TARMACHAN MOUNTAINEERING: WINTER WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY, THE SKILLS

A snow plastered mountain hare

I am often asked how I obtain my wildlife images, especially in the winter months. I wrote this short, concise article to give an idea of what is required if you are thinking of heading out with your camera and getting into wildlife photography.

Nowhere in the article do I use the word 'luck' :)

PHOTOGRAPHING MOUNTAIN WILDLIFE IN WINTER

When we first embrace a life in the mountains, it is not long before we have to consider what is physically and mentally required for survival in that environment. This is particularly true in winter, and perhaps doubly so, in a Scottish winter. The harsh winds, the plummeting temperatures, the disorienting whiteout all present challenges to even the most skilled and determined mountaineer.

Ptarmigan in snow shoers, Cairngorm plateau

After spending many years getting to grips with all those challenges, I began to notice more and more those creatures around me who had no respite from those same wintry conditions and yet still, year after year, thrived. I became increasingly fascinated by their story in the hills and have found my own way of telling it though photography. I like to think over time my own winter mountain skills have somehow converged with theirs.

Glorious late afternoon light with this wee mountain hare

There are not many species of animals or birds that live permanently in the Scottish hills. Indeed, if you have walked in the mountains of Scotland in Winter you could well think there are none at all! Only a select hardy handful will be found all year-round. I have been particularly drawn to the mountain hare, ptarmigan and snow bunting.

Ptarmigan sheltering beside rime iced rocks

So what skills do we need?

You may well think your photography skills with your camera would be the first thing to consider before venturing out to capture wildlife images. There are a few areas we need to consider first: Navigation, Fieldcraft, Clothing, and Equipment.

Navigation

It goes without saying, if you’re photographing wildlife up a mountain in winter conditions then good navigation skills are required. Very rarely will any mountain species be sitting on the usual route you would take to gain the summit of a hill. In an ideal world you would be wanting a nice clear day to see your wildlife but as we all know the weather can change very quickly. For much of my time I am ‘micro navigating’ and more often than not using specific boulders, rocky outcrops and steepness of ground to find my way around many wildlife locations I visit on a regular basis.

Fieldcraft

What’s is fieldcraft? In general terms, it can be described as “the techniques involved in observations in the field while remaining undetected”. However, as we will see, it’s not quite as simple as that. Human beings are seen as potential predators to most animals and birdlife, therefore a slow cautious approach to your subject is vital. In order to gain their trust, some species such as the mountain hare prefer to see you first. Sneaking up behind them, out of their field of view is almost certain to lead to them scarpering before you have time to press the shutter.

A mountain hare spotted from 100m away

When I first catch sight of a potential subject, they may be over 200 metres away. Moving quietly and slowly and keeping as low to the ground as possible, I might take up to 30 minutes to reach them. The comfort and wellbeing of the animal is paramount and certainly more important than getting that great shot.

Mountain Hare captured in motion

CLOTHING

Whilst on the hill you will be moving very slowly and sitting/standing about for long periods of time. Therefore, lots of warm clothing is essential. I will usually wear winter mountaineering boots for the warmth as much as anything else. Several pairs of gloves, from thin to big, warm mountaineering gloves are also in my bag. You may also want to carry a cut down sleeping mat to lie down on in snowy and wet conditions.

The Equipment

Photographing wildlife almost immediately requires a bigger financial commitment. A good telephoto lens is essential and they are expensive. I started out with a much cheaper model but now use a Mirrorless camera and telephoto lens.

