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The range of products offered by Wildlife Windows falls into two main categories:
- Fixed units that form part of wildlife camera installations
- Portable equipment for conservation professionals, ecological consultants and researchers
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Audio-video switching / distribution systems
Wildlife Windows can deliver a variety of audio-video switching and distribution systems depending on your requirements.
A simple system might require switching between three analogue cameras to view each separately on one screen. These systems can be controlled by staff or integrated with vandal-proof buttons to allow members of the public to choose images themselves.
More complex systems with a greater number of cameras as well as other AV sources (such as media players) may require a matrix switching system. Matrix switchers enable multiple images to be directed to multiple destinations, ie several screens, live streaming set up, recording devices etc, all at once. This type of system is commonly used at nature reserve visitor centres.
Touch screen switching can also be provided, and is most appropriate for IP (network) cameras but can also be used with analogue cameras. |
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Badger Sett (artificial)
Being able to see inside a badger sett is one of the most exciting, and rarest mammal-watching
opportunities in the UK. Wildlife Windows can design and build, or simply advise on the construction of an artificial badger sett with
integral cameras.
We first installed cameras in a purpose-built artificial sett in 2004. The
cameras were fixed with IR lighting in each of three chambers and were removed for cleaning via access tubes from the top of the
sett.
Photos
Top: Rare image
(frame grab from video footage) from inside a badger sett.
Bottom: The first
artificial sett in which Wildlife Windows installed cameras (and the sett in which the photo above was taken) |
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Camera - Bat-watching / monitoring
This is a hand-held camera gun designed and built by Wildlife Windows specifically for watching
bats. It combines a highly sensitive, infra-red (IR) video camera with an IR floodlight fixed to a purpose-built handle.
This equipment forms part of a night-vision system which can be viewed by a group of people all at once. It's an
excellent tool for guided bat walks, for instance, watching bats feeding over water.
The camera and IR light can connected
to a Wildlife Windows FieldScreen, which supplies power for the camera and IR lamp, and displays video from the camera.
Although
the FieldScreen is the perfect companion, the bat camera can instead be viewed on any LCD screen with Composite Video (CV) input, and powered
from another 12V 1A supply (e.g. medium sized 12V battery). A laptop PC fitted with a AV-to-USB converter module works too. Wildlife
Windows can supply or recommend suitable converters.
The camera can be connected to any recording equipment with an AV input,
such as a portable media recorder, camcorder or portable digital video recorder (WW's PVR).
Photos
Top: Side view of bat watching gun, showing camera
(top of picture), LED lamp (below camera) and handle (left).
Bottom: Front view of
camera (held sideway to fit a landscape photo frame). The camera is on the left and the IR lamp on the right. |
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Camera - Peanut feeder
This purpose-built peanut feeder with integral camera gives wonderful close-up views of visiting
birds. It is robust, professional equipment, designed and built by Wildlife Windows.
The Wildlife Windows Peanut Feeder
Camera has been evolving over the past 5 years through extensive field trials on a variety of sites.
The Peanut Feeder
Camera has the following key features:
Photos
Top: Nuthatch visiting feeder. This photo was taken quite
soon after the bird discovered the feeder, and you can see it has a rather hesitant look.
Bottom: Great spotted woodpecker
Right: WW's peanut feeder
camera |
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Camera - Pole-mounted inspection
Pole-mounted cameras are designed for looking into high-level cavities such as bird
boxes/nests and bat boxes/roosts without the aid of a ladder. The cameras are tiny, and telescopic poles can be up to 15m
high. Video and sound are transmitted wirelessly or wired to a handheld viewer / recorder.
Over 5 years in
development, the Wildlife Windows Pole-mounted Camera is an indispensable tool for inspecting bird nest cavities, boxes and bat roosts /
boxes. As with all Wildlife Windows products, the pole-mounted camera is purpose-built specifically for this application. There are several
models, with mostly interchangeable parts, and various options for camera angle, lighting and signal transmission.
Some of the main
features and options are listed below:
- Camera head 10 mm wide.
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Choice of telescopic poles extendable to
55 feet.
