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[steinie44]

I would like to start a new topic - Detecting Small Animals
Skunks, Possum, Rabbits, Cats, Dogs, Raccoons etc.
 I read all the pointers to avoid small animal detection but I want to detect them.
Like this Possum I recorded with Xcam Wide Eye:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUu6Pnv40k0

I Have a stake in the ground with a MD on 2 sides, the cam and a 100 watt bulb.
The Critters don't seem to mind the light when it comes on, except maybe the skunks.
but the 100W bulb is not WAF.

[EL34]

I monitor a custom built box for Flying Squirrels that I built.
It's mounted about 5 feet up on a big oak tree.
Flying squirrells visit the box every night to get free peanuts. 
I have been doing this for 3 years,  It's pretty cool!
The box is actually dark, I illuminate the box with infrared LED's.
The camera can see Infrared.

Here's a couple .avi clips of 4 Flyers in the box at the same time.
Note: They are not humping, that's some sort of game they play. They love to play.
I have observed females doing the conga line plenty of times, so they are not humping.
I have observed up to 7 Flyers at one time in the box.

Note: these are not streaming media files, but you can click on them if you have a high speed connection.
Otherwise, Right click, save target as, to your local computer.
Then play in your favorite media player.
Windows media player will play these files.
http://76.162.4.197/Misc/Movies/D120206T184319.avi
http://76.162.4.197/Misc/Movies/D120206T183751.avi

Wrens also visit the box during the day looking for peanut scraps.
Here's a .wmv file of two wrens in the box.
http://76.162.4.197/Misc/Movies/wrens2.wmv

Note: This is video surveilance software that monitors this camera.
It only records frames that have motion.
It looks weird cause the frames are only motion frames.
If an animal stops and holds still, the software does not records those frames.

[Don N]

EL34 -- that's pretty neat.  Great pics, nice and crisp and clear.  What's your setup (cameras, software, motion sensing, etc.)?  Oh by the way, you said it several times (that they weren't) ... but it looks like they are humping to me!!!!  Guess it's a matter of perspective.  Just kidding.   

[EL34]

Hey Don,
I have been watching them for so long and seen so much of that activity that I know they are just playing.
I have seen as many of 5 of them in a conga line all doing that.
They just grab ahold of the one in front of them and hold on.
No humping action, it's just some sort of behavior, maybe a dominating behavior, don't know.

The camera is a regular security camera with a ring of Infrared LED's around the lens.
There is no visible light inside that box, it's as black as night in there.
The camera is enclosed in a water tight outdoor housing with a clear glass front.
There is no motion sensor, the software detects motion within the picture and triggers the recording process.

The camera goes into a 4-camera video capture card.
The software that controls everything is Video site monitor.
Here's the link to fg eng that sells the software and the video capture card.
http://fgeng.com/

[Don N]

EL34 -- Sounds like you've enjoyed watching them over the years.  Great fun.  Thanks for the info on your setup.

[Dan Lawrence]

Interesting.

BTW, EL34, were any of the flying squirrels wearing a flying helmet and in the company of a moose?   

Just a giggle from sombody who loves cartoons.

[EL34]

Hey, That's my sister!!!!!

Get moose and squirrel!

[steinie44]

Hay.... EL34 That's COOL. This is what I like to see. I have lots if videos and will post some if I get anything real good
I had one of two cats fighting, but it got lost, erased!!
Oh well..............
Keep up the good work
           Jim

[EL34]

I understand about the "Erased" deal.

I had video's from 02/2006 of 7 Flying squirrels in the box at one time.
The hard drive on the computer crashed a month later and I lost all the data.

Now I have a 500GB Buffalo network backup drive on my local network and I backup all important data.

Anywho, I have not seen more than 4 at a time in the box at one time this year so far and you saw the video.

I have other video's of flocks of turkeys, deer, Pilated woodpeckers, coons, etc taken on my digital movie cam.
They all wander through my property here every now and then.

Cool  info on the flyers.
They enter the box through a hole that is only 1.5 inches in diameter.
They are very tiny, Think chipmunk size.
They only come out at night.
They have huge eyes for great night vision.
They say that there are more flying squirrels than gray squirrels per square mile of woods here.
They have flaps of skin between their arms and legs that turn into wings.
Their tail is very flat, it's a steering rudder.
You never see flyers, but they are here in numbers in western NC.
They stay up in the trees during the warm months.
They will come down and stay in boxes during the cold weather.

The first time I saw a flyer.
I approached a bird house I built, in the daytime.
A small face popped out of the hole and looked at me.
I had no idea what it was at the time.
I backed up slowly and went to search the web to find out what the heck it was.