Goldfinch Feeder Webcam

Hi all,

I had an idea the other day to try and capture up close shots of the birds in my garden without actually being there. I've seen the nest box camera kits and also spotted a feeder cam kit online the other day so decided to make my own version. I had 2 old webcams lying around. 1 of them mut have been from about 12 years ago, as it was the cheapest and oldest I decided to modify that one. Nothing much to it really, I just wnted to extend the USB cable so I could plug it into the PC and stick the cam out the garden somewere. Easily done using some phone cable I had lying around, cut, strip wires, phone cable between USB plug and camera, tape up wires, sorted. Luckily the camera has a 1/4 inch thread on the bottom so I whipped out the fiances gorilla pod and stuck it in the tree above the Nyger/Nyjer/Niger feeder and caught this very soon after.

watch?v=71l 0602hW4&feature=youtubegdataplayer

Bad quality but a fun experiment in DIY electrics for a purpose, haha.

Laters

Flippen eck .. that's brilliant! ;o)

Ant

Hi Tom that's brilliant, if you want to go live on the net look at ustream.com

Thanks Anthony, I've been rather busy today so this was a nice reward for my efforts, haha. I'll have to make some kind of waterproof enclosure for it now and make it a permanent fixture somewhere out there. Was just a trial run today. I just got a nice up close shot of a magpie landing on my table and sticking his beak in for seed and mealworms, haha.

Will do when I've made it more permanent. I have another webcam here which is better quality too so may try messing with that one and see if I can get 2 working at the same time. Like CCTV for the birds, haha.

As the man said what a brilliant idea! You'll be on the Beeb next!

So much better when you've built it yourself :)

If you use Windows on PC check out the Free App, YAWCAM (Yet Another Web Cam Software), has everything you need to run timelapse, Motion Detection, and to stream to the Web, either Live Video feed or timed stills

http://www.yawcam.com/

Thanks all, will hopefully be looking to make it more permanent soon, have to find a way to hide the wire, the Mrs isn't too pleased, haha. It does feel good when you make it yourself, more of an achievement then.

If you have an old Android phone handset there is an app available that turns the phone into a Wireless webcam, complete with Zoom/Focus control

That sounds pretty good but I dont have one unfortunately, just my android tablet. Im looking at better quality webcams now, they are super cheap these days.

Nice images :) I put a feeder up in my new place shortly before Xmas. The goldfinches and greenfinches just started using it around Easter. It took the local sparrows a bit longer to realise what it was for, but they've been emptying it this week. (I'm not sure how sparrows score for bird IQ, but some of them are still flying at the clear plastic tube rather rhan landing on the perches!)

It must be the weather!!!  

but I've finally had visitors to my feeder, Starlings and a lone Blue Tit, and this is after about four months. I never expected much as I have an enclosed yard rather than a garden but it's great to see some activity

and starlings in the morning sunshine are glorious :)

It must be the weather!!!  

but I've finally had visitors to my feeder, Starlings and a lone Blue Tit, and this is after about four months. I never expected much as I have an enclosed yard rather than a garden but it's great to see some activity

and starlings in the morning sunshine are glorious :)

I too have a lone blue tit who randomly visits, and only very briefly. I think the 2 juvenile blackbirds made an appearance this morning too. Ive just spent the day at Drayton Manor park and was pleasantly surprised to see so many different bird species around the place, mostly on the lake. The zoo has a nice selection of owls too.