I spent the day at Staffordshire Wildlife Hides – Teddesley Park in Staffordshire. This is the second visit to the Kingfisher hide I’ve been on so far.

Quick Overview

📍 Location: Teddesley Park, Staffordshire
🌿 Habitat Type: Open field
🎯 Target Species: Kingfisher
📅 Best Season: All year round
🕒 Best Time of Day: All day
💰 Cost: £100 each
📅 Booking Required: Yes
👥 Max Photographers:  2

🔗 Website: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555918310793

What Makes This Hide Unique?

The Kingfisher Hide is one of the best and most comfortable hides I have been in. Tim set this up for himself to photograph the Kingfishers in his lake, he was persuaded to let this out to the public which is great. The hide is setup like a log cabin. There is tea and coffee facilities with mains electric, comfortable massage seats, electric fire and lodge décor. It is a great hide both for comfort and the Kingfishers.

The hide can seat 2 people with room for your gear. Gimbal bases are provided for both spaces. The hide is located within the private grounds of Teddesley Park next to the lake. There are parking spaces available and is a short walk from them.

Setup & Shooting Conditions

Distance to Subjects

• Minimum focal length: 200mm
• Ideal focal length: 300mm to 600mm
• Kingfishers.

Background Quality

• Clean / natural / busy? The background is the lake.
• Artificial perches? The perches are mainly mossy branches, although you are allowed to bring your own or change them around to what is there.

Species You Can Expect

Regular Sightings

• Kingfishers
• Heron, ducks, grey wagtail and moorhens are also on the lake

My Experience

• What surprised you?
  The comfort of the hide and activity of the birds.
• What frustrated you?
  Nothing with the hide or birds.
• Did the activity match expectations? Yes, plenty of action.
• Was it worth the price?
  Yes it was worth the price, £100 per person for all day.

Camera Settings & Gear I Used

Body: Nikon Z8 & Nikon Z6 (for low down diving shots)
Lens: Nikon Nikkor 180-600mm & Tamron 70-300mm
Support (tripod/beanbag): Gimbal head was my own & the bases are provided

Typical Settings I use:

• Shutter speed: Varies depending on static or flight shots
• Aperture: F5.6
• ISO range: 640

Who Is This Hide Best For?

✔ Beginners
✔ Advanced wildlife photographers
✔ Behaviour shooters
✖ Landscape photographers
✖ Portrait shooters

Tips If You’re Visiting

• Arrive 10-15 minutes early to meet Tim so he can take you to the hide.
• Bring camera & lenses, spare batteries, warm clothes for winter, food and drink.
• Stay in the hide if the kingfishers are on the perches. You are allowed to change the perches.
• Check start times on the email/message you receive before arrival.

Final Verdict – Would I Return?

• Is it worth the money?
  Yes worth the money, I would return.
• Is it worth travelling for?
  It is about 2hrs for me from West Yorkshire, but it is local to my Father so I stayed nearby in the Rugeley Premier Inn.
• Would you recommend it?
  Yes.

I spent the morning at Staffordshire Wildlife Hides – Teddesley Park in Staffordshire. This is the first visit to the Little Owl hide I’ve been on so far.

Quick Overview

📍 Location: Teddesley Park, Staffordshire
🌿 Habitat Type: Open field
🎯 Target Species: Little Owls
📅 Best Season: May to July
🕒 Best Time of Day: Morning or afternoon
💰 Cost: £100 each
📅 Booking Required: Yes
👥 Max Photographers:  2

🔗 Website: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555918310793

What Makes This Hide Unique?

The Little Owl hide is set up in a wild meadow next to an oak tree that the Little Owls regularly nest in and breed. The hide is comfortable for 2 people, although this is the more basic hide as it is only open for a few months during the breeding season. There are two hides next to each so 4 people can photograph the owls.

