Badger Bridge is falling down

The badger bridge is a tree trunk which fell across the stream many years ago and is gradually rotting away.  Recently the west end of the tree trunk snapped and the bridge fell and lodged a bit farther down the bank, so it now has a big step in it which you can see in the photo above.  I suppose eventually it will all fall into the stream and be washed away so I thought I ought to do a bit more trail camera recording before that happens.

I set up two cameras, fairly close together, with two auxiliary infrared LED lights, although by the time the badger turned up the LED lights' batteries were flat (the lights switch themselves on at dusk but the batteries last for only about eight hours).  The first camera was well positioned but got a bit fogged up and the second one shifted its position slightly after set-up, and ended up aimed a bit low.  I set the cameras up very late because they were right next to a footpath but this made it quite difficult to aim them in near darkness while I was perched on the slippery side of a steep muddy bank.  Both cameras are still fitted with my Poundland close focus adapters and I suspect this increases the chance of fogging although it does wonders for the focus.  As usual the bridge was baited with peanuts.  As far as I can see only one badger turned up and it ate all the peanuts within a few minutes.  All the action was over in 12 minutes.

These photos are from camera 1, which was a bit closer to the water.  It is the "low-glow" camera which operates at a wavelength of about 850nm and emits a red glow, visible to the human eye.  It also shows some reflections from the infrared lights into the close focus lens, something I'll have to try to rectify.  I can deal with it in processing the frame grabs below but not the video.

This video from camera 1 starts just as the badger is eating the last of the peanuts.

Moments later it was back for another sniff.

Camera 2 is a "no-glow" camera, working at about 940nm.  This light is invisible to the human eye but I am sure badgers (as well as otters and foxes) can see it.  The LEDs have 30% less power than the low-glow and the sensor has less definition.  This camera gave noticeably better images with auxiliary lighting from the low-glow camera. Coupled with the close-focus lens it gives quite a good picture.

This is camera 2's video.  The peanuts have already been eaten and the badger is sniffing around to make sure it hasn't overlooked any.  It returns a few moments later and sniffs around some more.  You can see from this how the badger finds its food with its nose (in pitch darkness).   Notice also its powerful paws and claws.  And a spider which wanders across the lens towards the end of the montage!  There is a bit of flickering as the infrared light from camera 1 switches off briefly and back on again.

It was interesting to compare the two cameras side by side.  I bought the no-glow camera thinking it would be invisible to wildlife but I am convinced the animals see its light just as well as the low-glow.  Judging from the pictures above the low-glow camera clearly has a sharper image and the no-glow is at its best when boosted by light from the low-glow camera.  I expect I'll get another camera when Browning bring out a new model and I'll make sure it is another low-glow version.  It would also help if the badger turner up earlier in the night, before the batteries in the auxiliary LEDs went flat!  I'll have to have a word.