Red grouse in purple heather photography

The Glorious Twelfth is day grouse shooting starts each year in August. I arrived on the Yorkshire moors to photograph the grouse in the flowering purple heather, which peaks at this time of year. The weather was windy and wet, but I was dry inside the car and able to photograph the birds easily with the OM-1 camera and 150-400mm lens
Mike Lane wildlife photography www.nature-photography.co.uk/
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The Lounge
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Enigmatic
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Music credited to KZbin
Forest Lullabye
Vespers on the shore

[@michaelktori5178]

If I got down on my belly like that, I'd never get up again.

[@krishnachaitanyajagadam3601]

Such a Wonderful Video on Natural Red Grouse behavior and natural habitat's.. Loved every picture . Thank you Mike :)

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@duncancookdrummond3273]

Hi Mike, at least your form of shooting does the birds no harm. Great photos, video and commentary - as usual. Thanks for posting.

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

Thanks

[@sabyasachibanerjee124]

Another beautiful video. And the Grouse feeding on the stems was quite a surprise. There is always a lot to learn from your videos. The one constant thing You demonstrate is patience. And today I also learnt what "Heather" is 🙂

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

Thank you very much!

[@martinpettinger]

A ' glorious video ' Mike .... thank you 😃

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@mikekinney1369]

I’ve been watching for a couple of years now and I always learn something. Thanks for sharing😊

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

Thanks for watching!

[@stephenbarlow2493]

KZbin is great for seeing how it's done. A long time ago, when I used to live on the edge of grouse moor, I wasted a huge amount of time, trying to get photographs of Red Grouse amongst the Heather, by stalking them, making ad hoc hides. Then I learned that all the photos that had inspired me, had been taken from a lay-by.

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

They can be done on foot in places

[@ianjefferson694]

I so enjoyed seeing the moorlands, thanks for this ( I think Olympus should supply you with a camera strap!)

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

Canon strap for my binoculars

[@zephalu]

Beautiful birds and especially pretty in the heather. As usual, my husband and I enjoyed your video.

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@Kjell_H]

What a fantastic video Mike. Well made and edited. Nothing more to add. Thums up immediately and greetings from Norway 🇧🇻

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

Many thanks!

[@user-fn2qe7rw3z]

Thank you Mike for your lovely video and pics again.

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

You are very welcome

[@gladysklip6984]

Beautiful images Mike!!

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

Thanks

[@peterschatz6093]

What a beautiful video and amazing pictures. Thanks!

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

Many thanks!

[@stephencooper8565]

Another lovely video Mike

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

Thanks

[@bellasvistas3463]

Pretty birds in great surroundings. Interesting that they eat mostly the stalks and the flowers are incidental. I thought it would be nectar in the flowers. Great pleasant and informative. Thanks Mike

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

Thanks

[@brucegraner5901]

Great photos from a gray day. Nicely done.

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@Aaronjoppoj]

10/10 vid as usual

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

Thanks

[@JanicevD]

wonderful. especially around 4:45- 4:50. Loved the colors on those.

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

Thanks.

[@rogerhance5883]

Good video Mike. O.K. I will bite ! Whats with the `Canon` strap so prominently displayed towards the end ogf the video ? 😳

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

I get paid £3984 an episode to wear it!! Durex have just offered £4567 so watch what I am wearing next week!!

[@rogerhance5883]

@@MikeLaneFRPS 🤣🤣🤣

[@TheSannaeriksson]

😂😂😂

[@robbeythecarpenter8493]

Thanks Mike for your videos and informative comments. I look forward to evey post you make.

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

So nice of you

[@ukwildlife]

Graet video as ever. A few years ago, i did exactly the same as you, ended up photographing grouse in Yorkshire on the 12th, which none of us realised till we were up there and I noticed the date!

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

There was no shooting where I was.

[@jonathanashton4758]

Very nice indeed Mike, you got some really nicely composed images. It was a bit of an eye opener you going at that time, for some reason I thought it would not be possible around the 12th! I will definitely be going around there in the spring next year.

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

I did not see any shooting, but read later there was some in Yorkshire.

