Pine Marten from a setup

While we left out one or two camera traps each night to see what would show up, we also concentrated on setups from the cottage. The image above and the two below are from the same setup. Using a fallen branch covered in moss and lichen, we propped it up using a picnic bench and a tree stump.

After that the rest of the setup was relatively simple - put some honey and peanuts on the branch to attract the Pine Marten, and position flashes to light the scene in the way we wanted.

Fortunately the cottage owner has now installed a small floodlight which illuminates part of the garden. It doesn't bother the wildlife at all, and means watching from the living room is even easier! We'd seen a mother and two kits wandering around the garden picking up food from the first night, and this set a hope alight that we could get a shot of the three of them on this branch.