It was just my first night trying this out—what was I thinking? I should know that observing wildlife requires patience.
At the time, I was joking with a friend on WhatsApp about herds of wildebeest passing by and leopards lounging nearby. Honestly, I wasn’t expecting anything larger than a squirrel when I briefly checked the camera feed.
So, when a pine marten appeared on the video, I was genuinely taken aback. Unsure how to convey this shocking news to my friend, I blurted out the now-famous phrase, “Pine marten, I sh*t you not,” attempting to move past the little white lies I had been telling.
The marten stuck around for about ten minutes before it dashed down the fence, peeking at the nearer feeder box before disappearing. That was the last I saw of it that night.
What a great start! I was completely amazed.
Since then, I’ve spotted it most nights. The camera has had mixed success detecting its motion—sometimes due to the icy weather, which obscures the sensor view with frost. However, I’ve captured several videos of the pine marten visits, and it has fueled my desire to create a better setup for improved viewing and ideally, higher-quality images and videos.
My gardening plans include rearranging the wood piles so that hooded crows can’t see their reflections in my bedroom windows. Despite their intelligence, these birds can be quite dim-witted at times. I also need to clear some of the bushes, and I’m interested in adding a pond.
I loved the pond in my Birmingham garden—it attracted so much life almost immediately after I filled it, from water boatmen to dragonflies, and newts setting up residence.
Additionally, I want to create a space where I can photograph the visiting birds. Spotting siskins often has been delightful. I’m also hoping to see redpolls, and given my location, crested tits might make an appearance—now that would be an exceptional garden tick!
Oh, and I almost forgot—I’ve also seen a weasel in the garden! Yes, a weasel. It zipped around the logs in the wood store one morning before I was about to head to Mull for a workshop. It was too quick for photos and disappeared under my shed before I got the chance to capture it.
So much to do and so much potential! Stay tuned, as I’ll be uploading some footage of the pine marten(s) to my YouTube channel soon.
