The widlife travel survival guide THEKNOWLEDGE HOW TO SKILLS How to... BOOKS APPS WEB PHOTO WORKSHOP KIT REVIEWS Q&A film garden wildlife Piers Warren, from the International School of Wildlife Film-making (Wildeye), offers a beginner’s guide to filming the wildlife that thrives in your garden, whether it’s birds at the feeder or fish in the pond W ith the popularity of programmes like BBC’s Springwatch, and the falling cost of video equipment, more and more people are keen to capture the wildlife in their garden on film. But how do you get started? The most obvious piece of equipment is a digital camcorder, and there is a huge variety available that offers superb high definition quality at a range of prices. Even a small, handheld camcorder, costing less than £200, can produce excellent images. These are great for filming birds feeding from a table in your garden, butterflies and bees on flowers or, if you’re lucky, fox cubs playing together. If you’re using a camcorder for birds or other nervous animals you can do it from inside your house and through a window – just watch out for reflections on the glass. It will improve the results if you use a tripod, or stabilise the camera somehow. Only hand-hold as a last resort, or if you need to be very mobile. Remember that many DSLR cameras these days also have an HD video recording capability, so you may already have the Here: foxes use their ‘brush’ or tail as a cover in cold weather. Inset: a large red damselfly equipment you need. If you want to film inside a nest box, have a look at the dedicated nest box cameras available. These are small cameras that fix inside the top of a nest box and can be equipped with tiny infrared lights and a microphone to record the nestlings’ cheeps. These will either connect with your TV or computer via a cable or there are wireless options with a transmitter and receiver. This equipment is not as expensive as you might think, with prices starting from £50 – just search the web for ‘nest box cameras’. Another piece of equipment that is becoming increasingly popular is the trail-cam or camera trap (from around £100). These are remote units that strap to a tree and are left to record any creatures that pass by. They are usually triggered by something passing through an infra-red beam, and are perfect for garden foxes, badgers, hedgehogs, and some wildlife you didn’t even know frequented your patch! Finally, if you have a garden pond, there are gadgets available for filming activity under the water. ‘Action cams’, such as the GoPro Hero range, often come with underwater housings (about £50) and can be used on the end of a pole or placed in the pond to record what swims by. They can also take time-lapse sequences, so you could record an hour’s worth of activity and then condense it into 30 seconds – with fascinating results. Whatever equipment and techniques you use, capturing footage of wildlife is a fun (and addictive) way to appreciate and learn about the creatures that share your garden. Wildeye provides a number of courses to help you develop your filmmaking skills. They also publish several books, such as Go Wild with Your Camcorder. See www.wildeye.co.uk We would love to see any action recorded in your garden! Please upload your videos to our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/ wildtravelmag). Or write and tell us about it by emailing [email protected] WILDLIFEEXTRA.COM WILD TRAVEL 117 THEKNOWLEDGE SKILLS Survival skills using the skies for navigating Paul Stephenson from Ordnance Survey offers some easy techniques to find your way by the sun, moon and stars W orking out roughly where you are is simplest in the case of the sun. The general rule is that it rises in the east, is highest at midday, and sets in the west. Bear in mind, however, that sunrise and sunset positions do vary throughout the year. For example, in the middle of summer, the sun rises in a more north easterly direction and sets north west. Meanwhile, a full moon rises in the east, is south at midnight, and sets in the west. However, the direction of the rising and setting of the moon is less reliable than the sun due to the angle of the moon’s orbit. If there’s a crescent moon, visualise a line running from tip-to-tip of the moon’s crescent, then continue that line down to the horizon. Where it meets is roughly south (fig.1). As for the stars, Fig. 1 one of the easiest to spot is Polaris, the Pole Star. It’s one of the brightest stars in the sky and sits over the North Pole – meaning it’s possible to approximately judge direction The Alan Rogers Campsite Find the perfect camping plot by browsing more than 3,000 campsites across Europe. You can explore by country, region or county and each entry comes with reviews, campsite opening dates and directions. The Coleman Lantern Fig. 2 from its location in the sky. To find