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| The 'How To
Guide' |
| Welcome to my 'How To
Guide'. I hope you will find some practical advice that will help you to enjoy
watching our fantastic wildlife even more. |
| My Fieldcraft Tips
for Film & Photography |
1) Know your subject -
research a particular species before you spend lots of time and effort being in
the wrong place at the wrong time.
2) Don't be seen, heard or smelt -
be quiet and move in a stealthy fashion. Animals rely on their senses to keep
themselves safe and principally use scent, sound and sight to detect predators.
Keep downwind - particularly with mammals.
3) Dress appropriately - Bright
Hawaiian shirts just don't work! Wear dark olive clothing or better still, wear
camouflaged clothing. You can get camo clothes fairly cheap from surplus supply
shops and ebay, or better still from car boot sales, so it doesn't have to be
expensive.
4) Watch
your position - Think about where you are standing or sitting, if you are
standing on a ridge with the sky behind you; to an animal you are lit up like a
christmas tree. Stay below the ridge and use whatever cover you can such as
hedgerows or trees - never destroy any plants to camouflage
yourself.
5) Let the
wildlife come to you - If you have a sighting of a creature, don't chase it, it
will spot you and flee, try to stay still, and enjoy the
moment.
6) Try to imagine what the creature is
thinking, you can then anticipate what it might do next - remember an animal's
whole existence revolves around survival.
7) Don't forget about the mini
beasties - there are thousands of insects out there - have a look on some of
our native plants - you might be surprised what you find. A magnifying glass
will help you to get even closer - be careful though as not to scorch the
insects when the sun is out.
8) It may sound
obvious but if you are sitting or standing in the same spot, ensure that you
are comfortable. Sitting uncomfortably in a hedge for 2 hours is not much fun -
and you will fidget, which will alert the wildlife to your
presence.
9) Look out for wood-pigeons,
magpies, jays and pheasants. If they hear or see you they will tell the whole
animal kingdom as they flap and squawk - THEY ARE JUST
HERE!
10) Be patient and don't get despondent
if you don't get instant results. You will always see something, even if it
isn't what you set out to see, the wildlife world doesn't work to our
timetable, so enjoy the day for what it has been, and take your experiences
forward to another day.
11) My final tip is -
GET OUT THERE! - get experience in the field - get out and enjoy our wonderful
wildlife, not only is it wonderful, it's also free, and what a lovely way to
spend a day or an afternoon. |
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| Website design by Peter McMurdie |
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