BIRD PHOTOGRAPHY | A quick visit to my woodland hide - episode 1

In this video, I take a quick trip to a local private woodland where I am lucky enough to have a hide setup on location. With the autumnal colours in all their glory, it was great to see this project coming along nicely ready for the winter months ahead.
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[@moroccowild]

Realy very nice👍

[@petedraper5185]

What a cracking image of the little owl. I now have private farm land to wander over and have been given a small patch of waste land to set up a bird feeding station and hide. I set up a temporary feeder a week ago, but so far it's not going very well. I am viewing it from a distance of about 50 metres at the moment, prior to setting up a hide. I'll give it a month, but I may have to beg a better location.

[@SimonWantling]

Thanks for the comment Pete and good luck with your new site.

[@jamesburke9726]

beautiful spot and even better images. Really enjoy your videos. Recently purchased the Gitzo 45L after your review. thanks for sharing your insights.

[@SimonWantling]

Thanks James, really appreciate that. Hope you like the Gitzo bag. I was pretty impressed with it. Cheers

[@tomrounding4239]

Great video :-) shows what is on our doorstep. Keep up the great vlogs:-)

[@SimonWantling]

Thanks Tom.

[@CamillaI]

I am lucky too to have access to a private Woodland hide in the New Forest. Its amazing what you can achieve with a few peanuts! Even have badgers coming into feed. Loved the video with the Autumn colours and woodpecker👍😀😍

[@clivewelch1025]

Hi Simon nice video I enjoyed it the nuthatch shot was brilliant and I to love the great spotted woodpecker we have one who visits our bird feeders every winter so I'm looking forward to him coming back this winter. Until next time take care and stay safe my friend.

[@mijiyoon5575]

👍👍👍📷📷📷🐦

[@Elbwobbler77]

Sehr schön.👌 Viele liebe Grüße Jörn

[@SimonWantling]

Thank you..

[@ValkoBranislav]

👍👍👍

[@steves8661]

Another great video Simon wish I could find somewhere like that to have a set up ready to go looking forward to seeing it develop

[@SimonWantling]

Cheers Steve

[@deanseldon5640]

Nice stuff Simon 👌

[@SimonWantling]

Thanks Dean. 👍

[@adrianmoore8200]

great video and nice shots

[@SimonWantling]

Thanks Adrian.

[@paulmiller7624]

Fantastic footage of the woodlands and the bird photography I'd love to own that hide you leave in the woods so I can go in the woods near me and put feeding stations out and see what comes near to start taking photos ,any chance you would sell that hide to me .

[@patricohgren3161]

Great video as always..

[@SimonWantling]

Thanks very much ..

[@benpulletz]

Great video. You should do video on jays again. Like last year . Thanks Ben.

[@SimonWantling]

Thanks Ben. I am hoping Jays will come I to the hide area at some point. I can hear them calling all around me so only a matter of time I think. I'll also brave out a night there I think and do some Tawny Owls.

[@fubband]

Wonderful shots, Simon from another great vlog 👍🏻 Loved seeing the woodpecker reversing down the tree too, top video!

[@SimonWantling]

Cheers Martin. Hope you're ok. 👍

[@nickclaytonphotography]

Another great vlog Simon, love the Autumn colours & those Woodpecker images are superb. Winter in the woods is just special, & I only wish I had access to something similar as I would love to do a project like yours myself. Thanks for sharing this with us. Best, Nick

[@SimonWantling]

Thanks Nick - appreciate the comment. 👍

[@SkylarkFields]

Lovely video - very restful to watch and share the peace of the woodland with you, (while I eat my breakfast!), and you got some beautiful shots, too.

[@SimonWantling]

Thank you very much. Glad you enjoyed it.

[@samwinslow2361]

Lovely film Simon! Looking forward to the next one 👍

[@SimonWantling]

Thanks Sam, really appreciate that.. all the best.

[@ryanackland9330]

Lovely images Simon. Autumn really is the best time of the year with all the different colours!

[@SimonWantling]

Thanks Ryan.

[@matthiaskroell6939]

Thanks for this video, great project. Waiting for more frome your hide :-)

[@SimonWantling]

Thanks very much..

