A suprise encounter :-) :-)

 I know I said I would not be posting but last week on the first day of my week off I got the opportunity to get something I've been trying to photograph for a while. If you have followed my blog over the past few years you will know how long I have been trying and all though the shots are not the best they mean the world to me. Last Monday I headed out early with wellies, umbrella and camera in my back pack as I left home the rain poured down and as it was very warm it was quite pleasant. I saw the Otter in an open part of the river stretched out swimming down river diving and surfacing but getting further away and not having my camera out at that point I had to think fast to get anything on my camera. I decided to run further down river to an Open spot where I new the water was shallow and the Otter would have to emerge from the water to enter deeper water. And it did I watched as it left the water skulking low using the balsam as cover it entered a deeper pool and dived for a minute then came to the surface where I got my second shot before it disappeared into the more overgrown parts of the river.

 First photograph I took from under some trees and not wanting to scare I turned the flash off

 Color close up to show this beautiful creature up close a few meters away

After this encounter I returned home elated and with the rain still pouring down I decided I had earned a few more hours in bed after finally getting this close encounter and with a few blurry shots to record the moment was a perfect start to my last week off of the summer season.

The beauty of my local patch on a sunnier morning

Later that week I went to check out some countryside an hour away from home at a town called Macclesfield which is close to some hilly and large areas of forest but we could not stay long due to having to get back to pack for a 2 day camping trip to Wales.

Kind regards

Mike

Archive blog I forgot to post Waxwings still around in Spring!!!!

With Spring in full swing and I have begun to visit my Badgers setts to get ready to photograph the Cubs first emerging from the setts. This year they must have been born late as last year we had 2 bouncing around one of the sett holes.

On the way to the Badgers the other evening I had heard a strange but similar call and as I went to look where it was coming from we spotted 30 plus Waxwings. They were in a high tree on the edge of Middlewich town but they flew off further away from town. Later that week my brother found the flock perched up and relaxed in a tree feeding on the new spring buds.

I got a few photographs but the best I got was posted below and as I had 2% power left on my DSLR I was pleased with what I managed to get especially as its so late in the year to see them.

Seeing so many Waxwings still here makes me wonder that in a few years will Waxwings be breeding here and after seeing them quite happy and healthy makes me think that it could be sooner than we think with summer being just around the corner.

Stay wild and enjoy the Spring while it's here

Mike

No blog posts since spring!!!

Sorry for not posting since Spring but I have had lots of things to deal with personally so I've decided not to post anything about my encounters till the end of summer. I have decided this as in the later months of the year the weather changes and the dark nights, return and in these summer months, I just love being out and rarely turn on my PC. I also find it therapeutic turning on my lamp, shutting the curtains and remembering all my wonderful memories of nature from the summer months. I'll try to blog again soon but if not I'll be back in September.

Regards

Mike

One wonderful Easter Sunday from Dawn to dusk

While most people were tucked up in there beds early on Easter Sunday morning I was out enjoying the peace and the possibility of some wild encounters on my local patch. A few weeks ago I walked into a young Otter down on the local river catching it's breakfast before it saw me and disappeared off upriver leaving only prints on the muddy banks.

My wild encounters started when 2 Badgers ran into me and continued to chase each other into some bushes when I watched them have a roll around in the undergrowth with plenty of calling before returning to there sett at first light.

I continued on across some scrub land where I heard a Grasshopper Warbler and saw some Blackcaps gathering nesting material for there newly built creation in a bramble patch. The smell of the Hawthorn blossom in the fresh morning air was beautiful and combined with a sighting and the smell of a Fox made quite the spring aroma
Hawthorn/Blackthorn

Swans patrolling the canal

Sheep having lambs is wonderful to see at this time of the year

Grebes mating on the canal

A Coot searches for nest material under the surface

I thought I had stumbled into the Otter again but it turned out to be a Mink as the sun rose

A stunning sunrise along the canal

Canada Geese back in the warm sunlight

Sunrise over the picnic benches

When the sunrises under this bridge the light is so warm and refreshing

Lots more to come in the next few weeks as I'm off to Wales for a week!!!!

