Ron Bury's Wildlife

New Ltl Acorn and Bushnell Trail Cameras - Review - Part 1

2012-01-25T15:55:00.000Z

This is the start of a full review of these two cameras on behalf of Wildlife and Countryside Services and I will be posting my observations and results of camera performance over the next few weeks.

These wildlife trail cameras are the latest, top of the range models from Ltl Acorn and Bushnell and are very similar in specification. I will be directly comparing and trialling them under identical conditions.

They represent the very latest evolution in technical development of miniaturised, outdoor game cameras.

Bushnell Trophy Camera
Model: 119467 (internal viewer)

Size: 115mm x 160mm x 70mm
4.5 x 6.3 x 2.75 inches
Weight: 320g (without batteries)

Ltl Acorn HD Video Series
Model: 6210MC (without MMS)

Size: 85mm x 141mm x 70mm
3.3 x 5.6 x 2.75 inches
Weight: 245g (without batteries)

Ltl Acorn 6210M HD Video Series User Manual

2012-01-25T10:13:00.002Z

Download manual

This is a pdf file of the user manual for the new Ltl Acorn Trail Camera Ltl 6210M which is now available.

I'm about to do a review of this camera and prior to its arrival I looked on the web for a copy of this manual without success; so I decided to produce my own.

There is a pdf user manual of the test series version of this camera but this is the up to date version. Useful if you're trying to make your mind up about a purchase.
Note: This camera is the real deal and not a clone.

Click here to view or download the manual

Bat Detector Reviews: Review: EM3 From Wildlife Acoustics Part 1 Of 3

2012-01-25T09:50:00.000Z

The eagerly awaited review of the EM3

Review: The EM3 From Wildlife Acoustics (Part 1 Of 3) - Some preliminary thoughts, and first impressions -Well, it's finally here! The long-anticipated, new Echo Meter 3 from Wildlife Acoustics, Inc. is now available! I must state, first and foremost: That this new bat detector is revolutionary. It is the first hand-held, ultrasonic detector to feature a (live) sonogram display!
I envision this feature being very welcomed by experienced hobbyists and Bat Workers/Researchers.
Besides being unprecedented, technologically advanced and scientifically useful -

Bat Detector Reviews: Review: EM3 From Wildlife Acoustics Part 1 Of 3:

Scottish Wildcat (Felis sylvestris grampia) at Highland Wildlife Park

2012-01-23T11:52:00.000Z

Male wildcat

Female wildcat

Male wildcat

Last week I made a visit to the Highland Wildlife Park at Kincraig near Kingussie

Female wildcat

Wildcat faeces

The Highland Wildlife Park was opened in 1972 and, along with Edinburgh Zoo, is run by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (registered charity SC004064)

As part of the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, the Highland Wildlife Park is committed to promoting the conservation of threatened species and habitats; and it was in this context that I had asked Doug Richardson if I could visit their wildcats.

My contact with wild living cats has been limited to date, and I hoped that by spending some time with these cats, in their enclosure, I would get a better feel for their demeanour.

Wildcat faeces

The two cats pictured above are six and five years old respectively and although the male has a domestic cat genetic marker the female is believed to be pure. It was useful to be able to briefly study these cats close up, to photograph their markings and particularly, a couple of faecal samples (droppings) for reference.

My thanks to Doug Richardson (Animal collections manager) and David Barclay (Keeper) for making me welcome and for allowing me access to the wildcat enclosure.

Now for the hard work of finding them in the Glen Affric area.

I've seen one cat which was either pure or hybrid. Now all I've got to do is prove it.

Two Roe Deer and a Fox at the birch log

2012-01-20T09:53:00.000Z

Two Roe Deer (Capreolus capreolus) at the log this time. If you look carefully at the head of the first animal, you can just make out the buds of new antlers which make very rapid growth around the end of January.

The second animal could also be a buck but no clear view of its head.

Both of them pull at the brackets this time but they are still not to their liking.

This Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) also passed by, using the same trail as the hare and pine marten have previously.

Badgers raiding bait at remote camera site

2012-01-20T09:31:00.000Z

These badgers cleaned out all the bait at this site over a four day period. I say badgers (plural) because I think it was different animal at the end of the clip on day three.