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Camera arm made from flexible 'goose-neck' tubing to adjust camera angle.
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White (for
colour) or IR (for black & white) lighting options.
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Camera automatically switches between colour and black &
white, depending on light level.
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Viewing in complete darkness is possible using IR lights (e.g. if white light may
disturb the creatures being watched).
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Viewing in colour is possible if there is sufficient natural light, or with the
use of white LEDs. Photos
Top: Camera head viewed end-on with wireless transmitter box in unfocussed background.
Bottom: View inside tawny owl nest. |
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Camera - PTZ
Pan-Tilt-Zoom (PTZ) cameras are the most versatile of all cameras used in wildlife watching applications.
They allow the view from the camera to be altered remotely; to be moved from side to side (panned) or up and down (tilted) or zoomed
(magnified) in and out.
PTZ HD (IP or Network) cameras can now be
supplied.
There are a variety of PTZ cameras suitable for wildlife watching applications. The ones we prefer are dome-type
cameras, because they are self-contained, sealed units with no external cables moving with the camera.
For the most hostile
environments we always use one of two makes of PTZ camera with movable ovoid heads and an in-built washer and wiper (see top photo). In
fact these are our preferred PTZ cameras for most situations, but as they are more expensive than standard PTZ domes (as in bottom picture)
we can offer a variety of other cameras to suit lower budgets.
PTZ cameras come with a choice of camera and zoom lens
sizes. We will recommend the best ones for your project after consultation and examination of the site and camera vs subject
positions. |
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Nest basket with camera - Hobby
Hobby baskets are a particular specialism of Wildlife Windows because one of our Directors (Jason)
has a long-standing interest in the species. Our baskets can be supplied and installed with or without cameras.
Our baskets are made from rot-resistant evergreens and formed on a hanging basket base. The closer they resemble an old crow's
nest the better.
We can help to select suitable sites, both the general location, the particular tree and the best position
in the tree, and we can offer an expert installation service which is second to none because of our in-house expertise in hobby breeding
biology.
Photos
Top: Hobby
breeding in Wildlife Windows basket with a camera pre-installed on a nearby branch. The hobby footage in our video gallery was recorded from
this setup.
Bottom: Typical (heathland) Hobby nest site in a Scots Pine
tree.
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Nest box with camera - Barn owl exterior
This version of an exterior barn owl box is a hybrid of designs by the The
Hawk & Owl Trust and The Barn Owl Trust. WW has adapted the best features of these boxes to accommodate the birds while allowing
for a good camera view.
These boxes can be fitted to trees, poles and the side of a building.
These boxes have
an access hatch for nest inspection and cleaning, a high level entrance hole to prevent chicks leaving the safety of the box too early, and a
platform on which young that are close to fledging can exercise.
As in all our nest boxes the metal fittings are stainless
steel, the timber is exterior ply from sustainable sources (non-tropical) and the preservative coating is non-toxic. The camera
position and interior decor is specially designed to improve the image quality. But first and foremost, the boxes are designed to
appeal to owls and to optimise the chances of rearing a brood of chicks.
A dummy camera can be used in a number of boxes, then a real
camera is fitted to one of the boxes that is used. This strategy is applicable to all our nest box cameras, though more so for
the smaller ones, which can be positioned in closer proximity to each other.
Photos
Top: Front view of exterior Barn owl camera box.
Bottom: Barn owl camera box in position on a tree.
The grey box on the side of the nest box is
where the camera is fitted. All cables and connections are protected from the elements and rodents! |
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Nest box with camera - Barn Owl pole-mounted box
Where there is suitable habitat for barn owls, but no available nesting sites or
structures (e.g. buildings or large trees), nest boxes can be fitted to the top of a purpose-built pole. This is a good way to
encourage and establish breeding barn owls in treeless areas of rough grassland. For example, this method of nest box provisioning has been
successfully used in East Anglia.
WW's poletop-mounted barn owl boxes are slightly larger and heavier than our other designs.
