Gannets in the air

Bass Rock also provides great opportunities to get flight shots of Gannets. The first opportunity is from the island itself as there are always hundreds of Gannets flying overhead. And if the wind is in the right direction (particularly when the sun is downwind of the prevailing wind) then you can get some great shots as birds hang in the wind or slow down as they come into land. Unfortunately on all my visits, the wind direction has meant that the Gannets have been landing into the sun, making photography quite tricky.

The following shots were taken of the many Gannets flying over and around the island.

Gannet in flightBass Rock, East Lothian, Scotland

Gannet in flightBass Rock, East Lothian, Scotland

Gannet in flightBass Rock, East Lothian, Scotland

Gannet in flightBass Rock, East Lothian, Scotland

Gannet in flightBass Rock, East Lothian, Scotland

The markings of this juvenile Gannet show clearly in flight. 

Gannet in flightBass Rock, East Lothian, Scotland

The other place you can get good flight photos is from the boat. This is true as you approach and leave the island but the best opportunity is the "chumming". The experience of being in and around 150,000 Gannets on the island is quite something. Chumming adds another dimension to the trips altogether. Essentially chumming is when the crew of the boat throw fish into the sea to attract the birds. The first birds that come down are the Herring Gulls. But soon the Gannets take interest, congregating and circling over head. They then dive from great heights to catch the fish, into the sea right besides the boat - amazing!

Again photography can be quite tricky - the birds are very fast and very close - whilst the flight shots over the land are taken with a 100-400 mm lens , the following shots are taken with a 15-85mm lens, sometimes at the 15 mm end. It is all over in a flash (make sure you are ready and don't have to change lenses or cards etc) and there are a lot of birds getting in the way of each other. Most of the time I get one "keeper" out of a series of shots taken whilst the bird prepares and then dives into the water. I still haven't nailed the classical dive shot in three visits - but here are some of my attempts from this trip.

Gannet preparing to diveBass Rock, East Lothian, Scotland

Gannet preparing to diveBass Rock, East Lothian, Scotland

Gannet preparing to diveBass Rock, East Lothian, Scotland

Gannet diveBass Rock, East Lothian, Scotland

Gannet diveBass Rock, East Lothian, Scotland

Gannet diveBass Rock, East Lothian, Scotland

Gannet diveBass Rock, East Lothian, Scotland

This final shot shows two gannets squabbling over a piece of fish.

Gannet diveBass Rock, East Lothian, Scotland

Bass Rock is quite simply the best photography (and wildlife) experience I have ever had. I would gladly go again - although to get 4 out of 4 successful landings might be expecting too much!!

There are many more images from this and my previous trips in the Gannets gallery here.

Futher details of the trips themselves itself can be found on the links page.