Grey Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) found near Duror in Lochaber

2012-01-18T11:49:00.000Z

Grey Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) road kill at Duror, Lochaber.

I've just received a report from Juliet at the Highland Red Squirrel Group that the Grey Squirrel shown left was recently found near Duror in Lochaber.

Duror is in the Glendour Forest a few miles south of Ballachullish on the A828 Oban road and greys have apparently not been recorded in this area previously.

Anyone in this area is asked to watch for more greys and report any sightings to Juliet Robinson - Red Squirrel Conservation Officer Highland

Pine Marten raiding local bird feeder for meat balls

2012-01-14T12:41:00.000Z

A neighbour asked me the other day, if I could set a camera to discover what was taking meat balls from their bird feeder. This was happening at night and my guess was it would be a Pine Marten (Martes martes)

Visitors at the Birch log

2012-01-12T17:26:00.000Z

This Brown Hare (Lepus eropaeus) passes by every so often. It seems to be one of its regular trails

A Pine Marten (Martes martes) sitting on the log, scenting the air.

Still no feeding on the brackets apart from a couple of bites by the Roe Deer in the last post.

Roe Deer (Capreolus capreolus) at the Fungus site again

2012-01-06T19:26:00.000Z

The Roe Deer (Capreolus capreolus) was browsing around the Birch Bracket log again yesterday and may have taken a bite from one of the brackets (see video) but still no sign of great interest. A hare also passed by during last night.

New Books

2012-01-04T22:16:00.000Z

I've just added these three books to the Reference Books page.

Published by the Highland Biological Recording Group

This is a reprint of a book first published in 1936

Roe Deer investigating Birch Bracket Fungi

2012-01-03T17:55:00.000Z

Just over a year ago I came across this Birch log with bracket fungi which were being eaten by animals unknown. At the time all the fruiting bodies had been reduced almost to a stump.

I left a camera over them on the off-chance that I would capture an image of whatever was responsible and although squirrel, badger and pine marten visited the log, none were observed feeding.

Visiting again this year I found many more fruiting bodies but so far, little evidence of feeding.

This time I seem to be ahead of the game so I set up another camera four days ago, in the hope that it will confirm what animal or animals are feeding on these brackets.

I checked the camera today for the first time and discovered that a roe deer had visited and sniffed at the fungi, but without feeding, a little over an hour before I arrived.

The camera is set to shoot a jpg file and then a thirty second video without a trigger delay. Left shows the deer heading to the log and two seconds later the video below shows it nosing at the fungi before moving away again.

Maybe the fungi are not quite right for eating yet or maybe its another animal responsible, but whichever, the camera will stay on site until I have an answer.

Snow returns to the Highlands

2012-01-02T18:30:00.000Z

Snow falling over Guisachan Farm today

Alders along a river above Hilton Lodge

Will it stay or will it thaw again. I'm hoping for the right survey conditions.

Buzzard, Roe Deer, Hooded Crows and Jays at remote camera in Dec 2011

2012-01-02T17:34:00.000Z

This is a video composite of activity at the remote camera referred to in the last two posts.
The time and date settings are not correctly set so please ignore them.

Hooded Crows and Jays at bait - Remote camera in mid December

2012-01-02T13:29:00.000Z

Hooded Crows (Corvus corone cornix) - Moon phase, date and time are incorrect

Jays (Garrulus glandarius) - Moon phase, date and time are incorrect

Remote camera results for December 2011

2012-01-01T19:13:00.000Z

Camera trap location 1

This year, although I'll still be surveying red squirrels, I'm also going to be setting camera traps through a cross section of the glen, in the hope of finding evidence of wildcat.

I've already seen a large cat hunting a hare which, although I couldn't verify this at the time, may well have been a hybrid if not a pure wildcat. I've also found other signs which suggest at least one large cat in this area and I'm eager to prove it one way or the other.

Sitka Spruce cone predation by Red Squirrel

The camera I've chosen to use is the Ltl Acorn 5210A 940nm and for the last couple of months I've been testing a number of these in different environmental conditions to get to know their operational parameters.

So far they're proving to be a good choice, not least because they're about half the price of any other comparable camera; and on my budget that's an important consideration. I'll post more about their performance at a later date.

