My Nesting Box Project
Each nesting box has a small black and white camera mounted in the top, looking downwards into the box. The entrance hole can be seen at the bottom of the picture. It is dark in the box, and illumination is provided by four small infra-red light emitting diodes. The infra-red light is invisible to us, and also to the birds, but serves to illuminate the box for the black and white camera which responds to infra-red light. This allows us to see what is going on inside the box without disturbing the birds. Unfortunately, a colour camera would not work with the infra-red light.
The box is about five centimetres taller than normal, to accommodate the camera. The picture from the camera can be viewed on a TV, or PC fitted with a TV card, or recorded using a video recorder. The nesting box is mounted on a north-west facing wall of the house, and replaces a similar box (but without the camera) which was previously occupied by blue-tits. The idea came from the Staughton family’s web-site at: http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/Vines/8660/, where comprehensive information is available. There is some additional information here.
Some dry grass was placed in the box to make the birds think that the box had been used previously, and was therefore "OK". This was removed by a prospective "occupant" of the box.
Late in 2001, I made a second nesting box, equipped with a similar camera to the existing box, but with added sound. This should prove interesting if the box gets occupied by a pair of blue-tits. Both boxes are mounted as far apart as possible on the rear wall of my house, which faces North-West.
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| Location of the first nesting box with camera on the north west wall of the house, and a close-up view of the box. | The second nesting box mounted at the opposite end of the wall, and a close-up of this box, taken prior to mounting.. | ||
After the 2003 nesting season, both boxes have been relocated to positions lower down the wall. I hope that by doing this, they will get slightly more protection from the weather, and thus contribute to a more successful nesting season.
Since making my first nesting box, I have made another similar box and camera for "The Limes" children's nursery, where we are all hoping for a pair of blue-tits to take up residence and rear their young.
These two photographs are of this second nesting box and camera, prior to installation at "The Limes". Click on the view for a larger picture.
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To see some pictures inside my nesting box during 2001, click here.
To see inside both nesting boxes during the spring of 2002, look at box 1 and box 2.
And to watch the 2003 nesting season look in box1 and box2.
Worldwide, there must be thousands of nesting boxes equipped with similar viewing arrangements, many of them available on the internet. Here are some links to other nesting box sites. If you would like a link to your website added here, then please add a link to my website on your own site, and e-mail me.
Page created 10 March 2001. Last modified 26 November 2003.