The significance of our finding a female Polar Bear on the Spitsbergen ice with three cubs did not seem that remarkable until the ships captain’s address at the end of the cruise. He told us that in twenty three years of guiding his ship through the summer pack-ice he had never seen a female Polar Bear with three cubs!! It was certainly a once in a lifetime encounter for us and whilst we only had minutes to capture the event as our ship sailed past I managed to obtain enough photos to record the event. Apparently the female Polar Bear regularly gives birth to triplets in her underground winter den but three seldom survive the harsh conditions when they emerge in March into the Arctic environment. click here.

I have never classed myself as a whale fanatic but all that changed on the Spitsbergen cruise when we twice encountered Blue Whales – the largest creature ever seen on Earth! At more than thirty metres long and coming close to the boat it was an incredible experience to watch them blowing and breaching unconcerned by our presence.This weeks gallery includes photos of the Blue Whales and some of the birds that we encountered close to the front of a glacier. click here

Since concentrating on digital still photography over the last five years I have always longed to return to Spitsbergen with its Polar Bears and Ivory Gulls. Holding me back of course is the high cost and popularity of the Polar Bear cruises. Whilst on Islay last month an opportunity arose to join one of the cruises at less than half the normal cost – it was an opportunity I could not resist.
I had always dreamed of filming a large Polar Bear on a kill and surrounded by the holy grail of the Arctic, the Ivory Gull. It happened on the third day of the cruise and I make no excuses when I admit to taking more than five hundred photos in only thirty minutes.
Enjoy some of these in the gallery and can you spot the one with five Ivory Gulls on?
Could it get any better? see next week!! Click here

No visit to Islay is complete without a look at the many water birds that occupy its beaches, seas and lochs. During our recent three weeks visit we came into contact with many of these and I have included a selection in this weeks gallery. Click here
While on Islay I had the chance of a visit to Spitsbergen at very short notice so be prepared for some spectacular galleries to follow!

In the last few weeks my Islay blogs have concentrated on the special birds that attract visitors to Islay such as Corncrake or Hen Harrier. Summer on Islay also brings many other birds which birders generally term “little brown jobs” and this weeks photo of a Sedge Warbler would certainly fall into that category. The gallery this week includes some scenes plus the bizarre sight of a Pipistrelle bat resting over the river Sorn at 2.00pm in the afternoon! – my first ever picture of a bat in daylight. Click here

Prior to digital photography it was almost impossible to capture on film the moment that the female Hen Harrier is fed in mid-air by the male. It is the ultimate challenge for anyone licenced to film breeding Hen Harriers and I have already spent many fruitless hours trying to capture the ultimate picture.
This year on Islay conditions were perfect to pursue the challenge. Strong sunlight is essential to stop the action and late evening light would light up the underside of both Harriers. Next, and most important, is the wind direction – the male always flies into the wind when he approaches the nest so a north wind was essential. It all came together perfectly but on two nights there were no feeds during the crucial time (6-9pm). On the third night I spotted him approaching at 8-10pm carrying the remains of a Rabbit. The female left the nest to receive the prey and in one second the food-pass was completed. At 8 frames per second I had the pictures I had always dreamt of. click here to view the series.