Stay wild and thanks for reading

Mike

Blogging takes a back seat but were back!!!

Had a few weeks off blogging but I am going to try again but with keeping an eye on local wildlife mainly toads and keeping watch on Badgers setts as baiting has been seen in the area. With better weather coming in my business has been busier than usual so it's been hard to keep up with posting new content. In early February we headed off to Wales for an afternoon by the sea and a nights camping but as I got rid of my larger slumit pop up tent it was quite cramped in a smaller beach tent.

For a couple of week's we ended up relocating Male and female Toads off the canal Towpath from danger and into the water where there respected others await.

 Over the past few day's I've seen and heard so much from Green Woodpeckers to Otters and even Frog spawn up a tree but I'll post that in my next blogs.

 Appreciate spring as its only just the beginning of the wildest and best 2 seasons
of the year in my opinion.

Thank you for your continued support

Mike

My passion and my business is Wildlife!!!

Go Wildlife watching is my online shop that's been in business since 2009 supplying lots of useful wildlife watching products from Wildlife camera traps to Wildlife watching hides. We stock over 500 wildlife watching, wildlife photography, and wildlife filming products. The wildlife watching gear shop is run by me Mike Mottram and I'm involved in many areas of the Natural history field from wildlife observation, wildlife filming, wildlife photography and more recently wildlife conservation and rescue. My passion for wildlife and the Natural world began over 20 years ago. 
I have learned and seen so much since setting up Go wildlife watching while testing the wildlife watching products we sell in our shop. I started Go wildlife watching from nothing and over the years it has enabled me to find the best and most unique wildlife watching kit that will hopefully get you some amazing views and encounters with wildlife in many different habitats in the UK or around the world.

We sell lots of wildlife filming, wildlife photography, and wildlife watching products only available below:

Thank you

Wildlife watcher Mike

2017 where has the time gone!!!

Just a quick post to mark the first day of 2017 and the beginning of a new year with lots of Nature and outdoorsy fun. This year I hope to share more things I've been up to Wildlife watching wise as last year I felt I wanted to go out and enjoy rather than searching for the best photographs.

 I will also be searching for that dream house whether it be where I live now or on the coast who knows only time and my budget will be able to answer that. Normally I have 7 weeks in a holiday cottage by the sea but this year more wild back packing and hopefully this way we will be able to save some money. I have started customizing my own camping gear and as I bought myself a cheap sewing machine for Christmas and having lots of camouflage and waterproof material. I'm hoping to make a breathable, waterproof and cozy bivy bag to sleep in and keep my gear dry. I am trying to make something which is more portable and comfortable as for some reason I find tents attract too much attention and lose a lot of heat so to save money rather than buying one seems to be the best option.

More on that and other wild things coming soon.

Happy new year 

Stay wild and protect Nature

Regards Mike

Watching wildlife - A busy month so heres a few updates

It's been a busy few weeks since I last posted and having not taken many photographs. I decided to rest a little this Christmas and just enjoy watching wildlife and the outdoors rather than focusing on photographing and filming wildlife. I've also had a birthday, a week on the coast, checked out a holiday home and started work on a new conservation area hopefully your enjoy the updates below.

  My huge piece of triple Chocolate birthday cake from a tasty Conwy bakery near the harbor

Here's a link to their shop Facebook page if your ever in the area

Having sold a few bits of my own kit and my wildlife watching supplies this year to pay for one of my other favorite passions. In 2017 I will be hopefully doing more wild camping in the North Wales and Anglesey area once I get my new light camping gear soon. As I have a few days off work in February I'm hoping I can be ready for a few nights camping on the coastal mountains if I can find the best gear to keep warm and comfy as I'm sure Spring won't be arriving that early next year.

Updates to follow in my next blog post

Thank you and keep watching wildlife

Mike