There’s a huge variety of wildlife you’re likely to see in the UK, from seals and whales to otters and foxes, swans and herons to red kites, badgers, roe deer and more. Getting close to wild animals is a huge part of the experience.
As with all wild animals their core goal is to eat, breed and be safe. For thousands of years, animals have been persecuted for a variety of reasons (not valid in my eyes) such as poaching and for sport.
These events have added to the wariness and fear most wild animals experience. The majority of the time, if a wild animal senses you, it will seek safety straight away.
Here are some quick tips to help you spot and safely get closer to animals.
Go to the nature reserve at dawn or dusk.
Nature reserves are a fantastic place to see a variety of wildlife. Animals live and visit nature reserves in large numbers and can feel safe there.
I’ve found that the best time to visit nature reserves is early in the morning. It’s the best time to see animals that are waking up and need to find food. Arriving before sunrise if you can, it’s best to pick a spot where you can hide, and set up your camera and binoculars.
I used to go to my local nature reserves around 4:30 am just as the sun is rising. Mist is coming up from the river and wet grass, you can bathe in the silence as the birds gradually start to sing.
I tend to have my hide up by then and have got comfy with a warm drink to warm me and my hands.
As the morning progresses, that’s when more and more people arrive. Dog walkers and families start to meander on the paths and the wildlife tends to retreat to areas they feel safe.
So pack your stuff the night before, set that alarm, and get up and out early to experience some of those uniquely special moments in nature.
Visit at feeding time.
One of an animal’s top priorities is to eat. It’s pretty much their main preoccupation throughout the day. Each animal has its own preferred choice of food. By researching the animals you’d like to get close to and photograph, you can quickly learn what they like to eat and where they’ll be able to find that food source.
For example, A Barn Owl likes to hunt small rodents such as voles, shrews and mice. Barn owls can be found hunting rough overgrown areas of land that has tall grass and lots of hiding areas for small mammals. Barn Owls don’t hunt on sight alone and won’t primarily need to see their prey. They just need to hear them as they ghostly fly over the meadows.
Small mammals are mostly active at night and during dusk and dawn. If it is a particularly cold frosty night or it’s been raining, they tend to be less active. This is when you may see Barn Owls hunting during the day to make up for the unsuccessful night of hunting.
It’s also a good idea to leave food out for animals to find. Leaving a pile of acorns near a natural perch will attract Squirrels and Jays. Smaller wild seed mix will attract many of the smaller birds as well.
Never live bait an animal. Live baiting animals in the UK is illegal and highly immoral.
Book onto a guided walk.
Guided walks are a fantastic way to find and see wildlife. An experienced guide will be able to show you where and when to see certain animals and some key things to look out for.
It’s surprising what you can miss whilst you are out and about. only the other weekend I was watching a group of Teal resting on the banks of one of the lakes at RSPB Leighton Moss and there was a Snipe right in front of me. A fellow bird watcher mentioned it and pointed it out to me. I would of probably not noticed it if I hadn’t been shown!
Here are two extremely dedicated and amazing guides I highly recommend:
Tesni Ward (Peak District and all over)
https://www.tesniward.co.uk/photography-workshops/
Alan Davies (North Wales and all over)
https://www.birdwatchingtrips.co.uk/
https://twitter.com/alandaviesbirds
Stay still, be patient, and wait it out.
Being patient has been my biggest lesson in wildlife photography. Wearing camouflage and setting up a hide is very important, but staying as still as possible is the most critical thing to do.
Wild animals are extremely unpredictable and you may have to wait hours to see something. You may even wait hours and see nothing.
For my Little Owl shot, I waited ten hours in a field’s hedgerow hidden away. I had an idea the Little Owl was in the area and hadn’t seen it till the tenth hour.
All of a sudden it comically hopped onto the tree stump just a few feet away from me and looked me straight in the eye. It was only there for a minute or so before it hopped off and flew away. It was a long ten hours but it was worth every minute to be able to photograph this stunning bird.
Use natural lighting.
Predicting how the light will be at a spot is crucial in getting good wildlife shots. As the sun moves across the sky, the light source and quality is ever-changing throughout the day.
Before I get set up in my hide or drop down into the grass or mud, I want to make sure that I won’t probably need to move soon. Arriving at a spot, I get my bearings (usually making sure I’m facing west) so the light in the morning will be behind me and shining on the front of my subject.
It’s a process you’ll start to automatically do as you gain more experience and it not only saves time but allows you to get the shots you want.
Be flexible with your viewing location.
Choosing an area which will have a variety of wildlife is always a good option. For example, a trip to the coast at high tide can pay off with a large variety of birds such as waders, birds of prey and many other shorebirds.
This sort of flexibility will give you the chance to fill up those memory cards.
I always like to check the maps before going to a spot and factor in the possibility of stopping by a couple of additional spots on the way home.
Put your camera away.
Sometimes it’s nice to put your camera back in your back and just sit and watch the wildlife go about its daily routine. Perhaps don’t fully close your bag though, as you know it’s sod law that a Buzzard or a Sparrowhawk will land on the post right in front of you.
The main thing is to enjoy yourself and experience nature and don’t let anything get in your way.
You should never feel stressed or frustrated whilst you are out amongst nature!
The takeaway
With patience and preparation, you can get close to wild animals in the UK. All it takes is some research, an early start and many buckets full of patience.
Would you like to see more of my wildlife photography?
https://scottpollard.uk