Trail cameras winter wildlife

How do you find animals when you’re not there to see them with your own eyes; perhaps in the middle of the night, maybe at a location where you cannot stay, or access is difficult? With Christmas fast approaching it's not too late to put one on your list!

A trail cam is a camera, five inches by three inches with a motion or heat sensor built into it. This means that anything that passes in front of it triggers the camera to record video or pictures for up to a minute. They are also weatherproof so they can be used in all weathers. Using infrared technology to be able to see at night, you can discover what creatures are lurking in the darkness - opening your eyes to animals that you wouldn’t usually see.

In 2016, I bought the Bushnell trail cam (as you see in the photo right) at around £200; that’s at the expensive end of the market. I wanted to place it under a bridge crossing a brook on the golf course where I worked because I suspected an otter had been visiting. I couldn’t sit comfortably to watch and wait so the trail camera was the answer. I left it for two days before I checked it and, to my astonishment, I had recorded an otter. The otter proved to be a regular visitor to the same spot in future years, sometimes there were two. Most golfers would have no idea that we had otter on the course.

As well as using the camera for finding hidden animals that you don’t know about, it can be used to monitor a particular group of animals that you know are there and you want to survey them to see how many there are. I used it to keep an eye on a local badger sett to see how many there were and to keep an eye on any activity. The cameras could also be used to discover what is leaving footprints behind in the mud or the snow, or what might be leaving regular droppings at a particular spot.

Where to find a camera?

As well as the Bushnell, there are other trail cams on the market at a vast range of prices available at many different retailers.

Check these links to get an idea of what’s out there:

• shop.naturespy.org
• gardenature.co.uk/collections/trail-cameras
• digitalcameraworld.com/buying-guides/best-trail-cameras
• amazon.co.uk/Game-Cameras/b?ie=UTF8&node=454836031

Winter wildlife watchlist

Wildlife is there to be seen all year round including the winter, with some species occurring only at that time of year even when it is cold with frost and snow.

Birds

We have summer migrants that can be spotted around March/April and as they leave in the autumn, we start to see the arrival of our winter migrants. Large numbers of Fieldfares and Redwings (both a type of thrush) come over from Northern Europe/Scandinavia. They can be seen feasting on berry-laden trees such as Mountain Ash (Rowan). Sometimes the numbers of our resident Blackbirds and Robins are increased by birds from Scandinavia.

One of my favourite birds is a winter visitor to the UK and sometimes occurs in enormous numbers from Scandinavia when it is too cold, and the berry crop hasn’t done so well. The Waxwing is an unmistakable bird about the size of a Starling, orangey in colour with a crest and some black and yellow in the wings and tail. Waxwings always delight the people who come to see them. I saw a flock once of 100 on berry-laden trees in the middle of a town in Hertfordshire and about thirty on the golf course where I used to work. Supermarket car parks are often a good place for them to turn up.

Moths and butterflies

With my interest in moths, I often get asked do you still see moths in the winter? Yes, you do but not so many species. Some moths only occur during the winter months such as December Moth (seen from October) or Winter Moth. The Winter Moth can often be seen in car headlights at night or on trees in a woodland. One morning in January this year at the Woodhall Spa Bracken Course, I counted over 100 just resting on trees. I had never seen that many before. In early 2024 when we went through a really cold spell, I never expected to see any moths. But one morning at work after overnight temperatures of -6, one moth had braved it all and was resting on the wall by the security light.

Butterflies are not seen during the winter, but some do overwinter as adults such as the Red Admiral or Peacock and they can be seen flying on mild days. I once saw a Red Admiral on Boxing Day.

Mammals

There are only three British mammals that truly hibernate, bats, hedgehogs and dormice, so you won’t see any of them unless they are disturbed. Other mammals like badgers and squirrels are just less active in the winter so are not seen as often. Fox and deer stay active all year round, as do small mammals like voles and wood mice. (They are often thought to be highly active under snow cover keeping out of sight of predators.)

Keep an eye out this winter and let us know what wildlife you find.

Article by The Conservation Buddha. If anyone has any questions on anything in this article please contact me via email: info@theconservationbuddha.co.uk

Winter hibernation 

During the cold, dark winter months, animals may have difficulty finding food and water. Hibernation helps some animals survive during this time. These animals become inactive to conserve energy.

During hibernation, an animal’s heart rate and breathing slow. Their body temperature also drops. These changes allow hibernating animals to survive on less energy. An animal in hibernation may go weeks without eating or drinking. However, they do not sleep for the entire winter. They still need to get up occasionally to look for food and drink some water.

Hedgehogs make their own hibernation nests out of dead leaves, twigs, and feathers. Some hedgehogs will even hibernate in compost bins and beneath garden sheds.

Bats hibernate during the winter when food is scarce, and their birth rate is extremely low. Bats frequently choose hibernation roosts in old buildings or even your home’s eaves.

Butterflies and moths will hibernate during the winter. They keep warm by finding a nice, safe place in a shed, garage, or attic.

Frogs will hibernate on the bottom of ponds, but if the pond is full of leaf matter, it can be fatal to a hibernating amphibian if the pond freezes.

Keep an eye out, but do not disturb.