Polaris, locate the Plough (or ‘Big Dipper’) group of seven stars. The two stars that form the bottom of the ‘scoop’ of the Plough point straight upwards to the Pole Star (fig. 2). You can also approximate your latitude using Polaris. You can estimate this by holding a fist out in front of you, between the star and the horizon. Each fist is equal to 10 degrees of latitude. Of course, none of these methods should be used in preference to a map and compass when you need to find your way! www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk Sarah Buckley from Globe Travel Health Centre offers her top tips for treating jelly fish stings 118 WILD TRAVEL camping apps Free, Apple www.alanrogers.com FIRST AID: JELLYFISH STINGS Swimmers and paddlers can be stung by jellyfish and other venomous creatures even in temperate waters, but the risk is much greater in tropical seas. It is best to assume that any creature encountered in the sea is venomous and therefore treat them all with respect. Those who venture into the sea risk being injured by coral or sea urchins, or stung by fire coral, jellyfish, venomous fish, stingrays, cone shells and octopi. Jellyfish stings are most common when there are onshore winds: this is the reason children often get stung when playing by the shoreline. Very few species of jellyfish are really dangerous even though they can inflict a painful Four of the best… sting. On northern Australian coasts, where dangerous jellyfish cause the most trouble, coastguards give warnings if they have come inshore. Box jellyfish may be the size of basketballs, with three metre-long trailing tentacles, or as small as your thumb. If stung by this dangerous type of jellyfish, flooding the sting with acetic acid (vinegar) will deactivate any undischarged stingers, and local lifeguards will hold stocks of antivenom. Credit cards make excellent scrapers for removing any remaining fragments of tentacles from the skin. Do not try applying alcohol, urine, kerosene, hot sand or fresh water to jellyfish stings as this will cause a massive discharge of any remaining stingers, worsen the problem, and could exacerbate poisoning. Australians recommend wearing two pairs of pantyhose (or tights), worn like a bodysuit to create a protective layer. This is cheap but isn’t a great look. Though more pricey, we recommend a stinger suit or a diving ‘skin’ instead. Forgotten your torch? Don’t panic as this free app lets you choose from 10 different lanterns that will flood your tent with light. You can adjust the brightness by sliding your finger along the on-screen bar. Free, Apple www.coleman.com First aid Accidents can happen and so if you are planning a camping trip where help could be a long way off, this app, produced by St John’s Ambulance, could be a useful addition to your kit. It includes the latest first aid advice and protocols for dealing with any emergency situations that could arise. Free, Android, Apple, Blackberry www.sja.org.uk Commander Compass For those fearless types who like to go so far off the beaten track that traditional GPS apps fail, then this is the app for you! It features a military-standard compass, gyro compass, maps, GPS tracker, speedometer, gyro horizon and inclinometer. £2.60, Apple www.happymagenta.com/ compass WILDLIFEEXTRA.COM THEKNOWLEDGE BOOKS 5 minutes with... Wildlife Crime PHILIP HOARE Naturalist and cetacean superfan Philip Hoare reveals what inspired his new book ‘The Sea Inside’ (Fourth Estate, £18.99) Why this book? The Sea Inside is a journey into our collective imagination. In my previous book, Leviathan, I explored the way we have thought about, observed, assimilated, used and abused cetaceans. I set off on a new journey, to investigate their world, and that of other creatures, especially birds, with which I have become obsessed. In the five years that it has taken me to write The Sea Inside, I’ve been lucky enough to get up close to many creatures and I am perpetually amazed by the stories these species, which all make their living on, or in, or by the sea, have to tell us. What has been a particular highlight on your travels? I was lucky that Leviathan took me to some remarkable places. Together with underwater photographer, Andrew Sutton, I spent time with the sperm whales of the Azores, whose deep waters are home to a dozen species of cetacean (and visited by a dozen more). I poeticise about whales, but I do not apologise. Any low points? Only those days when the weather conspires to defeat your plans, and the horizon goes all wobbly. It’s just a reminder that for all our arrogance, we do not hold dominion over the sea. How did your interest in marine life start? The pictures in my 1960s Junior World Encyclopaedias Wild Swimming Daniel Start (Punk Publishing, £14.95) Naturalist Daniel Start explores 150 natural freshwater swimming havens across