Game Camera Photo Logbook

Knowing the speed of your camera helps !!!

2011-11-17T12:46:00.000-08:00

I use different sensor boards to fine tune the speed of the camera on the first picture, then I use the different locations to my advantage to center the animal. This works well with logs and locations where one or two pictures a week would be great. This helps to not miss a great photo, sometimes. In this setting I use a slower setup because of the narrow log and some trees on the left side that will slow the animal down before getting centered in the picture, I even walked the log to get the timing just right for a predator or a deer.

Because of this first picture I knew the camera was too slow, just couldn't believe the deer would have went faster than a walk across this narrow log. With that in mind, I went with a faster setup in the same location.

This next photo shows the frustration that goes with this hobby. If a grown man gets mad, stomps the ground and yells loud in the woods, and nobbody hears this, does it really happen?

A close up of what appears to be a 4x4 buck just starting into the picture, my slower camera would have been perfect timing.

Still a few big Blacktail bucks around.

2011-11-04T08:51:00.000-07:00

Finally had some extra time to set out a few cameras for deer, been busy trying to catch up on work around the house before the wet weather. I have some favorite locations for bucks this time of the year and they paid off in just one week. I also spend more time hiding my camera when setting them out for bucks, nothing worse than getting the picture with the deer looking at the camera at night, just too much glare in the eyes for a good photo.

This 4x4 was a great catch and never had a clue of the camera, never stayed around for a second picture either.

Set the camera up in another good location but forgot to trim the ferns, and as luck would have it, they blocked part of the head and antlers but still a nice buck.

Vandal tries to destroy one of my cameras

2011-09-08T12:58:00.000-07:00

I had 2 cameras aimed at a well used otter log and I didn't realize the the farther camera had the closer one in its field of view, this was fortunate because I ended up with a good picture as the camera was being vandalized. I had forgotten to turn on the camera that was vandalized so missed some good pictures.

I showed the photos to our local police officer and wanted quick action to apprehend this vandal that I believed was still in the area and a night search would be best. Can't print what the officer said to me, but made me believe it wasn't going to happen...

This picture shows the vandal spotting the camera.

Vandal attacking the camera...

Cropped to show a better view ...

Not much of for security, but not even a shoe lace to help out here.

2011-09-03T12:08:00.000-07:00

Had enough nylon twine to tie up all my cameras when I left the house, but had to use two on one camera which left me one short. After a 4 mile walk in I wasn't about to carry a camera back out, so did what anyone would do and improvise.

This was on the river for an otter set, but think we need a good rain to bring the otter out of the pond and down to the river. Most of the salmon are waiting for a rain before heading up to spawn and it doesn't look like rain for a while.

Here's what the picture should look like but the stick on the uphill side looks like it might be too close and be in the photo.

Looks like a little romance with the Otter

2011-09-01T08:54:00.000-07:00

First camera I had set on this pond was a failure and the otter played underneath the camera without getting one photo, so I placed another one aimed down at the opening they used to play on the mossy log. Nice day pictures of a male and female playing and resting, they will be leaving the pond in a few days and head for the river where the salmon are finally heading up stream to spawn.

You can tell which is the male by the width at the base of the tail, the male is much wider than the female.

The male is resting in the sunny moss, what a life in this secluded pond. This is my goal, to catch animals in their natural daily activities.

Logs across trails

2011-08-04T07:54:00.000-07:00

In our area there are many old logs where the animals have to jump even though there are trails that go around the logs. I was curious to find out how many deer go over the logs using the shorter route than walk around them as both trails are well used.

I found a good location on a slope where the animals would have to either jump the log going up or going down the hill, not thinking I would get any good photos of the animal in the air, but rather how often they would go over the log. It appears now that it's just a way of life for the animals and not a problem, unlike me, who always takes the easiest trail.

Sometimes things don't work out as planned

2011-06-25T14:12:00.000-07:00

I spent quite a bit of time finding this location, but after setting the camera I was pleased with how everything turned out. I wanted either a doe with fawn or a nice buck in velvet, preferably a daytime photo but would take whatever I could get. As I walked through the brush to get to the camera, the first thing I saw were quite a few tracks so I felt good, then I saw the camera twisted at an angle on the tree.

I had several good photos of deer at night and a couple during the day but no fawns or bucks. Then a deer knocked the camera out of alignment and the next picture is of a nice buck.

Elk photo using the Canon

2011-06-23T09:34:00.000-07:00

I placed this camera in a location to test how it would work with shade and light in the background and at a distance toward the max I normally would use. This would also give me some idea on how the camera would focus and the depth of focus. I used the lens set at 18 mm to find out the true field of view and how much shade would trigger the flash during the day.

Test worked perfect for everything I needed to learn. The camera takes a great quality picture, the 18mm setting on the lens gives more than I could have hoped for in the field of view and the flash triggered showing a slight shadow below the neck on the elk.

I now know I can set the camera very close and still get some of the smaller speedy animals, everything should be in focus and the lighting set in auto mode will work fine, I hope..

All of the next photos are cropped as an 8x10 to show the picture quality.

This last photo is cropped more than one would normally do, but still retains the quality and does show the slight shadow from the daytime flash.
I'm like a kid in a candy shop and well pleased with the camera setup. Now if I can keep from checking the camera every day or not leaving it in one location long enough for some good photos I'll be happy..

I built a new trail camera using the Canon Rebel

2011-06-22T11:37:00.000-07:00

So far the testing has been good and now in the woods for the real test. To hold the camera stable in the case I used the bracket off the top of a tripod and it locks in great everytime. Still trying different settings on the camera but it's easy to use and quick to change settings.

I did change the sensor board after testing the ss board (the one in the picture) and went with an older board made by Radio Shack and it works fine. The camera is left in the always on mode and the radio shack sensor works better with this setup, also you will notice an extra board on the door of the case, that's a timelapse board if I want to photograph plants growing and such.

Smart Bears

2011-04-24T10:58:00.000-07:00

This camera was setup for bobcats, raccoons and other small animals that walk the log. I set a camera up in this location several times a year and has been very productive, plus I like the background.

I have never gotten a bear photo here and this area does not have many bear, in fact I have only 3 bear pictures in this 5 square mile area in 10 years since the timber company started killing the bears because of their damage to the trees, they since have stopped that practice.

On this checking I had photos of a bear and two last year cubs on a camera that was 1/4 mile from this location, as I always do, I walk from camera to camera across country and don't follow any particular trail, this is to avoid any person from finding my cameras. This bear followed my scent from the first camera and these photos are of it climbing onto the log and sniffing the area. At times I will remove leaves and some limbs that might distract from the picture or like leaves reflect the flash at night.

