The background

Some of the most painfully bad wildlife shots are ones where the subject is engaged and doing something exciting, only it’s doing it in front of a very distracting background. While you’re waiting for your subjects to show up, have a good look around and decide which parts of the scene would make the best settings. If you line yourself up in front of a relatively plain background, it’ll be easier to isolate your subject and put emphasis on whatever it’s doing in the frame.