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Who ate all the pies?

It wasn't worth putting in another bulk order for feed so I bought some fat nuggets from the garden centre as there is still a lot of activity on the feeders by juvenile blue and great tits. I also cut up an old pallet as I needed some scrap timber which left me with a piece that would stand upright so I decided to try attaching the camera trap to it.

After a few experiments I had it lined up to film the ground feeder overnight. I baited it with raisins and fat nuggets which I hoped would attract badgers. One did put his nose through the fence but turned straight round, I suspect that a cat was occupying the garden as I had plenty of shots of one who seemed to be watching for field mice.

I set the trap quite early and had to replace the fat nuggets. I didn't think that a blackbird could carry this much.


I put out fresh fat nuggets and between visits by the cat this little chap helped himself.


Come the morning the blackbird was back for some raisins




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