I'm sure this is one of her last years cubs, the other one must have taken an easier path.

Beaver slide pictures

2011-03-30T09:58:00.000-07:00

I used an Olympus 380 aimed at this beaver slide, it was so steep I set the camera very close knowing the 380 is a fast camera, but forgot to allow for the 2 most important things to do when doing closeups around water. One is to allow more time for the trigger speed to pick up the heat from an animal just leaving the cold water...first big mistake, and the other is the fact that I make a narrow opening for my sensor which works the best for side to side movement from animals...big mistake when the beaver came sliding down the hill of mud with some ferns it had cut. So, I moved the camera out into the water tied to a couple of sticks I drove into the mud, this gives me more distance to the trail and hopefully a better photo. Only problem now is it started raining hard on the way out and the forcast is for rain all week and the camera is only 3 inches above the water.

The sun finally came out from behind the rain clouds

2011-03-25T14:30:00.000-07:00

Weather has been cold and wet the last couple of months and was working on some cameras so never had any out in the woods. I finally put 6 cameras out just to see whats moving about and was more of a good hike than noticing much fresh activity. Today is very nice and sunny so will fix several more cameras and get them out in a different location.

Have been feeling pretty good and the long hike felt great. Might try building a small video unit for daytime only and use it around creeks, ducks would be a good target and easy to video.

cliff

Trail camera set for bobcats

2011-01-13T20:29:00.000-08:00

I saw some fresh bobcat tracks while on the last hike and followed them far enough to find a good location for the camera. The tracks showed up well in the freshly thawed mud which made them easy to follow.

This photo is of the trail as I followed the tracks and you can see the small dirt area going up and into the young fir trees. I picked this location so the camera was not visible from where this photo was taken.

In this picture you can see the camera tied to the base of the small tree just to the right of the trail. Should make a nice photo if a bobcat uses this trail within the next century.

Hiding my trail camera using moss

2011-01-11T09:58:00.000-08:00

Several photos I took to show how I use natural vegetation to hide my game cameras in the woods. Several reasons for hiding the camera are to prevent theft, which is very rare in the locations I place the cameras and more importantly is not to have the animal look at the camera when the first picture is taken. This results in a photo showing the animal in it's natural daily activity.

If the outline of the camera tied to a tree can be hid with moss or ferns, then your chance for a better photo of any animal raises to a higher probability, even though some animals will notice the change, it causes no alarm of danger.

This is what the animal or person would see coming straight toward the camera, it is noticable, but does not stand out enough to attract your attention. The chances of another person in this location is highly unlikely and might also be true of a wild animal, but it is a chance I would take any day for a good photo.

Trail cameras back in action

2011-01-04T11:35:00.000-08:00

Went for a five mile hike in a large circle in the area shown above and placed 3 trail cameras back in business. Don't expect much for pictures as the weather is still freezing and not much sign of animal movement but all in all was well worth the effort. Found some good areas for summer photos of elk, crossed a couple of creeks and took a shortcut through a swamp. Sometimes the shortest distance is not always the quickest and the swamp proved to to be true.

These three pictures show the view of my cameras, I always take a picture to aim the camera and it helps when I try to find the cameras the next time I check them.

Variety of animals in this location

2011-01-01T21:44:00.000-08:00

Most of my trail settings, even on a well used trail, will have about 4 to 5 pictures a week if I'm lucky. Too pick up the slack I'll set a few cameras by the river for more action. This particular location is very good for a variety of animals, those shown plus bobcats, ducks and otter.

Even a turkey hunter gets caught every now and then.

One more bear on the log

2010-12-25T17:42:00.000-08:00

This photo is one of my favorites and helps me learn more about the habits of the animals I photograph. Bears are never concerned about the cameras, they may at times slap, bite and maul the camera, but I believe in fun.

Test to see who had the best eyes....for fun, click on the first photo in the previous post to enlarge for a better view of the surrounding background. Now post the number of trail cameras you can find.

On certain locations I set more than one camera aimed at the same point but from different angles, this helps to learn how the animal approaches the area and which camera angle gives the best photo.

Had fun with the bear photo

2010-12-23T19:33:00.000-08:00

A couple of photos taken of the same bear on the log. Always amazed with the agility of a bear either walking a log or standing upright searching for whatever, in this case it was most likely syrup poured into the moss while I tried to get the bear standing. The camera was aimed too low to get all the bear in the photo but good for it walking the log.

I had my surgery on November 30th and all went well, was home resting in 2 days and getting around better every day. The entire month of November just flew by with tests and appointments but did choose doctors out of our area in Portland and was a wise choice.

Like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Could this be the elusive Sasquatch ??

2010-12-15T20:39:00.000-08:00

This photo was taken with my trail camera in a location that is very isolated. Even walking in to this dark thick jungle sends a chill down my spine. Passed over this photo because I never noticed the creature standing, just hurried through them looking for a deer or elk.

Test on trail cameras

2010-11-23T11:32:00.000-08:00

More stump photos, but this was a test using three different cameras to see how the quality of the photos would compare. It's difficult enough getting a hawk photo on a stump, and me wanting the highest quality picture possible, so I used an Olympus 380 @ 2mg, the Sony P32 @ 3.2 mg and the Sony P41 @ 4.1 mg. All were set on the highest resolution and best settings for a close distance.

First: shown below is the Sony P41

Next is the Sony P32

Last is the Olympus 380

With the results I continued to use the 380 on stumps and logs or close trails, the only difference is with the higher mg cameras I can crop the photo a little for a better picture. The Olympus 380 is very fast to take a picture so I use them to test trails for other animals and try to get the pattern of travel, then I can set a better camera along the path and hope for a great picture at night.

Birds on stumps

2010-11-21T18:00:00.000-08:00

I set a number of my game cameras next to stumps for whatever animal might want to land or climb upon to rest. It was a suprise to me how many different animals used the stumps to get a better view while searching for food. The trick is to set the camera at a distance from the stump to hide from view, close enough for a quality photo but still able to get the entire animal into the picture.

Then you want a good background, one that includes a sky line for evening photos but not looking into the sun.

I also set the camera level with or just below the top of the stump and aimed upward to give the skyline and enough to get the entire bird or animal in the photo.

