Photography Days

Photography Days at Devon Wildlife Centre are a unique experience. A blend of formal and informal tuition, exciting photographic opportunities and unprecedented access to 'secret' areas, all blended together in a friendly atmosphere and carried out in small groups.

The animals present vary throughout the year, but may include:

Foxes, squirrels, tawny owls, birds of prey, weasels, wild birds (including those seen from the hide), ducks, baby animals and birds, hedgehogs, wood mice, badgers, butterflies, dragonflies. Rarities are often brought to the Centre, and you may be especially lucky!

Flash can be used in the wildflower areas, but please do not use flash with the animals, as it may upset them. Please be very quiet at all times.

All photography days will be different as we have different animals in the Centre at different times of the year.

Our June photography day is described below.

The group met in the wildlife garden and captured images of butterflies and dragonflies.

We first visited the Tawny Owl enclosure. As the owls were very calm, the photography day participants were allowed into the enclosure. The young Tawny Owl chick, Bob, in the neighbouring cage was also visited and he posed beautifully
	Eva the egret was photographed next, but as she is nervous and soon to be released back to the wild, photography was through the large gauge netting.
Steph brought hedgehogs into the wild garden, although the draw of freedom was such that one kept running off - but that gave the opportunity for some action shots!
	The wild ducklings, seagull chicks and Canada goose gosling were next on the agenda and tolerated one photographer at a time in the enclosure. One highlight of the day, was the visit to the fox enclosure. It was a beautifully sunny day and the fox cubs were very tolerant of visitors to their world.
Further views were taken from the fox hide, which is above the foxes and allows a clear view of the cubs at play – chasing each other round the enclosure, or drinking from the pond. A delicious lunch was served from the café – home-cooked food only! After lunch was the visit to the Acute Care Hospital, where course participants were treated to photographic opportunities with a young fox cub, two Shelduck ducklings, a dormouse, baby birds and several baby hedgehogs of various ages. Photography was quite challenging as flash could not be used, but as most of the animals were very calm and not moving about, slower shutter speeds were successful.
After the Hospital we had coffee and locally-made biscuits from the café, then the group visited the Wood Mice and the Grey Squirrels, all of whom performed beautifully. Even the mice put on a good show for us. We also visited Belle the badger.