Trail cameras can be a valuable tool for monitoring wildlife populations but you can never be sure of what you might see, especially once you add bait into the mix. At Auchnerran, we have been using baited trail cameras as part of our biodiversity monitoring protocols since 2016.
This method has helped us understand our predator population's densities and dynamics prior to the wader breeding season. Using this method, we have recorded common species such as foxes and buzzards and some of our more elusive species, such as pine martens and otters.
We even recorded a healthy young Scottish wildcat hybrid at a couple of our cameras. As we move into 2023, we will be phasing out this methodology and replacing it with a new project, but we hope to continue to record healthy populations of our enigmatic and elusive predators.