[@MartinJSmithPhotographyUK]

Hi Mike, Great video. I'm off to North Yorkshire in two weeks staying in Rose Dale Abbey which is right on the edge of the moors, I did get some shots of the Red Grouse two years ago so will try again with maybe a video as well. Thanks for sharing.

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

Rosedale is a favourite place for me. Especially in the spring for waders

[@alanryder]

Another video to inspire - thank you for making and posting so regularly. Can you offer any pointers to the road you were on? This isn't an area I am familiar with and although I am quite prepared to get up early and drive up there, what stops me is the feeling that I will pick the wrong place to go and fail to come back with any photographs - bit defeatist I know.

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

Best to email [e-mail]

[@neilcole3406]

Fantastic footage of the bird eating heather stems l always wondered what they actually eat, now l know!

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

It is why I enjoy slow motion so much. You can see what is happening.

[@Beak_to_lens]

Lovely photos, i think the heather looked very effect with the sun on it. Shame you didn’t get the best weather but i think for a single day that was quite a lot of good shots, great video Mike.

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

A typical British summer day

[@Beak_to_lens]

@@MikeLaneFRPS yep🤣

[@highpeakbirds6685]

Great video Mike, certainly wish the grouse were as easy to photograph on the moors near me without vehicular access 😃…

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

There is always somewhere where each species is easy.

[@CamillaI]

Very good Mike. Nobody actually shooting Grouse with a gun, only in Scotland I guess ! Still what a great way to spend a day on the Moor the Glorious 12th and some lovely heather . Flight shot my favourite 👍

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

There was grouse shooting in Yorkshire on the day but not where I was.

[@CamillaI]

@@MikeLaneFRPS I was filming at RSPB Titchwell Marsh Norfolk a few years back and on one side of the road we were photographing a Woodcock and on the other a shoot was taking place ! What a contradictory species we can be 😏

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

@CamillaI I am sitting on the beach at Titchwell now. No woodcock and no shooting

[@CamillaI]

Well it's a cliche but " It's a small world " especially for UK wildlife photographers! Any Bar Tailed Godwits one of my favourites there ?@@MikeLaneFRPS

[@papindakraisuttha7446]

​@@CamillaI😊

[@Bird_in_camera]

Hi Mike, another great video. Is it necessary to get there so early, plan to come to the Yorkshire dales sometime before the heather blooms are gone, but not that early (From Derby). Any particular area that is best?

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

No traffic and best light early and birds close to road at first.

[@motivatedoutdoors]

I was quite surprised when I saw you get out of the vehicle and get down on your belly. 😂 I believe that's the first time I've seen you do that in a video. Lovely video as always!

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

It is a common thing for wildlife photographers to do. I must have filmed it before.

[@TatraScrambler]

Hello Mike, great stuff as usual. Funny how they were peaking out of the heather. Do you happen to remember which is the video where you talked about accidentally formatting a card of another photographer and then restoring it? It would greatly appreciate if you could remind me which one it was, or perhaps the name of the program you used.

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

No sorry, I have done so many films now and drop these snippets in, but no idea when. The software I used was EaseUS data recovery. I bought it a long time ago and on the few occasions I have had to use it I have been very pleased.

[@TatraScrambler]

I see, no worries. Did it also work on an actually in-camera formatted card? Or only on the individually deleted photos?@@MikeLaneFRPS

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

It recovers all data from a card or hard drive.

[@TatraScrambler]

Thank you, Mike! @@MikeLaneFRPS

[@johngunning2123]

Do you use "bird calls " to attract the Grouse? It occurred to me that the bird on the road might have been curious if you had played a call and walked closer to you.

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

Especially in the spring.

[@johngunning2123]

@@MikeLaneFRPS So yes or no to the use of bird calls? I understand some birders are not prepared to use bird calls.

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

If you email [e-mail]

[@ethelbertlittle2944]

*promosm* 🎊

[@woodymeristem2223]

Why are you using a Canon Strap on an Olympus/OMD camera -- look ashamed

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

The strap is on my binoculars