Any way the glare off a real shiny feeder(Bucees) could cause a glare affecting entire picture. Camera facing north an first hour or more of daylight sometimes have lots of pics with massive glare(what I call it).
Different problem with real dark pics sometimes during same time period and late day also, but I think that’s the particular camera is just wacky….?

I notice this more in wet weather & the lens is fogged.

looks like a space ship is landing

Not your problem, but I'm learning my cheap Tascos don't do well if they're mounted in a shady area. They're better for a pig/no pig situation in a corral trap. The old Bushnells do much better.

My cameras have been doing the same thing pretty frequently in the mornings. I was writing it off to the damp mornings and dew on the lens more than anything.
I do notice on my night time IR pics the shiny buc-cees feeder tends to draw much of the IR from the camera making the feeder very bright and anything beyond that feeder really dark.

Here's a very rough sketch of a cheap and easy to make camera holder that I use. I've found that keeping direct sun, rain and dew off of your camera will extend its life significantly and eliminate hazy pictures. The plywood top is angled down slightly toward the front of the camera to facilitate drainage. I paint the ones I make with cheap exterior latex and sometimes use a piece of tin for the top.

Get it fixed in a hurry. It blinds me.

You got any pics of camera set ups you have like the sketch?

Such a nice way to say what you thought of his sketch….

No, but I'll take a few the next time I go to our lease. By the way, the metal stake is about 18" long. It goes into damp soil fairly easily. But if the soil is dry it can be hard to push down. A 20 oz. Coke bottle of water dribbled along the shaft as you push down and rotate the unit back and forth works well. The camera sits on the 1 x 2 and is strapped to the 2 x 4. The front of the plywood roof extends about two inches past the front of the camera and the sides extend about two inches beyond each side of the camera.

From Mexico.