Red Grouse Photography Workshop

I have added a new Red Grouse Photography Workshop in August as this is the perfect time to photograph these birds against the stunning carpet of purple heather. We will visit well known breeding grounds in Swaledale and Nidderdale - both are excellent locations for photographing grouse by the roadside along with many other upland birds. View the Yorkshire Dales Bird Photography page for more details.

Photographing Upland Birds

I recently led another photography workshop photographing upland birds in Nidderdale. The morning was superb - not just for birds but also for perfect weather. We had a great day and managed to bag a number of shots of lapwing, red grouse and meadow pipit - some of which posed perfectly for us by the roadside.. You can view some images taken on my Flickr group: Yorkshire Wildlife and Landscape Photography

A week ago I was back again (I just can't keep away from this fantastic location!), and once more I experienced cracking weather... in fact I can't ever remember it being so still up here on the moor. The grouse are certainly the easiest birds to photograph here and make great subjects during spring.

I was particularly happy to get images with more interesting lighting as I shot towards the early morning sun. The resulting shots make such a difference to the atmosphere.. Now I know the best spots for backgrounds I think it's a case of waiting by these places for something to happen in order to get an extra special image.

Lapwings are also confiding - a particular patch of open grass often proves fruitful for these stunning birds. I was even lucky enough to photograph a chick as it ran by the roadside before finding a hole in the stone wall to step through...
Meadow pipits continue to give me the run-around, but occasionally one will stop long enough for me to get a clean shot. What's really surprising me up here is the more unusual species that have come close to the car. Wheatear is definitely possible, and add to that the ring ouzel... a really difficult bird to shoot. As always it's a case of putting in the time! Next year I plan to run the same wildlife photography course. View Uplands Birds Photography Course to see the details.