Roe Deer

The location pictured above left is adjacent to a deer trail and I also noticed squirrel feeding signs close by, so I set two cameras, positioned at different angles across the trail. One covered the area where the squirrel had been feeding and the other covered a large stump, baited with meat and bone.

(I made a mistake with the menu settings on one camera so the moon, date and time info' is incorrect)

The images on the left and below show a selection of the results over a ten day period in December.

Common Buzzard

Red Fox

The final tally was Chaffinch, Robin, Jay, Hooded Crow, Common Buzzard, Roe Deer, Red Fox, Red Squirrel and Pine Marten.

The image of the Buzzard (left) is an enlargement from the centre of the frame.

The image of the Red Squirrel (bottom) is from the camera with the correct moon phase, date and time settings and it's worth noting that with shots like this, where the animal is moving quickly across the frame and close to the camera, I wouldn't normally expect to get a record; because the animal would be gone before the camera triggered.

I would hope that this is an indication of the effectiveness of the side prep sensors which, at this time, are unique to these cameras.

Both cameras were set to shoot firstly a still image and then video; and by the time the video started the squirrel was nowhere to be seen.

I'll post a video composite tomorrow as an example.

Red Squirrel

Rain, snow and a lot of water - Happy new year

2012-01-01T17:31:00.000Z

My recollection of 2011 is going to be rain, snow, ice, mud and a lot of water. While the south of the UK has been worrying about drought, this part of the country has been suffering from a significant lack of sunshine.

Unlike the last two winters, which went straight to snow for long periods, this year the snow came a little earlier, stayed for a couple of weeks and now we're back to guess what. RAIN!

Still, at least the days are getting longer now. Happy new year.

BBC News - Concern over squirrel pox at Culzean Country Park

2011-12-13T23:21:00.000Z

"Concern is growing for Scotland's red squirrel population after a case of deadly squirrel pox was confirmed at Culzean Country Park in Ayrshire."

"The virus was found in a grey squirrel, which is unharmed by the pox, but can pass it on to red squirrels.

Until now, cases had largely been confined to the far south of Scotland.

The National Trust for Scotland (NTS) said the presence of the pox virus in Ayrshire "represents a concerning leap to the north".

Squirrel pox was detected at Culzean by NTS rangers and staff from the Red Squirrels in South Scotland Project. It was later confirmed by expert testers."

The disease is almost always fatal to Red Squirrels. It causes lesions around the mouth, nose and eyes similar to Myxomatosis in Rabbits and usually kills the squirrel in 7 to 10 days.

Click the link below to read the rest of the story.

BBC News - Concern over squirrel pox at Culzean Country Park:

The squirrel pox virus (squirrel parapoxvirus) is believed to be transmitted from grey to red squirrels by parasites in dreys and by contact at feeding sites.

Because of the latter, people are being advised not to provide squirrel feeders in areas where red and grey squirrels are both present.

Read a full report about this by clicking the link below.

Nature lovers urged not to feed red squirrels

Lesions to the eyes, nose and mouth of a red squirrel, caused by the squirrel pox virus

Scottish Wildcat (Felis sylvestris grampia)

2011-12-09T17:35:00.001Z

I mentioned before that I was planning to get more involved in Scottish Wildcat conservation and this winter I will be setting camera traps in the hope that I can gather evidence of their presence.

In late summer 2010 I witnessed a large cat stalking a hare at night which, at a distance, looked very much like a wild cat; but there was no way of establishing if it was pure bred, hybrid or a feral cat.

I've also seen foot prints and faeces on several occasions since which lead me to believe they are about in this area.

The Scottish Wildcat Association is a charitable organisation dedicated to protecting and conserving Britain's only remaining wild feline and through their wildcat haven project are working hard, not only to improve this cat's chances of survival long term but also its population expansion into areas from which it has disappeared.

If you care about the plight of the Scottish Wildcat you can help either as a volunteer or with fund raising by becoming a member of the association.

Camera survey of a local spruce plantation.

2011-11-30T21:12:00.001Z

Norway Spruce plantation

Norway Spruce canopy

I was recently asked to carry out a survey for Red Squirrels and their dreys (nests) in a local plantation of dense Norway Spruce.

This is an area which normally shows a fairly high incidence of squirrel feeding during the late summer and autumn but the most recent signs I found were at least a month old and mostly green cone feeding from summer and early autumn.

