FAQ :: Enjoy Birds More Limited

Q: Which Camera Nest Box Should I Choose?

A: There are a number of differences between our camera nest boxes, the Eco Nest Box (B1), the Garden Nest Box (B2) (and Large Bird Camera Nest Box (B5)) and the Eco Mono Nest Box (B4). Each is designed for a specific role. The choice is up to you!

Mains or Battery? - The Eco Mono Nest Box is designed to run primarily on mains, although it can also be run on batteries. Because of this, it has extra long cables between the nest box and mains plug (approx 20 metres in total). In contrast, the Garden Nest Box and the Eco Nest Box are equipped to run on either mains or battery power.
Power Consumption - The Eco Mono Nest Box takes the most power to run, but as it runs on mains, you will hardly notice its consumption. If left on all year, it will probably use 10 to 20 units of electricity. The Eco Nest Box takes more power than the Garden Nest Box. If you are running your camera nest box on the mains (both come with a mains power supply), this may not be important to you. Running by battery, the Eco Nest Box will last about 6 days on a good new set of 4 size D batteries, whilst the Garden Nest Box, with its sophisticated electronics in both the nest box and the battery box will last about 14 days on the continuous setting and up to 7 months on the standard setting using a set of good new size D batteries.
Separate Battery Box - The Garden Nest Box and Large Bird Camera Nest Box have a separate electronic battery box, with sophisticated electronics designed to extend the life of the batteries, whilst the Eco Nest Box has a simpler battery box which still reduces the likelihood of disturbing the birds while changing the batteries, and makes it easy to reach the switch on the battery box or replace the batteries.
Rechargeable or Throwaway Batteries? - The Garden Nest Box and Large Bird Camera Nest Box are specifically designed to use either rechargeable or throwaway (sometimes known as alkaline or single use) batteries. Whilst the Eco Nest Box can be run on rechargeables, the battery life will be reduced due to the lower capacity and voltage of the batteries.
Black and White or Colour? - all of our camera bird boxes have a colour camera, but the Eco Mono Nest Box with its less sensitive camera will give a black and white picture all night and most of the day. When light levels are high enough, it will give a good colour picture. The Eco Nest Box will give a colour picture most of the time in daylight and black and white at other times (including all night). In contrast, the Garden Nest Box and Large Bird Camera Nest Box, with their advanced lighting systems, will give a good colour picture all day (using a small white light to supplement natural light), and at night give a black and white picture using its inbuilt infra red light. Whats more, you can set the light level at which it switches the lights on and off!
Picture Quality - although the cameras in all 3 camera nest boxes have the same resolution and number of pixels, you can generally expect a better picture quality from the Garden Nest Box and Large Bird Camera Nest Box, due to the more controlled lighting levels inside the nest box due to the sophisticated 3 stage white/infra red lighting system.
Light Levels - The sophisticated lighting system in the Garden Nest Box and Large Bird Camera Nest Box means that there is generally less light (either infra red or white) inside the Garden Nest Box which we think makes it less likely to be noticeable to the birds.
Solar and Wind Energy - Only the Garden Nest Box and Large Bird Camera Nest Box are equipped to plug in (up to 2 of) our Solar Panels or Wind Generators.
Price - With its electronic Battery Box, and advanced electronics, the Garden Nest Box or Large Bird Camera Nest Box cost more than the Eco Nest Box which in turn is more expensive than the Eco Mono Nest Box.

Q: How is the Camera Nest Box Made?

A: Our Camera Nest Boxes are made to last with heavy duty resin bonded exterior ply - delivering a robust weather proofed finish, fully drained floors and surface sunk nails/staples to resist rusting. Unlike solid wood, plywood is less likely to suffer from problems of warping and splitting after being left outside for long periods of time. This makes it look better for longer, and ensures the fixings for cameras continue working properly. Some of these boxes have been in use outside in the UK weather for over 8 years without significant deterioration. Plywood uses less natural resources than solid wood because there is less waste: you get more sheets of ply from a piece of felled timber. Plywood also often contains a proportion of recycled material, and in our opinion is much better environmentally than solid wood. We would recommend anyone to use camera nest boxes made of plywood.

Our Eco Nest Box is a camera nest box with a translucent polythene window designed to allow enough light into the box to ensure daytime colour pictures without any additional illumination, but still provide a shady location attractive to the nesting birds.

All our camera nest boxes have been designed (after consultation with experts) to have the right ventilation and insulation to make an ideal home for garden birds. The boxes are designed for easy inspection and cleaning, and our electronics and cameras are fixed at the top of the box to give a "birds eye" view of the nest. The camera bird boxes have quick release fixings to either the roof or side panel so that the cameras and electronics can be quickly moved from one nest box to another. The roofs are securely fastened, which, along with the generous overhang, deters predators.

