southern california bluebird club · this document is a member of the southern california bluebird...

Southern California Bluebird Club “How-To” Series

Build a Camera Equipped Nestbox

Document Version 1.0 October 10, 2012 Michael G. Spohn [email protected]

SCBC How-To Series Build a Camera Equipped Nestbox

www.socalbluebirds.org “Our mission is for the birds” October 10, 2012

Introduction

This document is a member of the Southern California Bluebird Club ‘How-To’ series of guides provided to club members and interested birders. In this guide, we walk you through the process of building a bluebird nestbox that contains a video camera. The nestbox camera idea started as an R&D project sponsored by the Southern CA Bluebird Club in

Spring 2011. The goals of the project were pretty simple:

Explore modern camera technology for use in a bluebird nestbox.

Modify the dimensions of a proven nestbox design for installation of a camera.

Provide a solar power option for the camera.

Ensure the use of a camera in a nestbox poses no hazard or danger to any wildlife.

Establish safe monitoring practices for camera equipped nestboxes.

After extensive testing, the D-Link DCS-932L Internet camera was chosen for installation into the prototype nestbox. This camera is compact, lightweight, and provides infrared lights for night viewing. The camera nestbox is based on the brilliant design of Dick Purvis’s hanging nestbox. This nestbox has fledged hundreds of thousands of bluebirds in southern California since the 1980’s. It is a simple design

that provides plenty of room for the WEBL. The height of the nestbox was raised 2 ¾” to provide room for the camera. The prototype camera nestbox was hung in an apricot tree in a residential area in San Clemente, CA for the 2012 nesting season. It replaced an original Purvis nestbox that had a pair of bluebirds occupy it for several years. A video feed from the camera was provided on the Internet. A pair of WEBL’s scouted the nestbox in March 2012 and took up residence. The camera did not bother them one bit. Many hours of video of the bluebird’s nesting activity were recorded. Five bluebirds fledged the camera nestbox. There are five sections in this document.

Introduction

Required Materials

Building Steps

Camera Setup

Closing Thoughts I included a large number of photographs along the way to make it easier to visualize the building steps. Please remember that you do not have to exactly follow these plans. In fact, I encourage you to innovate and find ways to build a better camera box. If you do so – just remember – do not take any chances. The safety of the birds is the most important goal of our scientific research.



Required Materials

The building of a camera equipped nestbox is not as complex as it appears. The first step is to gather the required tools and building materials. You do not need expensive power tools to build a nestbox. Basic woodworking and hand tools work just fine. The first step is to gather the wood you will use to build you nestbox. The SCBC members are avid conservationists so we encourage you to used recycled building materials. Be sure the lumber that you choose is clean, solid, and unpainted on one side. (The inside of the box should be natural wood). For this project, I used ½” white pine. Figure 1 below shows the cutting diagram for the nestbox. Figure 1 Camera nestbox dimensions

Left Side12 ¾”

6”

Back

6 ¾”

Right Side 12 ¾”

6”

Floor

5 ¼”

5 ¼”

Top

8”

9 ½”

Door

5 ¼”

9 3/4”

1 ½”

Window

5 ¼”

2 5/8"¾”

4 ½”

6 ¾”6"

Door

6 ¾”

Top View

(Top Removed)

Floor

Window

Door

Top

Sid

e

Sid

e

Front View

Top

Side

Side View

Vent Holes



You will also need nails or screws and a high-quality exterior wood glue. It is recommended that you use galvanized nails or screws. The additional parts I used to build the prototype nestbox are shown below in Figure 2 and Table 1.

Figure 2 - Additional materials

Table 1 Additional materials

# Item Notes

1 D-Link DCS-932L Network Camera Amazon.com, Best Buy, Staples, Office Depot ($99.00)

2 12 Gauge Wire for hanger Lowe’s, Home Depot

3 ¼ -20 threaded rod Lowe’s, Home Depot

4 ¼-20 nylon lock nuts (4) Lowe’s, Home Depot

5 Staples to secure wire to top Lowe’s, Home Depot

6 12V Battery quick connect wire Amazon.com

7 Heat shrink tubing or electrical tape Lowe’s, Home Depot

8 .10 mil acrylic sheet Lowe’s, Home Depot

9 Epoxy and super glue Not shown

http://www.dlink.com/us/en/home-solutions/view/network-cameras/dcs-932l-day-night-cloud-camera

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003C01FD6/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i01



Building Steps

Step 1 – Cut lumber to size

Using Figure 1 as a guide cut your lumber to the required dimensions. I always cut the door a little bigger than shown, and cut it to final size when the rest of the box is assembled. This ensures a good fit for the door. The dimensions do not have to be exact – so do not strive for perfection. Just make sure the internal size of the box is 5” x 5”. The acrylic window above the door provides backlighting for the camera. Experimentation determined this window provides clearer video during daylight hours. To make the cut-out for the window, drill holes at each corner, and then use a sabre or coping saw to create the opening (Figure 3).

