Filming and photographing the elusive Capercaillie using the OM-1 and 150-400mm lens.

The Capercaillie is on the edge of extinction again in Scotland and the opportunity for photography limited.
In Norway they are a common bird. It is possible to photograph them from the car on the side of the road. On this trip I did that, but also spent three nights in a hide at a lek or display ground.
That is hard work and means a long wait in very cold conditions.
All filmed and photographed on an OM-1 Mk2 camera and the 150-400mm lens. Some footage was also taken with the Lumix G9 Mk2.
This trip can be booked through. naturepics.co.uk/
Or you can contact Daniel the owner directly at [e-mail]
The Buteo Hides are at www.buteophotogear.com
The Snugpac gear is at snugpak.com/​
Mike Lane wildlife photography www.nature-photography.co.uk
Music from Cyberlink. A Morning Spring

[@johnpark8297]

Absolutely fantastic Mike, real dedication, excellent footage and stills. Thank you for making this 5⭐️

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@michaelhawkins1173]

Thank you, Mike. The capercaillie, as with most birds, that charm a mate with max effort in courtship is always good to watch. The female is not drab in her feathers either, compared to the male. His baritone voice is great. 13 hours in a Norwegian hide deserves a medal 🏅 well done, great video.

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

Thanks.

[@cryptographerchris4856]

Awesome!

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

Thanks!

[@cliftonwhittaker260]

Wow, what an experience, or should I say ordeal Mike. I'm glad I was viewing it and not experiencing it. But than you so much for making it available to me. :)

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

I do like hide photography

[@stevevickers2844]

I felt for you Mike - well done for sticking it out and getting some great footage.

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@paulharvey2396]

Thank for this beautiful and friendly warmth -- how extraordinary those birds are & how precious -- now they are almost extinct in Scotland -- if only we could all share the same consciousness that the beauty of our planet must not be destroyed. Thank you for sharing your hard work and wonderful pictures.

[@louisswaim7024]

Fascinating!

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

Thanks.

[@paulpugh6178]

Superb footage Mike and thanks for the link to book the hide… did looked cold though 🥶

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

Sleeping bags were used so not so bad.

[@MartinJSmithPhotographyUK]

Someone said you have to suffer for your art. Well, it looks like you did, but the result was great-great pictures and a video. Thanks for sharing, Mike.

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

Thank you.

[@MrEvestrough]

What a great video. Thanks very much for posting it. ( Gawd you are a tough bugger. Thirteen hours in that lol)

[@CamillaI]

Quite an adventure capturing the Capercaillie great work Mike 👍

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@wingsanddaydreams]

Thank you for sharing this wonderful footage of these amazing birds! New subscriber here ✨

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

Thanks and welcome

[@joncothranphotography9375]

Cool critters, Mike. They sound completely alien. Thanks for sharing them with me.

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

You are welcome

[@enigmabletchley6936]

Great video, really enjoyed it.

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

Thank you

[@fredvdmeer3273]

Nice that there was a snowmobile (bus)stop. 😆

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

good timing too.

[@johngunning2123]

You're a brave man Mike. The closest I've come to seeing a Capercaillie is in a natural history museum. I don't fancy sitting in a hide in those temperatures for 13 hours. That call reminds me of someone kicking an empty tin can down a street. Good looking birds though. For some reason they remind me of Turkeys.

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

Very Turkey like.

[@Ken_H_]

Enjoyable as always Mike. You do have to wonder about the UK when you see species that are struggling, disappeared or have to be reintroduced here apparently doing well elsewhere.

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

The UK has the lowest Biodiversity of any major country.

[@fraud1able]

Another great watch and its so sad that we have lost all but a few of these majestic birds from the Highlands

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

Very true

[@DavidL5star]

I'm off to Skomer next week and the weather does not look to great, but I noted your comment about the OM-1 and 150-400 being good in low light using video. I'll give this a try. Nice video.

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

With Badgers it can be too dark to see well, but video captures it.

[@matthewmulroy5537]

Hi Mike, great footage. really enjoyed it.....however, what hide were you in that was so uncomfortable?

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

It was one of the Tragopan Hides.

[@user-hg2ke4pz1k]

O dear, you really had an uncomfortable session, bur you are very tough. Congratulations!!!

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

Or daft

[@robinlee7531]

I do hope you have some sort of heating in the hide because below 0c temperature for 12 hours in that small hide isn't something to take lightly. I was in a much better hide for capercaillie in May and it was similar condition but I'm glad there is portable gel heater that could warm you up and provided with -30c rated sleeping bag. Places for you to make hot meals and yes you can lay flat in that hide. Annoyingly the bird came at 11pm and kept calling until sunrise ha ha.

[@przybylskipawel]

I wonder if giving up on your 1600ISO rule for using DxOPureRaw4 which would enable you to shoot 12800ISO with no noise-penalty wouldn't be better. I have no defaulf ISO anymore. Just the AutoISO with upper limit and whatever shutterspeed I find appropriate. This is how most people shoot nowadays with so efficient noise reduction

[@tonyblake8841]

No Ai imagine would replace that experience. Not sure whether to say you’re mad or dedicated. I dips my lid to you as my late father-in- law would say.

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

Madly dedicated!

[@MrLiamGood]

Seems like hardship but at least some nice pics and video The trouble you go to to provide viewers with great videos, thank you.

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

Thanks 👍

[@rogerhance5883]

Good video Mike. When you were driving and doing them the easy way, did you hire the car and drive yourself ? Whatever make of hide was the first one ? it looks terrible.

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

It was the farm owner driving, Daniel. The hide was aTragopan. Maybe it was an old model. i will look harder at the British Bird Fair this year. They are always there.

[@vyezhov]

Мда, связка OM-1 + 150-400 совершенно не впечатлила, очень шумные кадры и почему такой пересвет по экспозиции ?