Our camera nest boxes are all carefully hand finished to provide an attractive home to the birds, whilst being environmentally positive. All our products are made out of wood that has been carefully traced to have been sourced from responsibly managed forests independently certified in accordance with the rules of the Forest Stewardship Council (We are certified under number SA-COC-001654-EK FSC).

The battery boxes supplied with some of the camera nest boxes are designed to match the camera nest boxes, using the same high quality materials and production techniques, but are of course to smaller overall dimensions. Both camera nest boxes and battery boxes are designed to look good to their human purchasers and to enhance the look of either modern or cottage style gardens, as well as rural and urban locations.

Q: Why do your camera nest boxes have a quick release system?

A: To increase the chances of obtaining good pictures of birds nesting in our camera nest boxes.

Our camera nest boxes are designed to provide the correct protection for the sensitive camera and electronics, and give the ability to move the electronics and camera rapidly from one nest box to another without disturbing the birds. That is why we protect the electronics and camera mechanically by fixing them just under the roof, and using a combination of separate packaging for the most sensitive components such as the camera itself, and protective silicon based film applied after assembly, also aim to provide environmental protection.

Tests have shown that the time from opening the roof of the box, moving the electronics in or out, to closing it again can be as little as 5 seconds. This makes it possible to put up two or more camera nest boxes in your garden, with just one camera. You can then move the camera to the box that the birds choose to nest in, dramatically increasing your chances of obtaining nesting images, whilst causing the absolute minimum of disturbance to nesting birds.

Q: Why do some of your camera nest boxes and wildlife cameras have a separate battery box?

A: Garden Nest Boxes - These camera bird boxes have a separate battery box for 3 reasons:

From the users' point of view, if the battery box is mounted at a convenient height (eg at the bottom of a tree) it makes it easy and safe to change the batteries without having to climb up the tree or wall etc,
From the birds' point of view it is less disturbing for a human to change the batteries in a separate battery box several feet away than approach the actual camera nest box.
From the technical perspective the battery box is is where we locate some of our electronics, for extending battery life and connecting solar panels or wind generators.

Outside Wildlife Cameras - These products have separate battery boxes to enable the camera to operate on batteries, either in a static position, or (perhaps when used for field work) or as a portable unit.

Q: Can you have different sizes of entrance hole in the camera nest box?

A: Yes, this is perfectly possible.

All our standard camera nest boxes are supplied with a 32mm entrance hole because it gives the best chance of getting birds to nest, in most gardens. Camera nest boxes with 32mm holes are likely to attract Tree Sparrow, Great Tit, Crested Tit, Nuthatch and Pied Flycatcher, as well as smaller birds such as the Blue Tit, Tree Sparrows and many other common garden visitors in the UK.

We also supply 25mm and 28mm hole plates which fit onto the front of the camera nest boxes and reduce the entrance hole size. These will narrow down the options of which bird species you will be able to attract to the new home you are providing. The 25mm diameter hole is preferred by Blue Tit, Coal Tit, Marsh Tit, Treecreeper, and very small birds, but will not be used by larger birds. The 28mm hole size is designed to attract Tree Sparrows, Great Tits, and Crested Tits, and is sometimes used by the smaller birds above.

We also make (to special order) more specialised camera nest boxes suitable for other species, and in addition sell the same electronics and camera in the Garden Nest Pod, a nest box camera designed to fit onto the side or roof of customers' own nest boxes. Please email us for details if you are looking for a specialised nest box camera or information not on our web site.

Q: What electronics are there in the wildlife cameras and bird box cameras?

A: All our camera nest boxes and wildlife cameras contain wireless colour cameras with microphones and infra red lights. Most also contain additional electronics.

The Eco Mono Nest Box (B4) and Eco Nest Box (B1) contain a microphone and camera with infra red lights (to give enough illumination at night) and a transmitter.
The Garden Nest Box (B2) and Large Bird Camera Nest Box have an on-board control system which operates a sophisticated lighting system, a camera, microphone and a transmitter, as well as an electronic controller which manages the power consumption to maximise battery life. The lighting system monitors the amount of light entering the camera bird box, and depending on how much natural light is available, will switch the internal lights off (for bright sunshine), or put a single small white light on (to ensure a good colour picture all day), or at night switch the white light off and turn on an infra red light which will give black and white pictures all night. The birds are insensitive to infra red, so this ensures that their natural rhythms are not disturbed.
The Electronic Battery Box (provided with our Garden Nest Boxes and Large Bird Camera Nest Boxes) also contains sophisticated electronics, in the shape of a switched mode power supply which extracts all the useful energy from the batteries, and charging circuitry which enables the use of solar panels or small wind generators as a power source.
The Daylight Sensing Battery Box (A32) (provided with our Wildlife Camera (C10) or which can be used as an accessory with the Eco Nest Box (B1) or Bird Table Camera (C11)) contains similar sophisticated electronics, in the shape of a switched mode power supply which extracts more energy from the batteries, and charging circuitry which enables the use of solar panels or small wind generators as a power source. In addition, this battery box has an electronic daylight sensing system for switching the camera on at dawn and off at dusk.
The Wildlife Camera (C10) and Bird Table Camera(C11) have a camera, bank of infra red lights, light sensor (for switching the IR lights) and transmitter, all enclosed within the camera housing.