[@itchyfeet4205]

Just bought a hide and it won't stop pouring down...Great video, I look forward to more as I've just subscribed :)

[@SimonWantling]

Thanks very much. It's terrible weather isn't it. Good luck with the photography.

[@richardmoult9781]

Nice set up Simon , loved the Woodpecker reversing down the tree.

[@SimonWantling]

Thanks Richard.

[@KGsPhotography]

What a great little place you have there Simon. Lovely images of the woodpecker and the Nuthatch is it just one of my favourite birds. Cheers Keith

[@SimonWantling]

Thanks Keith. All the best.

[@VisualImpression]

Amazing woodland full of nature and the birds you have captured are awesome! Looking forward for more videos

[@seanmeadewildlife]

Great video 😊😊👍

[@richardb649]

Top video as always Simon - really enjoy everything you do. Certainly a great motivator for me to get out with my camera

[@SimonWantling]

Thanks very much Richard. Hope you're ok 👍

[@tedshillitto6062]

Great vid Simon. An inspiration to us all.

[@SimonWantling]

Thank you Ted, I really appreciate that. All the best 👍

[@richardpill8322]

Great video Simon. Lovely photos. With lower light conditions I start with a higher shutter speed, with obviously higher ISO and once I have a shot in the bag I reduce the shutter speed and in turn reduce the ISO to get cleaner shots but as you say, a risk of blurred images. I usually get a clean sharp image that way, but like you say the modern cameras produce good images at higher ISO values now, so it’s less of an issue. All the best, Rich.

[@laurencearnold5822]

Great video Simon love the autumn colours and Stills.

[@SimonWantling]

Thanks Laurence. A beautiful time of year - apart from what's going on in the world currently. Keep safe.

[@johnlocke7097]

Another good one. I miss the UK in the autumn.

[@SimonWantling]

Thanks John. 👍

[@malcolmfowler2891]

The drone footage showed the autumnal colours superbly, cracking images especially the nuthatch. ‘Til next time stay safe

[@SimonWantling]

Thanks Malcolm. You too.

[@NewDelhiNatureSociety]

We need more of this

[@phooesnax]

Nice work Simon. Thank You

[@SimonWantling]

Thanks very much. Have a nice day.

[@AndrewJulianPhotography]

I'm jealous simon, i wish i had such a beautiful place to call my backyard

[@SimonWantling]

Cheers Andrew. I hope you're ok 👍

[@danmiller6350]

Beautiful work as always 👍

[@SimonWantling]

Thanks Dan..

[@fusion-music]

Great video & the diversity was brilliant.

[@SimonWantling]

Thanks very much. It's a great place..all the best 👍

[@andywhiteside16]

Fantastic relaxing video and great shots as well

[@SimonWantling]

Thank you Andy. All the best 👍

[@robertlawrence7958]

Low light in woodland is definitely an issue for me too. I have done quite a lot with badgers in available light and have found that I am realistically restricted to a few months just after easter. There is a time when the balance between the lighter evenings and before the trees are in full leaf that gives me my best opportunities. I did have the good fortune of having a semi-permanent hide but unfortunately, during a storm, an old characterful tree that was a great prop in my images was blown down and landed directly on my hide, destroying it completely. I'm hoping to get set up again ready for this Easter. Nice relaxing video Simon, something enjoyable to watch on a Sunday morning while the wind is blowing outside and the rain is hammering down... common weather here in Wales.

[@SimonWantling]

Thanks Robert. You're lucky with the hide. It's often crossed my mind so hence never go in there when there are high winds. Low light can be a problem with crop sensors but with full frame it's not so much especially these modern ones. I'm often up at ISO 16000 and beyond and when I do I always push the histogram as far to the right as I can before clipping the highlights. That way when you recover in post the noise is not obvious. I also use Nik filters from time to time which can also help with a little noise. I have a video coming out on their new versions very soon. Good luck with your hide setup and thanks for taking the time to comment.

