A daily walk dramatically increases your chance of having an encounter you’ll never forget – and convincing yourself we live in a wonderful world, as these 1000-milers attest…
Rarest of encounters
‘I've always enjoyed watching wildlife but when I spotted an extremely rare butterfly, the Large Chequered Skipper, it became an obsession. They're beautiful but really struggling this summer, after some terrible weather over the past year. They're now down to only a dozen or so in number, so we're doing everything we can to protect them and their habitat. Fingers crossed they manage to recover from here on’ – Mike Smith
The pause that refreshes
One day when I was trekking, a tiny bird fluttered down and landed right on the shoulder strap of my rucksack! It stayed there a few minutes before flying off again. Its moment's rest gave me an energy boost for the rest of the walk, and the memory stays with me to this day! – Linda Ball
Don’t move!
While walking on Sunday I happened to look in the right direction to see this beautiful deer. I was “Don’t move! Don’t move!” to the husband. Managed to get a photo before it turned and wandered off. There’s something about seeing wildlife while out walking, it always makes me smile and feel at peace. – Sonia Peirson
‘What a privilege!’
Most memorable was the cuckoo fledgeling I saw still being looked after by its poor beleaguered "parents". I thought at first it was a young sparrow hawk – then I saw the diminutive birds looking after it. A rare and probably unlikely to be repeated encounter with a red listed bird that I used to hear so often in my childhood. What a privilege! – Diane Holmes
A bird in the hand
Walking to work in London after I’d started upping my miles to get to my 1000, I bumped into this beautiful Harris Hawk called Lizzie – excellent name! – something I would never have seen if I had been on the Tube. – Lizzie Wright
Absolutely legless
I saw this beautiful slow worm walking in Moidart on the west coast of Scotland. – Kate Bruce
Weasel ways
A beautiful little weasel came to say hello while drinking my coffee on some rocks last summer. Truly beautiful! I will never forgot the encounter as long I live! – Susan Darragh
Hare here
‘I was out walking down the A638 when a hare hopped out of the verge and started hopping towards me. It stopped not far in front of me straddling the middle white line and we watched each other for a couple of minutes. I’ve never been so close before or since. There were no cars on the road at all and all was silent except for my breathing.’ – Andy Barr
A Christmas gift
‘I don’t have any family of my own, so spend every Christmas day alone. I used to get a little down about it, but now I do exactly what I want to do for the day, and before diving into a family-sized trifle, I like to go for a walk. It was 7am, Christmas day 2023 and I'd only just entered our local nature reserve, Stanwick Lakes, when there right in front of me were two muntjac deer. We all stood and looked at each other for a while, until eventually they wandered slowly off. That peaceful, early morning encounter made my day. It was my Christmas gift!’ – Sue Abel
Everyday wonders
‘Once a squirrel climbed on my leg, a muntjac walked in front of me, I glimpsed a kingfisher, a butterfly sat on me... you see so much more while walking!’ – Zuzana Belas
A cooling dip
‘A warm day this week I watched a deer swim to cool itself off and then shake itself off just like a dog!’ – Ruth Geddes
Friend and foe
‘I’ve had so many wonderful encounters with wildlife on my walks including having a little urban fox regularly joining me and my dog on our morning walks. He used to wait for us on the bin and then jump down and follow at a discreet distance. But my most memorable was having an encounter with a Capercaillie on a walk in Abernethy – I’m not sure who was more surprised, and I backed away quickly as it was quite aggressive, but it was beautiful and will stay with me forever!’ – Beverley Cartwright
Fancy meeting you
‘Walking in Trosley Country Park by myself, following a bit of the North Downs Way, a fox came trotting down the path towards me, just as you like. I stopped and it trotted past and looked at me. I could almost see the cogs working as its head turned while it went past no more than a couple of feet away. Then I broke the spell by asking: “Well, where are you going?” It turned and legged it back the way it came after actually passing me fully’ – Ron Barnes
Curious creatures
‘On a regular local morning dog walk I spotted an animal on the track ahead. I slipped the dog’s lead on and as we crept closer I saw it was a young otter. Astounded, I stopped to watch and it stopped to look at us, then slipped off into thick undergrowth. We walked on quietly, dog on lead, and then I spotted its face as it crouched in the undergrowth, watching us pass by. Incredible!’ – Judith Shaw
Help yourself!
‘This was my first time ever that I managed to stand so calmly a bird decided to come this close and take food from my hands. Unforgettable!’ – Klavdija Indihar
Red letter day
‘Walking with friends in the Lake District a red squirrel ran straight past me on the dry stone wall – I had a huge grin for the rest of the day’ – Rachel Parker
‘Thank you walking!’
‘Walking along the shore at Chanonry point, on the Black Isle in the Scottish Highlands the resident dolphins were playing just a few metres from the shore. I took hundreds of photos, and by some miracle managed this fabulous picture – now enlarged and on my living room wall! A moment I'll never forget, standing on a spot only accessible on foot. Thank you walking!’ – Sally Jones
Let’s watch together
‘My daughter and I walked to Happy Valley to watch the sunset on the summer solstice. We sat at the top of a hill facing towards the sunset and settled in with our picnic. Soon a couple of rabbits popped out and had a hope around. Then a fox appeared ambled across the hill, sat halfway down close and turned to face the sunset too. It looked like he was doing the same as us – basking in the last rays of sun enjoying the sunset!’ – Wendy Vicars
Magic moment
‘I loved seeing this fox cub last year!’ – Diana Dalton
Deer, oh deer
‘I was standing goggle-eyed watching a large herd of deer when a stunning white stag appeared in a clearing. It stood for a while and then walked back into the woods. It was magical.’ – Denni Morrison
Hog heaven
‘We’re used to meeting cows, but on holiday in Meiringen the animals roaming the mountain pastures were pigs – my absolute favourite animals. They would come over, roll onto their sides and just wait to be petted. Wonderful!’ – Janet Tibbit