This year has been extremely wet in this area and coupled with an almost non existent hazel crop, it's possible that mortality may be higher than normal.

I've looked, many times for dreys in this plantation and so far had not seen any. This occasion was no exception and as you can see from the images on the left, the tree density makes it an almost impossible task.

Fungi

I used trail cameras in several places in the hope that one of them might catch a squirrel. In one part of the plantation where the most recent feeding signs were found I also discovered a group of fungi, which some animal had been feeding on. In the hope of finding out what, I set two of the cameras at different angles over these.

The other cameras I set nearby for several days but still no squirrels.

When I returned to collect the cameras I saw where badgers had been turning the ground for earthworms and as you can see in the video composite below, the area was visited by a fox, two badgers and a Pine Marten in a hurry.

The light in the marten shot is the second camera firing. Both cameras are 'black flash' so this is just what the camera can see.

There are also two images of Red Squirrel dreys shown below for reference. These are both about 10 metres of the ground. They are not always this visible.

Red Squirrel drey in Scots Pine

Red Squirrel drey in Norway Spruce

Dog Falls and Loch Beinn a' Mheadhain in Glen Affric

2011-11-28T08:50:00.001Z

Dog Falls

A happy Kathy with the dogs, under an old Scots Pine

A week last Friday, Kathy and I decided to take the dogs round to Dog Falls in Glen Affric and walk up to a view of Loch Beinn a' Mheadhain.

The day was overcast and threatening rain but only managed wind and a light drizzle. From the viewpoint I took a shot of Loch Beinn a' Mheadhain (pronounced - ben a veyan) under a dark sky and then we diverted up the hill into some sheltered Pines for a brew up before returning.

We saw Woodcock which migrate here for the winter and somewhere on the hill above we heard a deer whistle an alarm call.

Happy days.

Loch Beinn a' Mheadhain looking west from above the dam

Guisachan Farm - Sunset, Moonrise and Autumn

2011-11-16T17:51:00.001Z

Guisachan Farm - November sunset

Moonrise over the old Guisachan House ruin

Autumn colours on the hillside above Guisachan Farm

The Porsche Cayennes of Larissa | Habitat Aid's Blog

2011-11-08T08:47:00.001Z

This topical comment on the Greek economy and its parallels in conservation, by Nick Mann at Habitat Aid is well worth a read.

The Porsche Cayennes of Larissa | Habitat Aid's Blog:

Trees for Life 2012 Calendar

2011-11-07T10:12:00.000Z

This last weekend I was horrified to discover that I had accidentally scrambled the trees for life link code (top of right hand sidebar) and the link was sending everyone to a completely different site; so as part of my apology to them I thought I'd promote their 2012 calendar.

This year they've changed the calendar to focus exclusively on the Caledonian Forest, and it features outstanding photographs of the trees and wildlife there, together with thoughtful quotes about forests and the importance of volunteering. Beautifully produced to a high standard, it includes plenty of space for appointments and will provide inspiration all year long.

Order your 'Trees for Life' 2012 calendar

Trail camera colour balance, sharpness and dynamic range

2011-11-01T12:59:00.001Z

Fig 1. Acorn full frame

Fig 2. Acorn centre frame

All these images are shot at the same time so conditions for each camera are identical.

I deliberately included a fair amount of sky in the frame to push the dynamic range.
Click an image to open in a new window.

Fig 3. Bushnell full frame

Fig 4. Bushnell centre frame

Colour balance.

The Bushnell is warmer than natural, while the Acorn is slightly cool and the Prostalk much cooler than natural.

Fig 5. Prostalk full frame

Fig 6. Prostalk centre frame

Dynamic range.

The Bushnell dynamic range is by far the best but darker than I would prefer.
The Acorn looses some sky detail and the Prostalk performs poorly with noticeable blue fringing.

Sharpness and clarity.

The Bushnell again performs best while the Acorn is soft in the centre frame image (fig 2). The Prostalk looks sharp in the full frame image (fig 5) but shows the pixels significantly breaking down in the centre frame image (fig 6).

Overall performance.

1 Bushnell 2 Acorn 3 Prostalk

Cameras under test are
Acorn 5210A 940nm, Bushnell Trophy Cam 2010 model 119445 and Hawke ProStalk PC2000