I have been working on a range of new nest boxes for this spring to bring really great pictures of birds raising their families. I will be writing in more details about these boxes on my website in the coming months, but today I managed to get two of the newly adapted boxes up in the garden, with cams inside. They are not wired back to the house yet as I will swap things over from the feeders when the nesting season kicks in.
The first box I adapted is a HandyKam nestbox. I want to get a really close-up, low angle view inside, so have added a section onto the side of the box so I could get a camera mounted low and close to the nest. I have lined the nest box with bark too, so give a more natural look. I am really pleased with the image I got from the cam, so mounted the box back up on a tree in the same position where I have had success for the last two years.
The second box I have adapted is actually a sparrow terrace. It was a prototype that was sent to me by Ark Wildlife. As there was lots of space, I took an internal wall out, moved it along to create a slightly larger nesting chamber and a smaller chamber for the camera. Again, I have lined the box and set the camera low down, close to the nest. I have put this box up on a tree further up the garden, in a new position.
I have another three cameras mounted in nest boxes and another three to go up that aren’t quite finished yet. I will then have to keep my fingers crossed that they are occupied. If they are, then I hope to live stream some great intimate views of the families being raised!