My first Golden Eagle photos in 05

2010-11-12T10:28:00.000-08:00

These photos were taken in January 05 and took me a while to identify because our area is not known for Golden Eagles, they mainly stay on the eastern side of the Cascade Mountains in Washington. Since that time I have seen more in the area during winter , especially when the winters are bad east of the mountains.

The morning fog shows the golden feathers on the head and makes identification easy, but from other photos on the same stump it looks like an young Bald Eagle.

Bear cubs

2010-11-11T22:47:00.000-08:00

I enjoy getting photos of cubs with their mother, so I moved my cameras and tried to follow them from one area to another as they searched for food. It took a lot of work to find them at times, but well worth the effort.

Once I find where the cubs play I bring in several cameras and saturate the area in the hopes of getting them climbing trees.

How well do you hide your trail camera?

2010-10-30T22:59:00.000-07:00

I hid this camera in the fork of some vinemaple limbs that hung head high over this creek bed and covered it with moss. A good deer trail crosses the creek, did get some nice buck and coyote photos there, but this series of pictures show a hiker looking for rocks in the stream bed. He almost ran his head into the camera and am sure he had to lower his head going under the limbs where the camera was hid.

Bobcat posing for the camera

2010-10-29T08:37:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I set my camera on a short delay for the first photo, I can do this in several ways depending on the type of camera. On the Olympus 380 when the camera is on all the time you can set a 5 second delay for the first picture, but after that the delay is off. Some boards have a delay as with the XLP and some cameras are slower than others or you can just be lucky.

This young bobcat certainly gave me a nice pose looking over its shoulder in a relaxed sitting position. Had the camera set very close to a location where I found an animal buried that had been killed by a bobcat. I believe an older cat would have been a little more cautious with the camera so close, although it was hid quite well with moss.

This is another photo of the cat looking above the camera. Out all the pictures of this bobcat, none showed it looking at the camera and the flash went off on every photo.

Otter - difficult to photograph

2010-10-27T13:54:00.000-07:00

Trying to get a good photo of an otter is a challenge in every way, first is finding the otter and the second is getting it to stand still long enough to get the picture. They are always on the move either running or bounding along looking for food or playing, plus they are very smart and fast enough to out run the cameras triggering speed.

These photos would be better if I had been able to set the camera back another foot for a larger field of view, but the pond was behind me and this camera was on a log in 8 feet of water.

Coyote

2010-10-26T08:24:00.000-07:00

This camera was set on the edge of a opening and slightly uphill from a good predator trail. Distance was about three feet from the trail, but this coyote walked by closer than the trail. The Sony P41 takes very good pictures in focus for my kind of work, and by hiding the camera low the animals are more natural as they walk past. Also, most predators use the same trails, which are easy to see once you know what to look for. Almost like the trail your dogs leave around the house, but not as well worn.

Cameras set low and close

2010-10-25T19:46:00.000-07:00

Have some health issues that have prevented me from getting my cameras back out, so will use some older photos for a while, plus add tips on how I use my cameras.

I enjoy getting photos of birds and predators, but my first pictures were too far from the animal. After years of setting out the cameras and learning their habits, I worked my cameras closer. In this photo of a Red Tail hawk, I placed a small log for the bird to land on and just behind the camera is a small creek. Lots of mice and other small animals in this area to attract birds. Sometimes it takes several weeks or a month to get any photos but worth the time.

A Porcupine in the swamp

2010-08-25T21:15:00.000-07:00

No elk I think because of the hot weather, but did get several photos of a porky eating grass and brush in the swamp. I had placed my cameras in poor locations for anything but bull elk and they were no where to be seen, so was lucky to get any pictures.

I really thought I would have some elk photos on one camera because while walking on the trail I never ran into any cobwebs, a sure sign that a larger animal had recently passed by heading toward the camera. The batteries were dead on the camera so will never know for sure.

Cameras are back in the woods

2010-08-20T08:40:00.000-07:00

The garden shed is almost finished, painted the windmill blades and re-raised the tower so it's working now, so I set 6 cameras out for elk. Hope to get some bull photos before they loose the velvet, didn't see any rubbed trees but lots of elk sign so it looks good.

Temp was in the 40's this morning which should help get the deer and elk moving, lower the temp of the river and with a little rain the salmon should start moving up the Toutle for some otter pictures. Also still have some time for Turkey Vultures before they migrate south.

Cliff

Animals do have a sense of humor

2010-05-12T21:28:00.000-07:00

I do believe this beaver is laughing at me, not only once, but several times as it walked in front of the camera. Not sure why, but after a closer look at the photo, I started laughing myself. What a fool I am, all the work to hide the camera and you can see why it was laughing.

It might be difficult to find what I was laughing about, so this is a photo during the day of geese where you can see in the bottom right corner my glasses that I forgot and left on the rocks. Glad nobody walked by and saw them, I know they would have found the camera if they had picked them up. Dont' think they would have taken the camera but they certainly would have taken a few photos.

Garter snake swallowing a fish

2010-05-10T21:52:00.000-07:00

Not a trail camera photo but had too open up a game cam and use the camera to photograph this Garter snake coming out of the water with what looks like a young salmon or steehead smolt. It was fantastic to watch the snake straighten it's body out and then pull back into a coil real fast to litterly throw the fish back about 6 inches at a time as it was wanting to get to the safety of its den to swallow the fish. I wanted to watch it swallow the entire fish but the snake had other plans.

The photo was taken while I walked in to check several cameras by the river for otter.

Otter landing setup on the river

2010-05-03T16:59:00.000-07:00

The darn otter was too fast and only got it's tail again, even with my quickest camera. But had 212 photos of geese, a Blue Heron, a robin, beaver and a hail storm.

I'll give you the goose family today or else I won't have anything to show later.

Here's one of a goose swimming up river about 20 feet away from the camera. I did crop the photo for it to show up better.

Several new locations for my cameras

2010-04-30T10:02:00.000-07:00

I'm back after giving all my time to a large project that needed to be finished before May. It was suggested that I pull all my cameras and get this job done. Women can be very convincing.

It's finished so I placed 4 cameras out in the locations shown, several for whatever walks past, deer and fawns, cow elk and calves or predators. One on the river for otter and from the looks of the landing I just missed a family of otter playing on the bank. Now if the sun would come out and warm up a little it would help, seems the old bones stiffen up in the cold damp weather.

You can tell from the location photos that the damp weather has grown a lot of moss, ferns and ground plants to make great photos. Other than the work all is well and sorry for the lack of photos.

