Using a hide , any tips?

[D Williams]

Hello just wanted some tips on using a mobile dome hide , anyone got any suggestions on using bait /food to entice any subjects. I don't think just siting the hide and hoping something will pass by will be of much use but wondered about what food/bait for wildlife anyone could suggest and when and where. I would like to photograph spotted woodpeckers and know suet attracts them but are they attracted by smell ? Hope some of you may have some tips regarding this , kind regards Darren

[pressld2]

Hi Darren and welcome to WAB.

I think the normal practice is to bait a site cosistently for a period of several weeks so that the birds have time to find the food and get used to it being there regularly. It also pays if you can leave your hide in place as well but depending on where you are and the nature of the site this may not be possible. Where I live in the south east there's nowhere I could leave a hide for 24 hours and find it still there and in one piece!

Dave P.

[jennyb]

Hi Darren,

I got a mobile hide for my birthday earlier this year. I wanted it specifically to photograph the deer that come in to my garden and eat the windfall apples from my trees. Last year the trees were so heavy with apples that branches were falling off.

This year there was 1 single apple and therefore nothing to entice the deer. I was very disappointed.

I did set up the hide by my pond and managed to get a glimpse of the baby moorhens, but they could hear my camera and did not hang about too long!

Roll on the apple season next year.

I agree with Dave, if you are leaving out food, then you will need to do it consistently over a period of time. The Great Spotted Woodpeckers in my garden only eat the peanuts from my feeder. They don't touch the fat balls.

Good luck.

Jenny

[D Williams]

The hide cost a small fortune second-hand so wouldn't consider leaving it anywhere un-attended , sad world isn't it ? I was a bit concerned about the ethics of how long i could keep a feeding station esp with winter around the corner as i don't want the wildlife to become accustomed to the food and then suddenly it ceases. I will try the peanuts for the woodpeckers and anything else ,they seem to have a universal appeal. I will also try using it my garden despite some strange looks from the neighbours! Kind regards Darren

[slicemydrive]

I was talking to a gent on friday who advised he uses cheese stuffed in holes in a log/branch, he said he gets photos of numerous birds including woodpecker. Might be worth a try.

[Kev-B]

Depending upon where you site your hide .. you may wish to consider access to & egress from the hide ... ideally you'd choose a route which limited whatever you want to watch from seeing you enter or leave ..

Given that you may be in the hide for some considerable time .. waiting for that elusive "shot" .. it might also be prudent to consider your "comfort" needs ... an empty 2 ltr plastic milk container (with screw-top lid) ... & possibly some cling film ...

Remember .. the job's not finished till the paper work has been completed ...

Bye for now ..

Kev ..

[K9photo]

Originally Posted by Kev-B

an empty 2 ltr plastic milk container (with screw-top lid) ... & possibly some cling film ...

2 litres!!!!! Even Anne Frank didn't "hide" that long! lol

[Kev-B]

Mebbe she wasn't as keen on her Tea as I am ....

Bye for now ..

Kev ..

[D Williams]

Thanks you lot , the cheese sounds good for the woodpeckers. As for the bottle that's something i hadn't thought of hmm thought you were taking the p*!? for a minute but i can see what you mean! Crikey my old rucksack is gonna groan with all this gear,tripod,camera/lense,hide,chair and now i need a p*!? pot to go under the chair ! Well whatever you have to do you have to do and if it gets results it will be a relief for all of us ! Thanks Darren

[BillyPilgrim]

Originally Posted by D Williams

I would like to photograph spotted woodpeckers and know suet attracts them but are they attracted by smell ? Hope some of you may have some tips regarding this , kind regards Darren

Two words - Peanut Butter! Not a new idea but it works.

Get some old logs and drill some holes or use existing crevices. Stuff the Peanut Butter in all the crevices so it is hidden from the camera viewfinder and sit back and wait.

Some people started doing this in front of my favourite hide a couple of weeks ago. Birds seen and photographed so are, Blue Tit, Willow Tit, Black Cap, Great Tit, Coal Tit, Willow Tit, Nuthatch, Dunnock, Robin and yesterday, for the first time...a Great Spotted Woodpecker! It landed twice but was so quick I didn't have time to get a shot. Hopefully it will come back and stay around a bit longer in future.

The last few photos in my Gallery (Tits and Nuthatches) were taken with the aid of PB!

BillyPilgrim Gallery - Wildlife Photography