A Collection of Wildlife Photography from Close to Home

Most of the wildlife I photograph lives just beyond my doorstep in the quaint countryside village of Rainford. There’s nothing I love more than spending time with everyday wildlife, capturing natural moments most people rarely get to see. This collection brings those encounters together and is living proof that you don’t need to travel far to appreciate nature’s beauty.

Ethical wildlife photography featuring a female tawny owl looking down from her perch in a conker tree during a late spring afternoon. — Ever get the feeling you're being watched?

Wood mouse peeking out from a snow‑dusted burrow with a wide‑eyed, surprised expression. — Oh, Hi!

A female Kingfisher perched on a birch tree branch during a summer sunrise on a local lake. — This iconic Kingfisher was a privilege to photograph on my local lake.

Close-up of a barn owl in flight, representing the patience and observation behind seasonal nature and landscape photography. — A close-up of a Barn Owl quartering its usual haunt during a gorgeous winter sunset.

Close up of a barn swallow with its wings flared as it lands on an overhead telephone line.

Close-up wildlife photograph of a group of goslings eating grass along a countryside path near a pond. — Goslings feeding after sunset

A barn owl carrying a field vole after a successful catch during late winter.

A close-up of a brown hare sat in a grassy field during spring in the countryside. — I know this is only an image, but I feel like if I make a sound, the hare will run away!

Wildlife photograph of a mature leveret on a countryside path during a spring sunrise. — Learning the ropes. A maturing leveret moves delicately across a countryside path.

A barn owl perched on a distant wooden fence post next to a field of long grass. — A perched barn owl at dusk overlooking its hunting grounds.

A monochrome image of a Little Egret searching shallow water for food at Lunt Meadows Nature Reserve. — A Little Egret stalking the shallow water for food at Lunt Meadows.

A maturing Leveret photographed close-up through a delicate barley field at sunset.

A close-up of a Brown Hare seemingly warming its paws whilst sat in a frozen wintry field before sunrise. — I caught this Brown Hare giving the impression it was warming up its paws as it sat in a frozen field during a bitterly cold winter morning.

Intentional Camera Movement of a Red Fox moving through a woodland carrying its prey. — Intentional Camera Movement is a creative way of capturing your subjects - emphasising movement and colour.

A short-eared owl stretching its leg whilst perched on a fence post at Lunt Meadows Nature Reserve. — A short-eared owl attempting gymnastics whilst perched on a fence post at Lunt Meadows Nature Reserve.

A cormorant perched on a fence post at Yew Tree Tarn during autumn in the Lake District. — In landscape and nature photography, it pays to expect the unexpected.

Wildlife photographer Simon Evans captures mad March hares boxing in open farmland in the beautiful Rainford Village countryside.

Wildlife photograph of a Tawny Owl resting on a broken branch next to a private land sign. — A tawny owl caught sleeping on guard duty during the depths of winter.
A tawny owl caught sleeping on guard duty during the depths of winter.

Mad March brown hare running across a field after sunset, captured with a slow shutter speed to emphasise movement using Intentional Camera Movement (ICM). — Creative use of a slow shutter speed to really emphasise the speed of the brown hare as it bursts across a field after sunset.

A low-flying barn owl quartering a field at sunset against a backdrop of trees. — Close-up of a low-flying barn owl at sunset, quartering a field against a backdrop of dormant trees.

A group of three hares on farmland with a picturesque countryside cottage and hedges in the distance. — The calm before the storm. The moment that preceded the boxing match between the female and male hares.

A close-up of a common darter dragonfly perched on a wooden bench, seemingly smiling for the camera during an early summer morning. — Sometimes, if you're observant enough, you can capture wildlife displaying human-like emotions.

A pair of wood mice emerging from a burrow surrounded by light snow in an ancient woodland. — Two wood mice emerging cautiously from their snow‑dusted burrow during a rare winter weather window.

A male mallard paddling across water with two mallards flying across the foreground. — Photobomb

Silhouette of a hovering kestrel against a vibrant sunrise sky at Lunt Meadows Nature Reserve. — The instantly recognisable silhouette of a Kestrel hovering against a vibrant sunrise sky

A stoat standing on sandstone rocks surrounding a lake during summer. — Elusive Stoat

A female Mallard captured with a fast shutter speed running across the water as she lands on the dark water of a pond. — Walking on Water

A Common Kingfisher perched on a branch over a pond during an early morning of Kingfisher photography — The Blue Flash

Macro photograph of a tiny Downy Jumping Spider on a yellowing leaf during a late spring afternoon — Furry Friend

Buck Roe Deer standing in a meadow on the edge of a woodland. — A graceful Buck Roe Deer walks through a meadow on high alert

A barn swallow on a telephone cable with its wings extended.

