Tag: camera

Categories
webcams

I was pleased and surprised to see the young Buzzard…

I was pleased and surprised to see the young Buzzard on the pole in the valley this morning. Going by the forum it had been there for at least two hours. I must admit that I had not noticed it perched there when I changed the cameras over, and only when I was reading the forum did I realise and changed the camera back. The youngster has been flying over the valley squawking for a few days. I have left the valley camera looking into the sky hoping that I could show you it flying above the farm. When outside on my way into the farm house I look to see where the Buzzards are, by the time I get in to move the camera they are out of view.

I was a bit concerned when the youngster flew off of the pole and went into the trees just in front, as it fell to the ground instead of perching in the tree, it stayed on the ground for a long time before flying up again. The parents are not feeding it any longer. All I hope is that it is sufficiently able to hunt for its self. If it is not it will soon weaken and not survive.

I was even more surprised to see the Tawney Owl land on the pole in the valley tonight. It is the first time that have seen a Tawney Owl at Denbury this year. The picture was very poor, as the lens was zoomed completely in, it is very difficult to focus it properly. It made me realise that I need to put a PTZ camera in its place that has automatic focus, but I need to work out how to do the IR lamps, there is no facility to control the direction of the IR lamps with PTZ camera as there is with the current camera, that is now installed down the valley. I have heard the Tawney Owl for most of the year, but as have said it is the first time that I have seen one at Denbury. In previous years we could regularly see them in the trees in the wood on the left hand side of the valley.

The Raymond Blanc cookery / restaurant programme on the television last night, didn’t help me in trying to persuade people of how good Eels are to eat. It is the look of the Eel that turns people off of eating them. Although it was the people who were cooking them that made them out to be not nice. The people in the restaurants didn’t seem to complain as much as the Chefs.

Categories
webcams

Beth USA Doves in the UK or a least at…

Beth, USA. Doves in the UK, or a least at Denbury breed all year. As you can imagine we do have a few here.

Karen. That was a Pheasant that you saw earlier this evening. We don’t get any Grouse in the West Country or a least not at Denbury. I should think that you meant Red Grouse, I believe that they are mainly found in the North of England and Scotland, where the are the preferred choice for game shooting. There use to be Black Grouse in the West Country, but unfortunately no longer. Some Farmer near Denbury put down Quail and Partridge for shooting. I did consider introducing Quail at Denbury, but they would not know where our boundaries ended, they would have soon been shot. Most of the Game Birds are very colourful, looking at their best freely walking about, rather than being on a plate. The camera that you saw the Pheasant on was at the lake. The new tower is replacing the main Badger camera. It has been installed and we are waiting for a couple of pieces that I am having made to put the IR lamps on. The telegraph pole that the camera is now on will also have to come down.

After seeing Elaine’s entry on the forum about the SWT webcams not working. I spoke to Peter the manager at Lock of the Lowe’s, who got both camera working again, when I checked the cameras a little later number two camera were off again. There must be a problem with their broadband connection at the Lock. They are at the end of the line, and I am surprised that they do not have more problems than they do. Peter does not like for his cameras to be down, so I am sure they will be on as soon as possible.

I didn’t get a chance to set the Telescope up last night. The idea was go up to the Observatory after I had fed the Badgers. Up to about 7.pm the Sky was reasonably clear, probably a better night for me to identify the Stars than the previous nights that I had tried recently. Half an hour later it was so cloudy it would not have been possible to even see any Stars at all. It is not much different tonight, the first quarter of the Moon is just about visible behind the clouds. hopefully in the next couple of days the Sky will be clear, so that I can set the Telescope up. I am a bit more confident that I can now do it. Cross your fingers.

I was concerned that the Swallows, that we are showing were going to be late in strengthening themselves for their migration. I had to go into the barn that we are converting, in there were two nests that the Swallows chicks were still being fed. It is getting late so I do hope that they can will make their migration.

Maybe out of view, the Badgers did have it on their toes when I went to feed them. I rattled the feed bags and made some silly noises and they did mostly disappear. One I admit did get brave after a few second, walking towards it, it did scurry back a bit.

Categories
webcams

Karen asked about a camera in my favorite field I…

Karen asked about a camera in my favorite field. I purchase a piece of apparatus a few months back with the intention of putting a camera up there. The idea of the piece of equipment was that it allows the main transmission wire, coaxial cable to also carry a 24volt power supply to work the camera up to about a half a mile. The cable is the same type that you use for you television ariel. I did not read the instruction properly, there are different quality of coaxial cable. The type I needed was very expensive, and I wasn’t sure that it would have worked over the distance that the suppliers claim. I was not prepared to send the money that it would have cost on a maybe.