Each hide can seat 2 people with room for your gear. Gimbal bases are provided for both spaces. The hide is located within the private grounds of Teddesley Park

Setup & Shooting Conditions

Distance to Subjects

• Minimum focal length: 300mm
• Ideal focal length: 400mm to 600mm
• Little owls. Although Jackdaws have started to come and steal the meal worms as well. There are Skylarks about but they don’t come to the perches.

Background Quality

• Clean / natural / busy? The background is mainly the oak tree they live in.
• Artificial perches? The perches are made old fences and gates.

Species You Can Expect

Regular Sightings

• Little Owls
• Jackdaws
• Other small birds may fly through

My Experience

• What surprised you?
  How busy the owls were, and at the time I went the chicks hadn’t fledged.
• What frustrated you?
  Nothing really, should maybe have swapped my prime 300mm to the 180-600mm for closer shots.
• Did the activity match expectations? Yes, the owls were busy, I think I took 4000+ photos.
• Was it worth the price?
  Yes it was worth the price, £100 per person for 4 hours.

Camera Settings & Gear I Used

Body: Nikon Z8
Lens: Nikon Nikkor 300mm
Support (tripod/beanbag): Gimbal head was my own & the bases are provided

Typical Settings I use:

• Shutter speed: Varies depending on static or flight shots
• Aperture: F6.3
• ISO range: 320-640

Who Is This Hide Best For?

✔ Beginners
✔ Advanced wildlife photographers
✔ Behaviour shooters
✖ Landscape photographers
✖ Portrait shooters

Tips If You’re Visiting

• Arrive 10-15 minutes early to meet Tim so he can take you to the hide.
• Bring camera & lenses, spare batteries, warm clothes for winter, a drink.
• Stay in the hide if the owls are on the perches. You are allowed to put more mealworms out before 10am.
• Check start times on the email/message you receive before arrival.

Final Verdict – Would I Return?

• Is it worth the money?
  Yes worth the money, I would return when owls are fledged.
• Is it worth travelling for?
  It is about 2hrs for me from West Yorkshire, but it is local to my Father so I stayed nearby in the Rugeley Premier Inn.
• Would you recommend it?
  Yes.

I spent an hour at Belvide Reservoir hide in South Staffordshire. This is the first visit to the hide I’ve been on so far, it is run by the West Midlands Bird Club, and I went as a guest with my Father.

Quick Overview

📍 Location: Belvide Reservoir, South Staffordshire
🌿 Habitat Type: Reservoir and woodland
🎯 Target Species: Water birds
📅 Best Season: All year round
🕒 Best Time of Day: All day
💰 Cost: £20-30 per year for membership
📅 Booking Required: No

🔗 Website: https://www.westmidlandbirdclub.org.uk/belvide-reserve

What Makes This Hide Unique?

Belvide, a 180 acre canal feeder reservoir, was constructed in 1834 to supply what is now the Shropshire Union Canal, but did not attract the attention of ornithologists until the 1920s, when A.W. Boyd (who referred to the reservoir as ‘Bellfields’, to disguise its identity) began visiting regularly and published many of his observations in the magazine British Birds. Boyd, and H.G. Alexander who was a regular visitor in the 1930s, were responsible for putting Belvide on the bird-watching map and the reservoir was soon established as one of the most important ornithological sites in the Midlands. 

Owned by the Canal and River Trust (formerly British Waterways) It is leased to and managed by the West Midland Bird Club. It is now scheduled as a Site of Special Scientific Interest under the stewardship of Natural England. 

Despite its proximity to Wolverhampton, the A5 and the motorway network the reserve is essentially rural in character being situated in gently undulating mixed farmland. Apart from the reservoir itself there are a variety of habitats, including woodland, reed-beds unimproved pasture and depending on water levels muddy margins within a relatively small area and as a result there is a rich diversity of bird life throughout the year.

