Bird Box Cameras

[plexer]

We are redeveloping our pond at work and they want to have cameras in bird boxes.

 

This should be a nice little project for me and I'm wondering if anyone has done anything similar. Basically at the moment I know the sort of thing I want for the boxes.

 

I am planning on using 4 normal minature video cameras connected to a 1.4ghz transmitter pointing back at the school. Receiver in the school receiving 4 pictures from the cameras and then fed into something like zoneminder to make them available as an ip webcam stream for the students to be able to watch on the intranet and also time lapse/motion detect record what goes on.

 

Power at the remote site will be a bank of SLA's charged via, wind turbine, solar panels, generator if needed and also a spare set charged up via mains in case of the need to switch them out.

 

Just looking for any ideas or advice.

[russdev]

one note if cameras are in bird box might dont use normal cameras as could be breaking law (interfering with wildlife bird nests etc).

 

Contact RSPB who can advise better on this???

 

Russ

[plexer]

Plenty of companies in the uk allready sell boxes with cameras in.

 

RSPB have webcams for feeders and stuff on their site but I'll email them just to check.

 

Ben

[russdev]

i agree but they have designed cameras in such as way that does not intefere with the the bird nesting habbits...

 

Difference between buying a box and and making one if buying one then it means got some legal action if school is charged but if made it guess who rear end is on the line (and it ant the heads)

 

Russ

[plexer]

Nope it'll be the site managers

 

But saying that they are the same cameras as you can buy fitted into a false roof in the bird box.

 

Ben

[russdev]

more than likely not saying they are not but dont want you to get into trouble with rspb

 

Russ

[tickmike]

Hi Ben.

I Have been thinking of doing the same but too much thinking, so may get it done for next spring.

 

Have a look at this >http://www.beautifulbritain.co.uk/htm/wildlife_gardening/bluetitcam.htm

 

>http://www.enjoybirdsmore.co.uk/

 

We have a box about 2M from a class room window so I could just use a USB miniature camera and 'Active USB ' extension lead into school.

 

Regards Michael.

[john]

I have had the Philip Harris one AKA Enjoy Birds More and either my sample left by the PH rep was duff or they are shockingly poor. We were not impressed by them yet for the cost. Nice idea, infact great idea, but needs more work.

[plexer]

Thanks guys I had stumbled across the beautiful britain site in my searches.

 

At the moment I'm thinking of using these cameras:

http://www.eclipse-computers.com/product.aspx?code=SV-CCD-639A

 

1.3" Sony Super CCD.

 

Found a supplier for the wireless video 1.4ghz transmitter just got to get a price and a quad mux/demux setup to send all 4 cmaeras over one link.

 

Also found a very good site with good prices on turbines and batteries last night.

 

Ben

[plexer]

Had a reply from RSPB today and they say it's fine to do.

 

Ben

[tickmike]

Hi Ben.

Re. Had a reply from RSPB today and they say it's fine to do..... Did not think it was a problem.

 

Just had this mad idea, What if Edugeek's make this a project, have a set of materials and parts needed to construct the said 'bird box' then we all get the schools all over the Britain/world with our members in to get the children to build the box's and we could help them get the camera working on the school network and also have an web site so schools could see each others nest box web cam's from all over.

 

Well it was just an idea. :x

 

From Michael.

[woody]

Just had this mad idea, What if Edugeek's make this a project, have a set of materials and parts needed to construct the said 'bird box' then we all get the schools all over the Britain/world with our members in to get the children to build the box's and we could help them get the camera working on the school network and also have an web site so schools could see each others nest box web cam's from all over.

 

Well I am certainly up for it. I have been searching the web for an ip camera I can't find a 'mini' one that could be fit inside the box. Any ideas?

[Geoff]

Eco-Watch sell gear to do this.

 

http://www.eco-watch.com/homeandgarden/index.htm

[plexer]

You can get wired and wireless ip cams that are small enough and also normal analogue cams with wireless that are tiny.

 

We are planning to have 4 cameras like the ones I posted earlier from eclipse and mount them in boxes and feeders etc...

 

Cable this all back to a viewing shed with monitor and then multiplex all 4 cameras into one picture sent via a single 1.4 or 2.4ghz video link back to the main building into a zoneminder pc to record and make it available as an ip stream.

 

Ben

[Dax75]

You might try looking at these kits too.

 

High quality, easy to set up and a good price (They offer education discounts). Loads of info sheets and video clips too.

 

http://www.gardenature.co.uk/

[plexer]

The ccd based cameras I plan on using are only £60'ish quid each which makes all those kits seem a bit expensive.

 

Ben

[smileydman]

Forget the RSPB !, do the Birds know what you are planning

Have they signed consent forms !

 

I think it is a cynical attempt to get page hits !, just think of the keywords; birds, webcam, school .... 8O

 

Perhaps you could install a wheel for them to power the camera .. Ooops ! forgot that was the hamster cam project .

 

 

Someone did mention doing something like this on the lancs forum in April 2005, but never said how they got on.

 

I guess you will mount camera behind a glass panel to provide separation, and colour is a bit academic cos I imagine it will be in dark mode most of the time. Can you get better deal on B/W cameras ?

[lindylou]

The South East Grid ran birdbox projects this year and last

 

http://www.segfl.org.uk/news/view.php?id=148&src=search&pid=0&freetext=birdbox&os=0&res_filter=page&match_type=any

 

Maybe they or the schools involved could advise you?

 

HTH

 

Linda D

[plexer]

The bird box ones are fixed by basically having a false ceiling with a hole in it for the lens to look through.

 

The Bird box ones probably don't need to be colour but then we are going to have a general pond cam and also a peanut feeder cam. Once the boxes aren't being used we could turn these into additional feeder cams so the colour would be nice.

 

Lindylou: Thanks for that I'll have a look.

 

Ben

[iTeacher]

Hi eduG'rs,

 

We have built many different camera nest boxes over the years. Some with web cams, some with IP cams along with many other ideas. What we have found is that building the correct box and choosing the best camera is the key.

 

The nest box has to match the camera. If you have a nest box too short, the viewing distance is all wrong and the box may be too warm for the birds. Don't forget that you will need a bit of light for colour cameras to work.

 

The choice of camera is very important. There are many cameras that profess to be good bird box cameras. We have found that a dedicated camera has a right lens, correct focal distance, Infra-red intensity for the box.

 

After many experiments, we did find a perfect camera bird box system from Handykam.com. They offer a plug in and play dedicated kit with everything you need, at a low cost too.

 

The other bit of advice is to keep experimenting with position of your box. In the right position, the birds will return again and again to raise their broods as well as offering perfect teaching opportunity.

 

iTeacher.