Stunning film of osprey catching fish in Highlands becomes online sensation

By The Newsroom
Published 18th May 2016, 16:47 BST
Updated 18th May 2016, 17:52 BST
A shot from the stunning footage of osprey lifting off the water with fish in talons. Picture: Lindsay McCrae/MaramediaA shot from the stunning footage of osprey lifting off the water with fish in talons. Picture: Lindsay McCrae/Maramedia
A shot from the stunning footage of osprey lifting off the water with fish in talons. Picture: Lindsay McCrae/Maramedia
FOOTAGE of an osprey eventually winning a spectacular battle with a massive trout has already been viewed millions of times.

The bird of prey was captured on film for the hit new series ‘Highlands - Scotland’s Wild Heart’, narrated by Ewan McGregor.

The osprey, shown in slow motion in the first episode of the series, has already been viewed over 13million times of Facebook and a further 11,000 times on YouTube.

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It was shot near Inverness by wildlife cameraman Lindsay McCrae, who told BBC Scotland’s website that the filming took patience.

He said: “You have to be well hidden, because the ospreys won’t tolerate you being there. They want to know they are safe to land in water.

“But it meant I couldn’t have an overhead view to check out the sky and had no idea if there was an osprey overhead. I had an assistant out on a hill watching through binoculars who was on the radio saying: ‘There’s one in the air. Get ready.’”

He added: “You really don’t know where the bird is going to hit the water because you can’t see the fish.

“You just have to frame an image on a bit of water and hope the osprey hits that particular bit.”

The new four-part series for BBC Scotland is already proving to be popular, just like a previously documentary also narrated by actor McGregor, the acclaimed Hebrides – Islands on the Edge.