Mirrorless cameras now offer equal or even superior image quality than the traditional DSLR. The biggest difference between them is weight, especially the lenses. Mirrorless camera bodies and lenses are much lighter and less bulky. For close up work for smaller species an ideal telephoto lens would be 100-400mm. All the images in this feature were taken with a Fujifilm XT2 & XF100-400 lens. I personally never carry a tripod as these are far too bulky, noisy and time consuming to set up for the vast majority of wildlife. By the time you’ve faffed about and made a lot of noise with setting up a tripod your subject will have gone. Most modern cameras and lenses have some sort of image stabilising technology. I will sometimes use my rucksack for keeping the camera steady on windier days. Bridge cameras can produce decent results and are cheaper. You could also consider buying a second-hand camera set up. You can often get good deals as many photographers regularly upgrade their equipment, selling their cameras and lenses as soon as the latest version appears on the market.

A good pair of binoculars are an essential item to have with you.

The Subject

Giving the natural habitat, the terrain, the weather conditions, it is essential we manage our expectations before we set out. There are not many species of animals or birds that live permanently in the Scottish hills. Indeed, if you have walked in the mountains of Scotland in winter, you could be forgiven for thinking there aren’t any at all! But trust me, for the avid patient wildlife photographer, there is plenty to see if you know where to look.

Only a select, hardy handful will be found year-round, up high in the Scottish mountains.

It is a good idea to do some research. The snow bunting might be found in a very different place from the ptarmigan or the mountain hare.

Wildlife guidebooks and websites are an excellent resource to get an idea of locations of various animals. There are plenty of blogs and social media posts of fellow wildlife enthusiasts to inspire and inform.

Eye level with the mountain hare

HABITAT

Plenty of prior research in your chosen subject is vital. Unless you have a single species objective you may well end up just roaming around the hillside aimlessly and hoping you get lucky with something to capture. Many of our upland wildlife can be found in the same, relatively small area all year round. Species such as Red Deer, Mountain Hare and Ptarmigan can often be found in the same locations, summer and winter. Get out in the summer time and get to know a local area well in preparation for photographing in the winter.

My favourite subjects to capture

Mountain Hare

This is one of the most adorable animals to study and photograph. They are true characters and everyone loves them! Our only native species of Hare or Rabbit. They have three changes of fur or pelage through the year. In winter, from about November to the end of March, their pelage changes from brown to white, mainly for camouflage. You may think they will be more difficult to see and find during the winter season. You will quite often get plenty of clues to their whereabouts, the most obvious being their footprints in snow across hillsides and snowfields. Unlike their distant cousins, Rabbits, they do not live-in burrows or underground. They will rest and sleep at a ‘form’ out in the open. They sit and sleep for many hours and this is the best time of day for photographing them. These forms are little more than ledges or peat hags, sometimes boulders on more rockier areas. Every hare is individual, some may not let you get anywhere near them while others they can confide in you. I regularly spend over 1 hour sitting less than 2 metres away from a Hare.

Best locations: Cairngorms, Monadhliath, Grampians, Inverness-shire.

Mountain Hare at ease with the photographer

Ptarmigan

In the UK the Rock Ptarmigan can only be found high up in the Scottish mountains, never below 500m. Another mountain specialist a changing plumage throughout the year. They will transform from their brown/grey colouring in Autumn to almost completely white by November. Like many animals in winter they will be resting and conserving their energy for the coldest, snowiest part of the year in the Scottish mountains.

Best locations: Cairngorms.

Female ptarmigan

Ptarmigan at the 'golden hour'

Snow Bunting

Another mountain specialist that can be regularly seen in the Cairngorms and some of our highest mountains in Scotland. ON snowier, windier days they tend to come to lower altitudes. Often seen where humans leave scraps of food, they will scavenge your food crumbs from the ground. On that subject, I never ‘bait’ wildlife to get my photographs. That is a personal choice.

Snow Bunting, Ben Nevis

Sometimes, of course, our weather can be very stormy and with very poor visibility. On this kind of days, I will go to lower altitudes which are far less demanding! Below the treeline we have some wonderful species to photograph. Two Cairngorm specialities are our Red Squirrel and the Crested Tit. Firm favourites by many photographers who visit the area. There are companies that operate wildlife hides to observe and photograph these and other animals. These can be a good places start to your wildlife photography especially if you are completely new to the activity.