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Post by pete11 on May 12, 2023 11:29:59 GMT
Woe is me - my camera is playing up! Started acting a bit flaky a few days ago, and now seems to be randomly deciding not to show me anything, or record anything. Each time it's happened so far I've rebooted it and it's come back to life, but it's happened yet again this morning, and I'm now wondering if something electronic inside it is slowly dying, and wondering if each reboot is just accelerating its demise. Bloomin' electronics! GF have been very helpful answering all my queries so far, but they've already stated that they've had trouble finding a new chip manufacturer (thanks to the Trump-induced US-Chinese trade war). My guess is in the race to get products shipped the testing phase has been rushed and the current batch of new cameras are exhibiting some problems. Couldn't be happening at a worse time! The other potential cause I'm guessing is maybe some water has got in somewhere - perhaps even something basic like a power connector. There've been some torrential downpours here recently so could be just that. Darn it!
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Post by matt on May 12, 2023 11:42:04 GMT
No! What a nightmare Pete, hope it comes back to life.. maybe after a bit of a cool down? Nothing worse than camera issues with a nest in progress. Speaking of which I had a snail crawl across my camera in the sparrow box yesterday but thankfully didn't settle there (or leave a slime trail..)
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Post by pete11 on May 12, 2023 11:48:58 GMT
No! What a nightmare Pete, hope it comes back to life.. maybe after a bit of a cool down? Nothing worse than camera issues with a nest in progress. Speaking of which I had a snail crawl across my camera in the sparrow box yesterday but thankfully didn't settle there (or leave a slime trail..) Well I was wondering if it was getting a bit stressed out recording to the SD card all the time plus streaming out to my raspberry pi. I've stopped the pi demanding the stream. Once it stops raining I'll do another reboot and then set it to record only motion events. See what happens. At the moment it's just feeding and more feeding with the chicks looking still pretty scrawny but some dark beginnings of feathers are starting to appear. I'm now almost more interested in when they get to the next major stage crowding out the box and looking like mini birds.
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Post by suep on May 12, 2023 15:07:11 GMT
Oh Pete, this is awful for you. I would be so upset if mine gave up or played up because I wouldn’t have a clue what to do. Hope you manage to get sorted. Timing couldn’t be worse. Sue
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Post by pete11 on May 12, 2023 21:23:25 GMT
Oh Pete, this is awful for you. I would be so upset if mine gave up or played up because I wouldn’t have a clue what to do. Hope you manage to get sorted. Timing couldn’t be worse. Sue Thanks Sue. It's a real PITA. It's been running almost completely solidly until a few days ago. Of all the times for it to decide to flake out. I rebooted it (nb whenever I say 'reboot' I basically mean pull the mains plug out of the outdoor socket, wait 10 seconds, then plug it back in again!).... it came back ok, and showed me the live feed...that was about 3pm. Well, it didn't last... round about 5.30pm it had all gone faulty again. I'm assuming for now it's something fundamental within the camera itself. But there's a faint chance it might be a dodgy power connector - the connectors supplied with the camera are sort of weatherproof to an extent, but in the past I've checked them over and sometimes found water lurking in them. So I'm trying to work out if I can do some careful inspection up a ladder tomorrow when the weather improves... trouble is the crucial connectors just hang directly next to the nest box, so I literally have to be up there poking about in order to achieve anything. I can't imagine Mr and Mrs BT will take too kindly to that happening. The one positive thing from this afternoon's brief camera reboot is that it showed me enough to know that TEN chicks are still in there being fed and looking alive and reasonably healthy.
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Post by suep on May 13, 2023 7:53:49 GMT
Must be really disappointing Pete, but as you say the chicks are healthy and being fed - our being able to see them is really just the bonus. Still upsetting though. Good luck in trying to sort. Sue
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Post by pete11 on May 13, 2023 9:10:13 GMT
At this point I'll be grateful if my camera manages to limp on in some shape or form until they've fledged - if I can even get an hour's viewing each day that'll be better than nothing.
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Post by WildlifePaul on May 13, 2023 9:33:35 GMT
Oh Pete, Gutted for you!!! I had nothing but trouble with green feathers cameras, I swear you get a year out of them before they "fail" I stopped buying from them in the end, The led lights are amazing though still going strong after a few years.
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benn
Senior Member
Posts: 143
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Post by benn on May 13, 2023 10:34:46 GMT
Oh no! I feel your pain.
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Post by karenupnorth on May 13, 2023 11:16:10 GMT
Agonising for you Pete, I know how you feel as a the very first camera I got and the first nest I had my camera died the day after hatching!! I was gutted! Good to hear the chicks are doing well though.
