Falkland Islands. Breeding season is between September - November, followed by the moulting season during which seals loose fur and skin in large patches.

When moulting occurs seals are easily susceptible to cold, so they stay on land rather than in cold waters. 

There are no ruthless fights between seals during the moult. From time to time seals will have arguments over a better spot on the beach or enjoy a bit of wrestling in the water.

Young elephant seals can also be spotted along the coast of the island.

Elephant Seal Pup on the Falkland IslandsDuring the day the atmosphere is very sleepy on the beach in the Falkland islands. Elephant seal pup clearly enjoys a snooze in the sun. Orcas are one of the main predators for Elephant Seals. October, November and December are the best month to see them. We were very fortunate to spot one too.

Sea Lion Island holds small colonies of Southern Sea Lions. Unfortunately their population suffered a steep decline due to massive hunting and even at peak times there are less than 100 of the animals. So the name of the island "Sea Lion Island"  is a little bit misleading. Nevertheless, there are certain points on the island where colonies can be observed from a distance.

More images and information about seals in the Falkland Islands can be found in our blog.

Sea Lion Island supports a variety of Falkland breeding birds, especially on the beaches, rocky shores and in the tussac grass. Tussac grass  grows up to 3 metres tall and usually is found around the coastline. There are no cats or rats to predate ground nesting birds on the island.

Cobb's wren, unique (endemic) to the Falklands, and Tussacbird  (Blackish Cinclodes) are the most common birds.

Wherever we wandered the Tussacbird was always present looking for food.

Other small birds like Black-chinned siskin, White-bridles finch (known as Black-throated finch), Dark-faced ground-tyrant, Falkland pipit are fairly easy to spot too.

Permanent ponds and boggy ground provide important habitat for waterfowl and wading birds.

Persistent drumming of Snipe can be heard in wetlands.

 

 

Along the coast Pied Oystercatcher, Two-banded Plover, White rumped sandpiper are quite common. 

 

Steamer Duck another endemic bird to the Falkland islands most often can be seen along the coastline.

Striated Caracara

The highlight of the Sea Lion Island without a doubt is penguins. There are breeding colonies of  Gentoo, Magellanic and Rockhopper penguins. Gentoo penguins are most common on the sandy beach east of the lodge. We loved watching them. Diving Gentoo Penguins

Big numbers of Magellanic penguins can be

found to the south of the island.

They live in the burrows like rabbits and prefer soft soil, peat, tussock areas or greens.

Heading southwest from the lodge there is a small path through the tussac grass leading to a small pond which is one of the favorite bath spots by Magellanic penguins. 

Another favorite place was a spot on the coast were they used to gather in small groups to “discus things” .

One day on the way back from Rockhopper Point we've noticed a Magellanic penguin covered in thick sea foam. It was a very windy day and we believe that an agitation of the water from stormy weather created this thick ocean foam. 

Rockhopper penguins also breed on the Sea Lion island. A small colony can be seen on a very windy and rocky coast where huge waves crash over the sloping cliffs.  Photography of this little beauty is quite a challenge there.

Close to the Rockhopper Point there is large and noisy colony of King Cormorants (known as Imperial Shags or Blue-eyed Shags).

The Neck is a sandy narrow strip that joints Elephant Point to the main part of Saunders Island. 

The majority of penguins at the Neck are Gentoo with few King penguins and occasional Macaroni.

One of the main sights at the Neck is Southern Rockhopper penguin colony. It can be reached in 10 minutes from a self-catering cabin.

Rockhoppers hop great distances to their nesting sites up steep cliffs and incredibly easy get around rocky and dangerous places. 

With hungry chicks to feed adult Rockhopper penguins head out to the sea to forage daily. Predators are not only in water but also on land. Southern Giant Petrels wait for a right moment to attack Rockhoppers.

This Rockhopper got away but may not survive.

Striated Caracara hangs around penguin colonies all the time. It tries to spot week bird or just anything left behind.

At the Neck climbing up the coastline there is another colony of Rockhopper penguins mixed with King Cormorants.

Walking further down you can find another attraction of the Neck - numerous, relatively easy accessible colony of Black-browed Albatross. Albatrosses lay one egg in the nest made of mud and guano. This tall pillar later is occupied by a chick.

It is interesting to explore other side of the Neck too which leads to Elephant Point. While walking by the coastline it's worth scanning the water for Commerson’s dolphins.

Rocky coastline and crags are one of the favorite places for Turkey Vultures. 

