40 Seconds of Nest Box Action
Posted on 16 September, 2012 by Connecting Country
Connecting Country has installed two trail cameras to film activity at a nest box on a covenanted property on the outskirts of Castlemaine. (Thanks to the folks from the North Central region of Trust for Nature for use of the equpiment). The box contains a nesting female Brush-tailed Phascogale (Tuan) which is a great result for Connecting Country’s nest box project and for the Tuan population itself.
All landholders with Connecting Country nest boxes installed on their properties will soon receive a nest box survey field guide that will assist them with performing surveys of their own boxes. The results of these surveys will help Connecting Country determine the extent and health of the Tuan population across the region. A summary of the data from the first two years of nest box surveys will also be provided soon.
In the meantime, please enjoy the attached video clips that show the comings and goings at a nest box located in a Box-Ironbark Forest ecosystem. There is also a clip of a Sugar Glider, kindly supplied by the Chewton Bushlands Association, that shows the animal lining its nest with eucalyptus leaves. The most interesting feature of this clip is that the Sugar Glider is using its tail to carry the leaves.
Click here for footage showing a Brush-tailed Phascogale carrying nest material to its nest
Click here for footage showing a Sugar Glider continuing to watch the Brush-tailed Phascogale occupied nest box.
Click here for footage showing a Sugar Glider carrying eucalyptus leaves by it’s tail.
The Sugar Glider pictured here is the same one featured in the second video clip. As you will note from the image below, the Brush-tailed Phascogale is hot on the Sugar Glider’s heals, turning up about 20 minutes later to see what might be amiss.
Mother phascogale turns up to check on the brood.
I’ll find out the camera details, and post them here as soon as I’m able.
Thanks for these great videos. Could you please send me details of the equipment used to film these as I have similar boxes that I’d like to monitor too.
Vanessa
(Woodvale central Victoria)
The footage was taken using surveillance camera’s owned by Trust for Nature. Trust for Nature have informed me that that are Scout Guard Surveillance cameras (KG680V) that were purchased from Faunatech. They can be installed to take either photos or film footage at any time of the day and night. Depending on the batteries, and the number of pictures taken, they can be left unattended for weeks.