Wildlife Watching Supplies ® - having the right gear for wildlife watching and photography is essential and we manufacturer the highest quality camouflage clothing, camouflage hides, camouflage materials and scrim nets and other safety products.

News and Updates

Inner Visions

It was an excellent evening of stunning photos and entertainment by Joe Cornish and Andy Rouse.

The evening was put on by Paramo Clothing in Wadhurst, Sussex on the 10th December. The profits from the ticket sales were donated by Paramo to the Aspira Conservation Fund. Joe and Andy are planning more of the 'Inner Vision' events, so keep an eye on Andy's website andyrouse.co.uk. I can highly recommend them. The evening at Wadhurst was very entertaining with the banter and discussion between Joe and Andy on how they took their photos.

I had a display of Hides and kit and it was a good opportunity to show what we can do and catch up with customers and friends.

NATURE IN FOCUS WORKSHOPS

We have been invited again this year to be on the ‘Nature in focus’ workshops which will be at four Wildlife & Wetlands trust sites at the end of October/beginning November.

To find out more: Dates, tickets, venues and speakers - go to www.wildarena.com/natureinfocus

We will have a range of products on display and will be able to give advice on how to get the best from our kit. It will also be a good chance to talk about field craft, camouflage and how you can get closer to the wildlife. It’s a great feeling to be so close to your subject and not be spotted. For me that’s the challenge I love and it’s a fantastic feeling when it all goes to plan and I can get some true natural photos.

Springwatch 2011

Our Dome hides and kit has been used a number of times on this year's Springwatch.

Charlie Hamilton James used our C30.1 Large Dome hide to film Beavers in Scotland.

Paul and Ryan Edwards use our Dome hides and equipment for their filming www.PaulRyanEdwards.com.

Phil Shaw uses our Dome hides for his wildlife photography in Essex and the BBC camera crew for the filming of the Whitethroat and Stonechat.

I'm often asked about my wildlife photography and where I go at night (sometimes by my wife!!) Have a look at my interesting updates on the 'About The Company' section.

I've been adding more info to the 'About the Company' section. I'm also adding some of my photos from my photography projects to the interesting updates which is also on that section.

Our move to our workshop in January went smoothly and we are nicely settled in. Despite the recession the Company has grown and the move has given us room to expand and take on more staff. We have always prided ourselves on our good customer service and high quality products and we have now been approved for the Trading Standards "Buy With Confidence" scheme.

This year we have made a major investment in our Intellectual Property Rights on our designs and having our Company name "Wildlife Watching Supplies®" trade marked giving us extra protection in law together with building our Company and strengthening our brand.

In June we won our Nominet case against Stealth Wildlife. It had taken 6 months to get a judgement. All our legal advice said that we had a very strong case and in June it was found that Janatha Carden (Stealth Wildlife) had made abusive domain name registrations and the two sites, www.ukwildlifewatchingsupplies.co.uk and www.wildlifewatchingsuppliesuk.co.uk were stopped and domains transferred to us (see link on front page).

Also in June I ordered a shipment of Realtree all purpose snow material. It was quite an outlay and felt like a strange thing to do in the heat of June but production time meant it would be here for the Autumn/Winter season. It's December now and it's proved to be a good decision. With our first snow I got out and took the product photos. The 'aps' all purpose snow pattern works really well - see photos on our on-line shop.

We have also redesigned our on-line shop, with a new layout, more photos and new colour buttons for the patterns available for each product. It's still a work in progress but the plans we have are all coming together. I've always said from when I first started the Company back in 1992 that, as well as making the products, I wanted to show how they could be used and give photo-tips and ideas for projects - I'm always on a project myself and working out ways to do things. I've got kit everywhere but when I'm organized I have a bag for each job - it's a bit like thunderbirds. A kit for kingfishers, a kit for infra-red, a kit for deer etc. (my wife says I have too much kit!)

It has been a good year for my photography and a lot of my projects have come out well although like most photographers I always think I could improve on the photos I've taken. I am now planning my next year's projects and have sent my reports and licence applications into Natural England for the coming year.

This has been a very positive year and I am looking forward to next year as we have great plans for the future with more product designs and photo-tips. I have been working with people and organizations to bring nature photographs into hospitals - nature has a real healing power and for those who can get out into the countryside and watch or photograph wildlife, it's a great way to relax and re-energize; and for me it's a way I can be involved in giving something back.

Kevin Keatley.

A GREAT SUCCESS Nature in Focus Road Show was a great success.

Three excellent venues. WWT Martin Mere, Slimbridge and Arundel.

The program was a good mix of presentations, workshops and a chance to walk, talk and take photos around the Wetlands Centres with Charlie Hamilton-James and Ben Osbourne on hand to give some photo advice. There was also the chance to look around the centres and trade stands during the tea and lunch breaks.

It was good to see some of our customers - had some great feedback on our products and it was nice to meet and talk to people about wildlife photography.

Thanks to Canon UK for the invite and look forward to next year.

Come and see us at Canon UK's Nature in Focus Roadshow. We will have a range of products on display and will be able to give advice on how to get the best from our kit. Click on the link to the Nature in Focus site www.canon.co.uk/natureinfocus to find out more about dates, tickets and venues.

If you would like to receive updates by e-mail on new patterns and products etc. please let us know.