Britain, from rivers and lakes to waterfalls and pools. No matter where you live in the UK there’s likely to be somewhere relatively close at hand that’s perfect for a swim, paddle or waterside picnic. The Secret World of Red Wolves T. Delene Beeland (University of North Carolina Press, £18.50) This is the story of North America’s rare and shy red wolf, of which there are only 100 left in the wild and 200 in captivity. It examines the species’ history and follows the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s Red Wolf Recovery Program to restore them to the wild. WILDLIFEEXTRA.COM introduced me to the denizens of the deep. I couldn’t actually touch the pages they appeared on and had to turn the pages with my fingertips; I felt that they would draw me down into the unconscionable profound. How do you regard the future? I’m hopeful and pessimistic in equal proportions. Some whale populations have recovered, yet we still keep cetaceans captive. We still allow them to be culled. Worst of all, they are threatened by the pollution that we pump into the oceans, maiming, killing and deforming cetaceans almost as a byproduct of our civilisation. WORLDWILDWEB Dave Dick (Whittles Publishing, £18.99) In this no-holdsbarred and very readable account, former RSPB senior Scottish investigation officer Dave Dick lifts the lid on the realities of battling wildlife crime on a daily basis over 25 years. The reader is left in no doubt of Dave’s passion for his job and subject. Beautiful Owls Marianne Taylor (Ivy Press, £12.99) Filled with fantastic photography by Andrew Perris and fascinating facts by Marianne Taylor, this coffee table book features 36 iconic owls from all across the world. It also provides a guide to their anatomy, hunting prowess and evolution. Find out how you can do your bit for endangered wildlife and global conservation Born Free Foundation www.bornfree.org.uk The charity was started by Virginia McKenna, her late husband Bill Travers, and their son Will Travers in 1984 and is devoted to animal welfare, conservation and education. The website includes a guide to Born Free’s campaigns, ways to help and volunteer at home and overseas, and the latest wildlife news. Tusk Trust www.tuskusa.com For 20 years the Tusk Trust has helped protect around 36 endangered species, from African wild dogs and Grevy’s zebras to giant sable and hawksbill turtles, by establishing community-led initiatives across Africa. The website includes sections on upcoming events and projects, and ideas on how you can get involved. David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation www.davidshepherd.org Set up by international artist David Shepherd, this charity supports a range of conservation and wildlife projects in Africa and Asia. The website includes art for sale by Shepherd and other artists, as well as news, new projects and events, and volunteering opportunities overseas. WILD TRAVEL 119 THEKNOWLEDGE KIT 2 1 3 Camping it up We take a look at some of the latest camping kit to ensure that every eventuality is covered for those nights under canvas 10 4 6 Suck it up This handy straw allows you to drink water from any source in any country, from stream to lake, safe in the knowledge that its filters will remove 99.99 per cent of bacteria. £21.50, www.waternlife.com 7 Snug as a bug The Ray Mears Osprey three season sleeping bag is a bag designed by Ray Mears for use from late spring to early autumn in the UK. However, it can be used comfortably in temperatures as low as -15°. £175, www.raymears.com/Woodlore 8 Space saver Solve the problem of carrying bulky tableware in your rucksack and pack cleverly with Fozzils flat-pack bowls, plates and cups. These store flat until it’s time to use them, when they can then be easily assembled by snapping them into place. From £8.74, www.fozzils.com 9 Home comforts This self-inflating mattress from Kathmandu provides cushioning while sleeping and adds a little luxury to your canvas home. It is also ultra-light and easy to pack, making it handily portable for those on the move. From £29.99, www.kathmandu.co.uk 10 Light up All your lighting needs in one handy camping lantern. This Yellowstone Outdoor Camping 3in-1 lantern includes an LED Lantern, handheld torch and head torch. £23.63, www.outdoorcampingdirect.co.uk ILD TRAV RECOMMENDS 8 5 EL W 9 1 Cook up a storm The lightweight Fold n’ Go stove has two adjustable burners and an integrated Piezo ignition for quick, match-free lighting, even in heavy wind and rain. When you have finished you can just fold it away. £84.99, www.campingaz.com 2 Pitch perfect With a mere four-minute pitching time, no poles, large porch space and double entry for ease of access, this tent ticks all the boxes and is also suitable for all terrains. £535, www.vango.co.uk 3 Dining out If the whole family are setting off on a