Nest box camera

Half-cocked

Yes, I cut windows about 36mm diameter on each side of my boxes, same level as the entrance hole, and used thin white plastic sheets to cover them. It lets enough light in to get a clear colour image from the camera. You could probably use plastic cut from milk cartons. So long as it's not clear, the birds won't like that. As you say, don't put it up in direct sunlight, a north-easterly facing surface is best. There's some good info here:

http://www.nottinghamshirewildlife.org.uk/wildlife-habitats/wildlife-information-advice/bird-nest-boxes

Build your box with a bit extra ceiling space above the entrance hole to accomodate the camera and you're laughing. Then it's just a matter of hoping the birds move in!

E39MSport

Half-cocked wrote: »

Yes, I cut windows about 36mm diameter on each side of my boxes, same level as the entrance hole, and used thin white plastic sheets to cover them. It lets enough light in to get a clear colour image from the camera. You could probably use plastic cut from milk cartons. So long as it's not clear, the birds won't like that. As you say, don't put it up in direct sunlight, a north-easterly facing surface is best. There's some good info here:

http://www.nottinghamshirewildlife.org.uk/wildlife-habitats/wildlife-information-advice/bird-nest-boxes

Build your box with a bit extra ceiling space above the entrance hole to accomodate the camera and you're laughing. Then it's just a matter of hoping the birds move in!

Thats good to know about the windows. I might give that a go today and hope it doesn't put them off.
EDIT: - So, I put the window in using opaque plastic. Got it all wired up (btw, signal loss/interference over the 20m rca was bad so reverted back to shorter high quality cable).

Birds came back a short time ago and ll was well until one of them pecked at the plastic. It made a loud drumming noise. Scarpered and haven't been back since.
Hope they come back.

SQUINTING WINDO

After about a week my Blue Tits (a pair) came to my box this morning ,there was some "wing measuring"and a bit of screeching and then off they wentfor the day.Im hoping they are still interested in being my neighbour .Ours is a unique situation as I have the box wired through to my (grocery) shop and as we and our customers had a false start last year ,we are waiting with excitment this season.[/SIZE]

E39MSport

They were back this morning !!

SQUINTING WINDO

Mine seem to have a 9 oclock+ start ,nothing yet this morning.

E39MSport

gaz wac wrote: »

E39MSport...any sign of the birds?

yup, they're back thankfully. Not bothered with the change.

btw, I just copped that the camera lens has manual focus. Made a huge difference to picture quality. Just waiting now for my usb video tool.
I found a piece of freeware called vide camera server which I think will let me connect to the host PC on a specific port and view the images as mpeg.
Then I will be able to access the PC from the internet after I change my firewall rules.

gaz wac

ehem..ok ( all over my head )

good to see them back im going to make my box tommrow, ordered your camera yesterday so hopefully will be up and running by thursday or friday next week. Will prob be too late but sure at least ill have it ready. If its too late for tits, I wonder if anything else would like a new home ?

edit: between manual focus and new window, you must be getting a great view!!

SQUINTING WINDO

Anyone have any signs of nest building in their nest box yet.
I have had two visits to our box today with one of the tits perching with its head out the entry hole for more than 2 mins .

E39MSport

Nothing yet in terms of building. My camera is under attack though !

gaz wac

Well, built my nest box on Saturday....took me about four hours . One thing I have learned is that I cant saw or screw, straight !! looks grand so just waiting for the camera now. Quick question, do you attach the camera to the panel with the entrance, the roof or the back? Im thinking up over the entrance? was looking on line for any 2010 web cams and one bloke has one every year, the 2010 camera was set up but they havent started building in it yet.

E39MSport

Congrats !

I have camera at the back wall opposite and above the entrance hole. Check out the picture on bwi. That location is easiest for wiring whereby the wire comes out one of the top rear corners of the box. The mic will more than like be incorporated into the camera wiring so make sure you leave it inside the box.

gaz wac

Trying to upload a pix...give me a while !!



yayyyyy :-) first time ever !!!

that blue thing holding the front up is a free pedometer I got from the Freebie section yesterday ha
Have two "windows" on either side to let more light in.twigs are for decoration ;-)

SQUINTING WINDO

What will this cold spell do to the nesting cycle ?
Gaz Wac can you give me link details to the person that you found with the box up and running .

gaz wac

I cant see web cams in work so ill get address when im at home. but i litteraly just typed " blue tit web cam 2010 " into google and found it that way.

