Trail Cam, Nest Cam etc. Wildlife Photos and Videos

[Nomad64]

Hi All,

I couldn’t find an active thread dedicated to trail cam and other types of remote controlled or automatically triggered wildlife cameras so thought it might be worth starting one to see if anyone else wanted to share pictures and discuss kit and techniques.

Not long ago, infrared night vision imaging and motion sensors were reserved for military special forces or BBC Wildlife teams but as digital imaging tech gets ever more capable and cheaper, it blows my mind that half-decent still and video images of skittish and/or nocturnal wildlife can be caught using kit costing less than £100.

I’ve been using a £65 Crenova trail cam;

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Crenova-Wi...689098&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=Trailcam+Crenova

one of numerous similar looking and specced budget cameras (which probably all come from the same factory in China), for a few months now and have been getting used to how it works and where best to place it to keep an eye on the local wildlife.

Here are a few of my pictures (I’ve shared some on other threads), and would be interested in hearing what other people use and seeing the results.

Cheers,

Jerry

 

[Broch]

Here are a few from my trail cams. I've resampled down to 1024pixels and applied a 25% compression.

The first five were on a Bushnell. Unfortunately it got nicked the day after the rabbit at the badger set photo.

The last two are on a Little Acorn.

I am happy with the daylight quality of both cameras but I had difficulty getting the night shots not to 'wash out'

 

[swotty]

Great idea for a thread....i'll upload some of mine later!

 

[daveO]

The first five were on a Bushnell. Unfortunately it got nicked the day after the rabbit at the badger set photo.

It's a real shame that trail cams don't come with better security. Even a basic pass code feature would offer some deterant or at least you'd know the thief couldn't use it.

I'll have to dig through mine and see what I've got. I've been using the video feature mostly because you get so much more from it. The only time I use the photo setting now is if I don't have access to a computer for a while to review the footage or if I'm scoping out a new site and don't want to have to spend hours going through endless 30sec videos of mice running about. The delay on the video shutter is a bit slower than the photo one though which means I miss a few things.

I set myself a challenge to film as many species as I could and I've been lucky over the 6 years I've been trying. I've caught foxes, badgers, hedgehogs, deer, otters and a mink among others and loads of different species of birds including owls and woodcock. The camera is on the blink now though and doesn't always record when I leave it out.

That last one is a woodcock. The video version shows it much better.

This one is a screen grab from a video of 3 otters at the spraint spot I found. I love this spot as all kinds of animals turn up there but it's too far from my house and the river level rises really quickly at times and gets a bit close to the camera.

 

[Nomad64]

Here are a few from my trail cams. I've resampled down to 1024pixels and applied a 25% compression.

The first five were on a Bushnell. Unfortunately it got nicked the day after the rabbit at the badger set photo.

The last two are on a Little Acorn.

I am happy with the daylight quality of both cameras but I had difficulty getting the night shots not to 'wash out'

Very annoying at losing a camera like that.

Most of my daytime shots are of robins and blackbirds and my legswhen I forget where I left the camera!

I have slightly tweaked the brightness and contrast on the nighttime shots but there does seem to be an inevitable “bleaching” of the foreground from the IR light. The same happens with the first second or so of videos before it adjusts the exposure.

I am still at the trial and error stage although the recent snow was a great help in identifying some of the popular routes on harder surfaces.

 

[Broch]

Brilliant stuff!! Quite jealous.
Yep, I assume someone didn't want me filming the badgers because either they are protecting them (we live in farming country) or because they want to 'deal' with them (we live in farming country)!

 

[daveO]

I think I got lucky filming a local badger set. I've got a great video of a bloke and his hunting hounds checking out the holes but he didnt see the camera. I'm pretty careful about making it very concealed but even wrapped in camo tape and ivy it's still a big lump to conceal.

 

[Clanchief]

I've got mine out just now, after seeing tracks, though of the local lad on my ground where he shouldn't be, I am always worried it is nicked, though its well hidden from the back and I try to place it that anyone wont be looking in that direction whilst passing, sort of looking down into a gully. Mine is cammo but the strap stands out so some veg round always helps

 

[Nomad64]

Not exactly wildlife but some (unaltered) pictures of notoriously tricky subjects - black animals on a dark night which have come out pretty well.

 

[daveO]

I've got mine out just now, after seeing tracks, though of the local lad on my ground where he shouldn't be, I am always worried it is nicked, though its well hidden from the back and I try to place it that anyone wont be looking in that direction whilst passing, sort of looking down into a gully. Mine is cammo but the strap stands out so some veg round always helps

I've captured a vid of one of my parents' neighbours exploring their fields without permission. He was new to the neighbourhood but we let anyone walk around there if they ask and don't really care if they don't ask as long as they don't damage anything. He walked right by the camera the first time even though it was just stuck on a pole out in the open but obviously noticed it on his way back and turned it so he could sneak out without being seen. I was more annoyed that the camera was pointing at nothing for 2 weeks than his trespassing.

 

[Nomad64]

Mine is cammo but the strap stands out so some veg round always helps

Camo webbing for £2.50 from the Bay of E should help.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/20mm-Cam...hash=item212863de1e:m:mvnue0yHnP7lXypUzUAEOTA

 

[Clanchief]

That sounds what I need Nomad,

I try to place it so as you walk you would look down at the ground passing it.

All I got for a week on the tree was a 3 sec video of a grey squirrel.

I did notice a persons footprints in the snow on Saturday that I’ve never witnessed before on the land. Problem with up here is anyone can walk all over your land.

 

[Sundowner]

Bought one of those cheapies some time back at Aldi. Was about 80 quid but look at the quality. In trailcam 3 you see straight away a deer' s eye. Like my videos of these trail cams. Mine is password protected.

 

[Nomad64]

Some stunning trail/trap cam images and vids on BBC Big Cats ep 3.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b09pzcg9/big-cats-series-1-episode-3

 

[Mollegabet]

We have just bought a Trail Camera.
We only have a small garden, so am interested to see what results we get.
All the above pictures and videos are great. Fingers crossed we capture something.

 

[Nomad64]

Mad March Hare?

Up early for a chilly start to spring.

 

[daveO]

-11 and it doesn't even seem to be that bothered. He's probably just wondering why you haven't put your spade away

 

[Lou]

I would love to get one of these. Does anyone have any tips on how to set it up or is it just a case of trial and error?

 

[Nomad64]

-11 and it doesn't even seem to be that bothered. He's probably just wondering why you haven't put your spade away

The temp had risen to a balmy minus 7 by the time I got up (probably take off another 10 degrees for the windchill), in my defence, that is a ropey old spade that lives by the compost heap!

 

[Nomad64]

I would love to get one of these. Does anyone have any tips on how to set it up or is it just a case of trial and error?

Recent snow is great for getting an idea of what is around and the routes they take to help you position the camera but the cameras (the basic ones at least) are automatic and you really just have to decide on the image quality and combination of still and video pictures.

The cameras are water resistant but shielding them from rain and snow keeps drips off the lens and it’s better to avoid pointing it due East or West to avoid the low sun backlighting your subject.

Be sure to post your results!