The wildlife at play were captured by a Canberra dad who is placing a cheap set-and-forget camera from Aldi in some of the national capital's most popular suburban nature reserves and coming up with some wonderful results.

Some of the most captivating footage is at night-time as the reserves come alive with wildlife.

English-born Trevor Hickman started putting the camera in the reserves a couple of months ago, not far from neighbouring houses. The footage collecting was a happy byproduct of lockdown when Trevor and his children Audrey, 13, and Elijah, 12, started walking up all the trig points in Canberra.

"We discovered Oakey Hill through Covid because we were doing exercise and even though it's on our doorstep, we'd never walked up there," he said.

"There's obviously a lot of kangaroos up there and I've got a lot of friends in the UK so thought it would be a good place to start [and show them the results]. But I was just amazed. We got currawongs and parrots and possums there. Then we went a bit further afield to Cooleman Ridge and came up with the pig. A feral pig. I thought it was a goat at first. I guess it just shows the diversity of nature that's on our doorstep."

The reserves are so popular with walkers and runners and bikers during the day but few animals might be spotted in the daylight hours, other than the occasional kangaroo or magpie.

Trevor's nocturnal footage confirms our reserves are bustling with animals and birdlife at night. Just call him Canberra's answer to Deadly 60's Steve Backshall.

"The camera only cost about 100 bucks but it's addictive. You start to think, 'Oh I could set up two or three cameras and see what I get'," he said.

"My next plan is to do Mulligan's Flats to get some quolls [with permission from authorities]. We're also going to Cairns at the end of July and I want to get a cassowary. That's my next big-ticket item."

There is a serious side to the hobby.

"Since European settlement, Australia has lost more than 10 per cent of its mammals, so it's just a reminder to appreciate it and know that you don't have to go very far away to find nature. It's all around," he said.

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