How to

Photograph wildlife in Whiteknights Park

Whiteknights Park covers 1.23km2, and is an area of outstanding parkland, mature woodland and a large artificial lake. While the history of Whiteknights Park is long, much of the modern ecological interest arises from the developments put in place by the Marquis of Blanford between 1798 and continued until 1819, when the now Duke of Marlborough was declared bankrupt, due in part to the huge expense of developing the Whiteknights estate. It is the legacy of substantial and varied planting which makes Whiteknights Park such a biodiverse area. For a more detailed history of the location, visit Royal Berkshire History .

Today, while substantial areas are taken up with University buildings, there are large areas of managed habitat, each worthy of spending some time in.

Whiteknights Lake

Whiteknights Lake is a man-made lake with a range of associated bird species. Resident species include great crested grebe, little grebe, moorhen, coot, mute swan, canada goose, egyptian goose, mallard, wood duck and mandarin duck. Those in italics are introduced species. In addition, cormorants, common gulls, black headed gulls, grey heron and kingfisher are frequently seen. During the summer, common terns, swallows and house martins are seen, while in the winter the duck populations are augmented by visiting shoveler, tufted duck and teal.

Species like the grebes and heron are shy on site, and generally require a long telephoto to have a good chance of getting a 'keeper'. In contrast, many of the waterfowl are very tame, and are easily attracted with a small supply of bread or grain. Here, a standard 70-300mm zoom is more than adequate. Ideally, you'll have a helpful companion who will lure in the birds, while you get the shot.

The trick with most bird shots is to be at eye level – nothing ruins a shot of waterfowl more than the appearance of the observer looking down at the subject. At Whiteknights this means either squatting (OK) or lying prone (better) to get this viewpoint. Telephoto lenses help isolate the subject from the background, but ensure that you have solid support (bean bag or tripod) to reduce the effects of camera shake; if you lack these, then try to ensure a shutter speed of at least 1/500 second.

In addition to the bobbing duck shot, try to get some pictures of duck or gulls in flight, or squabbling for food. Make sure not to blow the highlights – watch your histogram carefully. Exposing for a duck against water can be difficult, so spot metering can help, but generally you'll need to increase exposure to compensate.

An interesting alternative is to try using a wide angle lens to get a different perspective, for example showing the birds in their habitat.

The best area to photograph the ducks, including mandarin and wood duck, is at the southern end of the lake (near the bridges), where shallow banks allow easy access to the waters edge. Photographing grebes and other species is best done from the northern (main) section, on the western bank. Finding a quiet spot and waiting often works well here.

The Harris Garden

The Harris Garden was laid out in 1972, in the former paddock of Wilderness House. It is the formal Botanic Garden of the University of Reading, and covers about 5ha. A map can be found here.

The garden has a range of habitats, including a pond, formal gardens, a flower meadow, a range of borders, an orchard and a walled garden. From a zoologists point of view, the highlights of the Harris Gardens are entomological, with approachable dragonflies and damselflies near the pond and the walled garden. In the spring, beeflies are common in the borders, and later, butterflies are found throughout. In addition, the flower meadow is full of honey bees, bumble bees, solitary bees and hoverflies, with the flowers making excellent frames for the insects. The advice given in the macrophotography section should prove useful here.

Bird species include pheasants, which are relatively approchable, nuthatches, sparrowhawks and plenty of small passerines.

The best spots for photography are the pond, the wild flower meadow (mid/late summer) and the walled garden - each can provide a wide range of insect subjects.

The Wilderness

The Wilderness is an area of mature and semi-mature deciduous trees, with a range of scrubby understorey plants, including Rhododendron. The spring in the Wilderness is the source of the stream that feeds Whiteknights Lake.

Photography in the Wilderness is difficult due to low lighting conditions. Small birds are common, including finches, wrens, dunnocks, robins, thrushes, great spotted woodpeckers and occasional treecreepers. Short of setting up a feeding station it is unlikely that you will manage to get good chance shots of these species.

Grey squirrels are regularly seen, and hedgehogs and muntjac are found less often. There is no guarantee that you will be presented with opportunities to photograph these species. Insects are also common, including butterflies, moths, and a wide range of hemipterans, even though lighting remains a problem.

However, photographing fungi in the Wilderness is recommended. Large fungi can be common, including a range of bracket fungi, funnel mushrooms, and impressive fly agarics. To do these subjects justice, you need to be able to get down low, and use reflectors to bounce light into the gills. As with insects, try to ensure a clean background to help your subject stand out.

The paths through the Wilderness provide plenty of opportunities for subjects, but diversity is best near the stream running down to feed the lake.

The Conservation Meadows

These are open areas of grassland which are mown in early autumn, simulating traditional hay meadow management. Foxes are regularly seen, and green woodpeckers feed on shorter sward. Other vertebrates are also present, with toads and slow worms occasionally seen. Neither are likely to allow close approach, but the meadows are home to butterflies (skippers and tortoiseshells especially), dragonflies and grasshoppers among other insects. The plant stems provide a structured perch for insects, but getting a clean background can be a challenge. Umbellifer flowers present many opportunities to photograph a wide range of fly species. Furthermore, red kites and sparrowhawks fly over, but these rarely come close enough to photograph. In contrast, magpies and carrion crows may sometimes be approached, but they are generally wary.

Locations near the lake appear best for photography - I prefer those near woodland, to maximise diversity.