Figure 3 – Window cutout

The cut lumber used to build the prototype camera nestbox is shown in Figure 4.

Figure 4 - Cut lumber

Step 2 – Assemble Nestbox

Pilot holes



Now that you have the lumber cut – let’s assemble the basic box components. Start by nailing or screwing the side pieces to the back. Be sure the back of the box overlaps the sides. In other words, the sides are nailed to the front of the back, not the sides of the back. Be sure to glue the pieces as well as nail them together. Next, glue/nail a small piece of wood on the back 3” below the top. This will hold the internal acrylic piece that protects the camera. As shown in Figure 5, I used two stacked Popsicle sticks.

Figure 5 – Assembled sides

Next, glue and nail the window and the bottom to the box. You may need to clamp the assembly while the glue dries. Remember, you always want to build a nestbox that will never fall apart. Once the glue dries, glue the internal acrylic piece in place. I cut the acrylic pieces from a 2’ x 2’ (0.8”) sheet I bought at Lowe’s. The internal acrylic piece is 5” x 5 ¼”. Notice I cut off the corners to allow for ventilation. You can cut the acrylic using an acrylic cutting knife or a band saw. If you use a knife, be very careful because they are very sharp. Notice the back of the acrylic glues to the top the Popsicle sticks, and the front glues to the bottom of the window frame. I use super glue to secure it. This is shown in Figure 6 and 7.



Figure 6 – Window frame, bottom, and acrylic in place

Figure 7 - Top view



Step 3 – Install the Camera

The next step is to install the web camera. This is an easy task. It does require that you trim the base of the mounting post base so it will fit in the box. From the bottom of the mounting post, push the two small clips that hold the beauty ring in place and remove it. This is shown in Figure 8.

Figure 8 – Remove beauty ring

Next, cut a section of the base off. Using a ruler, draw a straight line across the base and then cut the section off using a saw. I used a scroll saw, but you can use a hacksaw or a sharp utility knife. Note: Be sure to trim off the section that does not contain the mounting holes. The trimmed mounting post is shown if Figure 9.

Figure 9 – Trimmed post base

Now that the mounting post will fit in the box, it is simply a matter of drilling two small mounting holes and screwing the mount in place. I used two sheet metal screws. The installed mounting post is shown in Figure 10.



Figure 10 – Installed camera mount

Once the camera mount is installed, you can install the camera to ensure it fits correctly. The camera screws onto the mount as show in Figure 11.

Figure 11 - Installed camera

We will wire up power to the camera later.



Step 3 – Install the roof mounts

Perhaps the hardest task in building this box is installing the roof mount bolts. In order to service the camera, the roof of the nestbox must be removable. At the same time, we must ensure the roof is securely bolted in place since it bears the weight of the entire box as it hangs in a tree. To secure the roof, I purchased a 2’ length of ¼-20 threaded rod, four ¼-20 nylon cap bolts, and 4 flat washers. Using a hack saw, cut four 2 ½” lengths of threaded rod. Using a metal file, reshape the threads damaged by the hack saw. Next, place your roof upside down on your workbench. Flip the box upside down and place it on the roof. Position the box closer to the back of the roof so there is more of an overhang to the front. Once you have the box positioned properly, use a pencil and draw a line on the roof along the edges of the box. Remove the box and draw lines ½” to the inside of the box outline lines. The roof should now have pencil lines that show the outline of the box. This is shown in Figure 12.

Figure 12 - Box outline on roof

Mark a dot in the box at each corner of the box outline on the roof. Drill four small pilot holes through the roof at each dot. Next, place the box upright on your bench. Place the roof, top up, on the box. Align the roof to the box so the box outline marks on the bottom are perfectly aligned with the outer edges of the box. Using the same small drill bit, feed the bit through the pilot holes in the roof and drill straight down 1 -1/4” into the sides of the box. This will create pilot holes in the box where you will install the roof bolts. You can see these pilot holes in Figure 13.