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Post by pete11 on May 13, 2023 12:17:44 GMT
Oh Pete, Gutted for you!!! I had nothing but trouble with green feathers cameras, I swear you get a year out of them before they "fail" I stopped buying from them in the end, The led lights are amazing though still going strong after a few years. Thanks Paul. Interesting to know your experiences of GF. I've actually got a gardennature camera in my other box (side view & much better pictures) but no chance of swapping to that now. I think a proper tech update is needed for next year. What cameras have you had good experiences with?
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Post by pete11 on May 13, 2023 21:26:30 GMT
Another camera restart this evening brought it back to life - who knows for how long. So while Eurovision was underway I grabbed some videos in case it was the last time! It looks to me as if there are now only NINE chicks active although it's very hard to tell if the #10 is still lurking somewhere - but Mum seems to be really burrowing down into the depths of the nest cup tonight, and I wonder if she senses something needs (ahem) removing, if you know what I mean? Anyway the nine active chicks are really growing, and stretching out beyond the confines of the nest cup, with dark feathers really starting to show on their bodies. In fact at least one of them is showing little hints of yellow and green feathers, too. Here are two video clips. I'm really really hoping these aren't the last ones the camera's willing to give me
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Post by suep on May 14, 2023 7:56:31 GMT
Such beautiful videos again Pete. Fantastic clear pictures. So hope your camera holds up. Sue
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Post by pete11 on May 14, 2023 18:43:54 GMT
I went up the ladder this afternoon and checked the camera connections. Mr & Mrs BT are *extremely* busy now, coming and going with food. They were so focused on their mission they just scolded me a bit and hung around waiting for me to climb down - quite sweet as it felt as if they knew I wasn't really a genuine threat and were just slightly wary of me. Anyway, the main power connector seemed quite loose - it sort of fell apart as I grabbed it. So I reconnected it firmly and then spent some time sorting out the power lead so it was more secure to the tree trunk. Camera is back up and running at the moment, but who knows for how long! Will post a couple of clips later this evening.
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Post by pete11 on May 14, 2023 22:22:59 GMT
Here we go... a couple of clips from earlier. My resurrected camera still seems to be working tonight. Will have to see if the luck holds....
I'm counting NINE chicks still. They all seem to be active and alive, although some more dominant than others. Feathers are really showing now, and their bodies are getting longer - they're stretching out of the nest cup on a regular basis and it's getting very crowded in there. Mr & Mrs are putting in a Herculean effort on the feeding front.
We went for a walk in Richmond Park this evening and there are little green caterpillars everywhere in the trees, dropping onto everything that passes. Must be the same with the trees near the garden I'd guess.
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Post by suep on May 15, 2023 6:53:02 GMT
Brilliant Pete, well done , it looks as though you have worked a miracle. Chicks are looking great. Hope everything now stays stable for you. Loving the videos, it shows me what mine will be like in a few days. Sue
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Post by WildlifePaul on May 15, 2023 13:24:43 GMT
All looking healthy Pete! Hope the camera holds out for you
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Post by pete11 on May 15, 2023 22:03:06 GMT
Pleased to report camera still running since yesterday's ladder shenanigans. Can't know for sure if it's the connections that were the problem, or if it's just something dodgy with the SD card (which I've switched off and stopped recording to altogether). Anyway main thing is I can still see the nest & chicks! Very relieved about that! Still nine chicks (not all visible in these pics)
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Post by suep on May 16, 2023 7:39:12 GMT
So pleased camera behaving for you Pete. Would miss your lovely pics. Sue
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Post by pete11 on May 17, 2023 11:50:21 GMT
Camera still functioning Been a tad busy the last few days so failed to post any clips or pics. Still NINE chicks - some more dominant than others. One seems to have made a little bid for solitude at some point this morning, leaving the nest cup altogether and lurking under a clump of feathers nearby They're really starting to be vocal now, and doing that little chirrupy thing they do at this point where it seems as if they're sort of communicating with each other as well as to the parents. Here's a batch of videos from this morning - in clip #2 there's a noise they all respond to by going quiet - either a magpie or squirrel sitting on the nest box roof for a short while:
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Post by pete11 on May 17, 2023 13:36:57 GMT
Oh and in other news, Robins are nesting in the garden at the moment - tucked away down low in the ivy...so hidden away I can't actually see the nest, so can't put a trail cam anywhere useful to capture anything.
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Post by suep on May 17, 2023 14:01:10 GMT
Brilliant videos Pete. Isn’t it amazing that even at this early age they know which sounds to go quiet for yet ignore other loud noises. Sue
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Post by pete11 on May 17, 2023 16:41:11 GMT
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Post by suep on May 17, 2023 19:17:10 GMT
Oh no!!! So feel for you Pete. I really hope you pull something out of the bag again. Sue
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Post by pete11 on May 18, 2023 14:44:54 GMT
Left it until 3.30pm today to try a restart, and it seems to have revived itself for now at least. It's as if something inside it is getting too hot and needs to cool down for 24hrs.
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