Setup & Shooting Conditions

Distance to Subjects

• Minimum focal length: 600mm
• Ideal focal length: 800mm+
• Water birds of various types

Background Quality

• Clean / natural / busy? The background is the reservoir or woods
• Artificial perches? No

Species You Can Expect

Regular Sightings

• Tufted duck, Goldeneye, Common Tern, Reed Warbler and more

My Experience

• What surprised you?
  Lots of water birds
• What frustrated you?
  Distance required on lens although I did use my new x2.0tc.
• Did the activity match expectations? Yes, plenty of action.
• Was it worth the price?
  Yes, the membership gives access to several reservoirs

Camera Settings & Gear I Used

Body: Nikon Z8
Lens: Nikon Nikkor 180-600mm & Viltrox x2.0tc
Support (tripod/beanbag): Non

Typical Settings I use:

• Shutter speed: Varies depending on static or flight shots
• Aperture: F13 (due to x2.0tc)
• ISO range: 800

Who Is This Hide Best For?

✔ Beginners
✔ Advanced wildlife photographers
✔ Behaviour shooters
✖ Landscape photographers
✖ Portrait shooters

Tips If You’re Visiting

• Membership or go with a member
• Bring camera & lenses, spare batteries, warm clothes for winter, food and drink and walking boots.

Final Verdict – Would I Return?

• Is it worth the money?
  Membership is very reasonable
• Is it worth travelling for?
  It is about 2hrs for me from West Yorkshire, but it is local to my Father so I stayed nearby in the Rugeley Premier Inn.
• Would you recommend it? Yes.

I spent the day at North Yorkshire Wildlife Photography Hide in Malton, North Yorkshire. This is the first visit to this hide I’ve been on so far.

Quick Overview

📍 Location: Malton, North Yorkshire
🌿 Habitat Type: Woodland & Lake side
🎯 Target Species: Birds
📅 Best Season: All year round
🕒 Best Time of Day: All day
💰 Cost: £75+
📅 Booking Required: Yes
👥 Max Photographers:  2

🔗 Website: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063531369702

What Makes This Hide Unique?

The hide at Malton is set on the side of a lake surrounded by woodland on the outskirts of the golf course. The hide is comfortable and has a wide selection of wildlife that visit all year around. The hide is open on two sides so you can get a view of the lake with various perches for Kingfishers, and then the other side is set up with perches on land for the woodland birds.

The hide can seat 2 people with room for your gear and lunch bags. Gimbal heads and bases are provided for both spaces. The hide is located within the Malton Golf Club grounds off Welham Lake. Access is really good and you can drive through the course then onto the private land for the lake to park up, a short walk through the woods to the hide.

Setup & Shooting Conditions

Distance to Subjects

• Minimum focal length: 200mm
• Ideal focal length: 400mm to 600mm (800mm for some of the further perches would be good)
• Various water birds, sing birds ad squirrels. Buzzard does come in as well.

Background Quality

• Clean / natural / busy? The background is varied depending on the side you’re shooting from. There are trees and reeds.
• Artificial perches? The perches are made from branches and look realistic in the shots.

Species You Can Expect

Regular Sightings

• Buzzard
• Kingfisher
• Ducks, Heron, Moorhen
• Plenty of the usual British song birds all year round

My Experience

• What surprised you?
  How peaceful the hide was (I was on my own) and the sound of the birds within the woodland.
• What frustrated you?
  As I was on my own, switching sides took its toll on me through a long day.
• Did the activity match expectations? Although I did get a lot of shots (2000+) through the day it was quieter than usual. I think this was due to the nesting of the smaller birds and buzzard.
• Was it worth the price?
  Yes it was worth the price. I paid £75 for the full day (0700-1500). I also stayed in Malton the night before at the Wentworth Arms.

Camera Settings & Gear I Used

Body: Nikon Z8
Lens: Nikon Nikkor 180-600mm
Support (tripod/beanbag): Gimbal head & base provided

Typical Settings I use:

• Shutter speed: Varies depending on static or flight shots
• Aperture: F6.3
• ISO range: 1250

Who Is This Hide Best For?

