Hides

I made a decision early on not to use a personal hide, as I thought it would be awkward to carry and set up and some people might not appreciate / allow it. Arthur Morris talks of how he was determined to succeed without the use of a blind by laying on his belly in mud and crawling towards the birds. However, in his book 'Bird Photography', David Tipling says that certain parts of North America are amongst "the easiest places on the planet to photograph birds". Perhaps this makes the use of a blind unnecessary.

I've purchased two 'blinds'. The first is a C30.1 Dome Hide from Warehouse Express. At 5' square at the base, it's the largest version of the dome hides they produce, which will have its disadvantages, but I'm a big bloke and it will be nice to sit in the hide comfortably and have all my gear with me, and a flask of coffee and muffins too, of course. It has three windows and uses poles and can be pegged to the ground in windy weather.

The second hide is the C33 Medium Bag Hide (also from Warehouse Express). It's a proofed bag, which is just thrown over the photographer and camera. It has one window and a large opening at the front for the lens, with velcro adjustment. This sounds very versatile and convenient, but it's actually a bit awkward. The bag sits directly on my head, I can't see to the side or behind me, I can't have a drink or anything to eat inside the hide without a great deal of effort and care, and it gets very warm, especially in warm weather! I suppose it's just designed to throw over the photographer and camera when speed is important, but in my mind a hide is more often used when patience and time are more important than speed. I'm sure this hide will have its uses, but I can't see it being used very often.

I've also bought three pieces of 'leafscreen', one of which I use over my house window when photographing birds in the garden. I have to get fairly close to the birds with my 400mm lens and they're sometimes spooked, so the screen allows me to see the birds, but the birds are not able to see me (although this isn't always the case!).

Another piece of leafscreen I use to make a hide, and this is the most versatile setup I have. I use it with between three and eight fibreglass tent-poles. If I want a hide I can sit up in, I'll stack two tent poles in each corner (the poles are 625mm long). If I want to lie down in the hide and be better hidden, I'll just use one pole in each corner. Sometimes I'll have three corners (a triangular setup) and sometimes four.

The leafscreen comes in strips, so I bought a long piece, cut it in half, and tied it together to make a large square. I simply drape the leafscreen over the poles (I use 'c-clips' on top of the poles) and peg the screen down with tent pegs. With this setup I can see in all directions, I can eat and drink, and I stay cool. Ok, in the winter I'm cold, but that's usually the case wherever I'm sat, so I always go well prepared. The equipment is lightweight and easy to carry in my Lowepro bag.