A camera in the area would have been very good viewing of wildlife, it would also be good to make sure that our neighbours on the next farm at the end of the valley were not poaching on my land or in the wood that the council own. I have caught them on both mine and Council land a couple of times. I will tell you about a few experiences that I have had with them very soon. I have had to involve the Police. They are prepared to have their Shotgun and Firearms licences revoked if they can get the evidence of the poaching. The shooting season has started and measures have been taken to have that area monitored.

Robin, I haven’t given up on the Telescope. It is my intention to try to set it up tonight. The webcams wont be working as there is a lot messing about to do setting it up. I had tried to bribe a person from where I purchased the telescope from, with a free holiday to come and do the setting up, but I don’t think that he can arrange it. i will have a go myself tonight as there is a really clear sky. My trouble is that I get bored very quickly when I start having problems with it. As the Observatory is a fair way from the farm house, I cant walk away from the telescope for a few minutes unless I go on a route march.

Categories
webcams

We have managed to get the new tower for the…

We have managed to get the new tower for the main Badger camera up today. I thought that it was going to be a little smaller than the telegraph pole that is currently being used. To my surprise it is the same size of 8 metres. We have got to get a bracket to attach the camera to the tower. That will add another metre to the overall height of the camera. I don’t know if it will make any difference to what we are able to see, but it may make it possible to see the Buzzards flying. I have a more powerful zoom camera, I am not sure if I should put that on the new tower, or use it in another location. The telegraph pole we are now using does cause the camera to have a blind spot, the new tower should nearly eliminate that. The new tower has a winch to raise and lower it, so that we can work on it from the ground instead of me having to find some one who will climb the telegraph pole.

I have an idea of how I can use the old telegraph pole that we are taking down. Seeing how the tower raises and lowers I may try to get a bracket made so that I can raise the telegraph pole the same way, If it works I will put a different camera down the valley, the same type that we normally use. It will give a much better picture, as most of the other cameras. It will mean using more IR lamps, but it could well be worth it.

Since we sold our Cattle about eight years ago we haven’t bothered about having gates through the farm. With Cattle you need to alternate the grazing of the fields. Once the grass from one field has been eaten off, you move the cattle to another field allowing the grass to regrow, so the fields had to have gates. We had about thirty Charolais Breeding Cattle, if we had allowed them the run of the farm we would have soon run out of grass. The problem without gates, even if you do not have a lot of stock, is that if you have any animals that get out of where they are meant to be, as we sometimes do, you are unable to reduce the size of the area that they can run back and forward in, making it difficult to catch them. With gates you can contain them from field to field. Today we decided that we should re gate through the farm. We have have had to dig the holes for the new gateposts, as the old wooden posts had partially rotted away and needed renewing. Only six new post were needed, so it was not worth getting a contractor in to knock the posts in with a machine, so the hole were dug by hand. It wouldn’t be the easiest of jobs digging small holes about three feet deep. I made sure that I had something else to do when my Lads were doing the digging. Most of the work was done today and the new gates should be fitted on Monday.

The young Buzzard has been flying above the farm for the past couple of days, squawking non stop and looking for its parents. Once I saw an adult Buzzard that seemed to be chasing the youngster away. It must have been its parent. Again it is the first time that I have noticed this happening, although it must happen every year. Seeing the Buzzards on the webcams lets you see wildlife without them being disturbed, letting you see what you would normally not be able to see.

Categories
webcams

Chris Speering from the Hawk ad Owl Trust visited the…

Chris Speering from the Hawk ad Owl Trust visited the Farm on Monday. All in all it was a very interesting meeting, and we learnt a lot from the couple of hours that he was here.

We may be lucky with the Kingfisher, for they do not always migrate. If there is plenty of food for them where they are, they quite often stay. For sure there is a lot of fish in the lake. One of our holiday quests fished a 10lb Carp from the lake last night, not that the Kingfisher would be very interested in that size for a meal. Or guest has seen the Kingfisher a lot whilst he has been fishing. He has been perching on the Bullrushes around the island, very close to where he was fishing.

Chris is involved with a release programme for three Tawney Owls. It is to happen very soon. It is only a maybe, as the broadband connection at the location is not very good, but if it can be arranged we may put a camera at the site. The Young Tawny Owls are encouraged back to a location, so that they can be helped on their initial release. Eventually they will not return and start to fend for themselves.

Chris is to make a report about Denbury and what we do, for the Hawk and Owl Trust. Hopefully this may open more opportunities for additional webcams on our site.

The Lock of the Lowe’s have changed the Red Squirrel and Pine martin camera that we sent to them. The close up camera is now in focus both day and night and is much better.

Bliss came in lame again this morning, I thought that one poultice would have drawn the infected area, and that she would have been sound this morning. The poultice was still on her foot. With the infected area partly open I was surprised to see her limping. We will try to draw the poison out by soaking her foot in hot salty water, this very often works as a poultice would, in open wounds.

