THE WILTSHIRE RAPTOR HIDE

The Wiltshire Raptor Hide is set in the beautiful rolling North Wiltshire countryside , just south of Swindon and as the crow fly’s just a stones throw from our own hide at the Wildflower Meadow ( actually it’s about 4 miles ! ) So great in terms of transportation with the M4 and Swindon rail station all easily accessible. For obvious reasons we can’t give the exact location but it’s really close to the stone circle at Avebury. So there are lots of choices of accommodation both in the nearby villages , in Marlborough and Swindon.

The hide has a capacity of two people , sitting side by side , so you will only ever have to share with one other photographer, on my visit I had pre booked with the “bird man” himself Graham. First impressions are actually pretty good. There is plenty of room for two and all your gear , although the headroom can be a bit restricted if you’re tall. We visited on a cold winters day and the hide was still very comfortable with a gas heater , toilet , kettle and good lighting.

Parking is some distance away but not to worry , a four wheel transfer both ways is included so if you are less mobile this hide is still good to go. This hide doesn’t have any portals to photo through and instead uses a solid piece of specially imported glass from Spain. This means that the birds are completely oblivious to your presence , and less disturbance to these sometimes timid birds. And the glass works very well indeed.

As the name suggests the Raptor Hide is set up to attract Red Kite and Buzzard both of which are fairly common in the area. It needs noting that all the birds are completely wild so you never know what’s going to turn up. Our experience was a full and very active day with a lot of birds visiting, so if that’s a snap shot , I don’t think you will be disappointed. As I mentioned previously the hide is very comfortable and even on what was a cold day , very warm and cosy. We even had to strip down to tee shirts at one stage. You will want to bring enough food and drink with you to last the day . Once in the hide you are asked to stay put until you are collected.

The hide isn’t cheap , expect to pay about £100 each , but it’s a quality set up , friendly staff who know what they are doing and we came away with some really good images. You will need a minimum of 300mm lens for the hide. The Raptor Hide is managed by Wildlife Photography Hides with contact details and links at the bottom of this blog.

Wildlife Photography Hides , The Wiltshire Raptor Hide

Website: Wiltshire Raptor Hide. Call: 07762 334 321

©️ Wildonline.blog 2024 , all rights reserved