Q: What batteries do I need?

A: All our camera nest boxes and wildlife cameras will work on mains. All will also operate on batteries. All are supplied with mains power units. Using mains of course, no batteries are needed.

The Eco Nest Box (B1) and Bird Table Camera (C11) each take 4 size D batteries.
The Large Battery Boxes (A31) take 4 size "D" batteries.
The Eco Mono Nest Box (B4) can be run on 1 PP3 battery.
All our other nest box cameras and wildlife cameras and all inclusive packages are supplied complete with an electronic battery box which takes 8 size D batteries. These are designed to operate on either alkaline (throwaway) batteries or rechargeable batteries (NiCad or NiMH).
With one exception (the Solar Computer Nesting Package (P82)), none of our camera nest boxes, wildlife cameras or packages are sold with the actual batteries you will need.
The Solar Computer Nesting Package includes a complete set of rechargeable batteries

Q: How long do the batteries last?

A: The overall life of the batteries in any of the camera nest boxes or wildlife cameras, before they are discharged, depends mainly on 6 factors:

The capacity of the batteries (we recommend you use long life types)
Whether you switch to “standard/eco” or “continuous” mode
How much natural light is available
How much activity there is in the box
Whether you use throwaway (ie alkaline or single use) or rechargeable batteries
The distance to the receiver and any obstacles nearby

As examples, we estimate that with alkaline batteries in a normal location on “standard” mode, the Garden Nest Box will require about 4 or 5 battery changes a year. The Eco Nest Box will last around 4 days hours on a fresh set of size D alkaline batteries.

Q: Will the wireless transmitter in the camera nest box hurt the the birds?

A: No. The transmitters use very low output power, in the same frequency range as, for instance “Bluetooth” products, which are considered safe for humans to use in earpieces etc. We have no evidence that this will harm the birds in any way.

Q: Will the wireless transmission interfere with or be interfered with by anything else?

A: Because of the low outputs allowed for devices using the 2.4 GHz band, it is unlikely that you will get any noticeable interference. Because all our cameras are tuned to 1 of 4 different specific frequencies within the 2.4 GHz band, there is plenty of room for other equipment to use other frequencies.

Q: What operating modes do the Wildlife Cameras and bird box cameras have?

A: Operating modes are all controlled by switches on the battery boxes.

The Large Battery Box and Eco Nest Box simply has an on/off switch
The Electronic Battery Box (supplied as part of the Garden Nest Box and the Large Bird Camera Nest Box), Computer Nesting Package and Solar Computer Nesting Package) has a 3 position switch for Standard, Continuous or Off. Standard mode increases battery life by performing a partial power-down whenever there is a prolonged period of inactivity in the camera nest box
The Daylight Sensing Battery Box (supplied as part of the Wildlife Camera and the Computer Wildlife Camera Package and also available separately) has a 3 position switch - for Economy, Continuous or Off. Economy mode switches off at dusk and on at dawn, and can saves about 50% of the battery power.

Q: How does the lighting system in your camera nest boxes work?

We fit different lighting systems to our different products.

Camera Nest Boxes
- The lighting system fitted in the Garden Nest Box, Large Bird Camera Nest Box, Computer Nesting Package and Solar Computer Nesting Package has a sophisticated sensor which monitors the natural light entering the camera nest box. When there is sufficient light for a good colour picture, no further light is added. However, when the light level drops (to that typical for daylight), a tiny supplementary white light is switched on to ensure a good colour picture. When the light level drops to night time levels, the white light is switched off, and is replaced by infra red (which cannot be seen by the birds). This means that the camera can get a picture 24 hours a day (colour during day time and black and white at night), without disturbing the birds. The light levels at which this switching occurs are pre-set before delivery, but can easily be adjusted by the user, without disturbing any nesting birds.
- The Eco Nest Box has infra red lights which ensure that the birds can be viewed at night as well as during the day, when (because of its translucent window) natural light is sufficient for a good colour picture.
- The Eco Mono Nest Box has infra red lights which ensure that the birds can be viewed in black and white whenever there is not enough light for a colour picture.
Wildlife Cameras
- TheWildlife Camera, Computer Wildlife Camera Package and Bird Table Camera each have a bank of infra red lights mounted on the camera which automatically come on when the light level at the camera becomes too low for a good colour picture. With these lights on, a good black and white picture is possible all night long, or in dark places, such as under water in a pond.

