Ever dreamed of being a "Castaway"? For me as a schoolboy it was a very romanic notion and if I'm honest it still has some appeal. I guess there is only so long you can resist the comforts of modern day living though but the benefit of being on an island is that feeling that you are detached and liberated from the rest of the world.
I first visited the Isle of May in 2012 and it's become a love affair, each year I have been called back and each year I have been lucky enough to be accommodated with a week's stay both as a pure visitor and as a volunteer. The first visit was in stark contrast to what is there today and a lot of hard work and effort has gone in to transforming what was basic accommodation with no electricity, just gas for cooking and running very limited refrigeration, and just a chemical "Porta Potty" for toilet facilities.
Back in 2012 and my first visit was inspired by a report I'd read by someone who had stayed there previously and who had witnessed some amazing views of a Merlin, a bird I had always wanted to see and photograph. I persuaded my friend Mike to go with me and that was the beginning of an annual trip we have taken to somewhere in Europe every year since. This year as well as joining me on a trip to Estonia I suggested he came back to "the May" to see the changes for himself. Besides this time we'd be there at the height of the breeding season and not in a cold damp April as we had been back in 2012.
I knew he'd be impressed, the changes have been amazing in such a short period of time.
Our accommodation, the "Low Light", a disused light house has been extended to provide more room, more comfort.
In 2012 the Low Light looked like this
In 2018 it has a large extension housing 3 bedrooms, a toilet and a shower room
The Low Light is the home of the I.O.M Bird Observatory and to which I belong as a member. The Lighthouse Tower doesn't form a part of the accommodation and it's sad to see it's not getting the benefit of the maintenance it needs.
Maybe a paint company might see this and decide it would make a great before and after advert! One of the problems though is that being an island transporting everything needed for any kind of maintenance is a problem. It all has to come by boat although until recently oil supplies to run the still working Main Light came by helicopter drop.
That is no longer needed though as the power supply was recently changed to solar.
So that's the attraction then. A small island, just a few miles off the Scottish mainland sharing the accommodation with just 5 other people. There are others to share the island with, there's the warden and his assistant, along with a few researchers who monitor the annual events taking place on the island with 200,000+ nesting seabirds as well as good numbers of breeding seals too.
The hub of their activity is known as Fluke Street, originally built to house generators and a coal store.( lots of interesting background available:- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isle_of_May
the buildings are a 10 minute walk from the Low Light so you still have a feeling of complete isolation, well except for a couple of hours a day when up to 120 day trippers arrive to explore.
And what a place to explore it is too! As well as the islands "industrial" and religious history, you do have all those birds and an opportunity to get up close and personal and to observe the rigours of daily life each of the resident species has to endure.
And endure they do. This year was a particularly bad start when a storm dubbed "the beast from the east" hit the whole of Europe and put the arrival of many birds and their breeding programme back many weeks. This impacted on our visit as much of the hoped for activity we expected to see wasn't happening. This was disappointing but such is the unpredictable way of nature and wildlife.
A minor storm struck whilst we were on the island
and although it's impact was less than originally feared it was still estimated that as many as 450 Guillemot and Razorbill "nests" might have been washed or blown off the cliff face that took the brunt of the above average sized waves the storm produced.
A beautifully calm sea and idyllic spot
was still a cauldron of waves 24 hours after the storm passed through
Life on the island down the ages has never been easy for the human inhabitants, you can still find yourself marooned there for several days if the boats are unable to dock, but for the bird life it really is a constant fight for survival.
TBC
So there we were once again and for the last time, back in the "old" bear hide. Our fourth overnight of the year in here and it was beginning to feel like home!
As we'd walked to the hide, the man who looks after everything had passed us on his Quad Bike, a couple of buckets of food on the back but no young lady. We assumed he'd go back for her but it wasn't to be. She had been left to walk on her own which made me feel a bit guilty as she could have come with us. Shown in to her hide which she had all to herself I nipped across and offered the use of our fly spray to kill off any mosquitos that might have entered the hide and to tell her we'd give her a knock when we were about to leave in the morning so she could walk back with us.
Before settling down in the hide we had a few little cosmetic jobs to do, whilst I tried to remove certain bits of grass and other undergrowth to give a clearer view Mike set about baiting a tree trunk.
Our objective to see if we could get the bear to stand upright! We'd seen it do just that in the middle of the clearing on a previous visit but the light had been far too dark to get a photograph. Maybe, with a little encouragement we could replicate the shot to a certain extent?
We'd agreed which tree to use, one we would both have a clear view of but Mike went to the wrong one. Too late, what was left I smeared on another tree which I could see.
Then we settled down for the evening.
Once again the action started early!
As before the Racoon Dogs were first.