One entry on the forum asked if the Badgers were taking longer to eat the feed I put out, or was I putting out more. I thought they were eating it quicker than ever. I have not bee increasing the feed that I put out, and I wont be, as they the way they are breeding they must be getter more than ample.

I wasn’t watching the Badger tonight, so I couldn’t say if the limping Badger was out or not tonight, although I have seen it recently.

Categories
webcams

The fish and chips shop we use in Minehead is…

The fish and chips shop we use in Minehead is called the Sheppards Plaice, Alcombe Road. It has recently been taken over. Although the food is very good and cooked fresh why you wait, is just a tiny bit not as good as it was, with the previous owners. Don’t dare use the shops that cater for the holiday makers, it crap. There is a little place on the front at Minehead, we were quite late and went and ordered from it. They got the fish out of a packet. Needless to say we finished up being a little later. Don’t know what they did with our order, but I reckon the Gulls would have turned their nose up at it.

The main badger camera has been up for about two and a half years. I have told you before that it is on a telegraph post a least thirty foot up in the air. None of us a Denbury are keen on height, properly an understatement. The Lads are better than me with heights, but they would not go up the telegraph post. When I first came to Denbury I could hardly stand on a chair without being petrified, three rungs up a later and that was about it. In the past three years since I have been doing the webcams, I have got a lot better, but I am still not happy at the top of a small ladder. The picture quality of the cameras that are high up, do suffer as they don’t get cleaned as they should. Rain stains, cobwebs and dirt ruin the picture quality. A while back I told you that I thought that I would have to change the main Badger camera as I was having a little trouble with it. Fortunately the problem sorted it self out, although one of kind viewers did offer us assistance with changing the camera.

Hopefully we should now not have that problem any longer, for a kind company has donated to us a real posh, proper CCTV tower that tilts over with a winch. Today my Lads have been digging the hole to put in the bolts to hold the tower in place. As the tower weighs nearly 200 kilo the hole has got to be very big to hold the tower in place. Tomorrow we will be concreting the hole to secure the bolts. I should think that we will need to mix over a tonne of concrete. All I hope is that it is not to hot, like it was today, or it is going to be hard work. I suppose you can guess that we have finished making our last hay, by not wanting it to be to warm. Once the bolts are concreted in we will need to wait a week, to make sure that the base is really strong, for the weight of the tower. Of course we then have the problem of getting the camera down from the telegraph pole. When it is done it will make the keeping the camera clean and maintained a lot easier.

Categories
webcams

Not showing the Bird feeder and Squirrel nest as mentioned…

Not showing the Bird feeder and Squirrel nest as mentioned on the forum is down to me being a bit lazy. In between the camera and the feeders there are a large amount of bramble, that grows into the view of the camera. I do try to knock it back, but unfortunately they are very large bushes and it is difficult to knock the middle down as it is so far in. The easy option would be to put weed killer on them, but the Badgers have made their runs in them. We will be cutting the hedges shortly and they will be cut back them. The squirrel haven’t been using the feeder very much, in the past month or so. Where I would normally need to fill the feeder every two days, it has stayed nearly full for weeks. This time of year the Squirrels will be getting ready for the Winter, eating and stashing away the Hazel and Sweet Chestnut, of which this year there are more on the trees than I have ever seen at Denbury. I will get my Lads to knock the bramble back over next few days.

As we walked down the valley this afternoon with Tass and Kye the Sky was full with Swallows flying, strengthening themselves for their migration. I have never noticed it before, like it was today. They must have been bred on the farm, so there must have been a lot of nests that we missed, when we where looking for nest for the webcams. How they don’t crash into each other when they are darting in between each other I really don’t know.

I was telling you what webcams we are hoping to be doing soon. One that I tried on the farm last year, was with the Bats that we have in the farm house loft. You have no doubt seen that we do have a lot of Bats on the farm. On the cameras around the lake and valley there are always many to be seen. When I go to feed the Badgers of a night there are also many flying about. This time of year from our lounge window we can see them coming and going from our roof space, but when I go into the loft to look for them I can never find any, although some years ago when ever I had to go into the loft, there were many flying about up there. There are also a lot of the Bat dropping up there. I set a camera up in the loft thinking that I would see them flying around, that was a complete waste of time. I don’t know what type of Bats that we have at Denbury, by the different sizes of the Bats that I have seen on the camera when on the lake, there must be more than one type here.

There is a lot of baking of fruit pies this time of year, on the farm. We do get quite an assortment of fruits here. Plumbs, Damsons, Gooseberries, a variety of Apples from the Orchard and Blackberries. I am surprised that there are so many Blackberries after we had a lot of flowers and no fruit during the summer. This year there is a lot more fruit than normal.

