Nest Box Camera!

I have a nest box camera, only put it up three months back. I have had birds look in there, but i don't think I will see any birds till spring. they need time to get used to it. I also have five more  with no cameras, my clever husband makes them for me. we made a few for my mother early last year and she has birds in all of them.

I can view my on my TV or computer. :-)

Hi Coal, my parents have a nestcam which is used all year round, mainly by great tits.  They nest in it in spring and then roost in it at night on and off through the rest of the year, only ever one bird at a time though.  They come and go in phases: every night for a couple of weeks, then empty for a time before another bird discovers the box.  Or maybe it's the same one again.  Who knows how to tell one great tit from the next?

It's fascinating to see birds at their nests via a camera link.  Nestcams are expensive but seem to be getting cheaper these days, so maybe I'll afford one soon!  My parents' nestcam was from McCam and is doing a lovely job.  Highly recommended.

LB

...Just remembered, they also had a wasp in the nestcam box one summer! 

It buzzed in and out for weeks building a big paper nest, always coming and going, adding bits here and there until eventually it filled the box and covered the camera.  It was absolutely incredible to see such a tiny animal building an insect equivalent of St Paul's.

Apparently wasps abandon their nests in autumn so they removed the empty nest in the winter, in time for the great tits to nest in there the following spring.

Not birds, but even more fascinating.  Wasps are so under-rated. 

LB

I'd love to hear more stories about nest boxes with cameras.  Especially since I am toying with the idea myself.

What do you have?  The wired or wireless ones?

I'm tempted by this one, even though its quite expensive http://shopping.rspb.org.uk/p/Nestboxes/Nest%20box_and_feeder_camera_wireless.htm

I'm also toying with the idea of a camera nest box. I would need a wireless one and be able to watch it on my TV and/or computer.

The McCam is very good, has been running for several years now with no problems.  I just checked their website and you can buy a black and white version for £140 or a colour one for £180.  They are cabled rather than wireless but when my parents put their in it was only a 15-minute job to get the wires from nestbox to TV.

www.mccam.co.uk

LB

Thanks for the link, LB.

I've been having a good look round and would prefer wireless.  But we shall see!

Also realised that in fact i don't need the whole lot, just the camera, as I have two brand new boxes in the greenhouse which I've yet to sight!  providing the camera is small enough I don't see why i can't use one of those.

Yes, thanks LB but I need wireless due to distance.

Bluetits have always been the first birds in two of our (camera equipped) nest boxes - because the holes are too small for great tits!  (The hole is bigger in Box 3).  In 2007 a great tit wasclearly  getting desperate for a nesting place, but wouldn't squeeze inside Box 1 (though the hole should have been big enough, according to the RSPB) - so  a rapid adjustment was made - and nest building started the next day! 

You can read about this from April 9th 2007 here:      http://www.biggonline.co.uk/       (This is the tenth year of our bluetit website).