The Mossy Log

This morning was clear and bright, so a much better day for getting out. I went down to Badger Wood, to check on the mossy log. While I walked along the woodland path, a roe deer ran across about 100m in front of me. It melted away into the woods, as they are inclined to do. I was delighted to see the log had been cleared of mealworms. I put some more out and changed the camera trap’s memory card. Back home, I checked the card and found pictures of two rabbits, a grey squirrel and two blackbirds. Something smaller must have taken most of the mealworms and failed to trigger the camera.


In the afternoon, I went back and set up my custom camera trap, consisting of an old EOS 350D in a wooden box with a glass front. It’s connected to an infrared sensor. Whether a passing animal triggers the camera or not is entirely unpredictable. I watched the mossy log for a while, sitting in my dome hide with the EOS 60D and long zoom lens. Nothing came to the log, but a roe deer wandered past, over to my left. It was very relaxed as it disappeared through the trees, but then it seemed to turn back. Maybe it saw me or just caught my scent, but it suddenly bounded away through the woods. It was always too well hidden by the vegetation to get a photo, but with luck the camera trap will get it in the next few days.

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