Monday evening I went with a small group of colleagues from my Camera Club to sea cliffs known for their Guillemot colonies. The weather had been forecast to be fine and bright which is perfect for taking photographs of birds in flight, but when we arrived the sun stayed resolutely out of sight, only occasionally peeking tantalisingly from behind cloud, and it was decidedly overcast 🫤.

As photographers will know, trying to take action shots in low light means high ISO settings, which in turn creates noise and means the resulting images lack detail – everyone was disappointed. However, I did manage to capture some shots of Guillemot chicks as it’s much easier to take pictures of stationary birds as you can reduce your ISO down to low levels.

Thousands of birds perched precariously on the cliff edge was a sight to behold and the geology of the rock made the scene almost abstract. The pungent smell and copious amounts of bird pooh was less appealing, though, and spoiled many a potential good shot!

Alongside the Guillemots the eagle eyed amongst us spotted a Cormorant, a Kestrel and a Kittewake, though none of us were quick enough to get a shot, and the hillside was dotted with the bright blue of native Harebells.

We stayed until sunset which turned out to be spectacular and made me wish I were a much more competent landscape photographer!

Despite the less than ideal conditions I had a fabulous evening doing that which I love in fabulous company and you can’t ask for more from an outing than that.