After a period of harsh winter weather the welcome sunshine of early spring had begun to melt away the snow. On the edge of my local Scottish loch the ice had thawed and the snow was retreating, releasing the waterside sedges from its cold grip. As I walked to the water’s edge a snipe flew up just a few metres away. It had been so well camouflaged I had not seen it.
I was attracted by the contrast between the pale snow and the deep, peaty blue of the water, and by the abstract patterns at the snow edge. In this picture, the rich ochres and browns of the sedges contrast with the blue water. The snipe crouches, unmoving, relying on its wonderfully cryptic plumage to remain unobserved. I wanted to place it in full view, but you still have to look for it!