Alex asked about the Horses, for those who may of missed their names when I told you a while back, the big Dark Bay is Arnie a 17.3hh Dutch Warmblood, the Palomino is Breeze our 14.2hh three quarter Arab, Lady with her Foal Willow are Thoroughbreds, the Bay is Bliss a yearling, as is the smaller Dark Bay Misty, both of which are also Thoroughbreds.

Categories
webcams

Peter the Manager of the Lock of the Lowe s…

Peter the Manager of the Lock of the Lowe’s sent me this link of photographs of Ospreys. As Peter I like the photo of the Osprey catching two fish at once. There are also a variety of other wildlife photographs.

http://www.miguellasa.com/gallery/1001578#33603804

I haven’t seen the Kingfisher for nearly a week now. I have left the camera on the branch, but of course I am not able to watch it all day. Let me know if any of you have seen it. If it is not about I will put the camera on the Bird feeders. I know that the Buzzards are about with their calling and I put the young one on the webcam last evening. It was on the fence in the Badger field. It didn’t stay there to long, but some of you may have seen it.

Funny Elsie should mention the Beavers. I am trying to get a place in Gloustershire, who introduced Beavers about three years ago, to let me do webcams from their site. I spoke to the people in the middle of last week. My suggestion are with the Directors at the moment, They have been thinking about doing it themselves, so we may be lucky. I had hoped to have done another Beaver webcam from a site in Scotland, unfortunately it looks doubtful, there is not a very good Broadband connection at the site. The connection is Satellite Broadband. We may be doing something else with them when they finish a new building.

I don’t know a lot about Beavers. I know that they are mainly nocturnal and their homes are called Lodges. We will need to use infra red lamps. We have a number of underwater cameras, If we are able to get the Beaver site, we may be able to put one in their Lodge.

We had expected to have had a visit from another organisation that are interested in us installing webcams for them. I mentioned them a while ago. I cant tell you who they are at the moment. It will be very good if we can work with them. They intend to come to Denbury in the first week in October.

We are quite confident that we will be doing a Barn Owl Nest next year. We have two alternative. Although I had hope that we may have encouraged them to Denbury. I have put up three Barn Owl Nest boxes and have left a few places to overgrow and die back to encourage voles, the Barn Owls main diet.

Derek Gow the specialist in Water Vole was going to send me some photos of his breeding site. This was over a month ago. I will speak to him next week. Chris Speering from the Hawk and Owl Trust is visiting us on the 10th of this month, he maybe able to suggest or find us other locations for webcams. Both Derek and Chris have websites. http://www.watervoles.com/ and http://chrissperring.com/HOTlocalgroup.htm

I did manage to see the Kingfisher this evening, so I will be putting the camera on the branch as usual.

Categories
webcams

We put up the new wire for the camera for…

We put up the new wire for the camera for the new webcam at the Trust. It will be in a barn that has a nest box and perching area focused on the orphaned Barn Owls. They are free to come and go as they please, so it should be interesting watching them. We have been having a problem with the camera that you can see on the webcam now, that is why it is in black and white. The new camera hopefully will allow the Barn owls to be in colour during the day. The new camera should be up and running over the next few days.

Categories
webcams

The three Red Deer that we saw a lot of…

The three Red Deer that we saw a lot of last Winter, showed themselves this evening, one of them had a Calf. It is the first time that I have seen them for a while. I regularly hear them in the woods when we walk the valley. We heard them this afternoon when we went for a walk with Tass and Kye. With the grass now short we will see more wildlife on the valley webcam. Just after I had got the Deer on the webcam a Fox trotted into view. On our walk we also saw the Buzzards hunting.

The camera we have down the valley is a different type than most of the others that we use. It is a full pan tilt and zoom, but one than you can put larger lenses on, and IR lamps so that that turns with the camera. It is a lot slower and tends to bounce about a bit when you move it. We have a very large 300mm lens on the camera, when it is zoomed in every movement is exaggerated.

It is the first time that have walked the valley since we made the hay. The tractors tyres have made some large ruts and cut the ground up because of it being so wet. The ground is still very wet, this continuous bad weather is not helping it to dry, although the grass is growing very quickly.

Kye is getting quite big now, she is only a couple of inches smaller than Tass, it wont be long before she catches up and probably be even bigger than Tass. Tass is one of the biggest German Shepperd’s that I have seen, so Kye is going to be a big dog. Trouble is that she is on the go 24/7 and she expects Tass to keep up with her. Tass does try and mostly likes playing with Kye. This afternoon on our walk Kye didn’t stop nagging Tass to play with her, running around her, biting at her feet to try to make her run faster. What ever distance we walked, I reckon Kye must have doubled it. We haven’t heard lately, about any of the other pups from the same litter as Kye, if any of the owners see this let us know on the forum.