Built from 12mm exterior grade birch ply (not tropical) they will last for many years once installed. They have a baffle inside the entrance
to keep out the worst of the weather and to discourage jackdaws from taking over. All of these boxes come with an inspection hatch and can
also be fitted with a camera or 'camera-ready' enclosure.
Photos
Top: Barn Owl box on pole.
Bottom: View of box with lid removed prior to installation (the box is resting on a ladder on the grass).
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Nest box with camera - Bearded Tit
Bearded tit 'wigwams' are among the most unusual and innovative of our camera-ready nest box
(housing) designs. We have built an installed four of these on an RSPB reserve. Unfortunately the year they were installed the local
bearded tit population took a dive due to a harsh winter and none have been used yet. Fingers crossed for next year.
Photos
Top: Bearded Tit wigwam entrance
hole.
Bottom: View from the camera inside one of the wigwams (no nest yet) |
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Nest box with camera - cavity nesters (e.g. Blue or Great Tit)
This is the 'standard' garden nest box, a favourite with blue
and great tits. But Wildlife Windows' camera-equipped box is far from standard in its features and video quality.......
For nearly a decade we have worked on a variety of nestbox designs, camera type, position and lighting options. The basic
requirements of any installation are the same - high rate of occupancy and high quality images - but there are some subtle differences that
make one-size-fits-all less than ideal, especially in public, rather than domestic, installations.
We have favoured side-view
cameras rather than the more common top-view as a side-view gives a more natural image. The latest model of our box-
camera-lighting combination gives the best quality images yet, and is just as good for the birds as it is for the viewers. Quality colour
images are obtained using a combination of diffues white LEDs controlled by an LDR which slowly turns the lights on and off with the risinga
and setting sun.
See for yourselves in our video gallery. Video. In common with previous WW titbox designs, cameras can be moved easily between boxes. We recommend that more
than one box is installed at a site, and one camera shared between them. This is insurance against boxes not being used or of one
nest failing. The cost is lower because only one camera is needed. PhotosTop: Wildlife Windows 2011 titbox design. Bottom: frame grab of blue tit nest with adult and chicks. |
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Nest box with camera - Kestrel
Wildlife Windows has built and installed scores of boxes for kestrels over the years. Our
external kestrel box (can also be used internally) is a simple, robust and hardwearing design. Made from exterior grade birch
wood ply this box has proven to be a favorite for kestrels.
We can supply this box on its own, with a real or dummy
cameraand offer advise on best placement or do the installation for you......
The occupancy rate of well placed kestrel
boxes can be high. A camera can be positioned  where it sees into the nest but
also captures very close-up images of the adults and young sitting on the entrance ledge. Photos
Top: kestrel box with camera mount in a
tree
Bottom: adult male kestrel in one of our boxes (with a common lizard) |
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Nest box with camera - Little Owl
Little owls are quite particular about their accommodation. Boxes that work for them have a
fairly complex structure and usually incorporate a tunnel to the nesting chamber. Our little owl boxes are, as always, optimised for
the birds. We make indoor and outdoor versions and can supply them on their own, camera-ready, or as complete camera/box
systems.
In 2009 we helped design a camera system for a little owl research project. The aim was to record the prey items brought
into the box for the young. Several camera positions were tested and the best one chosen,looking down the entrance tunnel. As the adult
birds enetered the box a motion sensing software device recorded a short video clip of the birds and the prey item.
Photos
Top: An occupied exterior liitle owl box.
Bottom:
Little owl bringing food (cockchafer) into a box for its young. |
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Nest box with camera - Sand Martin
Arificial sand martin 'walls' are a great asset to any nature reserve with suitable
habitat. The addition of cameras that can see inside the nesting chamber make these hugely more interesting.
Wildlife
Windows has worked with the RSPB to design a special camera system for sand martin nest chambers, including cameras, remote switching
equipment and a WiFi link between a sand martin wall and a nature reserve visitor centre.
Photos
Top: Artificial sand martin wall at RSPB
Radipole
Bottom: a view from the rear of two nesting chambers |
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Nest box with camera - Tawny Owl
Tawny owls take readily to boxes if positioned in the right habitat and location. Our tawny
owl boxes, made from exterior birch wood ply, can be supplied with or without 'camera-ready' enclosures.........