Kevin Keatley

Wildlife Watching Supplies ® - having the right gear for wildlife watching and photography is essential and we manufacturer the highest quality camouflage clothing, camouflage hides, camouflage materials and scrim nets and other safety products. New Snow Camouflage pattern in time for the Autumn/winter season. We have just received our new supply of Realtree aps Snow pattern material in a proofed and breathable polycotton. Our hides, throw over hides (baghides) and double layer camera and lens covers are now available in this pattern.

GOOD NEWS

We have won our Nominet case against Stealth Wildlife. In Dec 09 and Feb 10 Stealth Wildlife registered the domains www.wildlifewatchingsuppliesuk.co.uk and www.ukwildlifewatchingsupplies.co.uk.

In an independent judgement it was found that Stealth Wildlife had registered and used the domain names in a manner which took unfair advantage of or was unfairly detrimental to our rights, and the definition covers both the time of registration and later use.

We had made a complaint to Nominet and said that we have traded for many years as Wildlife Watching Supplies and Stealth Wildlife had registered 2 domain names that were only different to ours by the inclusion of an extra u.k at either end and that it used text and style similar to our own website. We had argued that the domain names have confused people looking for our website. The confusion had been compounded by the fact the websites associated with the domain names appear to say that Wildlife Watching Supplies UK is in association with Stealth Wildlife.

It was found that we have rights in the name which is similar to the domain names; and that each of the domain names, in the hands of Janatha Carden/Stealth Wildlife Ltd. was an abusive registration and the domain names are to be transferred to us.

When you register and use a domain there are terms and conditions you have to comply with. You can't register a domain name primarily for the purpose of disrupting the business of a competitor, or by using the domain name, you have intentionally attempted to attract for commercial gain, internet users to your website or other online location, by creating a likelihood of confusion with the complainant's mark as to the source, sponsorship, affiliation or endorsement of your website.

Click to see a copy of the solicitors letter referred to:

To see the full decision of the Independent Expert on case number DRS 08398 Kevin Keatley Ltd. and Janatha Carden (Stealth Wildlife) click here:

Having another Company using such a similar name to ours and using text on their website that makes it sound as if we are one and the same person, is causing confusion and making it difficult for customers to be clear who they are buying from. Having "Wildlife Watching Supplies" used as part of the name and text on another site means that the other company can heavily shadow our google searches which causes even more confusion. Anyone that knows me would say that I'm the easiest going of people but we have had to take action to protect our name and reputation. Luckily there are laws and design rights to protect Companies in our position.

Kevin Keatley

Best on Test

Our C80R All-in-one Camera and Lens covers have just received the PhotoPlus 'best on test' award for LCD Sun Shades.
"Designed for wildlife shoots, this camouflaged cloth cover provides protection from the sun's rays for your whole camera and lens, not just the screen. The lens fits through the elastic opening at the front, while at the back your camera and screen is shielded by a drawstring closure. The double lining provides excellent protection for the LCD screen from glare, while the flexible material gives great versatility and shading in all weather conditions".

Halcyon River Diaries

A film by Charlie Hamilton James.
BBC1 May 2010
Stunning family documentary of life on the riverbank. Charlie uses our C30.1-A Dome hide and A2 leafcut scrim for his filming. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00shp24

BBC Natural World
"A Highland Haven"
Shown Sunday 21/2/10 on BBC 2.
A stunning film of the wildlife of the Scottish highlands. Our kit was used in the making of this wildlife documentary series. The last section on how the programme was made showed our C30.1-A large dome hide. Our range of camouflage clothing is waterproof, breathable and quiet - perfect for getting you closer to the wildlife.

NEW WORKSHOP

We have just moved to a new workshop in Tiverton, having outgrown our workshop in Puddington where we had been for a number of years. Over the last couple of years we had been bursting at the seams but now we have room for expansion as the Company continues to grow, despite the recent UK recession.

During the move I've been busy putting up shelves and organising the workshop layout, but luckily the weather has been grey and rainy so I've not missed too many photo opportunities. I've sorted out my English Nature Licences for my Kingfisher and Barn Owl photography so looking forward to the new season. I have managed to get down to the orchard hide during the snow (with my mug of tea) and have been lucky to get some good snowy bird shots. I do spend as much time as I can in the field using our kit and testing new products and materials. The team always know if I've been in my hide a long time as I come back to the workshop with lots of drawings and ideas for future products.

Canon UK (MOD team) used our C80 camera and lens covers at a recent tactical support unit conference to show how their lenses can be camouflaged.
Other Companies at the conference also used our covers to camouflage scopes and surveillance systems.

Wildlife Watching Supplies ® - having the right gear for wildlife watching and photography is essential and we manufacturer the highest quality camouflage clothing, camouflage hides, camouflage materials and scrim nets and other safety products. Combining wildlife photography with my business means an early morning trip to photograph the red deer, which also entails getting some product shots of the kit we make and supply. Before I head home, I set a camera up on a tripod, switch to timer and nip into the position I was in when I took the deer photos.

Anybody looking would think I was a bit strange, but luckily the camouflage works well. I'm often asked how I get my wildlife shots so these photos show how I try and blend into my surroundings and how our kit breaks up the human shape and outline. Most of my photos of deer are taken from the edge of the woods looking out.

I normally arrive just at sunrise when the deer are grazing peacefully in the open. It can also be a time for great light and mist. (See my blog section).

BBC - Lost Land of the Volcano

An international team of scientists, cavers and wildlife filmmakers venture deep into the heart of the remote tropical island of New Guinea to explore a giant extinct volcano - Mount Bosavi.

Wildlife Watching Supplies hides being used on this latest BBC program for filming: BBC Lost Land of the Volcanos - Sept 2009