iTeacher

Try www.handykam.com nest box cameras. We have tried many systems as well as built our own and these are by far the best value and will save you a lot of time and effort. This year, we are hoping to film some owls for a birds of prey project. The pictures are amazing and cameras have added fun to learning. Good luck. iTeacher

Hi Geoff, Here is a review from an ealier post: http://www.edugeek.net/forums/general-chat/4262-bird-box-cameras.html#post43268 There are other companies like Handykam.com bird box cameras, Nature Cameras etc. Good luck, try them and let me know how you got on. iTeacher

Hi StewartKnight, We have been making fun bird camera projects for several years. We found it is important to make the right box for the right camera. There are many variables that you have to look at when making your own. During our many experiments we found a great company selling complete nest box camera kits. The kits include everything and are ideal for all types of birds. The best bit is that they have kits from £45! We praise them highly as they are very helpful too. Have a look and let me know how you got on. iTeacher.

We have tried several nest cam technologies. We a found that there are several ways of streaming footage, across the network and possibly to the web too. IP camera and nest box Make a good box deep enough for a good IP camera. Choose an IP camera that acts as a remote server (isolated) and has features like motion capture and frame rate etc. This is slightly more expensive as the technology costs more to produce (so they say) CCD camera and nest box Use a CCD camera with a well made box, designed for nest box use. Connect the camera to your PC via an interface graphics board or USB capture device. Use software to monitor and stream grabs to a shared page on your network or webspace. The cost are cheaper and the options are more flexible. Try looking at Handykam.com camera nestbox and wildlife cameras kits. They specialise in nest box cameras and may save you a lot of time and effort in the long run. They have been so helpful and have many options. (Not on their website) We have tried many others, but we found them the best. Hope this helps. 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.