Coyote and the elusive Otter

2010-02-25T09:11:00.000-08:00

I pulled most of my cameras and will move them to a different area, seems the deer and elk are bothered again by a cougar. When that happens I will change locations for several months.

I did get a coyote and the tail of an elusive otter on the river camera. The camera was well hid but the otter are fast and traveling long distances this time of the year so are difficult to get a good photo. Will be easier after the pups are born this spring.

It's been busy lately and just finished taking my antibiotics for lymes and starting to feel frisky again to get into the woods, especially when the sun comes out.

Stimulus money is working in rural America

2010-02-16T15:34:00.000-08:00

It appears the stimulus money is definately working its way to all in rural America. Seems the beaver have bid out a very large job that should employ many from the neighborhood for years to come, if the wind doesn't finish the job first.

I thought the chips were getting smaller and the tracks were almost impossible to find. Just shows how animals can work together in rural America.

Rewarding day for trail camera photos

2010-02-11T16:31:00.000-08:00

The weather was nice and warm with the sun peeking through the clouds for the beginning of a 4 mile hike to the cameras. Half way to the first camera I knew I was on a roll because not once had I tripped and fallen or had a limb poke me in the eye. It would surely not last, after I saw the pocupine photo I had been waiting a week for it was down hill the rest of the day.

Too close for the Porcupine, so I moved the camera back about 2 feet.

Then off to the beaver dam camera and a nice picture of half of a Blue Heron. Well done cliff.

A great photo of me walking up on the beaver tree camera. That's a keeper.

And to top off the entire day, I got home and had a tick trying to eat me alive. Now I'm being treated for lymes disease and an infection from the tick bite.

Wild turkey on river trail

2010-02-04T22:30:00.000-08:00

This camera was set on an otter landing at a different angle than how I normally use in this location, mainly because I was hoping for some predators to pass by while waiting for the otter. As luck would have it, a flock of turkeys fed their way by the camera and had a nice closeup of a hen. No otter yet and never saw any coyote or bobcat tracks in the sand so I feel good about the turkeys.

The only animal I saw today on my hike was a grouse, but when I got home I watched an otter feed in the river for almost 15 minutes and it was fantastic. Have seen them in ponds feeding many times, but to sit in the house and watch one play and feed was something else. I do believe they could out swim a salmon.

Front door to a porcupine home

2010-02-03T19:00:00.000-08:00

Should get a good closeup of a porcupine either leaving or entering this pile of logs and brush. Think I had the flash set ok, I hope, should know soon when I check the camera.

Time for beaver valley

2010-02-01T20:06:00.000-08:00

The weather is warming up so I hit the creeks and my favorite beaver dams to check out all the new construction. Seems the population has doubled in the small creeks and lots of activity, from falling and logging trees to repairing and raising most of the dams. Set a couple of cameras on the spillways over the dams and some aimed at trees their falling.

Also took my Flip movie camera with me and took videos of one of the dams, then made a snapshot from the video.

One deer at the woodpecker tree

2010-01-26T10:00:00.000-08:00

Not much action on the woodpecker tree, just one deer passed by at night. I did look closely at the holes and it seems they were test holes for ants and bugs, but the tree was solid in the heart so not much for food.

On another note, I overloaded my computer and it slowed down to a crawl, so I added 2gig of Ram and now things are working faster. Should be back in business.

Location for a Pileated Woodpecker

2010-01-06T15:36:00.000-08:00

Can't walk past a cedar tree with fresh holes like this when I have an extra trail camera in my backpack. The tree I tied the camera on is a little farther than I wanted, so I used a sony 600 for this setup. This way I can crop it some for a closeup, the 600 works great either day or night, but expect any bird pictures will be taken during the daylight hours. Just maybe a big buck or bull elk will walk past, but won't hold my breath.

Smaller trail camera

2010-01-04T20:43:00.000-08:00

I'm building a few small game cameras for those locations around ponds and streams to hide from the smaller animals. The small size makes it easier to carry 8 or 9 with me most of the time.

The case is a Pelican 1010...camera is a Sony P41 and the sensor board is the new Simple Sniper. I used a 9 volt battery for the sensor board and had to make a small snorkel on the back to fit the 9 volt. I had 2 small coin cell batteries in it but switched so all my cameras would take the same batteries.

Here's a photo of the side showing the snorkel, I ground out some on the inside of the snorkel for the battery corners to fit and then fitted it and gooped everthing to weather seal.

Trail cameras and Murphy's Law

2010-01-03T23:05:00.000-08:00

I had the camera on this trail but in a different location and had a nice buck walk past, but the background was bad, looked good when I set the camera out but the photos were poor lighting. I wanted the same buck in this location and left the camera out for several weeks, no buck but did get a doe and cow elk. As luck would have it, the doe came from behind the camera and the elk set the camera off too fast. Neither photo had the animal centered but the background was great.

Turkeys made it though last winter

2009-12-19T21:26:00.000-08:00

Was looking pretty bad for turkeys this summer, only had a few photos on deer trails. Things are picking up now as they begin to look for food in the small timber. My turkey photos are mainly random as I don't use any type of bait, but I do know the trails they travel and the type of food they eat in the winter.

River ice and Kayakers

2009-12-17T09:38:00.000-08:00

Been too cold for me, batteries don't last long in the cameras and my hands and feet try to freeze while in the woods. Did get a couple of interesting photos out the living room window of kayakers running the rapids in the cold spell and a photo of the river the next morning. Three days of my time were trying to thaw out my water pipe coming out of the well.

Hanging a trail camera using limbs

2009-12-05T00:08:00.000-08:00

I always carry an extra trail camera with me as a spare if one quits working or has a problem, but often I find a new location to place the camera. This time I forgot to bring any extra nylon rope to tie it to the tree, so I improvised using some limbs and sticks to secure the camera...I hope.

I wouldn't recommend this type of setup but have used it on several locations without any harm. It is eco friendly.

Elk hoof rot up close

2009-11-23T23:24:00.000-08:00

There's been a lot of interest in my elk photo showing the hoof rot,the photo has been in several newspapers in the state so I thought I would show a closeup of the hoof.

Sorry about the lack of photos for several weeks, but with all the wind and rain,plus trying to get some work done around the house when the rain dies down a little, I just haven't had the time. I have been working on several new cameras and hope to try a few ideas out with added flash.

Bobcat at ground level

2009-10-31T08:26:00.000-07:00

I had placed a second photo of this cat on an earlier post, mainly because I liked the bobcat looking away into the swamp with a little haze in the air. This was the first picture as it walked into the camera, because it was close I was able to identify this same bobcat on a different location months later. Since then I have seen otter tracks as well as mink, raccoon on the edge of the pond and it's a good deer and elk crossing.

