Ptarmigan - Lagopus muta
Canon 300mm f6.3 for 1/250th @ iso500
In amongst the boulders up towards the plateau in the Cairngorm Mountains live the Ptarmigan like the Mountain Hare another resident of the higher peaks.
When I say boulders these boulders are the size of a small car - thrown together by some force of nature millions of years ago, when clambering over and around them the gaps between them they are potential "leg brakers". David had told me that when the snow is on the mountain extra care has to be taken as those gaps fill with loose snow and to all intents and purposes look like solid ground, until that is you put your foot onto them.
The walk / climb was long not steep just long and the 300mm (2.8) and body seemed to gain weight every step taken after an hour or so of walking !!
Arriving at our destination I could not see anything, I was not sure what I was expecting to see but all it seemed to be was huge barren boulder field devoid of any life. David and Margaret settled down for a pre-lunch post early morning breakfast snack and as we sat, out from the boulder field the Ptarmigan began to appear and so started a photo session with the Ptarmigan...
The day passed quickly and watching the weather changing down below us with dark clouds blowing in we made the journey back down the hill - it seemed a much shorter walk back down the hill !!
The next day we spent in the forest watching the Red Squirrels.
In amongst the boulders up towards the plateau in the Cairngorm Mountains live the Ptarmigan like the Mountain Hare another resident of the higher peaks.
When I say boulders these boulders are the size of a small car - thrown together by some force of nature millions of years ago, when clambering over and around them the gaps between them they are potential "leg brakers". David had told me that when the snow is on the mountain extra care has to be taken as those gaps fill with loose snow and to all intents and purposes look like solid ground, until that is you put your foot onto them.
The walk / climb was long not steep just long and the 300mm (2.8) and body seemed to gain weight every step taken after an hour or so of walking !!
Arriving at our destination I could not see anything, I was not sure what I was expecting to see but all it seemed to be was huge barren boulder field devoid of any life. David and Margaret settled down for a pre-lunch post early morning breakfast snack and as we sat, out from the boulder field the Ptarmigan began to appear and so started a photo session with the Ptarmigan...
The day passed quickly and watching the weather changing down below us with dark clouds blowing in we made the journey back down the hill - it seemed a much shorter walk back down the hill !!
The next day we spent in the forest watching the Red Squirrels.