Otter - Lutra lutra
Canon 600mm f4 for for 1/1250th @ iso400
The dog otter, no words best describe him other than big and bold. I caught up with him one sunny Ardnamurchan morning, the type of morning where the air is still, the loch mirror flat and the sun just rising above the mountains in the east.
I had spent the best part of two hours with him on the loch shore as he fished for crabs - the larger crabs being brought to shore to be ripped apart, there was no need to follow him up and down the shoreline as he just kept returning from the loch to near enough the same spot to devour his catches. With all his senses he surely knew I was about but sitting still he just went about his business.
At one point after a sustained period of fishing he hauled himself out of the water and had a good scratching session whilst he was lying about on the shoreline seaweed as the cloud of midges that surrounded and descended on him in a swarm every time he emerged from the loch had perhaps penetrated his thick fur.
What an animal and what a privilege it is when out photographing to have moments like this, this photo was taken after he had returned to the water and fished a bit more, then hauling himself onto the shoreline, he simply walked past me !
The dog otter, no words best describe him other than big and bold. I caught up with him one sunny Ardnamurchan morning, the type of morning where the air is still, the loch mirror flat and the sun just rising above the mountains in the east.
I had spent the best part of two hours with him on the loch shore as he fished for crabs - the larger crabs being brought to shore to be ripped apart, there was no need to follow him up and down the shoreline as he just kept returning from the loch to near enough the same spot to devour his catches. With all his senses he surely knew I was about but sitting still he just went about his business.
At one point after a sustained period of fishing he hauled himself out of the water and had a good scratching session whilst he was lying about on the shoreline seaweed as the cloud of midges that surrounded and descended on him in a swarm every time he emerged from the loch had perhaps penetrated his thick fur.
What an animal and what a privilege it is when out photographing to have moments like this, this photo was taken after he had returned to the water and fished a bit more, then hauling himself onto the shoreline, he simply walked past me !