I WONDER… How can I find animals to watch in the wild?
One of my very favorite pastimes is spending a day in nature searching for creatures to observe and photograph. I love wandering for hours, looking for opportunities to uncover a new secret about an animal’s life and behavior – whether it’s far from home or in my backyard or neighborhood. The delight of discovery and the serendipity of stumbling upon a glimpse of something I’ve never seen before is so rewarding! And it’s a bonus if I can capture an image to remind me of that special moment.
People often ask me how I’m able to find so many animals and witness these natural behaviors, so I thought I’d share some tips. It’s a pretty simple process, but it does take some preparation and quite a bit of commitment. If you’d like to start having some meaningful encounters with wildlife, try doing it the WONDER way:
Wait
Observe
Limit Noise
Be Daring
Go Early
Research
WAIT and be patient to see nature in action
There are moments when I’ve lucked out and had animals run across the road or pop-up trailside, but most of my best wildlife experiences have been the result of lots of waiting. Waiting alongside talus slopes for pika, waiting at the edge of a wetland for warblers, staking out a nest hole for woodpeckers, waiting in my garden for my squirrel friends. You’ve simply got to put in the time if you want to see nature in action. So pack your patience and be prepared to sit a spell. Eventually, you’ll blend into the scenery and the animals you’re waiting for will resume going about their business.
OBSERVE closely to tune into the signs and sounds of nature
This one seems obvious, but I mean REALLY observe. Look and listen for hints of nearby wildlife – a movement in the brush, the peeping of chicks, a fuzzy head bobbing low in a meadow. Being really tuned into the environment truly pays off. Many animals are super social and are easy to find if you keep an ear open for their chatter, courtship songs, and territorial calls. Get used to always having your “critter radar” switched on, even in unexpected places or as you’re driving around. I was recently dining on a café’s outdoor patio and noticed a splash of yellow flitting in the bushes. I grabbed my camera and was rewarded with some great photos of a Nashville warbler gleaning scale insects from the undersides of the leaves while other patrons obliviously ate their lunch. You just never know what you’ll find if you start paying more attention. Even if you don’t see any animals, close observation reveals all sorts of animal signs – chewed or clawed branches, burrows, droppings – that are super fun to examine too.
Limit NOISE for your best chance to watch animals undisturbed
We are big, stompy, scary animals to most wildlife. Moving slowly and quietly will minimize your threat level and the impact of your disturbance. Watching wildlife from a vehicle also works great since animals are generally used to cars. If you’re exploring with others, it’s very difficult to keep the noise level down so I am a huge fan of solo wildlife viewing pursuits. If you bring a friend, prep them ahead of time so you can share expectations for the outing. I like to mix up pleasure adventures with my critter quests so I can have both the fun of friend time but also more focused animal watching trips. Plus, I have very few friends that have the patience (or high enough nerd factor!) for all the waiting time involved. If you encounter others along the trail while an animal is nearby, try to get their attention and give them the hush signal. They’ll usually comply and be grateful to get a glimpse.
BE DARING: Go outside and wander
You’ll never see anything sitting on the couch. Be curious. Be adventurous. Take that Forest Service Road less traveled. Pick a new destination and wander for wandering’s sake. Go in the rain. Go in the snow. Be safe and be prepared, but just DO it! I can’t tell you how often people say how “lucky” I am to see all the animals I do. Sometimes I do get lucky, but mostly it’s hour after hour of putting myself in the right place at the right time to see something.
GO EARLY (or late) to catch animals at their most active time
Most animals are either nocturnal or crepuscular – active at dawn or dusk. Even diurnal (daytime) animals like birds are most active early in the day or in the evening. Midday is siesta time for most animals so if you want to see the action, shoot for the morning or day’s end. Luckily, this is also the very best light so your photos will be much better than those taken in the harsh noon sun. If you’re not a morning person this can be tough, but once out in nature you’ll forget all about sleeping in! If I have a long drive, I often get a nearby hotel room or camp out so I can reach my destination early. This also helps in beating the crowds, providing a more intimate wildlife experience.
Do your RESEARCH so you can up your chances of a great animal encounter
As the Roman philosopher Seneca said, luck is preparation meeting opportunity. You can make your own luck by doing pre-trip research on habitat, behavior, and the species to be looking for. There are tons of regional field guides and online resources to guide you to the best places to go, the best season(s) to go there, and what animals you should be looking for. The more you know about the habits and behavior of your target species, the more likely you’ll find it. It’s also amazing how different the same location can be, critter-wise, at different times of year. Courtship and breeding season, migration, and seasonal variations in the habitat provide all sorts of awesome opportunities to immerse in nature’s full bounty.
Always follow ethical field practices to protect wildlife
Whenever you roam in nature and encounter wildlife, it’s essential to behave in a manner that promotes good stewardship. Respecting the needs of animals and not interfering in their behavior in any way will ensure their welfare and will also help you have better experiences – a win-win! See the North American Nature Photography Association’s statement on ethical field practices for more tips.