Photographic Hides for Photography & Filming Red Kites
Due to the Coronavirus advice from the Government we have closed the photographic hides temporarily. Bookings made before the Coronavirus will be honoured at a future date.
While the normal kite feeding hides are more than adequate for photography for those with compact SLRS and pocket cameras, we have built specialist photographic hides for photographers with lenses of 300mm and upwards.
How to photograph red kites by Graeme Eaton
Whilst hide space may be available to book on the day, it is advisable to pre-book your hide beforehand to avoid disappointment. Please note that we do not allow dogs in the photographic hides. The hide prices are all inclusive of normal entry fees.
Photographic Hides available:
Gateway hide, Tower hide, Big Tower hide and Kite Field hide.
Gateway photographic hide
This is around 12ft closer to the kites than the towers. The aperture of this facility reaches from the roof board down to the level of the existing hides windowsills. This hide will take 2 (was 5) people.
Admission to the Gateway hide is £20.00/person.
Please bring your Paypal receipt with you (on paper or on your phone).
The image shows the window area. This gives a major advantage for large lenses and film cameras.
Steve Plume has used the Gateway – see his images on flikr
Tower hide
The Tower on the right is around 5m (16ft) wide, and about 2.1 meters (7ft) deep. Benches and coat hooks are under the roofed area of this photographic hide. The gated stairs runs up the left side of the hide.
This hide can accommodate 2 (was 4) persons with tripods or without.
Admission to the Tower hide is £25/person.
Please bring your Paypal receipt with you (on paper or on your phone).
Clothing. As you will be very visible above the roof-line it would be prudent to wear unremarkable colours..
These towers have a partial roof as protection should the weather be fickle, a bench is fixed at the rear of the hide and coat hooks are on the left side. They have a green line on their floors behind which standing is permitted in the hide should be at least 10 minutes before feeding begins as trials have shown disturbance to the birds when heads first pop above the parapet.
Steve Plume has used the Tower – see his images on flikr.
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The Big Tower hide
This is similar in design but is 1.5m taller than the existing tower, and is just over 10m wide.
The stairs runs up the back of this hide, with a gate at the bottom and a rest at the halfway point.
This hide can accommodate 4 (was 7) persons with tripods or without.
Admission to the Big Tower hide is £30/person.
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Kite Field photographic hide
To reach this hide you will go through the gate into the kite-feeding field, and, because of this, you must be in place before the tractor arrives to feed the kites.
Food for the kites is placed on the small bank that rises ahead of this hide.
This provides photographic opportunities, for the experienced photographer, which are unavailable from any other hide.
This hide is only recommended for experienced photographers.
It is much harder to photograph the kites from this hide (because they are so close).
Some stunning results can be achieved, but only with the correct photographic equipment.
For this reason we will not accept bookings for this hide for birthday celebrations, etc. or for those expecting this to be an easier route to taking red kite photographs.
The Kite Field hide takes up to 2 (was 5) photographers, with tripods, and faces north across the field.
Door in side of kite field hide
Front of kite field hide
Admission to the Kite Field hide is £45/person.
