nest camera

[sunspot]

There was a Great Gray Owl in the yard the other day which got me thinking (again) that I'd like to put a nesting platform up to hopefully attract a nesting pair of raptors. And if I'm going to climb a tree to do this (something I'm equipped to do) I might as well include a camera. But... while I don't mind climbing to put things in place I want no part of climbing to change batteries or memory cards. Thinking this has been done before and a solution would be easy to find I turned to google only to learn there's a home security camera with the name 'nest cam' which renders googling ineffective for someone actually interested in putting a camera in a bird's nest. So while my question is totally off topic y'all have proven a resourceful group with a wide range of knowledge and experience so I'm asking here: What is a typical nest camera setup with power and storage remotely accessible?

Thanks,

[NiHaoMike]

There are plenty of outdoor IP cameras available. Just run a long wire to power it.

[sunspot]

On further research, is there a solution that doesn't require a subscription, account, user fees, or wifi? I'm thinking more of a power cord and remote hard drive. I don't need live streaming.

[NiHaoMike]

Search for Ethernet connected outdoor cameras. Most of those will support PoE as well. Then use a Raspberry Pi as your own server.

[sunspot]

Originally Posted by RalphWilkins

Raspberry pi will be a good option for you. You can do a lot of customization with it too

Thanks Ralph. I've got a Pi running Naturebytes software now. It's in the house for testing and waiting patiently until I get the nest site prepped. Works great. I've yet to add the PIR sensor but that shouldn't pose a problem. I do have a question though. What about audio? Any ideas for adding that functionality to the nest cam?

Thanks,

[sunspot]

The microwave proximity sensor arrived. Works without issue (lower right in photo). One step closer...

[where2]

Originally Posted by sunspot

The microwave proximity sensor arrived. Works without issue (lower right in photo). One step closer...

Certainly, the photos from a 5MP Raspberry Pi camera aimed at a nest should be quite impressive!!

For those without such high skills in electronics and Linux, a Loosafe 1080P outdoor wifi camera (LS-C6) will probably exceed your expectations. I run mine with MicroSD cards for onboard storage which I can then download from my PC (on the same network). You can choose the frequency it snaps a still photo, and set recording hours for video. You can set them to push images to a FTP server, if you're computer savvy. I've chosen the ones with 8mm and 12mm lenses to limit my wide angle views, although I did purchase one with a zoom lens to allow me to choose which fixed focal length will work best in a particular install location. These cameras basically require 12V power, and wifi (or a wired ethernet connection). I use these cameras to snap the sunrise photos I miss taking every morning, because life doesn't always afford the chance to stop and watch the sunrise.

[NiHaoMike]

Another option that recently came out is the ESP32 camera.
https://hackaday.com/2019/02/02/cheap-esp32-webcam/