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A Kingfisher on the Perch!

Just over one week ago the Bushnell NatureView I had setup at a River Pool to monitor Otters captured a Kingfisher (see blog here). So I got to work and set up a temporary perch for the Kingfisher to dive from.

Yesterday, I finally managed to record a Kingfisher visiting. I need to rethink the camera position as it seems the Kingfisher may not be triggering the camera consistently. When the camera is triggered it records 1 minute before waiting to be triggered again. As you can see in the video, the Kingfisher remains on the perch when the camera stops recording, however, it doesn’t trigger it again. I had set the camera up to capture it not only on the perch but also the dive. I may have to concentrate the camera solely on the perch.

The camera is not there to capture good usable footage but is in place to try to establish any trend that the Kingfisher is showing, particularly the time of day it visits. I hope (before the river starts to flow again) to hide on the river bank and capture some photos of this Kingfisher.

For now, enjoy the video.

{Remember to watch in HD if possible}


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A Sounder of Javali (Wild Boar) Visited the River Pool

Javali

I relocated the Bushnell Camera yesterday to try and get a better view of the wildlife visiting the River Pool and captured a Sounder of Javali visiting. Sounder being the collective term for a group of Wild Boar.

This group seems to be made up of young Boars as they are not that large in size. The male can grow to 1.80m in length and 1.10m tall and can weigh up to 200kg, the females slightly smaller at 200kg.

Although shy of humans, they can (and will) attack if startled. I’m speaking from experience as Wally (the Dog) and I found out when our paths crossed a few evenings ago. We startled each other as our paths crossed. It made a lot of grunting noises and ran straight at us. Although not the official method, I grabbed Wally and we ran to the house!

{Remember to watch in HD if possible}

Wildboar in our Woodland (Video)

A few evenings ago I was outside late at night as I tend to do to either listen to the wildlife (Owls, Toads, Frogs, Crickets) or look at the dark night sky. I could hear rustling and snapping twigs in a piece of Woodland that we own.

I immediately thought Wild Boar.

I’ve not had time to explore this dense woodland yet so grabbed the Bushnell camera and took a ramble. The Woodland is on a steep small hillside with a seasonal brook at the bottom and I could see evidence of activity in abundance. A lot of moved soil and some scat. It was looking very promising that Wild Boar are in residence.

I attached the Bushnell in a small opening. This morning I checked the camera and came up a winner.

It’s a very short clip as the Wild Boar is just walking by, but proof enough that they live in there.

I will be setting up the Bushnell in various positions in the hope I get some more footage of them. In the future I hope to set up a hide in the woodland, but the Wild Boar are usually sleeping in deep cover in the daytime.

Of course, photography isn’t the only shooting pastime and these Wild Boar are of interest to the local Hunters. I have very mixed feelings about hunting, but at these Wild Boars are hunted as a food source which keeps the local economy turning over.

{Remember to watch in HD if possible}


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Short Clip of a Badger (Video)

Last night I set my Bushnell Natureview up on a track near to a local Badger Sett. I wasn’t after any footage to create a video, but just to try and monitor their activities.

I hope to hide out for some photos and wondered the time of day these Badgers are active. I only got one short clip and it was at 10pm which is far too late for photography (unless I use flash, which I’m not a fan of), but hope that they do surface around dusk. I will be planning some trips to hide out near the sett.

Its always a risk leaving trail cameras out overnight in case they get stolen, however, this was hidden away from any place people would be walking and it was still there this morning.

Bushnell Natureview
Bushnell Natureview

Badgers are protected by law and any disturbance to a sett is illegal, therefore, I’m carefully around what I do and where I do it. They have a very good sense of smell and in the short clip below you can see that it’s having a good sniff around where I pulled out some nettles to try and hide the camera.

{Remember to watch in HD if possible}

Do Our Local Foxes Have Young?

I’ve not been monitoring the (Rural) Foxes we have in the garden as much as I did this time last year, however, last night I set the Bushnell Natureview up in the garden.

We occasionally leave out some food scraps (no cooked bones!) and sometimes some treats, but not enough for them to rely on us for food.

Foxes will collect and store food that they don’t eat in food caches but the “Cramming” we are seeing is exactly what happened this time last year. As you can see on the footage, the Fox crams as much food in it’s mouth in one go and carries it off. I think it’s because it’s taking it back to the Den to feed the Vixen who is babysitting her newborn. The food could even be for the young if they are already old enough.

A few weeks after this happened last year, and the Vixen made an appearance in the garden with a single cub.

This repeated behaviour is hopefully a sign that the Vixen has given birth again.

{Remember to watch in HD if possible}

Mice at Night in the Garden (Video)

A while ago I noticed a small hole in the ground at the side of one of the Pond Filters in the garden. I’ve been wondering if anything lives in the hole or not.

Mysterious Hole
Mysterious Hole

So, I put a small amount of Bird Seed near the hole and pointed the Bushnell camera at it and left overnight.

Bushnell and Bird Food
Bushnell and Bird Food

Nothing came out of the hole, I just think it’s where there may have been a void below the filter housing and it’s collapsed in. One of the Mice does take a look down inside though and the Bird Food was very much appreciated.

The footage was captured over 7 hours last night. If you look at the Mice, particularly the little nips out their ears you should be able to count 4 different ones visiting.

{Remember to watch in HD if possible}

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