Here I will go into more detail of my day spent at The Kent Photography Hide in Godmersham, Kent.
We booked the session for an 08:30 start, I was grateful for the lie in for this one, normally my day would start much earlier, you really cannot beat the Autumn light and Golden Hour.
My best piece of advice for anyone wanting to get into, or further develop their wildlife photography is, “Be prepared to start really early”
You may not get “That” light again.
This day was no different, a crisp autumn morning and the drive to the hide was stunning, the mist was lingering and the light was slowly penetrating the early morning fog, piercing through in places and creating some truly amazing light shows. It was all I could do to not stop somewhere and either get some landscape shots or put the drone up and show the landscape from a normally unseen angle.
Arriving at the hide, we set up and got ourselves settled, and now its just a waiting game, so we waited and didn’t have to wait too long before an array of woodland birds came buzzing into view, some were happy to stop and take in the surroundings, others were in and out quicker than I could lift the camera, let alone grab focus or any shots.
The day was a steady mix of birds and the occasional squirrel muscling their way in for a quick feed and drink before scurrying back into the tall trees surrounding the setting.
The late morning bought about a stunning and unexpected surprise, a Sparrowhawk graced us with its majestical presence. The way these apex hunters glide through thick scrub / trees is a sight to behold and this one was no different, eventually landing up in a tree in the distance.
A few shots grabbed and a happy photographer sat back and admired the shots captured before, as quick as it arrived, a silent retreat ensued.
No wonder the woodland birds had been quiet.
The location is in the process of adding a second hide to the site, one aimed at the array of birds of prey in the area, we were lucky enough to witness a pair of Buzzards, a pair of Red Kite and a lone Kestrel with a successful lunch quarry.
All in all a wonderful day spent at a serene setting and one I truly love spending time at.
