In my experience, the two things that disturb wildlife the most are motion and sound. A phrase I’ve coined is “the circle of disturbance”. As you move through any wildlife habitat, the sound you create and your motion alerts animals to your presence. The faster you move and the more noise you make the larger the diameter of the disturbance. Once you stop and stay very quiet, the diameter of the circle of disturbance slowly shrinks. Keep in mind animals survive by avoiding predators who exhibit these characteristics. The quieter you are and the slower you move, the less likely you are to disturb wildlife. I was fortunate to be alone in a park as I very slowly and quietly made my way around the trail when I came across this sleeping muskrat. The situation allowed me to get dozens of good images all within 15 feet. When a goose landed nearby, the muskrat was startled and slid into the water. Within a few minutes he climbed back on the mini-island and continued his nap and grooming. This entire time I was dead still and made no noise other than my breathing and the click of my camera.