Tip for game cameras when changing locations

2009-10-22T14:16:00.000-07:00

Lot's of things to remember when moving your trail cameras to a new location and for different animals. I made a mistake of not checking the settings on a camera that was set for frogs (very close focus, low flash and ISO at 100) and setting the camera up for deer and elk on a trail. Very dark night photos and some just showing eyes in the dark. It's also nice to plug the camera into the board, place batteries into the camera, make sure the camera is in picture mode and not movie or review mode and to turn the camera on when leaving. I've done all of these at one time or another and most likely will continue.

Bull elk lurking a couple miles from my house

2009-10-13T09:40:00.000-07:00

This was a suprise to me, had been getting some elk photos in this area and even a few bulls, but this a first for this bull. Wish it would have been closer to the middle of the picture but at least it's during the day. Really a good brush bull with dark antlers.

Aiming a trail camera for small and large animals

2009-10-10T18:23:00.000-07:00

Sometimes on a new trail you need to set the game camera up for predators and larger animals such as deer and elk. It's nice to get close enough for a bobcat and still get the entire deer in the photo, this can be done if you keep the camera low, about 2 feet off the ground and aimed a little above level and still keep the bottom of the trail in the field of view. It also helps to set the camera above the trail on uneven ground.

Here's a porcupine and a deer on this location and the deer worked out fine.

This Olympus 380 was set above and four feet from the trail for bobcats but still wanted to see if many deer used this trail next to a swamp. I like to use the 380 when testing new trails because it's fast and and has a good field of view. If I'm pleased with the different animals and the background I will move in a Sony 41 for better quality pictures, this saves a lot of time for a high quality camera to set for weeks and even months waiting for an animal to use the trail.

I also had a bobcat during the day but the flash went off and had some eye glare.

This particular trail showed good promise during the first week, so I will swap the 380 with a 41 on the next checking.

Turkey on same trail as the porky

2009-10-02T09:22:00.000-07:00

Finally getting some action on the predator trail, the same place as the porky photo. While hiking in to the trail I found where a coyote had killed a turkey about 100 yards down the trail from my camera, so I was sure I had either a yote or a turkey photo. No yote but a couple of turkeys. Wasn't pleased with background on the photo so I moved it across the trail and will see what happens.

Porcupine rushing past the camera

2009-09-30T09:30:00.000-07:00

Well maybe not rushing, but fast for a porky. I've been trying to get a photo of one up a tree eating bark and will try again next spring.

On another note, I have been searching for a large ant hill to place a long term camera to find out the types of animals that dig the ant hill apart. Found a nice one but it had been torn up in the middle recently, plus it's out in the open and can be seen easily, so it's out of the question. Need one that's out of the way from humans if I'm going to leave a camera on it for months at a time.

One of the first digital trail cameras is still a workhorse

2009-09-28T21:57:00.000-07:00

I still use the Olympus 380 in a few of my game cameras, it was one of the first digital cameras that replaced the 35mm film cameras. Only 2 megs but if you set it close you can get some very nice photos. Not the best flash but it is very quick to take a picture. I set them less than 6 feet from the trails and works great for predators.

This beaver runway is well used so I wanted to test out a long term camera to see how the external batteries and camera worked up close. I have a little flash bleed, but it is very quick and and the batteries worked great.

Trail cameras during hunting season

2009-09-20T15:40:00.000-07:00

I set out several cameras for predators during bow season and will leave them out clear through winter. I'm not worried about the hunters in this area, most know I have game cameras set out and just walk on past if they find them, but on occasions I have them hid well enough to give them a good flash. This leads to several more pictures as they look for the camera.

Couple more bull elk

2009-09-08T10:35:00.000-07:00

I finally pulled all my elk cameras and will clean them up before setting them out for different animals. I have been busy cutting firewood, canning and getting ready for the fall rains and winter. Seems the end of summer is the busiest time of the year.

I set this camera by a spring and small pond during the hot weather of August, being the only water in the area the elk had been making regular trips during the day. No photos of large bulls, but some nice pictures of 5 or so different bulls.

Here are two of them: the first is of a nice bull feeding and then at night one came in and bedded down in front of the camera for several photos. I set the cam up for daytime pictures by placing the camera farther from the target area than I normally would but that leaves the flash weak for a night photo as shown in the bedded elk.

Long hot hike for this bull elk photo

2009-08-20T10:02:00.000-07:00

Got a late start into the high country so it was getting hot by the time I checked the first camera. When I reached the last camera I was out of water and still had to climb back out of this hell hole. Had several nice bull elk photos, so all wasn't lost, will leave them out for another week before pulling all the cameras in this area. The weather can change very fast and I just wanted some nice bull elk photos anyway.

Looks like some old scaring on the hind quarters from another elk, I've seen the same on horses where they grew back white hair on a bad injury that took a while to heal.

Tagged and collared cow elk

2009-08-13T15:56:00.000-07:00

These photos were taken a month ago when I went into the high country for bull elk in velvet. With the help of a friend on a game forum I found out the cow in the closeup showing the ear tag number was one of 55 elk tagged in the Mt. Margaret Unit during February of this year. The second photo of a cow about a mile down hill from the first wasn't close enough to identify if it was the same elk or not.

Black bear vs Trail camera

2009-08-11T08:00:00.000-07:00

This bear normally doesn't bother my cameras, so I set them close and low to the trails and often aimed at stumps where it digs for ants. But lately it has came right up to the camera and given me some nice photos of its snout and belly, almost like a pose. Had a few slobbers on the lens but no damage to either cameras.

Lowland bull elk

2009-08-10T20:41:00.000-07:00

Finally got a photo of a loan bull elk in the brushy jack firs about 3 miles from the house. Had to fight the heat and mosquitoes, plus a long walk and that was the only pictures on several cameras so I pulled all of them and will move to a different location.

Animals had been scarce in this area for almost a month and I believed a cougar was hanging out there for a while. Talked with a property owner last week and was told a female cougar and 2 cubs had been seen close to where my cameras were set. I might move a few cameras back in a couple of months.

Nice trout on water shrew camera

2009-07-31T11:15:00.000-07:00

Not sure what really set off the trail camera aimed over the creek for water shrew, but did get a good picture of a trout at night and some water skippers. The camera was set for 7 quick pictures after motion and never did see anything in the first photo that would set off the camera.