Some seem to tolerate each other, others don't!
They are always aware of what's going on around them, sniffing the air and often staring in a given direction giving us a clue that something was about to happen.
The bear was on it's way!
No matter how often you see one it's still one impressive beast!
Tonight we had two bears.
This one loosing it's winter coat.
Again we had some great views.
The bears hung around for a while but after about 45 minutes they were both gone for good, or so we thought anyway. They often take a piece of food and wander off to eat it out of sight in the woods before returning for more, why this need for security I don't know but they must feel vulnerable in an open glade even though they wander around there for some time.
Once they have gone the Racoon Dogs were soon back and this time the Fox too.
The bait used to attract the bears is what appears to be soaked bread crusts and fish heads.
The bread is out in the open and is attractive to birds as well as all the other visitors, however the Racoon Dogs, Fox and Bears all prefer the fish heads and in an attempt to prevent all but the latter access to them various ways have been developed to try and prevent them.
Holes in the ground with logs over or wooden boards, anything really. The Racoon Dogs have the patience to dig under them though and can spend ages attempting entry. When you get a bit closer to the spots, particularly when the grass is shorter you realise the ground is full of craters a bit like a World War 1 battle ground in miniature.
One Racoon Dog had made several visits to the same spot and eventually got the prize he was after, a plump meaty Salmon head.
But someone had seen the opportunity too!
Enter stage left Mr Fox!
He must be aware of a presence in the hide but he wasn't detered in the slightest.
He was eyeing up the recently excavated fish head and he made his ambush quick and effective. Soon he was running off with his stolen prize.
We had some great views of all three mammal species, probably the best of any of our five nights.
The early visits in good light were a bonus.
but because we were in a clearing in the woods the light still fades reasonably early. Between 20.00 and 21.00 pm the action had virtually dried up so Mike decided to have a lie down. I said I'd try and keep going a while longer and lucky I did.
Just as it was getting dark one of the bears returned!
I woke Mike to come and see.
Having investigated one of the baited areas the bears had opened earlier the bear realised the Racoon Dogs had taken the rest of the food.
The bear wandered across the clearing and started sniffing.
Bingo, he'd discovered our bait.
He was soon up on his hind legs helping himself but to my total distress he wasn't in camera shot from my position in the hide. Even if I tipped the camera over as far as it would go through the viewing portal the view was blocked by a tree!
This was unbelievably frustrating. Lean over a foot or two and the view was perfect, as it was from Mike's position. He was rattling off the shots and I was sat cursing out loud!
Mike realised my dilemma and offered to swop positions which was very decent of him but we should have simply taken our camera bodies off the lens and swopped over that way but it was too late. Mike had pulled his lens ( identical to mine) out of the portal to allow me to stick mine through instead. This involved trying to push it through the cloth screen bag too and took precious moments. By the time I managed I tried to focus the camera and it wouldn't. I think the focus ring was caught in the bag. By the time I'd re adjusted it I was almost too late.
But not quite!
I got two shots one of which wasn't very sharp but who needs two anyway.
I was delighted to have got one at all!
The bear seemed to have finished with that tree and was now attracted by a second one I had baited.
but then he must have noticed some activity, probably in our hide.
He suddenly turned and ran and that was the last we saw of him!
The next morning we were awake very early as usual but couldn't really leave until the agreed time of 8.00am. After an hour and a half Mike suggested he knock on the other hide and see if the young lady was awake yet, it was after all 7.30am.
Was she ready? You bet!
Poor thing had had a sleepless night worried we would go without her. I think the size of the bears had taken her by surprise too, especially the one that had been stood up! She'd hardly slept all night!
We walked back to our cars together which was when we discovered her English was very good indeed. We asked if she'd seen everything, which indeed she had, and if she had some decent pictures.
She said that her camera gear wasn't up to it.
I have to say Mike and I are lucky to have top of the range gear that actually can make a dark scene quite light. Those last shots of mine were taken at ISO 25,600 which for those who don't know too much about photography is way beyond the limits of most cameras. Back in the days of film you had a choice of ISO 100, 200 or 400. Things have moved since then!
Anyway, amused by the size of our lenses, she asked to take a few shots of them so we took some of her holding one using her phone and promised we'd send her some bear photos too.
We bade our farewells, she was heading back to Tallin and college, we were off to the filling station for breakfast!
It was a long walk to start the day but eventually we got to our car and headed off to our breakfast spot, the same filling station as the previous day. Coffee, pastries, and free internet to catch up on the World Cup soccer scores.
Today we'd head directly north, check out a couple of spots near the coast. We were still looking for that Rosefinch!
Alas, today wasn't to be the day and we had to settle for some other sights instead.