Further down we were very happy to spot even a Crested Caracara.

Long-tailed meadowlark and Falkland Thrush manage to survive on the Saunders with the rats and few cats around but Cobb's wren for example is absent here.

Closer to the Elephant point there are couple colonies of Skuas, black-necked swans could be spotted on the lake as many shorebirds along a coast.

The Rookery was our next destination on Saunders. Rockhopper “shower”- a stream running off the mountains - is the main sight of the island.

Admittedly upon reaching the Rockhopper colony we had a bit of a shock because we could not see the “shower”. Only later when we started climbing down the cliff following the penguin highway we spotted a stream and yes, there were penguins taking a refreshing shower.

Rockhopper Penguin taking a ShowerRockhopper “shower” is the main sight of Saunders island, Falklands. Penguins need to wash their bodies not only from salt but also from smelly guano. These little chaps sometimes need to wash their bodies not only from salt but also from smelly guano.

Up the cliff there is a healthy Rockhopper population where cute chicks provide hours of enjoyment.

King Cormorants nest tightly in the neighbourhood of Rockhoppers.

Such colonies provide not only interesting observations but also super strong smells from guano, urine and regurgitated baby food. Skuas hang around the colonies looking for food.

Albatrosses are magnificent birds with a 2,5 m (8 ft) wingspan that enables them to glide effortless.

Saunders is without a doubt an unforgettable place; wildlife and the views are amazing and it actually feels as if you are thousands of miles from everyone else.

As we visited the colony in late January it was an incubation and brooding period for penguins. 

King Penguin 's Egg

On the beach there was more activity from penguins during morning or evening hours. 

King Penguins on the BeachKing penguins are aquatic birds and spend lots of time in water or close to it.

Volunteer Point is also a home to 2000 pairs of  Magellanic penguins.  We spent lots of time watching Gentoo penguins and particularly enjoyed so called “chick chase” when Gentoo chicks run after their parents to get fed.  

This constant begging for food drives adults mad and chicks several times a day are shouted at with frustration.

Lots of interesting photos of Gentoo penguins and their cute chicks are in our  blog.

Over 40 bird species have been recorded around Volunteer Point area. The highlights for us were Peregrine Falcon and Night Heron.

Overall our stay at Volunteer Point was brilliant and after two glorious weeks our visit in the Falkland Islands was over. From Stanley airport we flew to Santiago and after a day’s break we took a final flight back to London. 

We were fortunate enough to visit some beautiful places but the Falkland Islands without a doubt would have to be on the top of our list. It sank so much to our minds and hearts that even two weeks later we can’t stop having dreams about penguins...

We have written the following blogs about our trip in the Falkland Islands:

• Blog about King Penguins
• Blog about Gentoo Penguins
• Blog about Magellanic Penguins
• Blog about Rockhopper Penguins
• Blog about Seals
• Blog about Other birds in the Falkland Islands

If you have any queries or would like to leave a comment for our guestbook, please drop as an e-mail.  We are always happy to hear from you.

February, 2015

We just came back from an unforgettable trip to Norway, Dovrefjell-Sunndalsfjella National Park. If you want to get out of your comfort zone and challenge yourself, this trip is definitely for you.

The idea to photograph Musk Ox in winter came spontaneously and quite unexpectedly. We’ve done quite a lot of preparation for a trip to Japan but with the things not going as planned, we gave up an idea of Japan and decided to fly to Norway in a search of Musk ox. 

Musk Ox, Norway Male Musk Ox Fighting

Travel info. Our trip was divided in two parts. First we headed to Oppdal and stayed there for 3 days; later we headed to another village of Dombas where we stayed 3 more days. Both villages are based near Dovrefjell mountain range where in 1932 a population of musk oxen was reintroduced.

We reached Oppdal via train from Trondheim. The journey was around 1 hour 40 minutes. If you fly to Oslo, there are direct trains to Oppdal but the journey takes 5 hours. We booked tickets online in advance and saved some pounds. From Oppdal to Dombas we took another train. The journey was around 1 hour.

Photography. In the early hours we left Oppdal accompanied by Sigbjørn and his truly amazing dog, and headed to a so called 'Sweaty hill' in search of the Norwegian population of Musk oxen. For couple of days, we booked a guide to show us the area, as the Dovrefjell national park occupies around 654 sq miles. It's a bit tricky to find musk oxen in a new, unfamiliar place.

