Aviemore · Cairngorms National Park

Chasing Ospreys In Aviemore

Early starts, quiet anticipation and the unforgettable moment an Osprey folds back its wings and strikes the water.

Photographing Ospreys around Aviemore has become one of the highlights of my summer. It usually begins with the alarm going off at a ridiculous hour and a drive across the Dava Moor at around two in the morning. Although getting out of bed is never easy, the journey itself is often worth it. I love watching the first colour appear over the mountains, with soft blues and pinks in the sky and patches of mist lying quietly in the valleys below.

I spend much of the summer chasing Ospreys with Gordon and Ian. They are both incredibly knowledgeable guides with a genuine passion for the wildlife. Gordon isn’t a photographer himself and still insists that his Samsung phone is just as capable as all the expensive camera equipment the rest of us carry. It has become part of the experience and usually raises a smile during the quieter moments in the hide.

There can be long periods when nothing happens, but that is all forgotten when an Osprey suddenly appears. Watching such a powerful bird descend from the sky, bring its talons forward and fold its wings back before hitting the water is something that never loses its impact. Everything happens in a fraction of a second—spray fills the frame, the bird fights to rise and you hope you managed to follow the action.

Even when the bird misses, the experience is still special. It is the waiting, the early journey and the shared anticipation that make these mornings so memorable. Coming home with a photograph is the reward, but simply witnessing the moment is what keeps me returning every summer.