Q: Will the lights in the camera nest box disturb the birds?

A: No.

Research shows that birds' natural rhythms are affected by the length of the day (ie the number of daylight hours) and also by any very high intensity light visible to them. Our lighting systems have been designed to avoid both these effects. They use only one white light which is turned down to the lowest level consistent with obtaining a good colour picture. To a nesting bird this will appear like a chink of light coming through the roof of the box, and will seem quite natural. The infra red lighting used overnight is not visible to the birds. Indeed, since the lighting system is operating before, during and after the point at which the birds choose to nest in our boxes, we know they are not deterred by it.

We are thus very confident that the lighting systems do not disturb the birds either in the nest box cameras, or being viewed by the wildlife cameras or bird table cameras.

The cameras in our camera nest boxes have been specially optimised to give good pictures in very low light conditions, both to save battery life and to minimise the effect on the birds.

Q: How do I fix the camera nest box to the tree?

A: Like most bird boxes, you can use nails or screws, or a band of rubber, string, rope or cable round the tree.

Q: Can I have several camera nest boxes or wildlife cameras in my garden?

A: Yes. As each camera transmits on one of the 4 different channels available within the 2.4 GHz band, you can have 4 cameras simultaneously within the same area, without interference.

Due to the low output power of the cameras, and the shielding effect of house walls, it is also generally possible to have one "area" on one side of the house with 4 cameras transmitting, and another area on the opposite side with an additional 4 cameras. If you are purchasing an additional wildlife camera or camera nest box, please email us to tell us the channels in use already, so we can ensure that your new nest box camera or wildlife camera operates on a different channel.

Q: What is the wireless transmission range of the camera nest boxes and wildlife cameras?

A: Our wireless camera nest boxes and wildlife cameras have a nominal range of 100 metres. In clear air, and good conditions, in practice you can expect to get more than this, but if the wireless signal has to pass through walls or there are other obstacles in the vicinity, the achieved range is likely to be reduced.

We also provide, to special order, modifications and accessories which can provide very long distance links for the cameras.

Q: Do I need a PC?

A: No, but you can use one if you wish. You can view and hear the birds in the nest box on your TV, and record them on your video recorder.

Q: What is the minimum spec for a PC to use?

A: Most reasonably modern PCs will far exceed the specification required.

The Enjoy Birds More by PC software package requires a PC or laptop with Windows 98 or higher, a CDROM drive to load the Enjoy Birds More by PC software, a working USB socket and video to USB converter or video card to receive the pictures, a working sound system to play the sounds from the nest box, at least 50MB of free disk space to hold programs and data, and a speed of at least 100MHz.
The Video to USB Converter or any of the products which include it (PC Video Viewer, Computer Nesting Package, Solar Computer Nesting Package or Computer Wildlife Camera Package) need a PC with an available USB 2 compliant port, Windows 2000, XP or Vista, a Pentium III Processor working at 800MHz or above (or equivalent), 600 MB of disk storage available, 256MB of memory (RAM) available and a CDROM Drive.
- If your PC has the slower USB 1.1 port, on request we can provide an alternative specification Video to USB Converter, whih instead requires Windows 98, 98SE, ME, 2000 or XP, a Pentium Processor working at 100MHz or above (or equivalent), 50 MB of disk storage available, 128MB of memory (RAM) available and a CDROM Drive.

Q: How do I load the software?

A: The Enjoy Birds More by PC software is supplied on CDROM, and is easily loaded using our simple user instructions.

Q: Do I need an Internet connection?

A: No. This is not required for the software.

Q: Can I use another maker’s camera bird box with Enjoy Birds More By PC?

A: Yes. The software package will work with input from other makes of camera and nest box, as will the Video to USB Converter and the PC Video Viewer.

Q: Can I connect my nest box camera to my computer network?

A: Yes. Using our Network Server, you can connect up to 4 camera nest boxes (or other cameras) into a network point or into your hub or router. The server does not need to tie up one of the computers on the network, and once the server is connected to the network, any device on the network (computer, laptop, Apple Mac, whiteboard, projector etc) using a browser (subject to network permissions) can see live pictures, and work with them. You can even access the pictures remotely over the Internet, so you could keep checking on your camera nest box from anywhere in the world.

Q: Can I view the live pictures if I am away from home?

A: Yes. With the Network Server, you can set it up so that the pictures from your camera nest box or wildlife camera can be connected to your home/office/school computer network, and (if connected to the Internet) viewed by any computer, Smartphone etc connected to the Internet.