The osprey cameras

 

Text: Urmas Sellis, Estonian Ornithological Society

Screenshots  Sunshaine and Shanta, LK forum; 2013 image from the EENet archive

Translation Liis

Transmission courtesy of  Kernel, Tele2 and EENet

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There are two web cameras at osprey nests in Estonia, one in  Võru County (Võrumaa) and the other in Tartu  County (Tartumaa).

The Tartu  County nest we can watch from 2013 onwards

 

Estonian text posted 06.06.2018

 

Direct stream | News | Forum

Stream for mobile devices: iPhone, iPad, Windows Phone 10; Android, VLC, YouTube

For older computers: flash

The Tartu  County camera nest we built in the winter of 2013 to replace the natural nest that had fallen down and which was located about 50 m away. The osprey pair at once accepted the artificial nest as their own. The history of the nest can be read on the  introductory page of the forum. The ring of the female, Irma (ring U5) has been the same all the time but the males have changed. In the first two years male Ilmar nested here. His migration path can be seen on the migration map (autumn 2012 and  spring 2013). Ilmar’s transmitter was removed in the summer of 2013. The ospreys in recent years who have nested here have also mostly been ringed so their origins and ages are known. The current male Ivo (ring ED) was hatched about 50 km to the north in 2013. All important events are recorded in the forum. The nest has for instance been visited by stranger ospreys. For some of them the rings have been read and their origins are known.

The 2018 transmission from Tartu County runs from April 11. The camera image is transmitted through the Kernel connections into the EENet server. The EENet server distributes it to all who want to see it.

The camera at the nest is an AXIS F41 with a separate sensor and with a microphone constructed by Omar.

This image we saw on May 23 2013 at 6:21 :

And this was the view from the camera on May 23 2018 at 6:21

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We can watch the Võru  County nest from 2012 onwards.

Click on the image below to get a direct image from the second osprey camera:

 

Direct stream | News | Forum

Stream for mobile devices: iPhone, iPad, Windows Phone 10; Android, VLC, YouTube

For older computers: flash

We built the Võru  County camera nest in 2011 as replacement for the natural one that fell down in autumn; it was located about 300 m away. The osprey pair accepted the artificial nest together with the camera as their own at once next spring. The history of the nest can be seen in the  introductory page of the forum. The migration paths of female Piret who nested there in the beginning can be seen on the migration map (autumn 2012 and  spring  2013). We have not managed to remove Piret’s damaged transmitter from her although we know that she nested later in a new territory (about 35 km to  south-east). The nesting of the ospreys in this nest has offered some soap opera shows each spring. In the spring of 2018 the male who had nested here did not return from the migration and no osprey pair settled permanently. The rings of some of the ospreys that visited the nest temporarily were however read. All important events have been noted in the forum.

The transmission 2018 from the Võru County nest takes place from April 12. The image from the camera is transmitted by way of  the MikroTik aerial from Kernel to the nearest mobile tower and from there through the Tele2 cables into the EENet server. The EENet server distributes the image to all interested viewers.

The camera at the nest is an AXIS F41 with a microphone built by Omar.

Many helpers have participated in the realisation of the osprey camera:

Kotkaklubi – preparation of nests and help in installing the cameras
EENet – coding of the stream and distribution to users; storage of material
Beta-Grupp – testing cameras and audio functions , construction of microphones
TELE2 – mast, installation of aerial in the mast, use of fibre optic cable (Võru  County)
Kernel – adjustment of aerials, communication channel (Tartu  County)
AkuPluss – help with batteries
Joosep Tuvi – help in installing camera (Tartu  County)

Ain Nurmla - help in installing camera (Võru  County)
Bea – administration of the Osprey forums
Looduskalender – home site of cameras and forum
Many private supporters – from Estonia as well as further away, e.g. Hawaii (materials and equipment)
Thousands of watchers - who are the most important since otherwise the cameras would not have so much purpose!
The osprey cameras work automatically without external power. The power comes from the sun, and for stability it is stored in the batteries. The data are forwarded by way of WiFi links to the broadband mast several kilometres away.

      

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