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| Hooded Mergansers fledging from next box, Home, Belchertown, MA, May 1, 2018 |
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| Hooded Mergansers fledging from next box, Home, Belchertown, MA, May 1, 2018 |
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| Hooded Mergansers fledging from next box, Home, Belchertown, MA, May 1, 2018 |
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| Red Fox, Home, Belchertown, MA, May 1, 2018 |
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| Red Fox, Home, Belchertown, MA, May 1, 2018 |
I went out today to check the various motion cameras I have set up around the yard and got some great results with the highlight being a capture of some young Hooded Mergansers leaving one of the nest boxes today. I experimented with a new position for the camera to try to capture the birds fledging and my experiment was successful. The camera was mounted on the bottom of the post of the nest box so it could capture movement as the ducklings hit the ground after leaving the box. I have a different set up at the other active nest box but I think the nest may have been abandoned but I will watch for another week or two before writing it off. Another interesting capture at the nest box was an adult Red Fox that showed up in the morning before the birds fledged. I assume the ducklings were making some noise which really attracted the interest of the fox. Thankfully the predator guard kept the fox out of the box...I know the fox was very interested in what was in the box and I got tons of shots of it as it kept looking toward the nest. Next year I will use the same set up but try for some video too.
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| Red Fox kit, Home, Belchertown, MA, May 1, 2018 |
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| Red Fox kit, Home, Belchertown, MA, May 1, 2018 |
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| Red Fox kit and adult, Home, Belchertown, MA, Apr 29, 2018 |
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| Red Fox kit, Home, Belchertown, MA, Apr 28, 2018 |
I have also managed to capture a variety of shots of a Red Fox family that has taken up residence in the yard. I first noticed them several days ago when I saw at least four kits out with an adult. I then moved a few cameras around and managed to get some shots of both adults and young ones. One of the areas where they are spending time is under one of our sheds (the same one where a family of Gray Foxes spent some time a few years ago).
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| Opossum, Home, Belchertown, MA, Apr 29, 2018 |
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| Raccoon, Home, Belchertown, MA, Apr 26, 2018 |
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| Beaver, Home, Belchertown, MA, Apr 23, 2018 |
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| Beaver dragging branch to brook, Home, Belchertown, MA, Apr 23, 2018 |
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| Beaver dragging branch to brook, Home, Belchertown, MA, Apr 23, 2018 |
Besides the Hooded Mergansers and Red Foxes the motion cameras have captured a variety of other critters including Opossum, Raccoon and a Beaver dragging a freshly cut branch past the camera.
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