Become a BRI Webcam Member

Greetings all!

BRI is very excited to announce the launch of a membership program.

Please click here to become a member

Through this program and your support we hope over the nesting season to raise $65,000 to ensure that we are able to keep these systems running free for everyone.

There are seven different giving levels with the membership and they each have unique and exciting thank you gifts. All members will be automatically signed up for our electronic updates and will receive a BRI sticker--the e-updates will be free for all viewers. The membership levels are.

1. Fledgling, $25: this is for kids and students. Members at this level will receive an eagle mobile and a BRI sticker.

2. Finch, $35: with this membership level you will receive a BRI sticker.

3. Kestrel, $60: you will receive a BRI pin.

4. Osprey, $100: you will receive a 1G memory stick for your computer loaded with high resolution video footage from our webcams and a beautiful eagle screen saver for your computer. Once you have loaded the videos and screen saver onto your computer you can use the memory stick to transfer files and back-up files on your computer.

5. Loon, $250: you will receive a signed copy of Dr. David Evers (BRI's Executive Director) and and Ms Taylor's (former board member) book on loons.

6. Peregrine, $500: you will become one of BRI's top supporters with a Peregrine membership. You will receive a signed copy of Dr. Evers and Ms. Taylor's book "Call of the Loon", our webcam e-update, and BRI sticker.

and

7. Eagle, $1,000: Your exceptionally generous support allows BRI to conduct its cutting edge wildlife education and research. You will receive a quarterly letter from BRI's Executive Director, a signed copy of the book "Call of the Loon", webcam e-updates, and BRI sticker.

Please consider become a webcam member. Last year we were fortunate to receive several one-year foundation grants to expand our program.

We are working on setting up two more loon cams, and potentially a catbird cam. Today we were talking about potential plans to set up ten more cams in Maine as well as some in some tropical site.

Your support will ensure than we are able to continue our current work and greatly expand.

Thank you.

Wing

Cam Taken Down

Greetings all!

I wish I had more time to talk about these wonderful birds, but alas I have been in the field for the last five weeks or so.

We had a very successful nesting season with the finch's fledging two clutches. I have now taken down the cam and we will collect the eggs that did not hatch.

Thank you for all your interest in this project and I  hope that next year that the birds will nest again in the same location so that I can set the cam up again.

Wing Goodale

BioDiversity Research Institute

Finch's Preparing Nest for Second Clutch

I am just out of the field and back for a couple of moments and was excited to see that the finches are reworking the nest for another round. This is exciting and we will be able to watch the nest building, egg laying, and then hopefully another group of chicks being raised. 

I am out straight at this point conducting research so I haven't been able to post as often as I would like,  but I will keep tabs on this nest and look for your great reports.

Wing Goodale

BioDiversity Research Institute

Refreshing Still Image: Java

Ward thank you for figuring out the problem. I have looked into it further and this is what I found. The version of Java 6 is the problem, 5 is OK. You will need some version of Java for it to work. What I just did at work was within a windows environment, I went to my control panel, and then add remove programs. I have a number of versions of Java on the computer including 5 and 6. I removed 6 and it is working perfectly now.

Hopefully this will help you out.

You may have noticed the camera  angle has changed a little. In the next day or so I will quickly reach in and adjust the angle back up. 

Wing Goodale

BioDiversity Research Institute

Students Please Comment

I believe that there may be some school groups that are watching this cam. Please write in with observations, comments or questions. We can learn a lot from these birds that live right around our homes. For example I learned for the first time watching this camera that the male comes in and feeds the female who then turns around and feeds the chicks.

Camera like this provide a unique insight into bird behavior.

Viewers may interested to note that in the front of our house another pair of finches is working on a nest and we currently have two young doves recently out of their nest sitting together under a tree in our front yard.

I am just finishing up some work and hopefully will post some more information about these finches soon.

Thank you for watching.

Wing Goodale

BioDiversity Research Institute

The Finch's Home

I thought it might be interesting for you to see the context of where the nest is. The photo below is the propane tank where the nest is. The nested right in the top of the tank and actually is a really good spot for them--well protected from the weather and predators.

I wish I could get the video working because it is amazing to watch them feed the chicks.

Something that we may have to look forward to is that the birds will nest multiple times in a season. So we may see them raise these young and then lay another set of eggs.

Wing Goodale

BioDiversity Research Institute

Some Photos from this morning