Even though I have had only a couple of sessions at the hide over the past two months, they have been good sessions. I have been fortunate and been blessed with a visit from the female sparrowhawk who has raised two, possibly three chicks this year.

If you come to the hide, keep an ear and eye out for a wren. It’s a wonderfully charming little bird that will undoubtedly end up taking up a bit of space on your memory card before you get that special shot, but it will be worth it.

Good light – early morning, evening or those lovely late autumn and winter days where the sun remains low in the sky – these are the times when the best light falls and can make pictures special.

A short back story as to why a sparrowhawk picture is my pick for my own favourite picture from this year. . .

It then closed its eyes and dozed off! I couldn’t believe it. Never did I think that we would have a deer at the hide that was so relaxed that it would go to sleep!

They have actually turned out to be one of the easier birds to photograph and I have even been able to photograph them with a wide angle lens, but that’s a story for another day…

If you are coming to the hide, there is of course a chance that you could get to see a hare or deer stroll by, both species do spend time in the nearby woods.

But now, when I get to the hide the first bird I look for is a pheasant. And there’s one pheasant in particular that I look for, and that’s Bob.