Watching Wildlife
	When to go... Some animals are active only at certain times of day so you may need to go out especially early or late. On the one hand, many birds ore active early in the morning so this is a good time to see them. On the other hand bats only come out at dusk. Go back to places at different times of day and in different seasons, to see how things change.
	What to wear... It you are looking for birds or animals then brightly coloured clothes may frighten them away. If you wear dark clothes you may well be able to get closer. Wear a hat, it helps disguise the shape of your head and keeps the sun out of your eyes too. If you are keeping still and watching then you may need to wrap up more warmly in cold weather.
	What to take... Binoculars are useful to get a close up view. If you are looking at plants or invertebrates then a hand lens will be helpful to get up really close, A notebook will be handy to record the things you find. Don't forget your sandwiches and water.
	What is that...? Looking at wildlife is fascinating but you will often come across something that you cannot identify. There are many great guides available in the shops and through the Internet. If you haven't got a guide then you can take a picture and make some notes. With plants for example, note leaf shape, the number and what colour petals, and where the plant is growing. Later on you can look up your find in a guide book.
	How to photograph... Most modern cameras can take really good pictures of wildlife, A tripod is one of the most useful gadgets you can have, It allows you to keep the camera steady when shooting pictures in woods when the light is low. Also a tripod will reduce blurring caused by shaky hands when using a telephoto lens.
	Record it... Keep a note of the things you see. Record not only me plant or animal you found but where it was, what it was doing, the weather and the date. Records of plants and animals are very useful to researchers. Information gathered tram Springwatch, for example. can tell us about the changing climate. For the results go to www.naturescalendar.org.uk. The Biological Records Centre is the home of all recorded sightings at plants and animals in Britain. Find out more at www.brc.ac.uk
	What not to do... Don't make any noise; animals will hear you coming long before you see them; Don't pick wild flowers. Don't disturb habitats. If you look under a rock or log then replace it - it is somebody's home Don't transfer wet things from stream to stream; you can inadvertently introduce a fungus infection that can harm our native crayfish.