I’m blessed to live surrounded by one of the few remaining Red Squirrel populations in England, so after a hearty brunch at my local cafe I decided on the spur of the moment to grab my camera and head out to see what my favourite feisty tree animals were up to.

The sun was shining in the valley when I set off, but as I climbed the fells the cloud descended and by the time I arrived at my destination a light drizzle had dampened the ground. Not to worry, I’d dug out my thermal waterproof trousers (not worn since last winter) and along with my fur lined wellies (thankfully I had a second pair after my others sprung a leak last week whilst wading in a Yorkshire river) I was both warm and dry.

The available light, already dim due to cloud cover, became even lower as I entered the woods, which sadly meant my shutter speed was rubbish. Despite putting my ISO up to 2000 I only achieved 1/50th of a second, which meant action shots were out of the question. Undeterred, I got set up with what little light there was behind me, put out some nuts………..then waited.

This is the part many would-be wildlife photographers get wrong. They go in search of wildlife, crashing through the undergrowth like a herd of wild elephants, when what is needed is simple patience. Find a likely place, set your gear up, sit very quietly and with as little movement as possible and just wait. Your subject will either appear or it won’t and if, after 45 minutes to an hour you’ve seen nothing, pack up and find another likely spot.

My bait of choice for Red Squirrels is monkey nuts. The Squirrels actually adore hazelnuts, but I’ve discovered that they don’t eat them, instead running off and burying them for consumption later which means I end up with loads of shots of Squirrels’ bums as they vamoose 😂. They do, though, eat monkey nuts on the spot and have to spend some time stationary to prise the shells open, which gives me much more time to get a picture.

I was out of luck today though in terms of weather, light and the presence of Squirrels, only seeing one and that briefly. But the woods were teaming with bird life and I was joined by Blackbirds, Blue Tits, Great Tits, a Robin, a Wren and a very handsome looking Pheasant.

I lose all track of time when doing wildlife photography and hours can pass in the blink of an eye. My brain completely switches off from everyday life and I become totally emerged in tracking my subject while constantly checking my focal point, shutter speed, framing and the all important light. It really is my passion and, as as I drove home afterwards singing along to the radio like a strangulated cat, I was as happy as a pig in muck.

I can’t end this post today, however, without mentioning the horrendous train stabbing which took place yesterday. My thoughts and prayers go out to those involved, in particular the hero LNER staff member who gave no thought to his own safety in order to save others, and I’m relieved to know the suspect has been detained.

My beautiful life here in the Lake District is so tranquil and safe I simply can’t imagine what it must be like to live in parts of England which are less so. We do have crime here, obviously. Both the farm opposite my last house and the farm next door were burgled (one in broad daylight), but on the whole I never feel unsafe and would happily wander around my village alone in the dead of night without a care. I’ve known some of my neighbours nearly all my life and could knock on any door in my village if I needed help. There is such comfort in that and it’s something I know I’m lucky to still have. To live in peace and safety is a human right and one which we should all be afforded.