“What’s small and very persistent”

It’s five years since we started building our “home made but very efficient” CCTV system that provides cloud-based coverage of the majority of the Rehoboth, security for volunteers and visitors as well as recording the very few unauthorised entries into the Rehoboth, (three in the last three years). The fact that the Rehoboth is completely enclosed, with our 150-year-old gates as the one point of entry assists.

The CCTV also records every creature from birds, bats, foxes, cats etc. and creates a wonderful record of the Rehoboth wildlife throughout the seasons.

We support the online CCTV with static wildlife cameras that record on to a SD card and a solar powered camera that is also Wi-Fi enabled.

Some of the biggest surprises we receive are when the SD Card is taken home and plugged into a laptop for viewing.

One of these surprises took place between Tuesday and Friday last week.

We are frequently renewing our bird feeders due to squirrels using their teeth and claws to widen the bird seed access hole so they can eat all the seed (we have very well-fed squirrels), and consequently irreparable feeders.

We have tested numerous “squirrel proof feeders”, but they always succumb to our squirrel’s persistence.

Last Tuesday, we thought we had cracked it, having purchased and installed a BYPOT Squirrel Proof Metal Bird Feeder, strong, solid and made of chew proof patterned steel, assorted photographs in the product description showed disappointed squirrels.

On viewing the SD card on Friday, we found over 200 images and video clips as a squirrel attempted, failed, attempted again and failed again to access the feeder. Until we reached video 87 (out of a 100) where the squirrel succeeds having found, through trial and error, the correct gymnastic routine.

For the next 13 video clips the squirrel repeats its performance.

We salute its persistence; the feeder is undamaged and both birds and squirrels get fed – what a result!