The first unforgettable sight of musk ox male we spotted early afternoon. In winter musk oxen conserve heat and energy, so they spend much of their time resting and sleeping. This means lots of waiting for any action to happen.   In winter, musk oxen prefer to stay high in mountains where winds blow the snow away from dried grass, sedges, and willows. This poor vegetation is the main food source for the animals during the time of cold. Their front hooves are larger than hind hooves, making it easier for the muskox to dig through snow for food. During summer months musk oxen typically stay in areas near water.

Musk ox has an average height of 135 centimetres and an average length of 245 centimetres. The long, thick coat makes the animal look larger than it really is. The big bulls can weigh over 300 kilos and can survive in the extreme arctic environment for up to 20 years. 

After finding the musk oxen, we’ve stayed with them till the sun went down.  Musk Ox at Sunset, Dovrefjell Late afternoon we found a sheltered place and started to set up a tent. We followed lots of advice how to stay warm in winter in tent, for example have a warm drink before bed, invest in thick thermals, have warm floor insulators and etc., but nothing helped. We have managed to get couple hours of sleep but it was really very very cold... A sky with millions of stars, freezing cold, nice company and warm breakfast... These are the things we will never forget...

 As we were up early, just before the sunrise, we headed back up to the mountains. 

Musk Ox, Dovrefjell National Park Musk Ox, Dovrefjell National Park  Just when we wanted to head to another location, musk oxen decided to challenge each other and test their strength. Males that compete for dominance are typically between the ages of 6 and 8 years old.  

Much more powerful fights for dominance can be seen  in late summer/early autumn. During head butting, males charge up to 25 miles per hour (40 km/h) and crash together on the horn bosses on the forehead. This behavior is rarely fatal. To cushion the blow and prevent brain damage, they have an air pocket between their brain and skull.  

Early afternoon, when we headed to another location. Musk Ox in Blizzard    In half an hour the snow became heavier and the visibility was very poor. 

Musk Ox in the Snowstorm

We continued climbing the mountain. Our energy and strength was almost gone. Luckily on one slope we managed to spot a group of musk oxen. We stayed with them for couple of hours which in snow storm and cold was quite a challenge.

Musk Oxen in Snowstorm Over the course of their 600,000 year long history, musk oxen have developed ways to stay warm and protected during the long cold winter months. The most significant adaptation is a layer of extremely fine under-wool. It is said to be one of the finest fibers in the world, more luxurious than cashmere and much warmer than sheep wool. 

On a third day we headed to photograph musk ox using sledges with Alaskan huskies as transportation. 

The weather that day was very changeable; within a few minutes the sunshine used to turn to such heavy snowstorms that each other’s location we knew only from the howling of huskies. When the wind calmed down, we’ve managed to spot musk oxen.

Musk Ox, Norway Musk oxen really adore a good rub against a stone.

They might even queue for one particular spot. 

Further down we’ve spotted couple calves infected with scabby mouth (nor. Munnskurv).

This virus causes skin lesions which are painful and often occur on lips, muzzle and nostrils. They develop into scabs which bleed easily. Generally animals recover but in severe cases they might die from starvation. The rest of the young animals looked strong and healthy.

Juvenile Musk Ox Juvenile Musk Ox in Winter  After such an exciting and action-packed day, our adrenalin was pumping.

During the last days of our stay in Norway, the temperature dropped down to -20^o C. Luckily the cold didn’t cause any problems with equipment and we didn’t get frostbite. As  we mentioned before, we divided our trip to two parts. After exploring Oppdal, we headed to another location - small village of Dombas. There we mainly saw groups of females with calves.

Musk oxen are very social animals. Most herds average between 10 and 20 animals. Musk oxen have two separate hierarchies – one for males and one for females. Calves are generally lowest in the hierarchy, although they determine dominance among themselves through chasing, mounting, and play. 

As in Dombas mainly we saw herds of females with calves, on our last day we decided to go back to Oppdal to look for males. We were very lucky to come across three different sightings of musk oxen.

Musk Ox, Dovrefjell National Park We decided to stay with a group of males chasing each other quite high in the mountains. Musk Ox may run at the speed of 60 km/h. In general they are not aggressive towards human but if threatened or approached unexpectedly they can attack.

Good photo opportunities came when the males started to challenge each other. 

Musk Oxen Fight Early in the afternoon the snow arrived giving as one more opportunity to enjoy beautiful winter scenes.

Musk Ox, Norway In total we've spent six days photographing musk oxen. This trip pushed as to the limits but honestly it was a truly fantastic and unforgettable experience. If you want to experience a bit of extreme, pack your bags and go for it. If you have any questions on need any advice, please get in touch.

