Pete Walkden Photography

Pete Walkden Photography Professional Wildlife Photographer and Guide, living in the Scottish Highlands (Inverness). Otter Photography Tours available in 2026.
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Wildlife photography workshops available throughout the year in the Highlands and on the Isle Of Mull.

14/06/2026

Nightjars

I'm on a break down in south-east England, and have been enjoying some of the fabulous local wildlife sightings.

A couple of very short clips of nightjars flying over a heathland last night.

It was way too dark for stills, so I dialled up the ISO, opened the lens up as much as I could, and used a slow shutter speed, for video instead.

I've not heard their distinctive churring sound for years, so it was a treat when I first heard one from across the heath. Sounded like two or three were present.

If the churring call had been audible on the clips, I'd have left the sound on, but it was just the sound of the breeze, so I've deleted the audio track from the clip.

Sand MartinsI had visited an old haunt in Worcestershire, hoping to photograph swifts, but they remained too high up. So...
11/06/2026

Sand Martins

I had visited an old haunt in Worcestershire, hoping to photograph swifts, but they remained too high up.

So I pointed my camera at the masses of sand martins zipping around the pools at high speed.

I was just getting into the swing of things when I noticed a massive dark cloud looming behind me, and I only just made it back to the car before the heavens opened.

08/06/2026

Male adders wrestling.

The spell of hot and sunny weather enjoyed by most of the nation was somewhat shorter when I was working on Mull, but I ...
07/06/2026

The spell of hot and sunny weather enjoyed by most of the nation was somewhat shorter when I was working on Mull, but I had a day off on one of the days, and chose to spend it strolling around the coastal cliffs.

Saw plenty of wildlife, including cuckoos being pursued by pipits, buzzards and many swallows and sand martins zooming around. And a golden eagle, which was majestic...

Next time I'll take more water to drink, as I got so hot, I had to sit down in the shade of an old croft building, to cool down!

A few images from the walk...

Barn SwallowsI love these birds, not just for how they look and fly, but for the gorgeous chattering that adds to the so...
31/05/2026

Barn Swallows

I love these birds, not just for how they look and fly, but for the gorgeous chattering that adds to the soundtrack for summer.

27/05/2026

I did wonder why this otter was making such a splash when diving, but after reviewing a bit of footage, I can see it has a limp.

I think this might be "Pinkie", the dog otter that was for a year or so, "top dog" in a territory nearby, but him being absent from there recently, and now seeing him with a limp and looking a bit gaunt, might indicate that there's been a changing of the guard, and he's been replaced by a different dog otter.

From a lovely workshop yesterday, when we somehow managed to avoid the muppets who have been plaguing otters, and just watched and enjoyed the otters' antics respectfully, and quietly. And in both beautiful weather and scenery.

Otter.Enjoying a snooze before the tide forced her off her rock-bed.I wish folks would be quieter when watching otters. ...
26/05/2026

Otter.

Enjoying a snooze before the tide forced her off her rock-bed.

I wish folks would be quieter when watching otters. Some of the camo-ed guys photographing this otter, were chatting to one another as if they were in a pub, and walking around without looking to see what the otter was doing (she was watching them), and stomping along, crunching along the shingle shore. One even decided to walk away when she was eating a crab, and scared her away from her meal. And none of them checked the wind direction, before plonking themselves up-wind from the otter...

Wearing camo is useless if you're not still, sitting down-wind, and quiet with it.

I'll don my flame suit for the comments...

PuffinMy last visit to Lunga presented some of the best conditions I've experienced for photographing the puffins, as st...
24/05/2026

Puffin

My last visit to Lunga presented some of the best conditions I've experienced for photographing the puffins, as strong gusts were blowing up the cliffs, and the birds were almost hovering in them.

There is one corner of the island where the puffins fly past, where the cliffs are shaded, and appear black in the right conditions, great for isolating the bird from the background.

I'm tempted to go out to Lunga again on a day off, but if today's day off is anything to go by, I'd be better off staying in... drier and less midgey! 🫣

Otter CubFrom today's workshop when I suggested to my clients that the cub was perhaps a bit young to be hunting...It th...
20/05/2026

Otter Cub

From today's workshop when I suggested to my clients that the cub was perhaps a bit young to be hunting...

It then proceeded to catch two crabs for itself, one after another, larger than those being caught by its mum! And disarmed them, before eating them. Clearly a good hunter already.

Beautiful to see. Watched and photographed from a respectable distance (these images are with a 500mm lens and heavily cropped). We enjoyed views of the pair hunting, grooming and briefly playing together.

PuffinSo many images to sort through from my visit to Lunga. Here's one of a resting puffin, taken from a low angle, to ...
15/05/2026

Puffin

So many images to sort through from my visit to Lunga.

Here's one of a resting puffin, taken from a low angle, to include the yellow flowers adding colour to the foreground.

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Inverness

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