I pulled most of my cameras just before all the area was closed for fire danger, it has been dry and temps have been over 100 degrees the last several days and topped at 105. That is just too hot, even living on the river. Did get in some fun going through some rapids on a tube, brings back the old days when I was in my teens.

Coyote by the bee hive

2009-07-25T10:08:00.000-07:00

Would have been fun to make a snare out of nylon fishing line and tie it to the limb the hive is on, that would have shown some action. But at night the bees wouldn't bother the coyote as it walks under the nest. At least I had a photo on the camera, but no bear yet and haven't seen any bear sign in the area.

Couple of new trail camera locations

2009-07-16T21:43:00.000-07:00

First one is a new location for the water shrew, a nice small opening with grass on the sides for cover. I set the camera almost in the water and high enough just in case it swims to the bottom to feed. I used a camera set to take 7 fast pictures once the camera is triggered, this might get some nice photos if an elk doesn't stomp the camera to the bottom of the creek.

The second location is on a good elk trail where I almost walked into a hornets nest. I never realized it was there until almost too late, not fun looking into this large of a nest of bald faced hornets. I did notice that the nest had been ripped apart earlier by a bear, so I aimed the camera at the nest wanting to get a photo if the bear comes back.

Mouse on my fastest trail camera

2009-07-08T09:58:00.000-07:00

I have a game camera setup that I use on those trails where you just can't afford to miss a picture or want more than one photo per motion event. I've tested this setup on many locations and it has never failed to give positive results. From mouse trails up close to otter landings, all you need is a large memory card and let the board do its work.

The board is an XLP from whitetail supply matched with a Sony P41, with the board set on rapid picture mode of 7 quick pictures on every single detection of motion. This board is very sensitive and quick for the first picture and dependable on every location for 4 years.

Bull elk around the mountain

2009-07-07T19:58:00.000-07:00

I took a few cameras into the high country for a some bull elk photos. Turned out to be a good hike on some very steep ground and found some good trails the elk used for traveling the side hills. Lots of bull activity and still another month for their antlers to grow.

Had a couple of nice bull pictures and cows with calves before the cow re-aimed the camera away from the trail, but after that the bulls kept coming and I barely got them in the pictures

Barred Owl feeding along creek

2009-07-01T10:54:00.000-07:00

More owl photos on another camera that was aimed at a deer and elk crossing farther up the creek. I had not anticapated an owl in these locations and it dashes my confidence on the owl stump camera that has been patiently waiting for 4 years for an owl. I then went out of my way to pull the stump camera and if I would have had a saw I would have cut the stump off at ground level.

New Water Shrew trail camera location

2009-06-25T20:15:00.000-07:00

Well, I hurried and was able to get a camera ready to set out for the water shrew, I was worried it would move on to a different location or became food for another animal. It was a long walk just to check the camera on the creek and set this one upstream about 30 feet aimed over a small pool of deep water. Took over 15 minutes to get everything aimed and the rod holding the camera solid in the ground.

I just shut the camera off that was aimed at the creek and would check it on the way out. After looking at the photos on the camera I wasn't too excited about getting my water shrew photo. All I can hope for now is for a large family of water shrews.

I tried to zoom in on the Barred Owl to make sure it was a shrew and it sure looks like one, there are cuthroat trout in the deeper holes that try and avoid the shallow water but it doesn't look like a trout.

Calf Elk getting a drink

2009-06-24T09:07:00.000-07:00

This calf stopped long enough for a drink and a nice photo. The lighting was good and nice background this time of the year. This is the camera location on the creek where I took the water shrew photos. Always a good place around water with a well used trail.

Next checking I'll take in an Olympus 380 and set it close to the water and try to get some water shrew photos with the trail camera. The 380 is good for close pictures and very fast, so hope the shrew lives long enough for some photos.

Water Shrew, first one I've ever seen

2009-06-23T11:59:00.000-07:00

I was checking my trail camera where a small creek enters a beaver pond when I heard a small splash like a frog jumped into the creek in the tall grass. Much to my suprise a Water Shrew came swimming down the creek, stopped when it saw me and then started swimming back up the creek. I wasn't sure what it was but knew it was a large shrew of some kind.

I had the camera out of the case and took several photos, one as it was watching me and the other as it was swimming back up stream. Wish I would have had my larger camera with me, the Sony p41 doesn't have a good zoom lens.

Coyote for Father's Day & first day of summer

2009-06-21T09:01:00.000-07:00

Had to go back to October 05 for this coyote photo to place on the blog for the first day of summer. I set this camera up close at 3 feet on a good predator trail and had some good results of porcupines, bobcats, turkeys and the famous coyotes. Never did notice the animals leary of the camera, even though I had it hid quite well the flash didn't seem to bother them either.

Cow elk and small calf

2009-06-19T20:17:00.000-07:00

This cow must have had the calf within the last week and looks to be heading back to the herd. I like to find the trails they use when getting ready to have their calves, they use the same areas to calve each year so it narrows the number of trails I have to cover with my cameras.

Heat produced on new antler growth

2009-06-17T10:56:00.000-07:00

I have several photos of bull elk during the time the antler growth is very rapid. This is the time the blood is flowing and bone is growing in the antlers which produces a lot of heat and will trigger a camera quicker than the animal can get to the center of the picture on game cameras.

Not really a problem unless you set the cameras very close as I do on occasions. I set the camera between two uprooted stumps for a photo of a bull elk either going up or down the trail. I used a camera that is a little slower than my others to give the animal time to center in the picture but sometimes things don't work as planned. At least I got a bull photo as planned.

Elk with hoof problems

2009-06-15T21:41:00.000-07:00

Seems in some areas in Washington State the elk have been seen with hoof problems, I have always checked my elk photos after hearing of this and nothing ever showed up in the photos until today.

Today's photos of this elk, 25 in all as it fed in front of the camera, certainly proved there is a problem and it shows the difficulty an elk would have walking or running with what looks like a crap claw for a hoof.

I cropped a couple of photos to show how deformed the hoof is with overlapping hooves.

Finally, bull with new antler growth

2009-06-11T09:05:00.000-07:00

Set a few cameras out for bulls, bucks and predators and got all three on one trail. It's a good location and difficult to get to because of all the brush and swamp, but that's where the animals seem to be this time of the year. The bulls and bucks aren't bothered and have room to move without banging the new antlers against trees while they are in velvet and growing fast. Plus the mosquitoes are thicker than hair on a dogs back, so few people go into the swamps this time of the year.

