Spot wildlife

Adventure naturalist Steve Backshall

Being a wildlife watcher is one of the only good reasons a civilian has for creeping about dressed in camouflage clothing. There’s no doubting that you feel faintly daft standing in a public car-park looking like you’re about to lead a siege at Hamburger Hill, but once you get out into the wilds, it makes perfect sense. To be able to get within sight of anything exciting, you’re going to need to remember the magical six ‘S’s of tracking: style, stealth, stink, sight, scat and sign.

Style

It’s no wonder that armies go to battle wearing outfits that blend with the surrounding� environment, and most animals can see better than the average soldier. Most raptors, for example, have eyesight eight times keener than a human’s. At the very least, go for clothes in dull, muted colours. Pop down to your local army surplus store to get some serious camo clobber (and the cheapest, hardest-wearing outdoors clothing you’ll ever own). Granted, your friends may start to keep their distance, and strangers might take you for a serial killer, but it’s a small price to pay in order to get close to wild animals. If you want to go all out, you can get creative and poke bits of bracken through your belt loops and cover yourself in camo cream, but don’t forget to remove it all before going home or your family will freak out.

Stealth

OK, so no self-respecting naturalist is going to wander out into the wilds with a boom box over their shoulder blaring out death metal, but don’t underestimate quite how much benefit you can gain from moving quietly and stealthily. It’s one reason I have a tendency to go for light trainers over heavy boots on anything but the coldest winter day; you’re less likely to sound like a stampeding herd of Cape Buffalo. Watch where you walk as well – going off the path in twig-strewn dry woodlands or trying to barge through reed beds can make an enormous racket, as can trying to squelch through an autumn bog or estuary mud. Pick your path carefully and your....

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