Norfolk Weekend.

I love leading trips. I think it is because in the vast majority of my work as a wildlife photographer I am usually alone, or with one good friend, and whilst I enjoy the solitude every now and then I also enjoy the buzz of being among a group of dedicated wildlife photographers. 

I recently returned from leading a short weekend trip to Norfolk for Natures Images. Most trips run smoothly though there is always the odd hiccup or two that needs dealing with. The biggest threat is usually the weather, three solid days of rain is enough to dampen anybody's ardour, even the most hardy wildlife photographers. So it is usually the case that I scan the weather forecast for any trip that I am leading with more than a cursory glance.

The odd thing about this trip was that we had to pay the price for the weather that had happened some months ago. The storms that devastated large areas of the north Norfolk coast had left a real legacy, not only of changed landscapes but demolished hides and changed wildlife.

I couldn’t rely on all of my old favourite sites any more. However bird life is incredibly resilient and though we may have had to drive a bit more than I had planned and visit more places than usual we did find good subjects to work with. All best laid plans are OK but often it is the unexpected that produces the best images and this was certainly the case with the bearded reedlings and long-tailed tits. 

Thanks to everyone who joined me on this trip (Judy, Alison, Jeff, Pete, Liza, Marny, Rob and Mike) I really enjoyed myself and the conversation, food and accommodation were all top notch.