Young scrawny black bear

2009-06-06T21:25:00.000-07:00

Had a few health issues to take care of so brought my cameras in for a month or so, but set some out the other day and got this young black bear. Looks like it needs a good meal to fill out the body and make the legs look shorter.

Bear checking out the camera

2009-05-17T11:38:00.000-07:00

After my last camera in this location was twisted and shut off by the bear, I swapped cameras and tied this one so it would be hard to move. Needless to say, the bear and cubs came back and the sow went for the camera again, giving me some closeups of her face and eye.

It was unable to move or hurt the camera but tried to bite and slobber all over the outside.

It wasn't about to give up, so it tired several more times to dislodge the camera and even ripped some bark off the tree.

One more try.
It finally gave up and went over to dig for bugs in the log.

Vulture approach and landing

2009-05-15T08:25:00.000-07:00

The Nikon is very fast on taking photos and took 5 pictures in 8 seconds showing the bird on approach and after it landed 2 seconds later.

The vulture used the wind to almost hover in front of the rock and then side slip onto the rock, not like an eagle or hawk would land. But vultures are more of a soaring bird and was using the wind coming out of the valley giving it good lift along this ridge.

I had the camera too close again and missed the top of the open wings so set it back 8 more inches. Most cameras would have missed this sequence because of the longer delay between photos. Only took 2 seconds for the vulture to land on the rock, it stayed for another photo and then was soaring, all within 8 seconds, much quicker than a 10 second delay on double picture mode.

Switched to the Nikon D100 for Vultures

2009-05-11T23:12:00.000-07:00

Weather has been rather wet and diffucult to get clear pictures on the Vulture rock, so I moved in the Nikon D100 and hoping for some sunshine. I left the flash off because they just perch on this rock during the day.

This is the view from the camera.

I refreshed my knowledge in the basic laws of physics on my way back down the rock cliff. First one was gravity ... when my foot got caught in a berry vine that wouldn't break I fell forward and down the rock slide on my hands and knees sliding through the brush. Second was that an object in motion tends to stay in motion ... as my speed increased I realized that friction alone would not help, but was happy to see large patch of wild evergreen berries with thorns as large as fish hooks directly in my path. As the words S.O.B spewed forth from my lungs I wondered how far I would have to travel downhill for the Doppler effect to be noticed. But that was short lived as the B word increased when I hit the thorns. I finally came to a gentle 2 G's stop in the middle of the briar patch, all in all it was an enjoyable experience.

Another step closer on the Vulture photo

2009-05-01T17:29:00.000-07:00

I placed the camera closer and aimed it to get more sky into the photo to give a silhouette to the Turkey Vulture on the rock pinnacle. I was hoping that it would be a late afternoon photo so the sun would give a better color to the feathers, but one out of two's not bad. I could use a flash but I don't want to intrude too much on the birds.

Next time out, I'll try to find a way to get the camera higher so I can reduce the sky to the upper 1/3 of the photo, this will let the camera open the lens and let more light in to show the feathers on the bird and still keep the camera close. Lighting is so important in photography and even more when using game cameras because we don't have control of what time of the day an animal will trigger the camera. Here's an example at the same location with better lighting on Morning Dove sitting on the same rock.

Foggy wet morning on the pond

2009-04-29T18:35:00.000-07:00

This Hooded Merganser picture was taken several weeks ago on a foggy morning. The lighting was nice and showed off the colors quite well. Sometimes a cloudy day is better than the bright sunlight for photos around the water.

I was hoping to show some bear photos crossing the log and digging in the rotten log, but missed the photos because the bear hit the camera on the tree aimed at the rotten log and turned the external switch off. The camera survived but was scratched up some. The bear crossed the walk log also, but I had forgotten to turn the camera on after making sure it was re-aimed for a larger animal.

Quest for Turkey Vulture photos

2009-04-28T22:43:00.000-07:00

Starting to work my way in on a close Turkey Vulture photo. I started out by finding several rock bluffs where I have seen them resting, getting a few photos and then slowly moving the cameras closer.

This rock pinnacle shows the bird well but the bird droppings or should I say the runs on the side of the rock take away from the photo.

I've moved them closer and hope within a week to have several more photos.

Log setup over a creek for a bear

2009-04-25T22:14:00.000-07:00

I'm getting an early start for bears hoping to get photos of young cubs with mama. I saw bear tracks leading to and crossing this log that's about 10 feet above a small creek, it's really brushy in this area so the trails are the only path to follow.

Well, I'm not suprised that a raccoon crossed the log because of the creek, but not sure why a rabbit would cross the log and not much food for it in the young fir trees.

New sensor board gives life to the Olympus 380 Camera

2009-04-23T14:11:00.000-07:00

I always liked the Olympus 380 cameras and used them for some of my game cameras, they are fast and good quality out to 15 to 20 feet. That's close to the limit on flash distance at night but I normally don't set my cameras much farther from the animal. I have been testing a new sensor board that is smaller and very good where I can get the 380 into a smaller case.

This camera is low in price and takes good pictures but the card does cost more. Here's a photo during the day of a bobcat on a foggy morning along the edge of a pond. It's only a 2.1 meg camera but does very well for the price.

Moved a few trail cameras to bear country

2009-04-21T20:02:00.000-07:00

I pulled most of my game cameras away from the ponds and moved them into a new area for bear. Was mainly looking for a wallow or good foraging location, they need a lot of food this time of the year, also looking for some young cub pictures.

I found a nice log where a bear had torn up looking for bugs, there was only one alder tree opposite the log to hang my camera on and I noticed small claw marks where a new cub had climbed the tree. From the size of the claw marks it had to be very small.

Tips for game camera photos of ducks

2009-04-16T12:39:00.000-07:00

I have thousands of duck pictures on ponds and one thing I have learned is to photograph the ducks less than 8 feet from the camera. Seems anything farther, like over open water doesn't show the duck well enough. You also need some colorful background, both can be achieved by setting the camera on a narrow channel by the main pond. I never use bait for any animal including ducks, because I like a natural look as they swim past the camera. Lighting is another big problem, I do my best to get good lighting but I have an advantage in Washington where it is mostly cloudy and overcast to reduce the bright sunlight.

A hen woodduck with the log 6 feet from the camera using an Olympus 380.

A goose swimming between two ponds using a narrow channel. Not easy to stay dry while making these setups and the risk is great of dew getting on the lens, but well worth the few good photos you are able to obtain.