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A bit of History

The Musk ox died out in Norway almost 2000 years ago. There have been three attempts to reintroduce this animal. In 1931, 10 animals were transported to Norway from Greenland, and after 7 more years two new animals were introduced to increase the genetic variation. Unfortunately during the Second World War musk oxen were killed for food and clothes. The last attempt to reintroduce the musk ox at Dovrefjells national park was between 1947 and 1953. The herd has now grown to around 300 animals.

There are perhaps as many as 130,000 musk oxen in the world today. 

 

July-August, 2015

Once again we decided to go back to Finland to photograph Eurasian brown bears in the east of Finland, close to the Russian border. We had a descent amount of success but as always, we wanted a little better light, a bit better background, more action and etc. Nevertheless, a week in July and a week in August gave us some time to work with the subject.

Female brown bear gives birth while hibernating. Baby brown bears are born blind, toothless, and hairless; weigh less than 1 pound at birth. The average litter has two cubs. They feed on their mother’s milk until spring or early summer depending on weather conditions. Cubs follow their mum and stay close to her.

Brown Bear with Cubs Little Bear Cub with Mom Close-up of Bear Cub In summer cubs are strong enough to follow mom and begin to forage for solid food.

Cubs copy their mother’s methods for locating food. Bears like grass, leaves, nuts, seeds, fruits, bulbs; they will also snack on beetles, worms, ants, and other insects. As we have noticed, they really enjoyed a blueberry snack in the sunshine and warm weather. Cubs gather berries quickly, using lips and swallowing them whole.

Bear Cub enjoying Blueberries

When the environment is safe with no male bears around, there is plenty of action from fluffy cubs. They are very active, play for long periods wrestling or chasing each other. We had to take many images just to produce some sharp ones because of the challenging light in the woods. 

Play-Fighting Cubs Play-Fight Cubs Playing Bear Cubs

 Bear cubs enjoy chewing a variety of objects that they find or pull some funny faces when they are bored. Brown Bear Cub Brown Bear Cub Furry siblings might play constantly nevertheless they remain vigilant all the time.

Bear Cub Hiding Cub in Forest

Bears Looking for Danger

 When alpha male is approaching the area, a tension can be sensed in the behaviour of mother and cubs. Adult male bears are particularly aggressive and are avoided not only by mothers with cubs but also by sub adult males. 

Close-up of Brown Bear

Females with cubs sometimes try to approach the aggressive bear male and successfully defend cubs, even though the male may be twice as heavy as she. Sometimes, it is wiser to climb a tree for safety (this behaviour we have photographed a year before).

.... or just to leave the open area for some time. Brown bears grow rapidly but they remain with mother from two to three years. During that time they will learn survival techniques such as which foods have the highest nutritional values and where to attain them, how to hunt, how to defend themselves and where to den.

If you love animals and looking for encounters with them, Finland is definitely a good place. For us, watching and photographing bear cubs was really an awesome memorable experience.

Travel arrangements and more helpful info about bear photography you can find in this blog.

Thank you for visiting.

July-August, 2015

If you want to see and photograph brown bears, there are not many better places than Finland.

This year we've spent a week in July and a week in August photographing bears. We never get bored of seeing this powerful animal and each trip presents itself with new challenges and opportunities.

Travel info. We landed in Kuusamo airport and later were transferred to Martinselkonen nature reserve. The journey by a car which was arranged via Martinselkonen wilds centre took about 2 hours (~150 km). The reserve is situated close to the Russian border in Eastern Finland. It is 170  km from Kajaani, 180 km from Kuhmo and 270 km from Oulu; so you can choose to fly to these airports instead of going to Kuusamo.

The first bear photo session starts the following afternoon. The hides are around 15 minutes drive from the lodge. There is an option to book a main big hide for group of people or pro hides for 2-3 people. We've chosen pro hides in three different locations: swamp, lake and forest. We were taken to the hides around 4 pm and stayed overnight till about 7 am. July is the best month to photograph bears.

By the way, all three trips we booked directly using Martinselkonen website. This worked out well. If you prefer travelling with a group, there are several agencies offering bear watching and photographing experiences. 

Lenses. Lenses of length 300-600mm are most useful in pro hides. Most often we used 300 and 500mm but 70-200mm was always ready on a spare camera for the moments when bears come very close to the hide. ...and it actually happened quite a lot. There is no need to bring a tripod, however you may wish to bring a tripod head.
Photographic experience. On our arrival to the swamp hide, the rain had poured nearly all day. The forest was a slop of mud and puddles, and the water level have risen dramatically in the swamp.

