Leeds Wildlife Photography Hide

A Retirement present from the guys I used to work, the Inspection Dept at a local Engineering Firm, today would be a new experience for me, may be the start of a new thing.

The day started early, I had to be on site for 7am,I live fairly local about thirty minutes away, so there wasn’t to damaging, the hide is in the area of RSPB St Aidan’s.

I arrived on time and met Ian, the owner, who took me down to the hide, which is near to the road. A large hide with three portals, all have gimbals to use, there’s also a couch and various equipment to use, if you’ve forgotten yours. The hide was overlooking a copse area, there are plenty of natural feeding areas, Posts, Trees and Branches etc.

After getting settled in, with Ian showing where things were, toilet manly, my attention turned to the birds, today I was shooting with the OM1 and the 150-400mm F4.5 Pro lens, I didn’t know which way to turn, there was plenty of action with Bullfinch, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long tailed Tit, Blackcap, Robin, Stock Dove, Woodpigeon, House Sparrow, Starling, Jay, Blackbird and Great Spotted Woodpecker.

A Kestrel flew thru at one point and a Sparrowhawk hung around in one of the nearby trees, not coming down. The most numerous birds were the young Starlings, along with Jays and Blackbird.

It was a great morning, lasting from 7am till 1pm, I did have a worrying moment at about 11:30am, my battery went flat, now I thought I’d charged both of them last night, I hadn’t, thankfully Ian came to the rescue with a power bank, plugged into the camera and we were rolling again, needless to say I have now bought my own power bank.

Overall today was a great experience and I will be re-booking, Ian was great couldn’t do enough for you, and was checking on me occasionally to see I was ok, any problems he’s just at the end of a phone. I found these hides a good places to try out new equipment, like cameras and lenses.

As I say I will be re-booking, I have a date with a Sparrowhawk.

A Video of the days experience can be seen by pressing HERE