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All images and text © ADRIAN WINTER 2008. |
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I spent a week in early July 2004 on the Isle of May staying at the Low Light, used since 1934 as a bird observatory. Conditions are fairly basic with gas light, bunk beds, a chemical toilet ("Elsie") and its own breed of mice (not that I saw any) but for £75 for the week, including the boat ride over courtesy of Ian Gatherum (great name for a boatman) on Aspire II, with 68,000 pairs of puffins not to mention tern colonies, thousands of breeding gulls and other seabirds and the wonderfully varied Scottish climate(!), it can't be bad.
For further information about staying at the Low Light contact Mike Martin, the Hon Booking Secretary. Photographers need to apply to SNH for a permit
at: 46 Crossgate,
Cupar, Fife KY15 5HS My thanks to all the SNH staff on May for their all help, especially in the battery charging department: well at least it's solar. |
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The
Isle of May is situated in the Firth of Forth about a hour's boat
ride from Anstruther from where (weather and tides permitting) the
May Princess runs daily trips (except Fridays) to May. The
whole island is a study centre managed by
The
Low Light itself is a separate entity managed by the Isle of May
Bird Observatory Trust, at peak migration times it's normally full
(sleeps six) of bird ringers and such like after rare migrants but
my interest was in photographing the thousands of breeding seabirds.
It was a fantastic experience to be in such close proximity to so
many birds for as long as the daylight (and weather) held, it would
have been an unforgettable experience just to be there but I hope I
have captured some of the beauty and diversity of May in my
photographs.