8th January 2026

This afternoon, after a morning of collecting old fence material from around the site, I went out to have a look at two of the trail cameras we currently have out on site as part of our recent NatureSpy partnership. Both of these cameras are NatureSpy’s own Helarctos cameras which means they are solar powered and can be stuck out and left for a good while. I was also really impressed with the app they come with that allows you to stand nearby and view what the camera views, and later download the captures straight to your phone. It made setting them up a lot easier.

One of the cameras was from one of our wet alder woodlands. I’d spotted some otter spraint on the base of a tree near a burn in the woodland and, otters being creatures of habit, figured it was a good spot for a camera. The other camera was in a fairly young broadleaved plantation up on the edge of the moorland. While both had deer and cows visiting, there were some other interesting sights - notably a frequent otter and a tawny owl landing right in front of the camera - see below!

This was from about three weeks of the cameras being out so I am looking forward to seeing what else pops up, especially as we add more cameras.