It's been a great photo workshop season in Edinburgh this year - with plenty of amazing encounters of winter waders and pink-footed geese. Last Friday saw my last group photographing purple sandpipers and sanderling at North Berwick. Rarely have these rare sandpipers been so confiding, and everyone came away with great photos. Although the light was less spectacular than in early winter, nevertheless the cloudy skies made for some moody photos and nice reflections with the redshanks. We didn't get as far as Aberlady this time, stopping instead at Longniddry to look for Slavonian Grebe, Mergansers and a White-Billed Diver. Whilst this rare vagrant from Iceland eluded us, we had stellar photo opportunities with a Red-Throated Diver which swam very close to shore. Whilst there was a biting chill in the air, winter is on the wing as the last Pink-Footed Geese set off to the cacophony of hooting Eider ducks.
In the evening I presented my Life Of A Wildlife Photographer talk to the University of Edinburgh Photo Society, where it was warmly received by an audience of about 25 photography newbies. Always a pleasure to return to my alma mater and see familiar friendly faces, and hopefully the next visit will be as productive.