SQUINTING WINDO

Ok , ill do that.

MegaBirdman007

SQUINTING WINDO wrote: »

Anyone have any signs of nest building in their nest box yet.
I have had two visits to our box today with one of the tits perching with its head out the entry hole for more than 2 mins .

Blue tits have completed a nest in my camera nestbox. Great tits are building in another box.

E39MSport

My 'camera' box is coming along nicely. Nest looks about 75%. The birds have had a right go at the camera though. It's off centre now and they removed the duck tape from the IR lights making it very bright now.

I recieved my USB video catcher in the post and downloaded some free software called vcamserver. The software takes the captured video feed and serves it as an IP based service as jpeg images presented at fixed intervals (not true video but this is a good solution for my poor bandwidth). I have it hooked up to a netbook and leave it on when I am away. Now I can see the nest over the internet when I am away by PC or even on my iPhone.

(was great until the PC downloaded some updates and restarted itself - so I missed the start of the nest while I was away - auto downloads turned off ;-)

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Sounds brilliant. I'm a bit of a Luddite I'm afraid - well not really a Luddite more a Troglodyte in that I don't object to technology at all it's just I'm being dragged screaming into the 20th centuary (I know this is the 21st and I'll catch up to the rest of the world sometime). I just don't follow a lot of techno stuff. Marvellous to watch the nest from a remote site. I have to hide in the garden or behind reeds in the bog, or in a hide below the Buzzards nest to get good views and then miss what is really going on at close quarters in the nests themselves. Good for you and enjoy the watching.:)

Half-cocked

If you want to watch a sea eagle nesting go to the site below and click the 4th link down on the right (Merikotkakaamera)

http://www.eenet.ee/EENet/

There's also links to wild boar being fed.

E39MSport

Half-cocked wrote: »

If you want to watch a sea eagle nesting go to the site below and click the 4th link down on the right (Merikotkakaamera)

http://www.eenet.ee/EENet/

There's also links to wild boar being fed.

Good Stuff - thanks !

edit: - direct link to the caera : - mms://tv.eenet.ee/kotkas

Half-cocked

Just realised they have a Tawny Owl cam too!

NORTH1

My home made wine crate box, up over a year first visitors.





We also have a number of feral cats stalking this same area, is it wrong of me to want to wring their necks??

Brian

E39MSport

Nice diy work there - nice pics too.

I hear you on the cat issue but it aint their fault. afaik there are products that you can purchase to deter the likes of feral and indeed domestic cats.

Might be worth a try for the birds and cats sake.

.... lovely pics

Half-cocked

E39MSport wrote: »

...there are products that you can purchase to deter the likes of feral and indeed domestic cats....

Called supersoakers!;) Seriously though, my garden has become a no-go area for cats since I took to spraying them with water at every oppertunity, they really hate getting wet but it does them no harm. The birds are quick to realize the cats aren't around and I see a lot more ground feeding now.

E39MSport

Just an fyi on the software that I mentioned earlier. I had to bin it as it was causing issues on my PC.

I'm now using http://www.nchsoftware.com/broadcam/index.html and it's very good.

The only config you'll need to do is port forwarding on your router. See portforward.com for help.

Regards,

E39MSport

Our bluetit has been roosting on the nest for the past 4 nights.

I was giving up hope as there was no sign of any eggs.

I checked the nest last night and she was very agitated. This morning there are 4 eggs.

I've got rubbish broadband and she's built her nest over the plastic window so the images aren't great, but if anyone is interested you can pm me for the url.

Regards,

feeneyo

SQUINTING WINDO wrote: »

Bought mine 2 years ago in ALDI €49.99 Bird roosted in it for the first Winter , the bird cleaned it out itself last season 09 ,but did not come back to build nest . I have already had some activity this year and am hoping for sucess !

i read before that you should clean out the box yourself after they leave. clean out with boiling water to kill the parasites

feeneyo

doctor evil wrote: »

A dress is not very practical.

obviously she dosen't ware it in the nest box

feeneyo

MegaBirdman007 wrote: »

Blue tits have completed a nest in my camera nestbox. Great tits are building in another box.

how did the rest of the season go for you? in what kind of area had you the 2 nests. i read they can't be too close together

LostCovey

E39MSport wrote: »

Nice diy work there - nice pics too.

I hear you on the cat issue but it aint their fault. afaik there are products that you can purchase to deter the likes of feral and indeed domestic cats.

Yes. Rifles.