camping holiday, then this portable table could make meal times easier to handle. It is compact and easy to carry yet very stable when opened and seats four comfortably. £46, www.easy-camp.com 4 Water on tap If you are planning to stay put for a while this 50 litre Gateway Water Caddy will ensure you have water when you need it. It is easy to manoeuvre, even when full, and comes with filler tap, connector and pipe. £458.99, www.campingandleisure.co.uk 5 Sharpest tool in the box A traditional Swiss Army knife is a must for the serious camper and as well as blades this Spartan Lite knife from Victorinox includes a corkscrew, can opener, screwdrivers, wire stripper, tweezers and an LED white light. £26.55, www.victorinox.com 6 7 120 WILD TRAVEL WILDLIFEEXTRA.COM Wildlife .c m EXTRA 100,000 readers every month can’t be wrong! Official website of Visit our dedicated wildlife website for news, jobs and more Wildlife and conservation news 100+ news articles appear every month, focusing on the latest wildlife and conservation news from around the globe Wildlife watching in the UK We list more than 1,000 places to see wildlife in the UK. Wherever you are, we can point you in the right direction Wildlife jobs A regularly updated list of incredible wildlife and conservation jobs, and volunteering opportunities at home and abroad Wildlife photography Tips to improve your images, reviews of equipment and links to wildlife photography competitions Wildlife and conservation events There is always plenty going on, from festivals to lectures and wildlife watching events. Get out there and join in! © FLPA Newly discovered species Amazingly, new species are still found and described all the time. Visit the website to learn about the latest discoveries SUBSCRIBE TODAY to receive our FREE weekly newsletter Top news stories this month: n The night parrot, dubbed the ‘holy grail’ of Australian birding, has been sighted in the outback n Three extremely rare snow leopards have been caught on film in China n Rhino receives pioneering skin graft to help heal terrible poaching injuries For the full stories go to www.wildlifeextra.com Here: To approach this roe deer without alerting it I kept downwind and as low as possible, using the high heather to hide me Right: My floating hide in action. The wooden support provides a solid platform for the lens, and also allows for a low shooting angle Below: Great crested grebes shot from the hide Below right: To capture intimate images I often use camouflage netting thrown over myself Below far right: Even a bird as sensitive as a sparrowhawk will become accustomed to a hide if it is left in place for long enough Part eight field craft W ild animals are sensitive creatures with acute, highly developed senses. Most can detect your presence long before you even catch a glimpse of them, and rightly so; it is imperative for their survival. To become a successful wildlife photographer, you will need to find a way of getting inside their fear circle. Remain outside this invisible limit and your subject will carry on its business, unconcerned by your presence. The moment you approach the perimeter, however, you will likely see a marked change in behaviour. The animal will become agitated. It will look directly at you, and the next thing you are likely to witness is its rapidly disappearing rear-end! The size of this safety margin depends greatly on the species involved and its own individual tolerance. There are very few wild mammals that can be photographed 122 WILD TRAVEL successfully from outside their fear circle, even with the most powerful telephoto lenses, so you will need to find a way of approaching beyond the boundary without being detected. Stalking wildlife can be a lot of fun, but can also be very frustrating. Imagine crawling for 200m across a thorny forest floor on your stomach just to have your subject flee the moment you press the shutter. It has happened to me more times than I can remember! There are, however, certain rules that will greatly increase your chances. Your first consideration should be what to wear. Muted, subdued colours are most effective. Browns and greens should work, but for the most sensitive subjects I would go for full camouflage. The cheapest place to go is an army surplus store, but there are certain considerations you should make before making the purchase. How noisy is the fabric? You will need to remain completely silent when stalking, so avoid anything Velcro or crinkly. Chhoose a size that is loose enough to move around freely and under which you can add extra layers in winter. Before you begin the stalk, you should make a mental plan of your approach. Look carefully at your surroundings and note the direction of the wind. Animals such as deer have an incredibly sensitive sense of smell, and the first whiff of human scent will scatter