Watching Wildlife in the Sid Valley

The Sid Valley Is Full of Wildlife … If Only We Stop And Look For It.

Often it’s possible to spot wildlife before they see us. And that’s what happened with the vixen in the video was out on patrol, looking for her next meal. She was so intent on marking her territory, and looking for food, that she totally missed me until she was about to stand on my foot. Then she had the shock of her life and ran for safety.

To see wildlife this close you need to be quiet, walk slowly and keep upwind of potential wildlife. Ie have the wind blowing towards you. Take your time as you walk and scan the landscape for movement.

For example when looking for otter I often see a ripple on the river that is unexplained .. unless there’s an otter causing it.  When looking for deer its often just a twitch of an ear as the deer listens for danger.  Other times a bird will rise in front off you, disturbed by wildlife that’s yet unseen by you.

If you don’t see wildlife its often not because it isn’t there. It’s because you haven’t looked hard enough or that it saw or heard you first.  If they see or hear you often they will stand perfectly still and let you pass. Deer often do this and I’ve seen people stood just metres from a deer that they haven’t noticed. In other cases the animal you hope to see, will just quietly blend into the background and quietly leave the area. With deer the sign they saw you first is a flash of white on their rear end as they disappear through the trees at speed.

We’d love to see your videos on here. If you have wildlife videos and would like them featured here please contact us and we’ll arrange it.