The Sittel Field Birdcam was installed on January 10, 2011. It is mounted on our backyard deck about 5 feet off the ground, and is positioned to capture images of all the feeders simultaneously. The shepherd's hooks on which the feeders sit can be moved (provided the ground isn't frozen); currently one is close to the camera to 'spotlight' the activity on one of the feeders. The spotlight feeder will be changed from time to time to feature different feeders (e.g., oriole, hummingbird, suet).
The camera is a StarDot Netcam 1-megapixel camera. I am currently displaying the images at an 800x640 resolution. The camera itself is mounted inside a light duty outdoor enclosure that will allow the camera to work in all temperatures.
The camera power supply runs across the roof, through the attic and into our upstairs office where it is attached to a router. The image updates every 5 minutes, but at night you won't be able to see anything. In the future I may add some solar lighting to allow anything that shows up after dark to be seen (e.g., rabbits, opossums).
The contents of the numbered feeders are as follows:
1. Unshelled peanuts (the bird store called these 'reject peanuts'). The woodpeckers and nuthatches are especially fond of these. The cage is designed to limit access to birds with beaks long enough to grab the peanuts (i.e., no squirrels).
2. Shelled peanuts tray. The blue jays love this feeder, and the nuthatch has been seen here too. This tray is often empty because the blue jays can devour 3 or 4 handfuls of peanuts in minutes.
3. Suet cakes. I'm currently using the Birdola Woodpecker Plus large suet cakes. Many birds have been seen on this feeder, including woodpeckers, juncos, nuthatches, sparrows, and even a cardinal from time to time.
4. Wild bird mix. The house sparrows can eat the contents in a couple of days. The cage is again to keep larger birds out.
5. Nyjer seed. While occasionally a sparrow will eat these, this feeder is a finch haven. This is the goldfinches' favorite feeder. Occasionally a house finch will dine here too.
6. Sunflower seed. While I have a cage for this feeder, I don't always use it. When we have lots of grackles I'll have to add it back. The sparrows like this feeder also, as do the house finches.
In addition, I'll throw some wild bird mix and sunflower seeds on the ground under the feeders when we have snow cover. I try to keep a patch of the yard scraped to where the birds can access the seed on the ground rather than atop the snow, although the juncos often prefer to be on the snow cover. The mourning doves seem to be especially fond of this area. We also throw stale bread outside, and occasionally other things like old fruit and vegetables. We're never sure what, if anything, will eat some of our discards!
I also have a bird bath with a heater. The heater cord is only 10 feet so the bowl of the bird bath sits on a 5-gallon bucket near the patio door to allow the cord to reach a nearby outdoor electrical outlet. The bird bath also has a solar panel; when sun directly hits the panel the pump pushes the water, creating a nice sound that seems to interest many bird species. I'll try to find a better location for the bird bath in the warmer months.
American Crow, American Goldfinch, American Kestrel, American Robin, American Tree Sparrow, Baltimore Oriole, Barn Swallow, Black-Capped Chickadee, Blue Jay, Canada Goose, Carolina Wren, Cedar Waxwing, Chipping Sparrow, Common Grackle, Common Nighthawk, Cooper's Hawk, Dark-Eyed Junco, Downy Woodpecker, Eastern Bluebird, European Starling, Franklin's Gull, Gray Catbird, Great Egret, Hairy Woodpecker, Harris' Sparrow, House Finch, House Sparrow, House Wren, Indigo Bunting, Mourning Dove, Northern Cardinal, Northern Flicker, Pine Siskin, Purple Finch, Red-Bellied Woodpecker, Red-Breasted Nuthatch, Red-Tailed Hawk, Red-Winged Blackbird, Rock Dove, Rose-Breasted Grosbeak, Ruby-Throated Hummingbird, Sharp-Shinned Hawk, Snow Goose, Song Sparrow, White-Breasted Nuthatch, White-Crowned Sparrow, White-Throated Sparrow, Yellow-Rumped Warbler.
You can see photos of many of the above when they visited or flew over our yard at my bird photos web page.
I'll be adding interesting camera captures here, to show off the various birds that visit our yard.
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