We are planning to place remote DVR cameras next to Broad-winged Hawk nests. We have a few questions from those that have already used these cameras on nests: How much memory was used per hour of footage (at 720)? How often did memory have to be downloaded from cameras? How did changing batteries and downloading data from the cameras impact the nesting birds? When did you put cameras next to the nest? When they were on eggs? Before they were on eggs? When young hatched? Thanks to all that respond.
Hi, storage capcity depends on the type of DVR and if you use video motion detection (VMD). In most cases I wait until the nestlings could keep warm without assistance from parents. For sensetive birds I mount the camera at the nest before the breeding season. For nest located far away from roads I use a 55W solar panel.
Regards, Ronny
Thanks for the feedback Ronny. With the Broad-wings we wanted to mount cameras on the nest before they lay eggs. Cameras cannot be mounted outside the breeding season because they change nest sites each year. When they come back from the tropics to breed (which is right now) they immediately start building nests, sometimes more than one. We have a couple of nests we know they are building, but we are afraid we may spook them if we set up a camera on a neighboring tree. However, we need to take a risk. We do not know if it is best to set a camera before they nest, while they are on eggs, when the eggs have hatched or, as you suggest, when the fledglings can better thermoregulate. As of right now, I am thinking a best time may be on a warm day (not hot) when the fledglings are a week or so old. Parents will be upset, but I do not see them abandoning the nest. Again, we want to minimize stress, but a judgment call has to be made to collect the data. Again thanks for the feedback and all the best with your research efforts. Sincerely, Aaron.
Dear Aaron, I do not know if the Broad-winged Hawk is sensitive. But for most of my study species I have started mounting the cameras when nestlings could thermoregulate. For other species being sensitive we mounted the cameras before the breeding season hoping that they choose the nest, although only c. 1/4 of the camera nest were chosen. The likely hood of abandoning the nest decrease with the breeding stage. Because when the eggs have hatched and the nestlings have started to grow the parents have invested a lot in their brood, while during incubation they haven't invested that much and they may find it more profitable to leave the nest and start all over again.
Regards,
Ronny
We put video cameras on Cooper's hawk nests soon after the young hatched and none of the birds abandoned their nest. We used 50 m cables on the cameras so the VCR was 30-40 m from the base of the tree. We rarely disturbed the birds when changing the tapes. This was back in the day of VHS video recorders so I can't answer the questions re data storage.
Thanks for the feedback T. George. This is useful and will guide us in our decision making. Thanks, Aaron.
Hello again Aaron, I have added on of my publications that might be of interest. As George says, by using long cables you could minimizing disturbance when operating the DVR, I have successfully used 200 m in my studies.
Article A Portable Digital Video Surveillance System to Monitor Prey...
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