A Night at Mike Phelps’ Hide and Squeaks Hide, Lichfield

On Saturday 1st November, I spent the night at Mike Phelps’ Hide and Squeaks Hide near Lichfield — and what a setup it is. Full credit to Mike for the sheer attention to detail that’s gone into this hide. From the positioning of the lighting to the placement of props and the overall scene design, everything has clearly been planned with care. It’s the sort of environment that makes every frame a potential keeper — a photographer’s dream.

The session began at around 4:30pm, and at first, all seemed promising. Unfortunately, the evening coincided with a barrage of fireworks from nearby villages, which continued almost non-stop from 6pm until around 10:30pm. Unsurprisingly, this kept any wildlife well clear of the area, and what followed was six hours of waiting and frustration.

But persistence, as they say, pays off.

At 10:55pm, a flash of movement signalled our first visitor — and what a reward it was. An absolutely stunning erythristic badger strolled confidently into view. The sense of relief and excitement in that moment was hard to describe — not only that the wait was finally over, but that it was such a special individual.

For those unfamiliar, an erythristic badger is one with ginger fur, caused by a rare genetic variation that suppresses the black pigment. They’re incredibly uncommon, so to have the chance to photograph one in the wild felt like a real privilege. Sadly, a sudden gust of wind startled it after only four or five minutes, and it vanished as quietly as it had appeared.

Roughly twenty minutes later, another erythristic badger appeared — perhaps even the same one returning — and stayed a little longer to feed on the peanuts scattered around the set. I managed to capture a few lovely shots, including one of it drinking from the pool, the lighting catching the warm tones of its coat perfectly.

Later in the night, we had visits from several other standard-coloured badgers (there really should be a better term for them!).

Never more than two at a time, but enough to keep us hopeful between long quiet spells. The hide is also known for its tawny owl activity, but sadly the ongoing fireworks likely discouraged any appearances that night.

We finally packed up and left at 1:30am — nine hours in a shed might sound like a test of endurance, but it’s all part of the experience, and the rewards are well worth it.

A Few Practical Notes

For anyone planning a visit, I used a 200–600mm lens, which did the job but required some ISO compromises. A 300mm prime would likely be ideal, offering that extra stop of light. A 70–200mm f/2.8 could also work for wider shots..

If you’re shooting video and sharing the hide with someone else, be mindful of movement on the shelf — it transmits easily, and even small vibrations are noticeable in longer focal length clips (something I learned the hard way).

Despite the challenging start, this was a thoroughly enjoyable evening. Mike’s hides offer a superbly crafted setup, and the experience of seeing — and photographing — such a rare animal made it truly unforgettable. I’m already planning a return visit, hopefully under quieter skies.