Brown Bear after Rain

Towards the evening, we spotted a bear with two cubs crossing the swamp. 

They came a bit closer to the hide but did not stay long. Mom and cubs looked alert and kept scanning the woods for male bears.​ 

Brown Bear Brown Bear with Cubs Bears Looking for Danger The following day we headed to the pond hide. This year cub activity by the pond was very poor. Couple years ago there was plenty of action from fluffy bear cubs who kept climbing up and getting down the trees all evening. 

Bear Cubs in the Tree Bear Cub in the Tree This time the area was left mainly for tough adults or adventurous "teenagers".

Brown Bear at Dusk Bear Climbing the Tree

The evening was calm, with no wind. Perfect conditions for reflections.

Reflection of Brown Bear Male

Most of the days we've spent in the forest hide. There is always a good activity not only from adult bears but from cubs as well. Of course, the area first is scanned by huge males.

Close-up of Brown Bear Portrait of Eurasian Brown Bear

Brown Bear in Finland

By the way, a full grown male weighs on average 250 and 300 kilograms (550 and 660 lb), females typically range between 150–250 kg (330–550 lb). We came across some interesting facts about bears:

• The largest Eurasian brown bear - 481 kg (1,058 lb).
•  Bears live as long as 30 years. One captive brown bear lived to the age of 47. 
• The most accurate way to determine the age of a bear is to count the rings in a cross section of its tooth root under a microscope.
• Bears have two layers of fur. A short layer of fur keeps the bear warm, a long layer keeps water away from the skin and short fur.
• Claws can grow up to five inches long. It's like a human finger.

Is Eurasian brown bear a threat to humans? Actually, brown bears don't seem to be a great threat towards humans. They only attack humans when defending their cubs or when they are starving. There was a tragic case that took place in June 1998, Finland. A man in his forties was out jogging in the forest. He surprised a female bear with a cub close to the jogging track and was killed.

If we talk about brown bear diet, it's interesting to mention that they mostly eat berries, roots, leaves, insects, and fruit. 

Bear Cub enjoying Blueberries Meat takes 15 % of the diet.  The archaeological remains of Eurasian brown bears show that animals were up to 80% carnivorous. Afterwards, when humans became a bigger threat and prevented the bears from hunting livestock, the animals had to adapt to their surroundings. The diet of brown bears varies enormously throughout their differing ranges. For example, bears in Yellowstone National Park eat an enormous number of moths during the summer, sometimes as many as 40,000 in a day in August. In areas of Russia and Alaska, brown bears feed mostly on salmon, the nutrition and abundance of this food accounts for the enormous size of the bears from these areas. 

Bears have been known to go after human grain stores for food, with some Russian Bears actually getting drunk on grain alcohol.

Let's go back to our bears in Finland's remote forests...This year we've witnessed quite a lot bears standing on the legs. The reason behind this behaviour is to get a better smell, sight or sometimes a good scratch...

The cubs behave in the same way when they want to get a better picture of the surrounding area. 

Bear Cub Hiding

Ancient Eurasian tribes worshiped the bear; its ability to stand and walk on two legs led them to believe it was a their brother.

One of the days was particularly warm, and some of the bears kept sitting on their hind legs in the forest trying to cool themselves down. We have not witnessed this kind of funny behavior before.

Brown Bear "Hi Five" Brown Bear in Summer

When the environment is safe with no male bears around, there is plenty of action from fluffy cubs. They are very active, play for long periods wrestling or chasing each other.

Play-Fighting Cubs Playing Bear Cubs

If we watch the cubs play-fighting together - they're just look like children. 

Brown Bear Cub Brown Bear Cub We wrote a separate blog just about the cubs. If you are interested, please check out it here.

Thank you for visiting. Hope you enjoyed it.

April-July, 2016
 

We never dreamed about getting up close to red foxes. Our love story with foxes started when we moved to a suburb of London. We started observing these animals visiting our garden from the comfort of our home and soon were able to distinguish between individual foxes. So we we named them "Paw", "Beauty",  "Mom", "Fuzzy" and etc. They are all with their individual characters and in that regard they are no different from us - humans.

The feeling that the animal trusts you is very special. At the beginning when foxes saw as in the garden, they were a bit cautious.  But after some time they allowed us close to them.  Especially "Paw" and "Oldie" showed very curious and brave personalities.

