During Mid October I had visited both Richmond and Bradgate Parks to photograph and experience the Deer rut. This natural event happens every Autumn season and is the most important part of the year for the deer.
Abhishek Deepak
Photographing Red Deer at Lyme Park
Lyme Park which is located near Stockport is a short train journey away from where I live and it forms part of the Peak District. I had visited here just last September mainly to photograph Red Deer which is the largest land mammal in the UK. October is the peak time where the Deer rut takes place across various parks in the UK and I will be visiting Richmond Park and also Bradgate Park which is not only good to experience the Deer rut but also good for bird photography. Overall this was a great experience to observe and photograph Red Deers in large number up close. However during Deer rutting season, getting very close to male stags can be quite dangerous as they are high on testosterone and very aggressive.
Yorkshire Coast Landscapes and Seascapes
I had booked a trip to Bempton for two nights during the first week of August mainly to photograph Puffins, Gannets and other seabirds around the RSPB Bempton site and also do some landscape photography which you could read here. However I decided to further check out other places around Bempton and on doing so, I came across a blog post titled “A guide to photographing Flamborough Head“.
I was impressed by the images and I took this as a photography challenge to visit those spots and a few more and photograph them and for this reason, I then planned to stay for an additional 3 nights.
Visit to RSPB Bempton Cliffs
Having visited RSPB Bempton Cliffs early August, here is a selection of images taken over the few days I was there. It is home to not only Gannets but also Puffins however Puffin numbers are less in August since they go out at sea and return early spring. Gannets remain until October. There was also some sighting of Tree Sparrows and other common birds such as Blackbirds but did not get to see any Hares or Barn Owls as they are resident to the area. The nature reserve is located on the Yorkshire Coast overlooking the North Sea.
Badger Watching at Hoo Farm
I had decided to visit Hoo Farm which is a small zoo located in Telford. They do have a number of captive birds and animals and they play an important role in conservation. I have visited the zoo on two occasions mainly to photograph wild badgers from a hide located within the zoo. There is a badger sett within the zoo where a group of badgers reside forming an underground network. Every Saturday the zoo organizes a badger watch from within the hide from 5pm to 8pm. There is also other wildlife to be seen as well like foxes however on both occasions, the foxes did not appear. The first visit was good as I got some good sightings of the badger and was the first time I had ever seen a badger.
Birding at Norfolk
Norfolk is a great place for birding and wildlife photography in England. I had visited Norfolk earlier this month mainly to photograph common seals but there are lots of opportunities for wildlife.
Photographing Seals at Blakeney Point
Blakeney Point is a nature reserve in Blakeney village in the county of Norfolk. During the summer, many common seals assemble at Blakeney Point to give birth to seal pups. I had planned this trip a few months back and decided to visit in July. At the Blakeney Point, there are not only common seals but also Grey Seals and various seabirds such as Sandwich Terns and Oyster Catchers.
Mountains and Monasteries of Leh
Leh, Ladakh is one of the most scenic and photogenic places in India. Leh was the ancient capital of Ladakh and now in the state of Jammu and Kashmir in India. Leh has a lot heritage sites and monasteries and is mainly dominated by Buddhism. The best time to visit Leh would be between April to September. I have myself visited Leh 4 times. It is not only a place where people go for treks and expeditions but also a great place for sightseeing and interacting with locals. One word of advice when visiting Leh is to rest on the day of arrival since Leh is 3500m above sea level. One can get high altitude sickness so it is best to acclimatize slowly at this altitude.
My Trip to North Berwick
North Berwick is a small town just 40 miles off Edinburgh and is definitely not as crowded as Edinburgh which is a good thing. Just off North Berwick are a few small islands such as Bass Rock and the Isle of May.
Isle of May is home to rabbits, puffins, guillemots, fulmars, eider ducks, oyster catchers, gulls and a few other birds. Sometimes you may spots seals basking on the rocks. Bass Rock island is home to gannets, the entire landscape of Bass Rock is colonized by gannets, over a million. There is the Scottish Seabird Centre which looks after the welfare of these birds mainly through the support of volunteers and they also organize boat trips to these islands.
Trip to Edinburgh May 2018
Edinburgh in Scotland is a nice city with so much going on but with so many tourists, it gets very crowded. It is a good place to visit but if one wants to avoid the crowds, then the best time is in winter. It is a mix between traditional and modern architecture.
However there is lots to do for all age groups from kids to adults. This trip was mainly a family visit and was long train journey from Birmingham to Edinburgh. We stayed at self catering accommodation at Corstorphine which is a suburb of Edinburgh. Self-catering is a good option if one does not like to eat out all the time. Here it feels like you are at home even when on vacation. On some days we used to get a taxi but also there is good and reliable public transport which saves alot of money.