[@robertlawrence7958]

@@SimonWantling I totally agree about using full frame cameras and I bought a 6D body for that very reason. In fact I was so impressed with it when photographing badgers that I eventually also replaced my 7d mkii with a 5D body and now only use full frame. I do miss the frame rate and fast focusing of the 7 but as I cannot afford a 1 series I will get by with what I have.

[@EssexCountyPhoto]

Beautiful video, very nice woodpecker, we're very fortunate to see woodpeckers and jays in our little garden here in Essex, some decent shots but it's not "in the wild"... What's the ideal Shutter speed to capture the open wings like your owl? (I'm normally between f5 and f6.3) Cheers!

[@AndyNoblePhotography]

Fantastic images as usual Simon, really love the nuthatch on the mossy tree trunk. Great video too!

[@SimonWantling]

Thanks Andy, really pleased you enjoyed it. A bit different for me but I had a great time. Just nice being in the wood watching the birds especially with all that's going on currently. Take care. 👍

[@AndyNoblePhotography]

@@SimonWantling totally agree with you. Look forward to the next video 👍🏻

[@joeiscoffee]

I enjoy your videos immensely. Would like to see more about how to find owls.

[@SimonWantling]

Thanks Joe. Really appreciate that 👍

[@Gazzab6]

Hi Simon, great to see you back doing regular videos again. Re the Great Spotted Woodpecker, do you think you had two different ones? I noticed the red patch on the back of the head of the male but I didn't see a red patch on the Woodpecker towards the end of the video, if I'm right , a female also visited. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

[@SimonWantling]

Thanks Gary. Yes I'm trying to do videos more regularly now. Good spot on the woodpecker. I hadn't spotted that but having looked back you're quite right. Beautiful birds aren't they.

[@Gazzab6]

Simon Wantling - yes they certainly are a wonderful bird. I'm quite fortunate when it comes to photographing Woodpeckers because my friend built a hide in his garden and he has built feeding stations including logs and trees that are full of food that Woodpeckers like so he gets a family visiting all the time. Due to the lockdown restrictions I've not been able to visit. I also visit a Great Spotted Woodpecker nesting site (with care may I add) in a spot of woodland next to our local park - the chicks are so noisy aren't they.

[@sharonmayo5578]

Beautiful bird shots Simon. Really looking forward to some snowy shots. If you see any robins will you get a shot of it. I never see them now I live on the coast. Thank you.

[@SimonWantling]

Thank you Sharon and yes of course I will 😉

[@peterbarby9251]

Another informative and relaxing video, Simon. I was photographing Red Squirrels in a woodland in the North Yorkshire Dales the other day. It was very dank as it was pouring down, too. But it was a great day. I shot a red at 12800 iso and yes, it was very noisy. I shoot with a Canon 1d mk4 and it is usually very good at handling noise, but 12800 is a few steps beyond. However, I have just upgraded my RAW processing software to the new DXO photolab 4 and all I can say is, "wow!". Noise gone and no loss of image quality. Sorry, I'm not here to advertise DXO, but I just thought I'd share my experience with high iso noise. Anyways, keep up the good work, Simon. It's very much appreciated

[@SimonWantling]

Hi Peter, red squirrels are wonderful animals and I'm just back from Scotland where I caught up with them also. I've heard the Mark IV is good on noise. The 1dx 2 I think is a slight step up but not much. I'm often up at 16000 - 25000 and if so o always shoot to the right. Interesting you mention PhotoLab 4. They contacted last week and I'm testing it currently and it looks amazing. I am thinking of doing a video on it soon as I've been super impressed.

[@peterbarby9251]

@@SimonWantling I'll look forward to seeing your take on it. I'm hoping that I can pick up some tips from you. I'm purely basic when it comes to software. But I'm going to have a good play with this one. I bought the upgrade as I had photolab 3. I used their new version of the noise reduction system, DeepPrime on the image I mentioned and the results were outstanding. It did take longer to process, but that might be because my computer is over 6 years old. Anyways, I really look forward to your take on the software. I was impressed, but I think in the hands of a professional such as yourself, I will learn a lot more. No pressure 😂. Will you be releasing a vlog of your Scotland Red Squirrels? That I would like to see. I went to a hide set up run by a chap called, Paul Fowlie. I've been a few times. Also shot Red Grouse and visited his Little Owl hide. He's a good bloke and has an excellent Red Squirrel set up. Anyways, take care and keep up the great work

[@cpnock]

Some great shots, got to try for some treecreepers this year.

