I can’t believe that this photo was taken over a year ago, as it feels like yesterday. Ok maybe not exactly yesterday, as the heat wave conditions on this June day in 2018 are a little different to the dreich days we’ve been having in Glasgow this week, but still not that long ago. If you follow me on Instagram, you’ll realise I’ve been reading The Seafarers by Stephen Rutt. In his wonderful book, Rutt describes his experiences on some of the UK’s most remote and beautiful islands and the birds that grace these special places. I relate to the way he describes his connection to the islands and how these feelings stay with you long after you’re back on the mainland.⠀
We only visited the Isle of May for a few hours but the experience has stayed with me. It was a trip of firsts. It was my first time on an island filled with seabirds. It was my first time photographing puffins and my first time being dive-bombed by terns. I loved every minute of it and missed it as soon as we left. However, while my memories are stuffed full of the seabirds, this photo is a reminder of the smaller birds that prevail in some of the most extreme conditions. It is a reminder that, when the sky is filled with puffins and other delights, it is always worth looking around for what you might be missing under your nose.⠀
I spotted his rock pipit walking over the rock with what looked like a bee or wasp held in its sharp bill. I’ve since found out that the rock pipit can live in the harsh coastal environment all year round sustained by the abundant invertebrate life provided by the changing tides due to the lack of competition from rival species. Like my other photos from this trip, you can see some heat haze but this turned out to be one of my sharpest photos from the May. It has also sparked an interest in another bird I hadn’t seen before. It was my first, and so far only, time photographing a rock pipit.⠀