Night Vision Camera Systems

The use of security cameras and recorders have proved a valuable addition to the successful monitoring of wildlife. As our wildlife is on the decline, any tool that increases our understanding or raises awareness, can have positive effects.

This video screen shot was taken with a Night Vision Camera System and shows two soprano pipistrelles interacting. They appear blurred due to the high speed of their motion.

These camera systems plug the gap between trail cameras (camera traps) which are good for showing the presence of wildlife, and thermal cameras which are comparatively expensive  and can be challenging to use.

Security equipment is reliable, can be left unattended outside for long periods and has inbuilt video analytics that can dramatically reduce the time spent analysing videos.

The book Night vision and Daylight Camera Systems by Susan Young is a practical guide to setting up and using these systems which are suitable for use with mains power and the internet, or for battery-powered systems for use in remote areas.

Left: Fallow doe and young, Right: Badgers. Images gathered using the portable kit. PC: Susan Young

Portable kit:

A great deal of wildlife surveying and monitoring takes place in rural areas where mains power and an internet signal are not available, and there was a need to develop a portable kit that could be deployed on remote areas.

The portable kit has been developed after years of research with Natural England, the Woodland Trust, and more recently the Mammal Society.

The equipment and its use, is very similar for a vast range of species from insects to birds of prey to large and small mammals.

The kit described consists of a DVR enclosed in a waterproof box together with an attached camera/power cable. The kit can be used with a wide range of CCTV cameras together with a monitor for setting up in the field.

The diagram shows the setup for monitoring bats over a reservoir. The mobile kit is enclosed in the box with a battery. A cable from the kit is connected to the camera . This cable supplies power from the battery to the camera (and the DVR) and conveys images from the camera to the DVR.

A file describing in detail how to assemble the kit, from easily obtained components can be downloaded here.