A small group of geese, 3 Canadian and 1 Graylag, flying across a blue sky during the blue hour.

A barn owl hovering in a field against a backdrop of dormant trees at sunset in the middle of winter. — A hovering barn owl honing in on its prey during sunset in the depths of winter.

A short-eared owl perched on a fence post during a winter sunrise at Lunt Meadows. — The "Sefton Shortie" resting up on a fence post during a winter morning at Lunt Meadows.

A misty tunnel of trees along Coach Road, Rainford, during an early spring morning, with a hare sitting curiously in the foreground.

Close-up of a Downy Jumping Spider in front of a rock. — Double Trouble

A beautiful Barn Owl hovering as it hunts for food in an overgrown field. — Locked On

A duckling catching flies from a brook during a month of spring photography. — Flying High

Close-up of a beautiful Barn Owl quartering after sunset against a backdrop of trees. — Close Quarters

A juvenile barn swallow perched on a telephone line, calling for food as its parent approaches.

Common Kingfisher on a perch with a fish after a successful catch. — Catch of the Day

Wildlife photography at Lunt Meadows featuring a male kestrel perched on a wooden fence post during golden hour. — Kes

Macro photograph of two tadpoles playing near a stick at the edge of a pond — Affection

A flock of geese flying in a V-shape across a golden sunset sky. — The flying V at sunset. An iconic capture of a flock of geese.

A duckling looking up at a swarm of flies from a brook during a month of spring photography. — Eyes On

Macro photography of a dew-covered Green-eyed Flower Bee resting on a grass stem during the early morning. — Green Eyed Flower Bee

A Cormorant pops up majestically after diving underwater to catch fish. Photographed with the Canon R5 and 100-400mm F/4.5-5.6L IS II — Prehistoric

The Passion Behind Still Outdoors

My hope with Still Outdoors has always been simple: to share the beauty of the wildlife that lives around us, and to encourage a greater respect for our precious green spaces. My passion for nature fuels my work; it’s the driving force behind Wild Rainford, a project dedicated to the natural moments unfolding right on my doorstep.

If these photographs inspire even one person to care for nature that little bit more, then my work is doing what I set out to do.

The Principles That Guide My Work

My work is built around three core principles that hold me accountable to nature: ethics, fieldcraft, and patience. Every photograph I take is done so without interference, letting wildlife behave exactly as it should, naturally wild. This approach is the driving force behind Still Outdoors and Wild Rainford, my long-term project celebrating the beauty of everyday wildlife on my doorstep.

Ethical wildlife photography

Ethics are the values and decisions that ensure my work always prioritises the wellbeing of wildlife. My belief is, and always will be, that no image should ever come at nature’s expense. When out in the field, I keep a respectful distance, avoid disturbance, safeguard sensitive locations, and allow natural moments to unfold without influence.

How I always put nature-first →

The value of fieldcraft

Fieldcraft is the skill I value over any gear upgrade. For me, it’s all about attention to detail and discovery. It’s about using all my senses to notice patterns, behaviour, and signs of activity that could easily be missed. Good fieldcraft lets me blend into the landscape and capture wildlife uninterrupted and beautifully wild.

Patience, and plenty of it

Patience is the key to my wildlife photography. Some of my projects span weeks, even months, following the same subjects and waiting for the perfect opportunity to capture something unique. Patience has taught me that not every trip needs to end with an image. At the end of the day, nature does what it wants when it wants. When a photograph eventually does come together, it makes the journey that little bit more special.

Read why patience is key to my wildlife photography →

How to Photograph Barn Owls Ethically

One subject that’s especially close to my heart is the barn owl. I’ve spent countless hours watching our local wild barnies quartering over open meadows. They’re stunning birds and unbelievably photogenic, but they’re also protected and highly sensitive to disruption.

Over the years, I’ve learned how to read their behaviour, locate them responsibly, and photograph them using the same core principles that guide all of my work: ethics, fieldcraft, and patience. My barn owl photography guide brings together everything you need to enjoy moments with these iconic birds without ever disturbing them. It puts the owl’s wellbeing first by emphasising the importance of respect, protective legislation, and ethical practice.

Explore the Barn Owl Guide →

How to Photograph Wild Barn Owls Respectfully Using Patience and Fieldcraft