News and Updates to Web Site

From Wednesday the 22nd of August I'm going to be away for two weeks, visiting family, and will not be on line as frequently as normal, so please be patient if emailing me or posting comments.

Site Updates.
I will have some spare time which I will be using to continue some of the site updates which I'm currently making. I would hope in any case to have the new pages, and any changes to old pages, completed in about

Ltl Acorn 6210 Firmware Upgrade - Night time infra-red lighting and exposure.

Fig 1:  Pre update image from a recent 6210MMX
ISO 600    1/15sec   f2.8

In older models of the 6210 940nm series trail cameras, the night time images and videos were just about workable but grainy. After a number of complaints Acorn published a new software version, V1.1.003T in the camera I tested.

Unfortunately the correction overcooked and fig 1 shows a typical image.

Happily there's now a firmware update FW6210.bin (software version V.1.1.006u) to correct this, which produces an acceptable result as shown in fig 2.

I've also compared this with an image (fig 3) from an 850nm camera.

Could Chester geneticist save the Scottish wildcat from extinction?

A Scottish wildcat - but is it a hybrid or a purebred?
Picture supplied by Neville Buck,
of The Aspinall Foundation.

Geneticists from the University of Chester are developing a test that could crack the Scottish wildcat’s DNA code and save one of Britain’s rarest and most iconic species from extinction.

"If we can identify enough wildcats to develop a viable breeding programme, we can then look at ways of conserving this beautiful species and preventing one of Britain’s most incredible, iconic animals from disappearing from the face of the earth."
Dr Paul O''Donoghue

Read the full article

Ltl Acorn 6210 Series Trail Camera News and Updates

Fig 1:  Ltl Acorn 6210 MC
Left. 940nm (no glow) - Right. 850nm (red glow)

A week ago I received the two pre-production  6210MC test cameras shown in figure 1; and since then I've been conducting water ingress tests to determine if the new modifications will keep water out of the case, in our climate.

The manufacturers have been working hard to completely redesign, not just the bottom door assembly, but also the main case moulding to accommodate the new door interface.

In my last post about this, I suggested doing away with the seal, but Acorn have decided they want the camera completely waterproof. Consequently the

Bushnell and Ltl Acorn comparative trigger speed tests

Fig 1:  Cameras
under test.

The new BushnellHD Trophy Camera model 119477 has been waiting for several weeks, for me to start more comparative tests alongside the Acorn 6210.

Because of the recent trigger speed improvements to both these cameras, I've been eager to see how they would compare, fully expecting the Bushnell with its 0.6sec reaction time to outperform the 6210 with its reaction time of 0.8 of a second. As it turned out I was in for a big surprise.

I also decided to test last years Bushnell 119467 and the Acorn 5210 at the same time to give a clear indication of how things had improved. The chart below clearly and graphically shows how these cameras compare. They were all tested at exactly the same time under perfect conditions (full, even overcast) for this test, there being no chance of flashes of sunlight causing anomalous triggers.

Camera settings were identical, as shown on the table below, and all were loaded with a 4GB SanDisk SDHC card.

The tests were conducted by my walking across the field of view, at 90 degrees to

MammalMAP: The African Mammal Atlas Project

Not exactly Scotland but an interesting and exciting project.
After you've watched the video go to Mammal Map web site  and Animal Demography Unit Virtual Museum for more information.

The Eurasian Red Squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) - Recommended book

The Eurasian Red Squirrel
Stefan Bosch and Peter Lurz.

Authors:   Stefan Bosch and Peter W. W. Lurz

This is a comprehensive and well illustrated book which I feel has been long overdue. It is clearly written and is an excellent form of reference and general interest which will appeal to all readers, from professional ecologists to those who are just interested in understanding more about this popular and endangered mammal.

Chapters cover Taxonomy, Distribution, Body form and function, Reproduction and development, Behaviour, Ecology, Threats and conservation, Methods and research, Squirrels and people, plus an extensive Bibliography.


Eurasian red squirrels have an innate appeal and are one of
our most popular mammal species. They live in forests, share
our parks and gardens and mesmerise us with their cute, captivating and endearing behaviour.