SWIFT HALF (TBR) Update 1

Day 2 - 17th February 2010.

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Well - I've finished the work necessary to at least start getting video of any nesting swifts (or blue tits, or sparrows!) in our attic space.

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All the old (parasite-infested no doubt) nesting material has been disposed of, and I've now lined the space under the tiles (between the beams) with a heavy piece of carpeted floor-mat, cut to size and turned upside down.

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The camera is in place (as sturdy as I could make it) and faces into the space from just under the entrance hole under the tiles.

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I have already witnessed a pair of blue tits check out the entrance hole regularly (maybe they were roosting there before I cleared it out) and also a party of house sparrows.

As yet though, I have not actually seen ANY bird actually venture all the way back inside the space, thus appearing on my video feed.

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The camera leads are fed from the camera, through the roof space (now secured with ply again) and for the moment into the back of an old tv we had stowed in the bedroom.

This television set has a VCR built-in, so I can record (on old tape!) any activity I see fit - if there is any in the months ahead.

My wife and I have had a little light-hearted wager as to what species we might get nesting in the space this year:- she thinks like last year, the tits will take it for themselves first, in March, but by the end of April, the swifts will reclaim it. I hope she's right, although I'm betting on the house sparrows for now - but desperately hope our swifts return.

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If anything does set up home, I'll quickly buy a video-USB capture device and try to fathom out how to get live feed on the web (via camstreams or something similar), rather than just keep the feed to my wife and I!

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There you go - all set up (a little late, I admit) and ready to go.

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I hope to keep updating this SWIFT HALF BLOG as and when.

Thanks again for dropping by.

TBR (Doug)