They even did not mind to fall asleep in near us.

The whole photographic experience was very excited. We did not have time for anything else; after work we used to rush straight to the garden for the evening with the foxes. We simply loved being with them. 

We used several lenses. At the beginning when the foxes were more cautious or when we wanted to photograph portraits we used Canon 500 mm f4 and 300 mm f2.8, later we experimented with wide angle lenses. 

On discovering our camera equipment, foxes were very excited and at the same time they gave as good photo opportunities.

Close-up of a Red Fox Foxes visited our garden every single day. They have not done much damage to the plants, just from time to time the younger ones used to dig up couple of bulbs. On the other hand, we have noticed that they enjoyed a whiff or two from a blossom.

Fox Smelling Flower

We consider ourselves very lucky to be able to observe such a fascinating and interesting animal as the Red fox.

More about the project 'Fox the Photographer' please read this blog.

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That will make you think...

People have mixed  feelings about foxes. All this controversy which surrounds urban foxes encouraged us to dig deeper and read articles and material by wildlife experts Prof. Stephen Harris, Dr. Dawn Scott, Chris Packham, Dr. Phil Baker and others. Mammal research group and fox website were brilliant source of information as well.

• Media likes to put such headlines as "the fox population is exploding and we're overrun". The University of Bristol's Mammal Research Unit says that contrary to what some people might expect, little has changed since the last national census in the 1980's, which found about 33,000 urban foxes across Britain. That compares with about 225,000 adult rural foxes. Professor Stephen Harris, an expert in urban foxes, says that "there has not been much change in the fox population in the last 60 years". Dr Phil Baker, an expert on urban foxes at the University of Reading, agrees with the analysis. Fox population is self-regulating; foxes annually replace their lost numbers and may not breed at all if numbers are already optimal. Animal behavior experts says it's possible we are seeing more of foxes, as they are becoming more accustomed to humans and getting braver. Foxes are not aggressive by nature which we can confirm from our observations.

• Media stories of foxes biting babies are usually exaggerated or invented as a means of diverting attention from a more embarrassing truth. According to Fox Project, of the three high profile ‘fox bites baby’ stories, one was discounted by medical evidence and subsequently ascribed to the family’s own dog; despite numerous offers of assistance, wildlife experts were denied access to the second, where rumors persisted about a family dog that ‘suddenly went missing’; and some within the media have privately informed the Fox Project that they remain dubious about the circumstances surrounding the third.

• Let's assume the stories were true; fact is the rate of attacks from foxes is nothing compared to attacks from pet dogs and cats. To give some sense of proportion, up to a quarter of a million people are injured and even killed each year in the UK by pet dogs, over 6000 of them requiring hospital treatment. Eighteen people, mainly young children, have been killed by dogs since 2005 and in the first six weeks of 2014 alone, three people were killed by domestic dogs. Thousands more people are treated annually for cat bites and scratches. A few are even killed by bee stings and stampeding cattle. How many people were killed by a fox?
• Sometimes people tell us that they do not like foxes because they look ugly and sick. A scruffy looking fox it is not necessarily an ill fox. When moulting in spring, foxes look quite rough but this does not mean they are mangy. Foxes do not carry rabies in the UK.
• So what diseases can foxes carry? Doctors routinely warn pregnant women of the dangers of toxoplasmosis. The disease can be found in almost all warm blooded birds and animals, but the only animal that Toxoplasmosis oocysts (A cyst containing a cell) can reproduce is the domestic cat. Toxocara is a nematode roundworm for which most dogs are regularly treated, and it can also be carried by foxes. Annually, only around 20 people are diagnosed with toxocareasis in the UK, the last significant infection being 27 years ago. No case has ever been ascribed to a fox. Both pet cats and dogs may carry toxocara. Foxes may suffer from sarcoptic mange. The mite may produce a mild allergic reaction similar to nettle rash in humans and is much more likely to arise from contact with an affected pet dog than from a fox, with which few humans have direct contact.
• Some people say that foxes kill their cats. It's possible for a fox to kill a cat but it is very unlikely. Foxes and cats meet many times every night, and ignore each other. From our observations we would say that foxes and cats have a mutual respect for one another. On couple occasions we have noticed a cat teasing a fox in our garden, on another occasion a fox was badly scared by a cat. 

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Even if there are so many different and controversial thoughts about the Red fox, we hope that images showing the curious and beautiful side of urban foxes will find a special place in everyone's heart.