Live streaming garden feeder webcam

**perniciousviper** · 05-02-2009

Hi all, hope this topic fits in with this thread. My first post.

I've just set up a video webcam streaming live images from one of my birdfeeders in my back garden. It's been an interesting project and not as hard as I thought to achieve. It means I can take the wildlife in my back garden with me wherever I go (as long as I have the internet).

On top of all the usual suspects, I spotted a green woodpecker the other day, needless to say not nibbling the nuts but tapping the wooden upright.

Some days I think about renaming it SquirrelCam as we have a couple of critters that love nothing better than hanging upside down, acrobatically (and systematically) robbing me of peanuts meant for the birds.

I'm experimenting with picture resolutions too, as I had a tantalising glimpse of some high def images I generated, but were too much for my PC to process smoothly onto the web.

Anyway I hope you like it - it's at perniciousviper.com

As it's live, dusk till dawn (UK time) can be a little dull!

Jon.

**rolf** · 05-02-2009

Hi Jon, welcome to the forum, have moved your post, as that section is for actual videos.

Your site looks good, but I can't get the webcam stream to work, just keeps waiting at the moment.

PS. Working now.

**Chocky** · 05-02-2009

Hi Jon. Welcome.

I can see the feeder but it is very dark and I can't see any movement

**perniciousviper** · 08-02-2009

Thanks for the responses. Sorry, I would have responded sooner. Wehn I posted my post I thought I had a message saying I would receive a note from the moderator to say I was 'legit', and so I wasn't aware the post had gone up or been moved. Sorry if you had trouble Rolf, it takes a few seconds normally to get up and running.

Chocky: I have my fingers crossed that you were trying to watch the feeder webcam at dusk or at night! If so that's pretty much what it does look like I'm afraid! If it was during the day then 'Houston, I have a problem!'

Try checking in during the day - I promise you that there is visible action (am working on the audio stream so you can hear birdsong).

Thanks,

Jon.

**rolf** · 08-02-2009

I'll be interested in exactly what you used to set it up Jon, was thinking of doing something similar myself.

**Chocky** · 09-02-2009

Yes Jon I was looking after dark but I suppose I assumed you would have some sort of light. don't know why

It's very good . Well done

**perniciousviper** · 09-02-2009

Thanks both! Very encouraging. The flipping squirrels had the feeder down after I left for work this morning so apologies of you checked in - as I said in my original post I may as well rename it SquirrelCam some days! I'll work on ramping up 'security'...

Rolf, there are some links on my site that may help: (how I set up my webcam). The key thing to establish is whether you have a static IP address (if so = happy days) or not (not the end of the world).

If not (and I'm a 'not') you need to do some router configuration and port forwarding. It does seem a bit technical but so far, touch wood, I have performed the necessary once and have not had to get the metaphorical tool box out again. Do try the links (they were all genuinely helpful) and let me know if you have any problems. Sorry I can't be too specific on what you need to do exactly as I don't know your set up, but the links should encompass help for a range of different hardware and software set ups.

Jon.

**rolf** · 10-02-2009

OK thanks Jon, no problem with the router, I already have a CCTV camera available from the net, so port forwarding isn't a problem for me, it was more the website side of the thing.

Will do a bit of reading on your site.

**perniciousviper** · 10-02-2009

You're already five steps ahead of me! Sounds like hosting is what you need then - I use Webcams - Live Webcams, streaming free of charge but there are others out there I'm sure.

Once you've gone through the set up, with one click they produce for you some html code to allow you to embed the streaming feed on your own website. Just cut and paste this onto a new web page. At the moment mine's on a separate page but I don't see why, if you have the necessary skill, you can't insert it anywhere you want it.

Camstreams allows up to around 15 viewers at any one time, and there advertising is refreshingly subtle - as you'll have seen there's a simple reference to their site that appears below the video window.

You could be up and running sooner than you think!

**rolf** · 10-02-2009

I'd probably be looking to host the CAM on our server Jon, as would prefer no advertising at all, have been looking at a couple of quite inexpensive hosting packages.

ImageSalsa is one of them.

**perniciousviper** · 10-02-2009

ImageSalsa looks good. Not sure if you've noticed my weather station pages on perniciousviper.com but IS may be just what I'm looking for. I'll look into it in more detail.

Thanks,

Jon.

PS my previous post you're responding to doesn't seem to have appeared!

**rolf** · 10-02-2009

Ah sorry, because it had links in it, the forum moderation engine picked it up as you are a new member and it sits in a moderation queue. This is an anti spam measure.

Have approved it now.