Who is in the woods?

[Staghound]

I am not sure if this is relevant but re. Preacherman saying that his ambition is to have a fox sniffing around him without being alarmed. I was once working on connecting the cables from a research camera in a nature reserve. I was standing in maybe three of feet of water joining lots of different coloured wires together but otherwise unmoving, when I saw movement out of the corner of my eye as an otter came swimming by no more than six feet from me, went past, turned round and swam back. It completely ignored my presence. This is still the closest I've been to a wild otter.

I think my point is that if you can be still and un-threatening and at ease with the wild places that are left, you can still get amazingly close to the wild life that is out there.

I apologise if this is gibberish, I will check and edit tomorrow when the whisky has worn off.

Steve

 

[preacherman]

I'm glad to see that people do not think that this is a bit mad. It is all about not being seen as a threat to wildlife so that they can go about their business. Learning the bird language allows us to know immediatly when we are disturbing the forest and when they calm down in our presence any alarms after that are caused by something/somebody else in the forest.

Having a sit spot will greatly enhance our chances of seeing wildlife because over time everything in the forest will be aware of your presence but will come to accept it as normal.

This does not mean that a fox will walk near or around me but it will increase my chances of seeing one in a natural way, not running across the road in the middle of the night....

Also in a survival situation knowing bird language and recognising the behavior will help you avoid any predator/human intruder into your space. This may not be as vital here as in other countries but it is a skill that we carry in our minds and not on our backs so well worth having.

 

[redandshane]

Suitably inspired I am doing an overnighter close to home to field test new home made lightweight tarp tomorrow night
and I plan to identify a sit spot which I will use longer term
I am hoping to get a spot where I will see and hear both mammals and birds all of which I have seen briefly before
One fox in particular spent abot 10 minutes sitting on a ridge watching me in this area earlier this year
Also deer badgers and buzzards around

 

[preacherman]

I am delighted that somebody else does think that it is a skill worth having. Enjoy your outing redandshane and report back on how you got on. I will be on holidays after today for a week, but I will be trying to log on while I'm away as long as SWMBO doesnt catch me....

 

[robwolf]

not just bird sounds you have to listen to the whole forest animals insects etc.

 

[preacherman]

not just bird sounds you have to listen to the whole forest animals insects etc.

Thats it exactly.....