How to set-up a trail camera

Much of what nature gets up to in our gardens and green spaces is hidden from human eyes. However, trail cameras - or camera traps - can give us an exciting glimpse into the hidden lives of wildlife, and provide important data on the health and distripution of local wildlife.

Choosing a camera

There are lots of trail cameras on the market, ranging from £50 up to £750, so you're sure to find something to suit your budget. For beginners, going for a cheaper option initially is a good idea. Both Crenova and Apeman produce reliable models which will record HD daylight video footage and high resolution still images. These are great to get you started and cost between £50 and £70. Be mindful that these may not last being exposed to the elements – you get what you pay for!

Midrange models at around £150 to £300, such as Browning cameras, have an overall better build and camera quality along with additional settings that become useful as you become more experienced with using trail cameras. On Suffolk Wildlife Trust nature reserves, we mostly use midrange cameras.

Some newer camera models can connect to Wifi or a mobile network to enable direct viewing of live footage and downloading videos and photos remotely.

It's always best to check independent reviews to see other people's experiences of a particular brand or model.

Positioning and installing a camera

When setting up a camera trap in your garden or green space, consider your target species. You're unlikely to capture footage of an animal much taller than a hedgehog, so position the camera as low to the ground as possible. Animals like hedgehogs benefit from us leaving food and water out for them (approved hedgehog food or chicken-based dry cat food only); therefore the best place to point the camera is at a feeding station or water bowl. Check the minimum distance of your camera; cheaper models often require a minimum of 2m, however 1m is ideal (this is to prevent overexposure in night-mode).

Aiming a camera along the edges of flower beds and lawn work well at recording a variety of birds and mammals in gardens. Look out for access points and through-routes in your garden that wildlife are most likely to travel through: such as hedgehog holes, fences, or other gaps. The reduced foliage in winter can often be the best time to spot the signs of wildlife in mud.

Fix the camera on either a tree, washing line pole or a wooden stake and aim it at a clear area, free of waving vegetation which will constantly trigger the motion sensor. The rising and setting of the sun can also trigger the camera.

Camera settings

We recommend setting your cameas to record 14 second HD video clips, with an interval between triggers of 4 seconds. Without this delay, the camera might record constantly, which will soon run down your batteries or fill up your memory cards. The benefit of installing a camera trap in your garden is that you can check it every morning to see what wildlife has been in the garden overnight. Daily checks are useful for checking that the camera trap is still working ok and that memory cards haven’t filled up completely.

As you get used to the camera, you may find you need to adjust the exposure to increase or reduce the camera's sensitivity to light.

Checking the results

Camera traps record all images and videos to an SD card. We recommend an 8GB SD card or above as that won't get completely filled and prevent the camera from missing activity due to memory storage. The cards are easily removed from the camera and can be inserted into the SD slot on most laptops or computers, or even mobile phones with a compatible adapter.

Be patient

It may take time before you capture something exciting, so it's important to have patience and not be too quick to change the position of the camera. Using a trail camera can take a bit of practice, but when you get the hang of it, you’ll soon be addicted! 

Report your sightings

Your camera footage could be really helpful for monitoring wildlife in your local area; helping to build a bigger picture of the state of nature in Suffolk. You can record your sightings to the Suffolk Biodiversity Information Service (SBIS):

Record your wildlife sightings

You can also share your footage with us by emailing teamwilder@suffolkwildlifetrust.org, or tagging @suffolkwildlifetrust if you share your footage on social media.