Hikers and Hunters vs trail cameras

2009-04-13T21:11:00.000-07:00

I leave my trail cameras out all year on land open to the public and so far the hikers and hunters have been kind to my cameras. Sometimes even having some fun with them. This turkey hunter saw the flash as he walked past, but the camera was very low with a 10 second delay.

He stopped and looked around to find where the flash came from but didn't look down at the bottom af an alder tree where the camera was hidden in some moss. Just started to walk away and the flash got him again.

This time he turned and waited longer to find the camera when the flash went off.

Kind of like candid camera in the woods and he did take a few moments to trigger the camera with a thumbs up.

The camera was aimed low for animals crossing between the river and a small creek.

How to judge the speed of a trail camera

2009-04-11T10:24:00.000-07:00

Everyone talks about the speed of a trail or game camera and it's a big selling point with commercial cameras, but what does speed mean. When is the starting point of the speed to begin, we know the end is with the photo taken, but how about the start. Some tests show people walking from side to side and they claim that it's how far you get into the photo shows how fast the camera setup really works. That may be true in some situations but how about walking straight toward the camera slowly, how close can you get without a photo taken? Most sensors need side to side motion to work the best and thats the best selling point. I like to believe that the time starts with how fast the sensor pics up the heat and motion to send the signal to the camera. I can always adjust the speed by using different cameras after the signal from the sensor. From the Sony P41 (1 to 1.5 seconds) Sony 32 (1.5 to 2 seconds) to the Sony S600 ( 2 to 3 seconds)

I have a different method by using the real world and its animals to do my testing. I then am able to adjust my camera and sensors for top performance, plus I am able to buy any type of sensor board available for my needs. On many of my locations I don't want or need speed, as with beaver chewing on a tree or showing them doing some type of activity. These locations need a little more time for the animal to be in front of the camera before a photo is taken, as in the photo of the beaver eating the bark off the log. I taped up the water side of the sensor lens on the outside of the camera to allow time for the beaver to get in the center for a better picture.

So speed is great but for some types of animal studies you need to improvise to match the animal.

Woodduck study .. do ducks have dominate wings

2009-04-05T11:16:00.000-07:00

I set a trail camera in a very close setup, overlooking a small pond area, to get pictures to see if ducks always overlap their wings the same way when swimming or setting. After 200 photos of the hen woodduck, while swimming and after coming back up from diving, it appears to be random. I was hoping to see a dominate wing overlap after diving and using their wings to swim under water. I made sure from the photos it was the same duck for the test.

Dancing Castor canadensis

2009-04-03T22:18:00.000-07:00

What some animals will do for buck. A nice smile, a shy follow me look for the camera. This beaver must think this camera is for an audition in a movie. I might be a fool, but I left a dollar bill on a branch so it might come back for another dance.

Woodducks on a dinner date .. true love

2009-04-01T10:51:00.000-07:00

Wish I would have had a video of what happened after the male woodduck came back to the surface. The hen sure looks calm or she's waiting to catch him on the suface for a lecture. I could just see the difference if a man took a lady out for dinner and he splashes potatoes and gravy all over her, sorry honey but this is the way I eat.

Two different styles of my homebrew trail cameras

2009-03-30T22:41:00.000-07:00

I build my own game cameras and several people have asked to see how I set them up in the case. These are just two of my setups, one is a Sony 600 in a Pelican 1020 case with a Snapshot Sniper board. I use the same setup when using a Sony P41 with a Snapshot Sniper board. The second is a Sony P41 using an XLP board from Whitetail Supplies. Both work great and very dependable. Nothing fancy on my trail cameras.

Hollow log mink setup with my trail camera

2009-03-29T14:19:00.000-07:00

Mink like to run through hollow logs looking for food, plus I saw mink sign in this log several times when checking other cameras. Little did I realize that I would get a nice picture of a woodduck swimming past and the background made it unique.

I did slip off the beaver dam and went almost to my waist in the pond while heading to the camera. It wouldn't have been bad but I still had 5 miles left on the days hike.

Large male Otter

2009-03-27T08:49:00.000-07:00

It only took several days for this otter to come back to the same landing where I took the pictures of the tail marks in the sand. I never aimed the camera where I saw the marks but aimed it up stream so it would walk under the camera for a better picture.

I've seen a lot of otter in my days and this is about the largest and looks like it's in great condition and lazy. This is the first photo of a series of 6 pictures I got of him during the day and you can notice the tail dragging marks in the sand up to where it's resting on the moss overlooking the river. The males are easy to identify by the much larger and thicker base of the tail.

I wished I would have used a Sony 600 in this location, but never believed it would have been a day photo.

Otter tail marks in the sand

2009-03-25T19:38:00.000-07:00

I jumped at the chance to hang a camera overlooking this sand beach after noticing the tail tracks made by an otter. This time of the year it had to be a male cruising up and down the river as the females should be having their pups. From the size of the tail marks I would guess a large otter, so I hung a camera in a tree looking down at the beach and wrapped it in moss so it was well hid.

My legal liability for the woodcutters

2009-03-23T09:46:00.000-07:00

I had to hide the eyes of this beaver to prevent anyone from getting the idea it was involved in illegal woodcutting. This beaver claims to be just wandering past and was looking at the tree but never touched or chewed on the tree. It also claims to be unable to identify the beaver in the previous post because its back was to the camera.

Firewood cutters on private timberland

2009-03-20T19:51:00.000-07:00

Looks like anyone can cut firewood on private land without a permit. I've tried to catch them in the act but finally placed a hidden trail camera to photograph them at night. Now it's just a matter of identifying them in a lineup, but they all look alike, maybe toothprints will work.

Woodducks ... on a sunny day in Washington !!!!

2009-03-17T19:59:00.000-07:00

Not sure where the sun came from in the last week, but did bring out the color on these woodduck pictures. I cropped both pictures to show the color better, which was easy to do with a Sony S600 camera.

Hooded Merganser swimming past the trail camera

2009-03-16T10:01:00.000-07:00

They say wet weather is good for ducks, so they must be having a blast with all the cold rain and wind. This Hooded Merganser picture was taken during the only sunny day in our area last week so it looks like things should start picking up if the weather would warm up a couple of degrees.

Test for birds

2009-03-13T08:21:00.000-07:00

Seems I'm getting desperate for bird pictures plus maybe test their ability to eat concrete. I placed a concrete sqirrel yard ornament on a leaning log and tied it down to see if a bird would be tempted, or at least curious enough to land. This location has some nice animal trails that cross the creek so all isn't lost if the birds aren't fooled. I have to admit it's a cute little squirrel.