them. With this in mind, it is also a good idea WILDLIFEEXTRA.COM © BEN HALL Learning how to approach wildlife without frightening it away is the key to creating successful, detailed and intimate images of the animal kingdom, writes Ben Hall THEKNOWLEDGE PHOTO WORKSHOP Season’s highlights - AUGUST Late summer is a difficult time of year for wildlife photography. Foliage thickens, blocking out much needed light, and most bird and mammal species become both secretive and elusive. There are, however, two August events that I always look forward to. By the beginning of August, red deer hinds will have given birth to their young. Opportunities to capture intimate images of mothers and calves are aplenty throughout the month. There are lots of deer parks in the UK, some of which keep both fallow and red deer: the perfect environment to hone your stalking skills. Later on in August, heather starts to bloom, transforming moorland landscapes into a sea of pink. This onslaught of colour offers opportunities to capture moorland dwelling birds such as red to avoid washing your stalking outfit. The dirtier and more worn it gets, the more undetectable it will become! Always approach your quarry from downwind or your stalk will be over before it began. Also keep your profile below the horizon. Move as slowly as possible and watch closely for any visible signs of unease. If the animal looks directly at you, freeze until it looks away. Look for natural cover to conceal yourself and stick to areas of dense foliage such as trees or hedgerows. For camera stability, opt for a beanbag or a monopod. A tripod is far too cumbersome and likely to prevent you from firing a shot at the optimum moment. Beanbags are useful for small mammals like rabbits and hares but, for larger subjects, a monopod is a compromise between stability and ease of use. The best time of day to go out stalking is at dawn when most animals are preoccupied with feeding. If you can be in position before the sun rises, you will stand a much better chance of success. Travel as light as possible. You will often find yourself walking much further than anticipated, so arm yourself with just one lens and camera body. A zoom in the range of 100-400mm will work wonders in a stalking WILDLIFEEXTRA.COM grouse and wheatear against vivid pink and purple hues. When composing your images, pay careful attention to your background and eliminate distractions by using a wide aperture. A low shooting angle can produce a diffuse foreground, adding depth and intimacy. Moving a few feet in either direction can also have a dramatic effect on your image. situation and you will be able to react quickly with no heavy lens weighing you down. Another effective way of getting close to your subject is by using a hide. Whether you decide to purchase a hide, or build one yourself, the most important consideration is deciding on a suitable location. Hides are most productive in an area you know the subject will keep returning to: a feeding station, adjacent to a pond or lake, or a known roost site or display ground. It can be erected well in advance and left in place for your intended quarry to get accustomed to it. With the necessary permissions, I prefer to site my hides on private land as it greatly reduces the risk of it being vandalised or stolen. Farms are ideal as they attract a wealth of wildlife such as foxes, hares, badgers and a variety of birds, all of which make excellent candidates for hide photography. When placing your hide, make sure it is well concealed within the landscape. Hedgerows and other convenient foliage can be used to break up its outline; this will help it to become accepted as part of the landscape. A hide doesn’t have to be used on land, however. About ten years ago I built a floating hide to photograph a pair of great crested grebes on a local lake. It proved a huge success. As well as completely concealing your presence, the beauty of the floating hide is that you can shoot from a variety of positions, giving yourself more options for backgrounds and lighting angles. Mine is simply designed, with three planks of wood screwed together to form a U-shape. I attached large polystyrene blocks to the underside for floatation, and used two plastic pipes that stretch from corner to corner to act as a frame which supports a camouflage canopy. Once appropriately dressed in waders and thermals, I can then wade into the water up to chest height with the lens resting on a beanbag. A floating hide allows you to rest the lens just a few inches off the surface of the water, giving a much more intimate view of your subject. WILD TRAVEL 123 THEKNOWLEDGE TRAVEL CLINIC Q&A Ask the experts Our team of experts tackle questions on altitude sickness, the Duke of Edinburgh awards, and taking your dog abroad Q My 14 year-old son is about to start his Duke of