A pair of Red-backed Shrikes appeared to have a nest nearby and were busy collecting food.
but that was about all we could find although Mike was delighted he'd seen a brief glimpse of his first ever Barred Warbler. I was elsewhere at the time!
We decided to head south to an area of wetland nearer to the Russian border. Sadly we never found the wetland, a huge area of what was once probably peat bog has been stripped bare which huge hills of peat being ready to be taken away and what remains a totally sterile environment. Very sad indeed so think twice before buying these products for your garden.
The surrounding forest brought better luck though. I had a brief view of a Hazel Grouse we flushed as we drove past but it was the movement of several small birds that caused us to stop. A mixed feeding flock of Great Tits and better still, Crested Tits.
I'd never seen one before so I was delighted!
This seemed to be the end of our lucky streak there and we decided we'd head back to bear hide to get there nice and early, around 4.00pm. So far the action had been early evening so the sooner everything was settled maybe the sooner the animals would come out to play?
We also needed to get some supplies for the evening meal too so it ended up another stop at a previously visited supermarket. One we had previously dubbed the worst in Estonia and it was now upgraded to possibly the worst in Europe! The choice of food was truly awful but they did at least have the one product we really wanted but more of that later!
We drove on, continuing along a minor road before leaving on a gravel track which was a short cut to where we wanted to be.
Along the way we heard a Corncrake calling from what we thought was the edge of the road. We stopped and reversed back a short distance. It was loud and clear, perhaps in the grassy ditch along the roadside that separated us from an orchard which the owner was mowing with his tractor.
It was then we realised the sound was actually coming from a very small square of long grass, maybe a metre square at most. The Corncrake had taken refuge in here as it was the last remains of long grass as the grass cutter couldn't take this part as there was a telegraph pole in the middle of it.
Mike suggested I go and take a closer look, I knew his tactic was to get the flight shot when I flushed it! I suggested he went and fair do's he did!
I have no excuses for what happened next!
I should have nailed the shot but I didn't. Far from it in fact.
Too many mistakes. As he approached the patch i realised I had my 1.4 TC connected to my 500mm f4 lens. Quick take it off! I managed that before the bird flew but I was using far too slow a shutter speed, I was using all the focus points and I had the image stabilisation set on the wrong settings.
I should have told Mike to wait but for some reason I didn't. Perhaps it was because the tractor was heading back towards him and it was private land he was standing in! Whatever, I made a total cock up of the situation , and that is something that will irritate for some time to come. Will probably irritate Mike too as he had no chance of getting a shot from his position and he probably regrets the fact that it was me who got the chance that he would have taken better!
Ah well, at least we saw this elusive bird. Many people have heard one but never seen one.
Driving on we also spotted a pair of Common Cranes. We'd been hoping for better views than we'd had last time in Estonia but this was as good as it was to get.
The heat haze, the vegetation and the fact that they immediately turn their backs and walk away from you all contributed to another unsatisfactory outcome!
Onwards to the bear hide and despite having taken the identical route before, I managed to direct Mike down the wrong track! Still we got to the hide by around 16.15pm.
We were getting ourselves ready when another car turned up. One lady driver, a young student from Belarus who said she spoke little English but we later found out her English was a lot better than our non existent Russian. Someone had gifted her the hide experience so she was there to meet the guide at 5.00pm. We could have offered to walk her to the hide but thought better to let her meet the guide in case he thought she hadn't turned up( although of course a car would be there) We set off alone and wondered what the poor girl was thinking. Would she be sharing a hide with two strange men?
We didn't have a lot of time on this return visit and that was made less by the fact that if we were spending the first three nights in a bear hide. We had to be in there by 17.30pm and couldn't really leave until 7.30am, just to make sure the bears had left the area ! By the time we'd walked to the car, driven to the nearest petrol filling station for coffee, pastries and general ablutions it was probably getting on for 10.00am. What would we do with our time? Where would we go?
Well, I'd read a trip report that suggested the Palmse Hotel had some decent grounds and would be worth a visit so that's were we headed. About an hour's drive away.
Large grounds complete with ornamental lakes and one or two decent birds too.
Yellowhammer
and Icterine Warbler
Our attention was grabbed by a female Goldeneye along with three ducklings.
but no sign of the male. Neither was there any sign of our hoped for target species...Rosefinch. No new birds for the year then but we did have a splendid late lunch and a beer before heading back for our first visit to the "new" bear hide.
We wasted about an hour searching for the supermarket we'd used last time but eventually found a much, much better one and so , stocked up with provisions for the night's meal we set off to find the hide and meet our guide who'd show us the way.
