Waterside Hide
A photography hide set up by Norman Watson in Aberdeenshire which is a great place for photographing Buzzards and Red Squirrels. I also share some thoughts on the use of baited photography hides…
At the end of 2025, I visited Normans photography hide. I was hoping to capture Red Squirrels in the snow but sadly there was no snow! The area also attracts woodland birds and another specific species I wanted to photograph - The common Buzzard. Despite being the UK’s most common and widespread bird of prey they are not easy to get up close to to photograph - they are shy and skittish and won’t hang around if they sense you watching them!
I have visited the Isle of Mull multiple times which is abundant with Buzzards - they are everywhere and just sit at the side of the road but as soon as you point a lens at them they are off! So with covertness being key, I was hidden in Normans hide which meant the Buzzard couldn’t see me! All day I could hear some Buzzards calling above the trees but it was around 2pm before one dropped into the area in front of the hide. Tempted in by a dead Pheasant. It is a baited hide which can be controversial in the photography world, but in my view as long as the food is supplementary and not relied on, and the bait is ethically sourced then its all right by me!
Hide photography provides positives for the wildlife as well as the photographer. For the wildlife it gives them a helping hand which is hard to come by in a world that is constantly taking away habitat and upsetting the food chain. Wildlife tourism is not also good for an area but the need to look after the wildlife to sustain that tourism means the wildlife benefits too. Viewing and photographing animals close up in hides can be invaluable for conservation, awareness and education. It also means less disturbance out in the wild if photographers sit in hides.
For the photographer, hide photography can allow you to get close to species you may not ever have the chance to get close to otherwise - without disturbing or stressing out the wildlife. It also gives the photographer as much chance as possible to practice different techniques, settings and compositions. It also opens up wildlife photography to people who are constrained by time or accessibility.
There are always drawbacks to anything, There will be people out there that will manipulate things for personal gain. The main thing that should always be priority is the wildlife itself. If their natural behaviour is affected or their natural ability to survive, then something has gone wrong. Food should only be supplementary. There maybe a dead Partridge to attract a Sparrowhawk outside, but the Sparrowhawk still in the first instance tries to hunt in it’s usual natural fashion whilst patrolling its territory. A free meal here and there doesn’t upset the balance of nature or the local ecosystem.
Norman clearly knows his stuff about the species he has in his wildlife area, and has taken care to design his hide with a lack of disturbance to sensitive species like Buzzards. I’ve always enjoyed hide photography, and will continue to do so but will always think about any impact on nature and carefully assess things. As mentioned above with the Buzzards, they were out behaving normally for hours before dropping in for an easy meal. And once in, the bird will have it’s fill and move on. The dead Pheasant will also sustain other species over a number of days. I don’t want this look at the use of baited hides to take away from what Norman has set up here. I thoroughly enjoyed my visit and was very happy with the shots I left with!