Brian Nicholson Photography

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Brian Nicholson Photography

Being a photographer and lover of nature made me realise the value of connecting people with the gifts that nature selflessly gives us.
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If you’re eager to discover Scotland and places I have experienced, I invite you to enjoy a variety of my images. A Lifelong Connection to Nature

I am a keen outdoors person that appreciates and enjoys being outdoors, I love to walk, hike and cycle. During the covid pandemic in 2020 I bought my first DSLR camera to give me another hobby to help with lockdown and the restrictions it brought. I am

very fortunate where I live on the edge of the countryside with hills and reservoir's , I used Gladhouse Reservoir as my subject to self teach myself initially before finding The School of Photography, I photographed it over a period of eight months at sunrise and sunset, ending with creating my first book as a lasting memory of this time.

Since then I have created my second book from a 5 day wild hiking trip to Assynt in Sutherland, North West Scotland , this was following a trip when I cycled around Scotland and promised myself I would return to spend more time to immerse myself in it's natural beauty.

I am grateful that you have joined me in this journey.

15/06/2026

Good evening everyone,

This evening I’m sharing the final set of images from a truly lovely experience, watching the Redstart fledglings as they sat with their beaks wide open, calling for food and waiting patiently to be fed.

It was such a wonderful thing to observe, seeing the constant to and fro as their mother worked tirelessly to keep them fed. In the final image, the two youngsters can be seen resting comfortably after all that activity, seemingly content and safe in their little world.

It was a privilege to witness this special moment in nature, and a joy to be able to share it with you all.

14/06/2026

Good evening everyone,

This evening I’m sharing a few more images of the female Redstart, busy and purposeful as she collected grubs and insects for her fledglings. It was fascinating to watch her make repeated journeys from the fence to the branch of a tree after gathering food, before disappearing into the trees to feed her young.

I cannot quite express how wonderful it felt to witness this behaviour from such a lovely, elusive little bird.

Moments like these are a real privilege to observe, and they stay with you long after the camera is packed away.

13/06/2026

Good evening everyone,

Tonight I am sharing an image of the Redstart with it's two fledglings that I had the extreme privilege to observe over a couple hours yesterday, it was a surprise when I saw one on the fence close to where I was standing when I initially saw the activity of the parents.

I am looking forward to sharing the rest of the images soon and I am starting off with the fledging I saw on the fence and the second image was a lovely moment when the female Redstart returned onto the branch with an insect in her beak and the two fledging's came out, mouths wide open looking for the food.

I am now settling down for an easy evening looking forward getting to watch Scotland in the World Cup with the kick off at 2am against Haiti.

12/06/2026

Good evening everyone,

"The Common Sandpiper’s World"

Over a couple of days I had the pleasure of watching a Common Sandpiper as it went about its business around the reservoir and the nearby woodland. It was clearly nesting in and around the trees close to the water, and I was grateful for the chance to spend time observing it as it moved between these two familiar places.

On the first day I lay still on my stomach at the reservoir edge, remaining as inconspicuous as possible, and it was wonderful to see the bird approach so closely, seemingly unaware of my presence. The following day I settled in the woodland itself and watched it flying in and out on several occasions, which allowed me to create a series of images that show not only the bird, but also the beautiful surroundings it calls home.

It was a quiet and rewarding couple of days, and I hope these images give a small appreciation of this lovely bird in its natural environment.

11/06/2026

Good evening everyone,

Firstly, I’m not sure whether my last post was delivered normally on Facebook, as only a few people seem to have seen it. I would hate for any of you to have missed it, as it was a scheduled post and I’m not sure whether that affected its reach.

So, back to this evening. I had the privilege of watching a small group of Redstarts in a woodland close to home, and with my new camouflage set-up they were totally unaware of my presence as they went about the business of catching bugs and grubs for their young. Watching them so closely as they rested on the branches and fence was a lovely experience.

I hope these images share a sense of the beauty in observing these lovely little birds and the wonderful colours in their plumage.

10/06/2026

Good evening everyone,

This evening I’m taking you into the quiet macro world of insects, where so much life goes unnoticed unless we pause long enough to really look. Hidden among the wild nettles and long grasses, these tiny creatures were busy about their day, reminding me how much wonder there is in the smallest corners of nature.

I found them a couple of days ago during a walk in Cockmuir Woods, another lovely local place to me, rich with a wonderful diversity of natural life.

Moments like these always make me slow down and appreciate the detail, beauty, and quiet rhythm of the world around us.

09/06/2026

Good evening everyone,

During a recent full day out at Gladhouse Reservoir mainly watching and photographing the huge variety of migratory birds, as I got towards the end of my day I sat down on a small section of a grassy area full of daises , enjoying the warmth of the spring sunshine

I then lay down to get another perspective of these beautiful little flowers full of details. It was at this point I saw two standing up higher than the rest that looked like a couple enjoying facing into the warmth of the direct sun.

I then noticed a tiny insect sitting on top of the disk of a daisy, not easy to see with naked eye I used my macro lens at about 2m using manual focus to see a lovely little short-horned grasshopper ( I had to use my app to identify it) , I then set my macro lens to 1:1 and moved slowly in towards it until it was in focus, revealing the wonderful details in both the grasshopper and disk of the daisy no longer with it's delicate petals.

08/06/2026

Good evening everyone,

Tonight I’m sharing a small collection from a recent outing to Gosford House on the East Lothian coastline. It’s a beautiful country house set within spacious grounds, with three large ponds that make it such a peaceful place to explore.

We were gifted with a warm, sunny spring day, and the whole landscape seemed to respond to the light, the flowers were bright and full of life, and the trees were glowing with the freshest shades of green. It was one of those lovely days when nature feels especially generous, offering colour, stillness, and gentle movement all around.

Along the way, I was also lucky enough to see a little wildlife too, including ducks, a damselfly, and a heron, small moments that added even more life to an already special visit.

I hope these images give you a sense of the beauty this place holds, and the quiet joy of spending time there immersed in nature.

07/06/2026

Great Tit activity.

Good evening everyone,

I would like to continue with another post with birds, this is especially a lovely time in Spring when the birds set about mating and creating a nest to bring a new brood of chick's for the continuation of the species.

On Friday I spent a good few hours sitting watching the activity of the Great Tit's at a bird box in the woodland that surrounds Gladhouse Reservoir where Mike Thrower had showed me the boxes he puts up for them and we checked to see if any had been used, some had fledged and a couple still in the nest.

It was amazing to watch the flight path in and out collecting grubs for the hungry chicks with the parents taking out the faecal sacs after feeding them, seeing this non stop activity makes you realise how much work is needed.

Being here for so long allowed me to see the details in two ways, firstly the details of this activity and secondly the details in the feathers of the wings as they are frozen for a time to see how each feather is interlayered with the next one making up the wings.

06/06/2026

Good evening everyone,

Today I’m sharing a small series of images of a Dipper along a stretch of the River Esk close to home. These remarkable little birds seem so perfectly made for life by water, with their rich brown plumage, bright white chest, and their ability to thrive in clean, fast-flowing rivers and burns.

What fascinated me most was watching one bird perched on a rock, clearly holding its place along this section of the river. When another arrived, the two stood their ground, raising their wings in a brief standoff until the newcomer eventually moved on. The original bird then returned to its quiet watch, before dipping into the water and reappearing back on its rock as if nothing had happened.

There is something very special about spending time observing natural behaviour like this, those little moments of character, territory, and rhythm that reveal so much about life along the river.

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