Last May I placed a camera trap at a
brush pile that we’ve had behind the house for over 40 years. Tracks in winter
snow and occasional glimpses of birds or mammals near the pile prompted me to
put the camera there. Some of the photos the camera captured earlier were posted here and here.
Now that winter has drawn to a close, it's time to post some of the pictures from the depth of winter. “Depth of winter”
really isn’t appropriate since we never had more than about three inches of
snow on the ground at any time and the temperature was rarely below 10º F.
A sample of what was captured by the camera at the brush
pile –
 |
| Carolina Wren |
 |
| Cottontail Rabbit |
 |
| Black-capped Chickadee |
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| Song Sparrow |
 |
| Gray Squirrel |
 |
| White-throated Sparrow |
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| Dark-eyed Junco |
What was a bit surprising was the eastern
chipmunk
that was photographed twice, first on February 20 –
 |
| Eastern Chipmunk |
And then again two days later, after the snow melted –
 |
| Eastern Chipmunk |
Chipmunks don’t hibernate, but do sleep in
their burrows for periods during the winter and awaken to feed on nuts and
seeds they’ve stored in chambers in those burrows. If they haven’t stored sufficient
food to get them through the winter they’ll emerge to forage.
The camera trap has two more months at the brush pile, and then it will be off to a different location.
Those look like really good pictures for a trail cam!
ReplyDeleteThey're from a "homebrewed" trail camera that I built from a Fuji J10 digital camera using a control board from Snapshot Sniper. I think homebrewed trail cameras almost always take better photos than commercially made trail cameras. Plus, they're fun to build.
DeleteHello, great collection of birds and critters. I love the cure chipper and the adorable wren! Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Happy Sunday, enjoy your new week ahead!
ReplyDeleteWhat a delightful series of captures Woody, and what a neat idea to set up a camera in hiding! Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI am the Conservation chairman of the Amherst, VA Woman's Club. I am using your post on Facebook to convince our members to Expand the Wild Areas of Your Yard.
ReplyDeleteJane, in case you didn't notice, all the material on "In Forest and Field" is copyright and may not be used without prior approval. It would be fine if you wish to make reference to this post on your Facebook page -- however, do not duplicate any of the material from any post on "In Forest and Field" without prior permission.
ReplyDelete