We're passionate about the wildlife of the UK. This website is born out of that passion. From Lizard Point in the south to Dunnet Head in the north we've explored many of the wildlife 'hotspots' on the mainland of England, Wales and Scotland. . We've also ventured off the mainland to visit some of the smaller islands around our coastline.

 

Britain is a lived in land; a worked land where the signs of human habitation and presence can be found nearly everywhere. Over thousands of years humans have spread out, felled forests, and cultivated the land. Our hills have been reformed by grazing animals; our rivers have been dredged and deepened. With the development if industrialisation, huge amounts of pollution have been pumped into the environment, and the demands of an industrialised nation have led to extensive mining, quarrying and mineral extraction.

 

Not that long ago, much of the river Thames was effectively dead, smog covered our industrial heartlands and the demands of an increased population laid waste to thousands of miles of hedgerow as farms often became monocultures, producing little or no diversity in crops.

 

Fortunately, in the early twenty first century things are looking brighter for many of our wildlife species. Otters are now to be found in every county of England; red kites have been reintroduced (with enormous success) into Buckinghamshire, there have been sightings of wild boar in Bedfordshire, and cranes are being reared at Slimbridge for release into the wild.

Of course cleaning up the environment has opened up ecological niches to animals able to exploit them. While the parakeets seen over London and along the Thames corridor are welcome by many, the release of mink into the environment has had a devastating effect on native species, as has the introduction on non-indigenous crayfish into our rivers and canals.

 

While some of our wildlife has adapted well to new conditions, such as the ‘urban’ fox, many have been pushed back to the margins, or isolated spots. This website is about those ‘hotpots’ where some of our iconic wild creatures that be found. We’re not as interested in the, thankfully, widespread species, but those that are concentrated in specific areas.

 

The most important part of the site is the Animal listing, showing where and when you can spot specific species, with each location linked to a google map of the location.

 

We are  aware, of course, that there is sometimes no substiute for local knowledge, so on our other pages you will find places and people who can really make a difference to your wildlife photography experience.

 

We're always seeking new locations, so if you know something that we don't (and you're willing to share) then please, please let us know.