Bird's-eye view - Dunedin nest cam captures antics

When Chris Burgess noticed a blackbird nesting in the rose bushes outside his Dunedin home, he hatched a plan to keep an eye on it from afar.

With the aid of a cheap web cam connected to a Raspberry Pi - a credit card-sized computer - Mr Burgess made the bird's antics accessible to all via a stream on YouTube.

Mr Burgess hadn't been paying much attention to the views the stream had drawn, but said he'd noticed a dozen or two people watching at times since Saturday, when it started.

'It's relaxing but compelling viewing for a spare screen," the IT developer said.

"On my desk I've got three screens and in the corner of one of them I've had the bird there - it's like having a pet at the office only less smelly."

Mr Burgess said he was mostly doing it to share the sight of the bird life with his children and their schoolmates.

"They could watch any old wildlife video, but if you know it's happening at that boy's house and in their neighbourhood it makes it that much more direct for them."

He expects the birds will fledge after two or three weeks, at which point he plans to pull the camera down.

"Or maybe I'll just find something else interesting to point it at."

- Blair Mayston 

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