Pilot hole location



Figure 13 - Roof bolt pilot holes

Carefully drill ¼” holes 1 ½” straight down into the sides of the box at the exact location of the pilot holes. Mix up a small amount of 2-part epoxy and smear it on half the length of all four roof bolts. Screw the roof bolts into the holes until they extend exactly 1 1/8” above the sides. To screw the bolts into the box, I used two ¼-20 bolts locked together at the top of each rod. You can then use a combination wrench to thread the rods into the box. Wipe away any excess epoxy before it dries. The installed roof bolts are shown in Figure 14

Figure 14 - Roof bolt pilot holes

1 1/8” rise



To complete the roof mounts, you need to drill holes in the roof large enough for the bolts to pass through. At the location of each pilot hole in the roof, drill 5/16” holes. You may have to make these holes slightly out-of-round to get all four mounting bolts to pass through the roof. The complete assembly is shown in Figure 15.

Figure 15 Roof mount assembly

Step 4 – Install the roof hanger

If you are not going to use the Purvis style tree hanger you can ignore this section. Attach whatever mounting system you use in your area. If you are going to hang the nestbox in a tree, then read on. It is important to note the roof I used in this “How-To” was cut with a router using a custom jig on my router table. That is how I cut the drip rails around the edges and the recessed hanger wire slot. You do not have to be this fancy. However you attach the hanger wire to the inside of the roof, just be sure it is secured and to ensure it will never come loose. Dick Purvis bends the hanger wire inside the box into a ‘V’ shape and secures it with large staples. He then uses a construction adhesive to glue the wire to the roof. Ok – let me show you how I do it. Cut a 24” length of 12 gauge wire and make sure it is as straight as possible. Cut a hole in the roof near the exact center of the box and slip the wire through the hole from the top side. Next, bend the wire into a large ‘V’ shape that rests flat against the top. In my design, I bend the hanger wire 90 degree with a length that fits into the slot. This is shown in Figure 16.



Figure 16 – Hanger wire inside box Next, I use several staples to secure the wire in the slot. Finally, I fill the slot with a high-quality construction adhesive to ensure the wire will never move. This is shown in Figure 17.

Figure 17 – Hanger wire secured inside box Now that the wire is securely attached to the roof, on the top side of the roof we need to bend it into a loop for hanging. From the top side of the roof, bend the wire 90 degree towards the front 3” from the top. Now using a round shaped can (I use a car wax can), bend the wire around the can to form a loop. Bend the wire until it looks similar to the photo in Figure 18.



Figure 18 – Hanger wire loop

Note: Due to the additional weight of the camera, I use two lengths of 12 gauge wire. After I bend the wire 90 degrees and before I bend it in a loop, I cut a second length of wire. I spray silicone on both wires then slip a length of ¼” automotive fuel hose over both wires. Then I bend the loop shape. You can see in the photo the black fuel hose. Inside the hose is two lengths of 12 gauge wire. Step 5 – Install the door

Trim the door if needed to ensure there is enough space on each side that it will not bind if it expands during hot weather. Cut a 1-1/2” hole 1” below the top of the door. I use a Forstner bit mounted in a drill press. Be sure to remove any rough edges with sandpaper. Attach the door to box using box nails or screws. I use drywall screws and install them 3 1/3” from the top so the door swings open from the bottom. Cut a slot in the bottom of the door and attach a rotating fastener to lock the door shut. The completed door assembly is shown in Figure 19.

Figure 18 – Completed door assembly



Step 6 – Glue the window in place

Cut a 5 ¼”” x 1 ¼” piece of acrylic and glue it to the front of the box over the window opening. I use super glue to do this. Be careful the glue you use does not smear beyond the edges of the acrylic. Step 7 – Install the camera wiring

To power the camera, you need to provide it 12 volts of direct current (DC) with a power supply that can produce at least 1 ampere of current. You have two options. 1) You can power it with the power supply provided with the camera, or 2) You can power it with a solar panel. The advantage of using the power supply provided with the camera is its simplicity. The disadvantage is that you have to have a 120V outlet pretty close to where you hang your nestbox. If you want to go solar, you will have to assemble the components. This is a fairly involved process. I have written another “How-To” document that describes the solar power option. In this “How-To” I will describe how to wire up you camera to use the provided D-Link power supply. There are two tasks you need to complete to wire up your camera. First, you must create a power lead that connects to the camera inside the box. Second, you need to wire up a battery quick-connect plug to the D-Link power cube. The parts you will need are shown in Figure 20 and listed in Table 2.

