Little owl hide
This little owl photography hide/ workshop offers you the opportunity to watch and photograph these beautiful owls in their natural habitat. Set on a stunning private Estate and looking over parkland dotted with mature Oaks, this hide has been set up with the aim of allowing you to photograph this charismatic, beautiful and secretive bird. With good field craft they will not even be aware of your presence and you will witness natural behaviours such as foraging, preening and even courtship. Several perches will be set up for the little owls to use, allowing you to get a variety of different images.
As with all wildlife photography patience is required! These are fully wild birds and therefore they may turn up once every hour or just once in the whole session. Bring a book and just enjoy watching life pass by, there are opportunities to photograph other species from the hide including barn owl, kestrel, mistle thrush, buzzard and red kite.
Hide hire only: £125 per session (1 person), £175 (2 people). I will meet you, provide you with an induction, help set you up and then leave you to photograph for the session. You must agree to a strict set of rules so as not to disturb the little owls. Contact me directly to book 2 person option.
Hide hire and tuition: £200 per session. On a 1:1 basis I will accompany you in the hide for three hours. I can help you get set up and provide advice and help with your photography. I’m also very familiar with the ecology and behaviour of these birds and will be able to assist you in getting the best shots. You can remain in the hide after I leave until dark. Please contact me directly to discuss availability.
Duration: c.3pm – dark (depending on how good your patience is, you can finish earlier if required).
What to bring: SLR/ camera, 300mm+ lens, tripod, warm outdoor clothing, food and drink, a book. Please note, there are no toilet facilities at this hide. Bring a container or she-wee!
Hide Type: Canvas tent hide
Walk to hide: Under 100m
Location: Private Estate, meeting point close to Holt, North Norfolk.
Dates: Hides are currently closed. Please register on my homepage for updates.
Booking: Please click on the paypal link below. Before you pay please read the Terms and Conditions
1 Person 2 people
Green = available, red = booked
Little owl Season
April: This month presents the opportunity to photograph courtship and mating behaviour. Adult owls are hungry after a long winter and preparing for the breeding season ahead.
May: The female goes onto eggs and the male is busy visiting hide to collect food to feed them both. Last year the young hatched around mid month. As visits to the hide are very frequent this is a great month to focus on getting flight shots.
June: Again the little owl male is generally very busy feeding himself, the female and the young (in 2017 they raised 5 chicks). A great time to visit for frequent visits, our record was over 100 visits over a single afternoon session! The chicks tend to start venturing from the nest chamber around the end of this month.
July: The young are getting more adventurous now and can be seen visiting the hide on occasion. They are still in their fledgling plumage so a good time to get some shots of them. If you’re lucky the male will accompany them and feed them at the hide.
August: The young become more independent and will continue to visit the hide either by themselves or in a group, often accompanied by the male adult owl. A good time to get behavioural shots of them together!
September: The young will still visit but appear more like fully grown owls. They will leave the area at some point to find their own territories.
Over winter: There is the potential to photograph adults in the snow. I will advertise these days if the opportunity arises via my newsletter (you can sign up for updates via the homepage of my website).