The hide was set deep in the forest this time and we got a lift for half the distance in his 4x4 pick up, our Opel astra wasn't up for the forest track. Even then we still had a fair walk but having learnt from past experience we were now travelling much lighter. No need for extra clothes, I left my laptop in the car but not knowing the layout I took my 100-400 as we'll as my 500mm f4 lenses along with two bodies, my Canon 1DX2 and 5D4. So much of the gear I'd brought to Estonia on the first trip had been left at home!
The new hide was impressive, in fact there are two of them as there are in the other site and like the previous night we had the site to ourselves again.
We were soon setting up to get ready for the evenings shoot and taking stock of our new surrounds.
This new hide is pretty spacious and can accommodate 10 people comfortably, the area split in to three more private sleeping areas curtained off from the main viewing area, well the viewing area from one side anyway. The advantage of this hide is you can look out on both sides.
To the one side a forest clearing.
to the other a view over what I presume is an an Ox-bow lake formed by a slow moving river.
Our guide put down some food in the baited areas and left. We'd have to walk the full distance back to the cars in the morning!
Within minutes we had a Racoon Dog at the furthers point in the clearing helping itself to a free meal but the baited spot was so far away we didn't bother taking any shots. Within what seemed like only minutes the first Bear made a rather nervous appearance on the fringe of the woods, after some deliberation he(?) came out to feed.
The view from my spot was partially obscured particularly if the bear moved position.
The image is "cropable" but even with a clear view those logs are not desirable in your shot.
The bear later came back and headed to another baited area out in the open, again some distance away and you need a good telephoto lens to get the shots.
A closer crop reveals the number of mosquitos around at this time of year too!
One thing we had taken was a can of fly spray so we could fumigate the hides in case any got in!
There were nearer baited areas but the bears kept away until it was almost dark and by then the Racoon Dogs appeared to have eaten the lot.
Out on the other side though it was definitely lighter without the surrounding forest but again, after checking out one side the young three year old bear arrived too late to find food on that side too. The Racoon Dogs had got there several hours ago.
So the bear went hungry and we went to bed!
We we're beyond the point of needing to see anything if it was dark but we had been told that Elk visit on occasion at around 4.00am. By then it was light again and despite checking several times over the dawn we didn't get lucky on that score.
Our overall view was that the "Old hide" was a much better venue from a photography point of view but we were later told that although other photographers agree with us, 'wildlife watchers" prefer the new hide.
Anyway, we have sent in some suggestions, also mentioning that the bird life could be attracted and made a photo opportunity if they create some natural looking shots. The following morning I took a grab shot of a Willow Tit on a feeder, purely for my Big Photo Year count as I wouldn't normally bother with birds on a feeder.
TBC
Seems like only a short time ago pal Mike and I were on our first visit to Estonia and here we were on our way back just over a month later, this time as guests of our tour operator, Natourest.
Fly out at the crack of dawn on Monday, return at the crack of dawn Friday, 3 nights in a bear hide, one in a hotel. Just the job and not asking too much of our wives as we'd been away on the Isle of May for a week in the interim.
Met at the airport by our host, off we went with his car having exchanged a few words about our previous trip. We weren't the only ones who hadn't been totally happy with what had gone on it seemed and as a result they have decided to scrap the self guided bird hide photography trips. Probably a wise decision if it resulted in a repeat of our experience and better they concentrate on guided birding groups were they don't have problems.
Anyway, we felt vindicated in as much as it wasn't just us that felt unhappy but that was in the past. Today was a new start.
It was agreed we didn't need anyone to show us the way through the woods to the bear hide, well not to the "old" one, they have two sites now. The hide was unlocked, we just had to grab some drinking water on the way. No problem with food this time, we'd brought our own to cover the first night.
We'd been given a map and I'd brought my SatNav as well. No offer of a tablet this time, maybe they have decided they don't work as they should either but we didn't need one anyway.
Having landed in Tallin at around 1.20pm we were sat in the hide by 5.30 and amazingly by 5.45 I think, we had our first visit, a Racoon Dog which was quickly joined by several more.
Here we were again, familiar territory and one we'd already spent two nights in on our last visit.
How would things compare?
Well, the most obvious thing was that the grass had grown considerably longer, views were likely to be more obscured.
In fact sometimes you couldn't even see the subject!
but the sense of excitement when the first bear makes an appearance hasn't diminished!
as it entered the clearing in front of the hide it's true size becomes more apparent.
They are big!
and so impressive.This shot was taken when it paid a visit about 10 metres in front of the hide.
We had lots of activity for the first couple of hours but as the light faded we decided to call it a day, we'd been up since 2.00am, so we climbed in to our bunks and had an early night blissfully unaware of whatever activity was happening just outside our safety zone!
