Using Camera Traps

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 I have posted over 220 times in the last 12 months and on nearly every occasion I have posted the results from overnight camera traps.

The technology of these "trail cams" has improved greatly over the last few years. There are some very sophisticated models that include SIM cards that will call your phone with anything they "see". The models I use are more basic and for less than £100 you can have units that will sense movement and heat and will take stills, or video or will operate on a time lapse basis.


These cameras need 8 AA batteries each and an ordinary camera memory card. I am checking these every day and I have found 16GB to be perfectly adequate.  I have discovered from bitter experience that there is a skill required to achieve any success with these traps and I thought I would share my experiences.

I suppose the most important thing is to put the cameras in a good spot. If there are obvious trails on the ground use them. Fence lines and the sort of path human would use get used by animals too. You will see an obvious track in this photo and you may just be able to spot my camera attached to the base of a tree.

The next issue is whether to opt to take still or video footage. I have had mixed success with stills - lots of photos or animals tails disappearing ! Video is more successful but drains battery life. I tend to use a 10 second burst of video and set the camera to be inactive for 5 mins after each burst.
The height that the camera is set is also important. As a rule I would set the camera at eye height for the animal I was expecting. ... so much higher up for deer than for a hedgehog. Don't put the camera too close to where you expect your subject.  Stay at least 2m away as the IR light will "wash out " the detail otherwise.
It is also important to consider what else will be in your picture. If there is a lot of long grass or tree branches - on a windy day you will end up with a hundred images of grass blowing about. I sometimes do some gardening in front of the camera removing long strands of vegetation. If the camera is held to a tree by straps its worth making sure that the straps don't blow about as I have had shots spoiled by the camera being triggered by straps in the view finder. Shooting over moving water can also result in a lot of spoiled shots. Sometimes there is no convenient tree or post to mount the camera on and a small tripod or a spike is useful. Be aware of the fact that you will spend a lot of time reviewing 10 second video clips. I have often had over 100 clips to look at with nothing but rabbits!
Here is some footage from last night of a fox from the camera that was mounted on the shot above. The fox is following a rabbit trail.
I sometimes bait the traps . Dried dog food is good as is a position overlooking carrion.

I have been astonished by the wildlife I have caught on camera. Foxes badger and deer are visiting our land almost every night and without the trail cameras I would not have been aware of it.

Diary
Its been below freezing all day yesterday. It was bright sunshine and on a short walk I saw flocks of starling and wood pigeon feeding on the fields. A heron, a small flock of lapwing. A sparrowhawk was patrolling our bird feeders and a kestrel over the field. I spent some time taking photos. results below.











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