Autumn Wildlife Watching: Capture the Season with the Camojojo Trace
Autumn is one of the most active and atmospheric times of year for wildlife. As temperatures drop and daylight shortens, animals become more active and visible than at any other time of year. Hedgehogs are feeding up before hibernation, deer are deep in the rut, foxes establish winter territories, migrating birds pause in gardens and woodlands on their way south, and squirrels stash food in every corner.
Yet much of this happens unseen. The best wildlife action occurs at dawn, dusk, and through the night — exactly when most of us are indoors. This is where trail cameras become essential - and if they can transmit high-quality videos as they happen, like the Camojojo Trace can, they become a wildlife-watching game-changer. The Trace is useful year-round but really comes into its own during this busy autumn season.
How We’re Using the Camojojo This Autumn
At NatureSpy, we're passionate about non-intrusive wildlife watching. Our aim is always to engage with the natural world with as little disturbance as possible — and the Camojojo Trace is ideal for that.
We’ve been using it across a range of sites this autumn, from quiet gardens to remote woodland paths, to monitor seasonal wildlife activity. Here’s how it’s supporting our work with different species at this time of year:
Hedgehogs preparing for hibernation
We’ve positioned cameras near hedgehog highways and feeding stations to track individuals as they build up fat reserves before winter.
Instant alerts and live view mean we can monitor activity without needing to visit the site — particularly helpful on cold, dark evenings. Video clips help us build a picture of their behaviour and patterns over time and when we know roughly when our spiky visitors arrive we can make sure any supplementary food is out and ready for them — just in time for supper!
Rutting deer in woodland clearings
Up here in the Highlands, where we do much of our camera testing, we’ve been monitoring rut sites to capture displays and vocal challenges between stags.
The Trace’s multi-network connectivity (EE, O2, Vodafone) and integrated antenna allow it to stay online in more remote areas — especially useful where signal is patchy.
Pine martens in Yorkshire
We’re also continuing to use the Camojojo in our NE Yorkshire Pine Marten Pathways Project, where it’s helping us monitor nocturnal activity in sensitive areas, year-round.
As a cellular camera, the Trace allows us to receive captures directly to a smartphone or tablet — which is perfect for projects like this one to help us monitor wildlife activity as it happens, without needing to visit and disturb the site.
Badger sett activity
Autumn is a critical time for badgers, as clans reinforce sett entrances and bring in bedding for the colder months.
Badgers are extremely sensitive to disturbance — even picking up the scent of a dog or unfamiliar person can cause them to stay underground and miss out on vital foraging.
We set cameras at a respectful distance (never on a sett), keeping human presence to a minimum. Once in place, we can monitor activity, adjust settings, and download footage entirely remotely using the Trace's app — reducing scent trails and disruption.
Foxes re-establishing territory
We’re using the Trace to monitor fox behaviour, activity patterns, and interactions between individuals and other species.
Most activity occurs at night, so the programmable timer is especially useful. The camera can be set to only record between specific windows — for example, from 18:00 to 08:00 — allowing us to focus on the most relevant time periods while saving battery and data usage.
Want to try it yourself?
The Camojojo Trace has helped us capture moments we’d otherwise never have seen — and without disturbing the wildlife we’re observing.
Whether you're monitoring a local badger clan, checking when hedgehogs are visiting, or just curious about who’s passing through your garden at night, autumn is an ideal time to set up a connected camera like this one.
If you’re using a Trace this season, we’ve put together a simple guide with our recommended settings and tips to get you started.
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