Explore your local area
Knowing your patch will pay dividends when you can go straight to wildlife haunts
Talk to the locals
i have built good relationships with farmers, conservation bodies, forest rangers, landowners and locals. These are the people who might give you access to that unknown rutting site, or allow you to walk their fields for early season curlews. Alongside internet tips, these are the people who know what’s going down. Offer to print them a picture, or let them use your photos in their publicity. A deal can often be made.
get out early, stay up late
wildlife knowledge should tell you that many animals and birds are most active around and after dawn and again at around sunset. I have had incredible adventures at these magical times of day. Sometimes animals will allow you to approach quite close. The other advantage is the quality of light. Low sun creates softer light and beautiful colour.
Read the landscape
you will find plenty of local wildlife by training your eyes. Whether it’s foxes in towns, deer in forests or birds on heathland, you are always looking for what appears out of place. Trust the sudden movement in the corner of your eyes. Work out the difference between molehills and hares. The hours you put in will not be wasted. Suddenly, a small shape sliding through a ditch becomes a grass snake.
Use all the landscape for cover
There is a place for pop up hides, but the landscape can also be used for camouflage. Stalking along hedges breaks up a human form, and the shade of trees means hawks might not see you. Keeping still means you fit better into your surroundings, and wildlife is more likely to relax around you.
Back to basics
Make a checklist of the kit you need for the next day’s shoot – DSLR bodies, lenses, charged batteries, empty memory cards, maps, food, drink, clothes… it’s a list you will never regret.