Mountain Hare Guided Wildlife Photography Day in Cairngorms National Park
Available All Year Round
Prices
1-1 tuition £200 per day
1-2 tuition £300 per day (for you and a friend)
Mountain Hares is a good but laborious day with a tough hike up into the mountain habitat that they enjoy.
Mountain Hare (Lepus Timidus) is the only true native rabbit or hare species to the Great Britain with the common rabbit and hare introduced by humans as they moved from the continent to the islands.
They are masters of camouflage blending into their environment whatever time of year.
During the summer they have a coat (pelage) of grey-brown which blends in to the heather and boulders of the mountain ecosystem easily.
In the winter they change colour to be almost completely white to blend in with the snow that coats the hills. Although during mild winters when the snow is not abundant then they tend to stick out!
Scotland is one of the few areas of the U.K. where the Mountain Hare thrives as it lives in higher altitudes unavailable further south. Unfortunately this is one of the species that is harmed by the Red Grouse shooting industry, as some claim it is responsible for spreading disease among the birds even though there is no evidence. Which means on many grouse moors they cull these gentle mammals to control their populations.
Luckily where we go for the day has decided to stop this action and allows the population of Mountain Hares to control itself. The population goes through a natural cycle of growth until it reaches its peak and then decline as the population stabilises to be able to take advantage of the available natural resources.
All locations for Mountain Hares require a hike to get into their environment, we will take it slow keeping an eye out for possible subjects as we move up the mountains.
I know a few locations around the Cairngorms National Park that have good populations of Mountain Hares.
Luckily as their Latin name suggests they are rather timid and easily approached. The hard part is getting up to them and then approaching slowly so as not to scare them. As with all animals, each individual has a boundary of safety, an invisible area in which they feel comfortable with your presence. If we get too close too fast then they will run up the mountain away from us, and it would be almost impossible to stay with that individual as they are now on alert.
Instead we will find a second subject with whom to spend some time. Ideally we will not break that boundary but it can happen on occasion if that individual is nervous or if there is a Golden Eagle flying overhead at the same time. The moors are very un-even ground with mounds and holes across the terrain, and there are often swampy areas.
So we will move cautiously once we have found an individual, and we will get low down crawling across through the heather to get close.
I prefer to photograph Mountain Hares early in the morning, it’s a bit quieter and tranquil and the moors are just waking up, so during the summer the day will begin at around 08:00 and will last until late afternoon, around 18:00 or 19:00.
From November to 14th February, Deer stalking takes place across the terrain and it is not possible to ascend the hills before 11:00, in which case I will pick you up at 10:00 and head straight for the hills, and we will be out until sunset before coming back to your accommodation.
If you would like to extend the day in the summer to include the sunset, which will cast beautiful golden light across the moor and provide some dramatic lighting then that can be arranged with a little change to the price but we will discuss your needs.
I will let you know exactly what time when we discuss your booking.
We will continue no matter what the weather is, as the rain or snow can often provide for some new and interesting images, such as the shaking Mountain Hare.
Personally, I think it’s a good idea to have an idea of what kind of image you would like to get before we head out. We can work on getting some close portraits of Mountain Hares with the colours of the heather in the background and we can also try for some wider images, placing the animal in its environment.
You should bring all of your equipment that you can and we can explore different images using the car to store our equipment before heading out on to the moors.
We will discuss images, ideas, compositions and techniques throughout the day, and I hope to give you some information on field techniques for wildlife photography.
It depends on your level of photography as to how much we will need to cover, but I can give you as much tuition as you desire.
In the car there will be a box of fresh fruit and a box of chocolate bars, and some hot water to make hot drinks, such as coffee, tea or hot chocolate. You are welcome to help yourself and we will take regular breaks.
You will need to bring your own packed lunch for the day, but if you are unable to bring a lunch we can stop at a supermarket or shop for you to buy your lunch for the day.
Payment will be taken at the time of booking via bank transfer or Stripe to secure your dates
Fitness Level
This is quite an intense day with uphill hiking and walks across the heather moors, which is very un-even and often wet underfoot. We will often be crawling through the heather to get closer.
What’s Included
Photography Tuition
Transport throughout the day
Water, hot drinks and snacks
Species We May Encounter:
Mountain Hare!
Golden Plover
Red Grouse
Meadow Pippit
Golden Eagle
Hen Harrier
Wild Goats
Dipper
What’s NOT Included
Equipment Rental - unfortunately I don’t have equipment such as cameras, lenses or filters to lend you for the day and you will be required to provide your own
Lunch - please don’t forget to bring a packed lunch for the day, I would recommend bringing a little extra than you normally would as it is a long day
Recommended Equipment
The links below are affiliate links to amazon.co.uk this means that if you make a purchase, amazon will pay me a small commission, this does not affect the price for you but it helps to support my work and it means amazon earn less too!
DSLR/4:3/Mirrorless Camera (a camera of some description, I use a Canon 1DX mark II)
Telephoto lens (such as Canon 100-400mm f4-5.6 or Tamron 70-300mm f4-5.6)
Prime Lenses like Canon 400mm f2.8, 500mm f4 or 600mm f4 would be very useful or their equivalent for your system
Teleconverters (such as Canon 1.4x or Canon 2x teleconverter)
Tripod (such as 3 Legged Thing Winston Tripod or Gitzo Series 3)
Waterproof jacket and trousers (such as Berghaus Deluge Trousers and Jacket) a real must to be able to crawl around the heather comfortably
Warm clothes, hat and gloves
Spare Batteries, memory cards and anything else you may need
Don’t forget your Lunch
Please familiarise yourself with the Health and Safety Policy regarding Guided Photography days and in particular the Risk Assessment for your chosen activity. By booking a guided session, you agree to the Terms and Conditions set out in the booking form.