Edinburgh awards. Is there any way he can incorporate his love of wildlife into the awards? The beauty of DofE is that it is a unique programme of personal development, encouraging young people to pursue their own interests, develop life skills and uncover new talents. In essence, your son can mould his DofE experience to suit him. There are four sections at bronze and silver level; physical, volunteering, skills and expedition, and a wildlife theme could be incorporated into the majority of these. For example, he could set a wildlife photography aim for his expedition; volunteer for a conservation charity or take on hill walking for the physical section; or learn to breed or study a wildlife species for his skill. The opportunities really are endless and, as long as his chosen activities meet the DofE criteria and provide a progressive challenge, he can Q I am going on a wildlife holiday to Nepal and it includes a trek at altitude through the Everest National Park. How can I avoid coming down with altitude sickness? There are important things that you need to know to prevent illness. There is less atmospheric pressure as one goes higher, resulting in less oxygen available to the body. The body adapts to these lower levels by increasing the rate and depth of breathing and increasing heart rate. Some people adapt much better than others. Serious altitude illness is rare below 3,000m. Lack of oxygen causes fluid leakage and accumulation in between cells in the brain and/or the lungs. Mild or early symptoms are headache, loss of appetite, nausea, fatigue, lack of sleep and dizziness, rather like a bad hangover. These symptoms might be choose absolutely anything he’d like. DofE programmes do need to be balanced and not totally focused on one activity, so think creatively about how to undertake different activities over which an interest in wildlife can easily be laid. At gold level there is an extra section, the residential, which requires a young person to spend five days and four nights living and working away from home. This could provide him with the opportunity to really get stuck into wildlife and spend a week doing anything from monitoring coral bleaching in Australia to bat populations in the New Forest. Alex Davies is the national programme and quality manager at the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE). www.dofe.org resolved by spending one or two nights at the same altitude; if symptoms worsen, descent is required. Serious symptoms like shortness of breath at rest, extreme fatigue, mental confusion or ataxia (loss of coordination), require immediate descent to lower altitudes. Altitude illness is preventable. It is recommended not to climb more than 300500m a day above an altitude of 3,000m. It also helps to ‘climb high and sleep low’. Preventive medication like acetazolamide can be used for abrupt, unavoidable ascents to altitude in excess of 3000m or if you know that you are susceptible. Dr Prativa Pandey is the medical director at CIWEC Clinic Travel Medicine Center in Kathmandu, Nepal. www. ciwec-clinic.com Don’t forget to upload your wildlife images and videos to our Facebook page as we would love to see them! www.facebook.com/ wildtravelmag Q I would really like to take my dog abroad when I visit Europe later on in the year. What do I need to know? Going on holiday abroad without your dog can be no fun at all but by planning ahead they can accompany you on trips throughout Europe. The Pet Travel scheme (PETS) permits the re-entry of animals to the UK without a quarantine period, and this has revolutionised taking pets abroad. Quarantine was an efficient barrier not only to rabies, but also other exotic diseases that are absent from the UK. British pets will not have met these diseases before and are likely to be highly susceptible. The Animal Welfare Foundation has published a leaflet on its website which provides the details you need to prepare your dog for a trip overseas. It also provides a summary of the diseases to which it could be exposed, recommending ways to avoid infection (see www.bva-awf.org.uk/pet-careadvice/pet-travel). In brief, to travel from the UK into other parts of the EU, pets must be: • microchipped • have a pet passport • vaccinated against rabies • blood tested to prove they have responded to the vaccination • have received tapeworm treatment (a vet needs to see this administered) • beyond 21 days from the date of the rabies vaccination before travelling. The detailed rules for travelling abroad with your pet are constantly evolving so check the government (PETS) website for the latest advice (see www.gov.uk/take-pet-abroad). Helen Beioley is development officer for the British Veterinary Association. www.bva.co.uk Got a wildlife or travel question you want our team to answer? Email [email protected] 124 WILD TRAVEL WILDLIFEEXTRA.COM