Are you ready for the AlfrescoWild Challenges?
![Large Wood mouse 1_converted_00000.jpg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/85766c_77d6b465a1f94e4ebaa7c9064a9c2835~mv2.jpg/v1/crop/x_0,y_75,w_1920,h_931/fill/w_984,h_477,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/Large%20Wood%20mouse%201_converted_00000.jpg)
Christmas Mammal Box
This is a rather special Christmas set-up in my small mammal feeding station. I was approached by BBC The One Show, to create some content for a piece for the show. Along with my German Christmas Market for birds, this camera will live stream up until Boxing Day! I designed the box with lights and a removable interior, so I can create different scenes inside. The camera inside films all the visitors, who pop in to see what food I have put out for them. I use a Hikvision mini-dome camera in this set-up. I hope you enjoy it as much as the mice, voles and shrews!
What to watch for.....
![Screenshot 2020-03-19 at 21.29.27.png](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/85766c_264c17589d314b7fa1b1566554846e20~mv2.png/v1/crop/x_65,y_6,w_829,h_830/fill/w_110,h_110,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_3,enc_auto/Screenshot%202020-03-19%20at%2021_29_27.png)
Bank Vole
Bank voles can be seen both day and night. If two come in together, watch them have, what looks like, a mini boxing match!
![Screenshot 2020-03-19 at 21.29.00.png](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/85766c_f46fc5f6da0a4f8490f531ea8dc0a059~mv2.png/v1/crop/x_0,y_60,w_510,h_510/fill/w_110,h_110,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_3,enc_auto/Screenshot%202020-03-19%20at%2021_29_00.png)
Wood Mouse
Wood mice are common visitors, but more often from evening onwards.
![Screenshot 2020-05-19 at 13.55.28.png](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/85766c_bce24c03533641b28938f85f368da634~mv2.png/v1/crop/x_10,y_54,w_541,h_543/fill/w_110,h_110,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_3,enc_auto/Screenshot%202020-05-19%20at%2013_55_28.png)
Common Shrew
Common shrews often pop in for the meal worms I out in here. They also love the suet products!
![Screenshot 2020-05-19 at 13.57.07.png](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/85766c_13a53a3c27ab4447b652c81ea51728f8~mv2.png/v1/crop/x_23,y_62,w_451,h_451/fill/w_110,h_110,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_3,enc_auto/Screenshot%202020-05-19%20at%2013_57_07.png)
Pygmy Shrew
Smaller, pygmy shrews can also be seen visiting for mealworms, and suet products predominantly.
Christmas Mammal Rooftop 2020
Christmas Mammal Rooftop 2020
![Christmas Mammal Rooftop 2020](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/D3c5ILMFDZk/maxresdefault.jpg 1x, https://i.ytimg.com/vi/D3c5ILMFDZk/maxresdefault.jpg 2x)
![Bank vole sniffing and eating converted1](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/D3c5ILMFDZk/mqdefault.jpg 1x, https://i.ytimg.com/vi/D3c5ILMFDZk/maxresdefault.jpg 2x)
Bank vole sniffing and eating converted1
![Chimney Mouse 1 converted1](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/5ga_K049xek/mqdefault.jpg 1x, https://i.ytimg.com/vi/5ga_K049xek/maxresdefault.jpg 2x)
Chimney Mouse 1 converted1
![Chimney Mouse 2 converted1](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/OElBrgH17Bg/mqdefault.jpg 1x, https://i.ytimg.com/vi/OElBrgH17Bg/maxresdefault.jpg 2x)
Chimney Mouse 2 converted1
Video Highlights.....
Behind the scenes....
This year, for The One Show, I designed this set-up to go inside my mammal box. I wanted to create a scene that they would interact with and that could dispense food easily. I came up with the idea of a roof top scene, where the mammals would emerge from a chimney, that was attached to an entrance that they are used to using. I waited, in anticipation, hoping they would do just what I had hoped and that I would be able to capture the moment where a mouse emerged from a chimney, onto a snowy rooftop.... luckily, they obliged and I got just the shot I was hoping for!
![Chimney Mouse 2_converted_00000.jpg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/85766c_5a95a896f0234faeb77ac29b80af4e39~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_108,h_61,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_auto/Chimney%20Mouse%202_converted_00000.jpg)
The set was made from a little roof which I covered in brick paper. I built the tiny chimney and lined it up with the entrance hole. I built a shallow tray in the top of the roof line, in which to hide the food. Glueing a model reindeer in, I added some presents and some snow.......
![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/85766c_683d2967f1fc495aa29493617bb38109~mv2.jpeg/v1/fill/w_468,h_351,q_90/85766c_683d2967f1fc495aa29493617bb38109~mv2.jpeg)
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![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/85766c_9ba04d33d8ed4bc1bba171571bc79104~mv2.jpeg/v1/fill/w_470,h_351,q_90/85766c_9ba04d33d8ed4bc1bba171571bc79104~mv2.jpeg)
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