[@SimonWantling]

Thanks. Good luck with that. Nice bird and one I don't think I've ever photographed. I'm usually photographing the owls so nice to do something a bit different 👍

[@cpnock]

@@SimonWantling I live near Sherwood Forest so plenty of trees, just got to keep my eyes open and fingers crossed.

[@TommysOutdoors]

Great video Simon! I probably have too many questions to fit in one comment. Have you thought of making Q&A video where you could answer all the questions people are asking? I'm assuming I'm not the only one! 😀

[@SimonWantling]

Thanks Tommy, that's a nice idea. What I'll do and post something in the KZbin community page so people can leave their questions. Assuming I get enough then I'll happily make a video Q&A session.

[@daveswann2559]

Hi Simon Just watched this video ,fantastic What bag do you use to carry your 600 lens and camera attached Happy new year

[@SimonWantling]

Thanks Dave. Been a while since I've created one so was nice to record one again. I use the Gitzo 45L Adventury Bag. I did a full review on it here - kzbin.info/www/bejne/eXTbmomKpKZopqs

[@adamjones0275]

Really enjoying your channel Simon, having only found it last week. I'd like to get into Vlogging, and was wondering what camera you use to video yourself whilst vlogging.

[@SimonWantling]

Thanks a lot Adam, glad you found the channel. I started my channel using the Canon M50 which is a fantastic vlogging camera and still use it on occasion. I also use, depending what type of video I want capture the Fujifilm XT3 which is stunning in 4k etc but doesn't have a flip out screen but I've made it work with an external monitor. More recently however I've started using the DJI Osmo action camera which has been brilliant. As a wildlife photographer I'm carrying a big heavy lens and tripod and with the Osmo action being so small and lightweight, it's been perfect for me. So I flip between the 3 systems but they are the ones I use. 👍

[@adamjones0275]

@@SimonWantling Thanks very much for the reply. Gives me something to think about now. Keep up the good work, it’s bringing me a lot of pleasure and very inspiring.

[@williammcgillivray632]

Like the video your woodland hide is looking good I like the woodpecker myself, quick question Simon have you photographed Kingfisher,s I am just back from a Hide in Kirkcudbright in Scotland and really enjoyed photographing them

[@SimonWantling]

Hi William, thanks for the comment and glad you enjoyed the video. I haven't photographed Kingfishers for a few years now. Honestly, I'm not so much into the commercial hides. I'm not saying anything against them at all, I just prefer to be out there doing my own thing. Did you get any nice images from the hide. It's a wonderful part of the world so I'm sure it was a great experience.

[@abelfernandez5648]

muy buenas Simon, saludos desde Asturias-España. Si me permites unos pequeños consejos para que puedas mejorar aun más tus imágenes en cuanto al acercamiento. Me imagino que estas con un 600 f4. Dado que tanto el Picapinos como los Trepadores son especies que se muestran bastante confiados, los posaderos los acercaría algo más. Un buen tronco de unos dos metros con algo de liquen o musgo en todo ello y unos agujeros laterales donde ponerles algo de comida sin que se vea, nos puede dar unas buenas imágenes. Personalmente empleo cacahuetes triturados mezclado con un poco de grasa formando una pasta que aplico en oquedades, les encanta. También puedes poder unas avellanas con cáscara que a los carpinteros les encanta. Los postes de dos metros los puedes ir cambiando para obtener distintos posaderos. Tambien puedes poner alguno en forma de L, a los picapinos y trepadores les gusta estar boca abajo. Un saludo

[@itztom3665]

Just come across your channel, subscribed. Beautiful shot of the Woodpecker, lovely area you have there, especially all to yourself.

[@SimonWantling]

Hi Ric, thanks for finding the channel and subscribing. It is a wonderful site and something nice to drop in on when I'm not photographing the owls which I spend a lot of my time doing. Thanks again and all the best 👍