Camera trapping in the rain

A couple of weeks ago I set my camera trap by the river, waited a week and then eagerly went to collect it only to find that there had been some kind of technical hitch and that it had recorded nothing at all. Feeling determined to try again, I checked the batteries and went out the next day to set it up again, crossing the river to leave it in a hidden spot away from the path used by walkers and cyclists.

Unfortunately I failed to look at the weather forecast for the coming days and after three nights, the rain came on Wednesday. I don't just mean a light shower; it rained big drops and very heavily and it didn't stop all night. The next day the river was high and it continued to rain. My thoughts turned to the camera. I had tied it to a tree, so I didn't fear for it washing away (which would have happened if I'd put it on a tripod) but I wasn't sure how high the water level had risen in that part of the river. Maybe my camera had been submerged.

On Friday the weather had cleared and so I went to see if I could recover the camera. The river was high but not deeper than my welly boots. I thought I could cross and I grabbed a sturdy stick to use to help me test the depths as the water was very churned up and I couldn't see where the larger rocks were and where the shallower areas were. However, as I stepped into the water I found that the problem was not the depth but the force of the water itself. As the river was so full and the water was moving downstream at such a pace, it pushed against me and nearly knocked me over. I realised that I wouldn't be able to cross the river. Frustrated, I left and didn't return until the following Monday.

Over the weekend the water levels had gone down and the water was clear again. I was able to cross and to get to the camera. When I opened it, water poured out. The batteries at the bottom were showing signs of rust. I am drying it out and hoping that it will work again once I have cleaned it and put new batteries in, but we will have to wait and see. The memory card, was salvageable and I was pleased to see that I had recorded a number of videos including many showing the rising water levels! There were also many recordings which showed nothing; presumably these were triggered when the camera was still working but the water was covering and filling it!

Before the rain came!