✔ Beginners
✔ Advanced wildlife photographers
✔ Behaviour shooters
✖ Landscape photographers
✖ Portrait shooters

Tips If You’re Visiting

• Arrive 10-15 minutes early to get yourself through the golf course, parked and walked to the hide then set up.
• Bring camera & lenses, spare batteries, warm clothes for winter, food and drinks.
• Avoid being too loud, leaving when the raptors are in the hide.

Check start times on the email/message you receive before arrival.

Final Verdict – Would I Return?

• Is it worth the money?
  Yes worth the money, I would return away from nesting season.
• Is it worth travelling for?
  It is 1hr30 from me in West Yorkshire. I did stay over the night before to be ready for an early start. I would recommend doing this unless you live really close.
• Would you recommend it?
  Yes.

I took a trip out to Haworth village today as it was the first day of the annual Steampunk Festival. Thought I would get some different photos than I usually take.

Managed to get a few, just need to be braver and ask more people if its ok to take their photo. Not a natural thing for me, but I guess they’re there to show people the hardwork and dediction in their costumes.

I had another visit to Leeds Photography Hide at the weekend. As usual it didn’t disappoint, plenty of birds still visiting despite the nesting season being underway. The sparrowhawk was in at least 5 times throughtout the day.

Here are a few photos from the day of the various small birds that were feeding.

There was also a visits from this pair of ducks. Didn’t expect them to get on the feeders and start hooving up the food!!

And the male sparrowhawk put on a show as well.

Quick Overview

📍 Location: Leeds West Yorkshire
🌿 Habitat Type: Woodland
🎯 Target Species: Birds
📅 Best Season: All year round
🕒 Best Time of Day: All day
💰 Cost: £60 – £135
📅 Booking Required: Yes
👥 Max Photographers:  3

🔗 Website: https://www.leedswildlife.co.uk/

As it was my Daughters 15th Birthday in April we went away for a few days. We went to Lincoln as there are quite a few bookshops as well as the Cathedral.

We spent the Tuesday looking around the town and multiple bookshops so she could spend her Book Tokens. Wednesday we spent a good long time looking around the Cathedral.

It was a really hot day with the sun shining through the stained glass windows and casting some great light onto the floor inside.

I took this photograph of the Easter display with a miniture Jesus on which was nice.

I have had a few different camera slings and harnesses now over the last 3 years to help carry the weight of the large digital camera and  telephoto lens I use.

The shoulder sling type I’ve had eventually created strain on my back as they didn’t support the weight of the camera setup very well.

I then tried a cheap vest type harness from eBay to carry the camera setup on my chest. This worked well, the weight distribution was much better, the thing that let it down was the quality of the fixing plate. This kept spinning and unscrewing itself under the weight of the camera & lens as I was walking. So I couldn’t carry on using this as I didn’t want the camera and lens to fall off!

I treated myself to the Cotton Carrier CCS G3 Grey Harness for Two Cameras. Here is an unboxing of this kit.

The harness comes in a really good quality box which is the first thing you see.

Once opened the harness is packaged well, with all the additional items underneath.

I have removed the harness from the plastic bag and tried this on. Thankfully there was enough adjustment as I’m not a slight framed man like the models used on the website!

Having test fitted the harness there was enough adjustment to get this comfortable on me. The build quality of the harness is excellent from first look. Quality clips and buckles, the material is comfortable when wearing the harness.

The Twist & Lock receiver looks to be very sturdy and much better than the one I had before. Test fitting this to my Nikkor 180-600mm lens without the Z8 attached it felt balanced and secure on my chest. The Twist & Lock system worked well and will be easier in the field than the last harness I had as I struggled getting that locked in and out.

What’s in the box:

• 1x G3 Camera Harness – Charcoal Grey
• 1x Wanderer Side Holster
• 2x Safety Tether
• 1x Clip on Weather Cover
• 1x CCS Hub – Flat Mounting Hardware
• 2x Hi-density Rubber Washer
• 2x Stainless Steel Marine Grade Camera Mounting Bolt
• 2x Allen Key

First impressions this harness is excellent quality and should be good when out and about with my big lens and even the smaller lenses.

I will update this post when I get the chance to test the harness in the field.