Figure 20 – Camera wiring parts

Table 2 Camera wiring materials

# Item Notes

1 D-Link power cube Included with your camera

2 14 Gauge stranded wirer Outside sprinkler system wire

3 12V Battery quick connect wire (2) Completely weatherproof

4 ¼-20 nylon lock nuts (4) Lowe’s, Home Depot

Cut the power tip end off the D-Link power block leaving about 2” of wire attached to the tip. The positive lead of the power cube wire is marked along its length with dashes. Strip the ends off the power tip wire and one end of the 14 gauge wire. Solder the power tip leads to the end of the 14 gauge wire. Tape the soldered joints with electrical tape. Slide a 2” piece of heat-shrink tubing over the tape and heat it with a butane lighter to shrink it tight.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003C01FD6/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i01



Drill a ¼” hole through the back of the nestbox in the upper left corner so you can feed the camera power line out of the box. On the non-power tip end of the 14 gauge wire you need to solder a battery quick-connect. Be sure to thread the unsoldered end of the 14 gauge wire through the hole you drilled from the inside of the box before you solder the battery quick-connect lead. It is important that the “enclosed” lead of the quick connect, connects with the camera tip lead marked with dashes. Closely follow the wiring diagram shown in Figure 21.

Figure 21 – Camera power tip wiring polarity

Figure 22 shows the camera power tip lead connected to the camera and the 14 gauge wire exiting the box at the back.

Figure 22 – Camera power tip installed

+ Polarity

- Polarity

+ Polarity

- Polarity

+ Polarity

- Polarity

Enclosed

lead



You can see that I secured the wire at the back of the box with a strain relief clamp. This is shown in Figure 23.

Figure 23 – Strain relief clamp

You will next connect a battery quick-connect to the D-Link power brick. When you do you must wire the quick-connect opposite the way you did the power tip. Follow the diagram in Figure 24.

Figure 24 – Camera power brick wiring

When you have all the wiring complete you should be able to plug the D-Link power brick into the camera power lead protruding from the back of the box. This is shown in Figure 25.

- Polarity

+ Polarity

- Polarity

+ Polarity

Enclosed

lead

Power

Brick



Figure 25 – Camera power brick wiring

Remember, you must be sure your wiring connects the dashed (-- - -) wire of the D-Link power brick from the brick all the way to the tip. If you make a mistake and reverse the polarity you will not damage the camera – it will just now power up. Correct the polarity and it will fire right up. To remember how I wire the quick-connects, I swiped a bottle of finger nail polish from my wife and painted the positive side of each quick-connect in red. This makes it easy for me to connect wires together. If the red side of the connectors don’t’ mate – then the polarity is wrong. See Figure 26.

Figure 26 – Color coded connectors



Step 8 – Install the roof

We are finally at the last step of the assembly – bolting on the roof. Slide the roof over the hold-down bolts so it rests flat on the box. Install four flat washers and bolt the roof to the box using ¼-20 nylon lock nuts. Congratulation - you are done. The complete box is shown in Figure 26 and 27.

Figure 26 – Roof installed

Figure 27 – Assembled nestbox



Camera Setup

D-Link provides a very good installation guide with their cameras that is easy to follow. The only requirement is that you have a wireless network within the range of the nestbox camera. Most builders of this camera nestbox will hang the box in their yard close to the house.

Follow the instructions that came with the camera to get it connected to your wireless network. Once the camera is on your wireless network, you can connect to it using a web browser. Be sure to explore the CD that came with the camera. D-Link has a terrific surveillance application that can be used to record the video feed from your camera.

Closing Thoughts

The goal of this document is to show how I leveraged some amazing video technology to learn more about bluebirds. The design of my nestbox is really nothing more than a prototype. So far – the results have been spectacular.

My hope is that average builders can replicate my design following the steps in this document. My dream is that you take this idea to the next level. There are many improvements that can be made to this design. If you have any questions or comment about my camera nestbox I would love to hear from you. Send me an Email or visit the Southern California Bluebird Club web site at www.socalbluebirds.org. Michael Spohn San Clemente, CA [email protected]

http://www.socalbluebirds.org/

southern california bluebird club · this document is a member of the southern california bluebird...

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