Installing boxes
needs to be done early in the winter as tawny owls are very early breeders, some clutches being laid in late February but most in March.
Tawny owls can provide some wildlife camera interest before the main breeding season begins for other species.
However, it
is recommended that any camera / transmission system be installed well before any chance of laying as tawny owls can be suseptible to
disturbance.
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Otter Holt (artificial)
Probably THE most exciting mammal-watching opportunity in lowland UK is to see inside an active otter
holt. This is no easy task, but the only possibility to achieve it is to build an artificial holt with integral cameras.
Wildlife Windows has been involved in building new artificial holts and installing cameras at existing artificial holts. If you
have are planning a project needing cameras in or at artificial otter holts we can help set up a live feed or a motion-sensing
recording system. |
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Recording systems
Wildlife Windows can supply a variety of audio video recording systems depending on your requirements. Standard AVI
(640x480) can be recorded onto a portable media recorder and downloaded onto a PC for editing.
Video feeds can be connected to
PCs for manual recording or setting up motion sensing recording.
| Video feeds that are 'encoded', ie transformed into a digital
(IP) feed, can be incorporated into network recording systems. These
enable remote access / recording of images from anywhere in the world
via
an internet browser. IP systems can also send SMS alters, FTP images and
provide live streaming of both analogue and HD (Megapixel)
cameras. |
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Transmission system - Analogue wireless
Short-medium distance radio link (100m-500m).
Wireless links can be
useful when obstacles (i.e. roads), distance and possibly budget do not allow for a cabled link.
Caution should be taken as wireless
links should not be viewed as an easy fix, only used when absolutely
necessary. If possible WW recommends using cabled links.
The reason for this is that radio links can be prone to
interference. Having said that, we have, in open country away from
built up areas, successfully used analogue links at a distance of nearly 2 miles. Conditions need to be just right for this kind of
system.
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Transmission system - CAT-5
Audio, video, data and sometimes power can be sent over CAT-5 cable. CAT-5 (twisted pair / network)
cabling can be a useful and beneficial transmission medium. Analogue and digital (IP) signals can be transmitted over CAT-5. Twice
as many audio-video signals can be transmitted along a single twisted pair cable than other standard copper transmission cables as well
as twice as far.........
New buildings are usually wired with network cabling. This allows for relatively
easy distribution of AV signals within the building to screens, PCs, recording devices etc.
Photos
Top: CAT-5 through connection
hub
Bottom: CAT-5 being laid over a distance of 600m |
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Transmission system - Fibre Optic
Fibre Optic cable is the ultimate infrastructure for fast, high quality video, sound and data
transmission. It can carry either analogue or digital signals and data, and the bandwidth is very high. Fibre optics are a good way to
'futureproof' an installation.
One of the main advantages of fibre optic transmission is that it enables video and sound signals to
be sent over great distances with no loss of quality. It's niche in wildlife watching installations is generally for longer
distance cable runs or at sites where large numbers of AV and data streams might be needed. Fibre optics can also open up the possibilty
of using IP (HD- network - megapixel) cameras over great distances.
One of the disadvantages of fibre is that it can not carry power
(as CAT-5 and coaxial cable sometimes can), therefore it is best used at sites where there is a power supply locally at the camera end or
where a low voltage copper power cable can be laid alongside the fibre.
Fibre is relatively expensive to install and terminate, but is
still cost-effective for many applications, and provides the highest quality transmission method.
Wildlife Windows works closely with
a specialist fibre optic installation company to lay and terminate fibre cables. Because we have worked with the same
company for several years, they now understand our particular requirements, which can be different to those of standard communications
installations.
Photos
Top: Fibre
Optic interface for a seabird cliff camera.
Bottom: One of the sites where fibre optic
cable was installed to bring live video of nesting seabirds and provide a means to control the PTZ camera attached to the cliff near
the birds. The substrate at this site was solid rock, which made laying cables particularly challenging. |
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Transmission system - WiFi
There are several ways to transmit video and audio signals wirelessly. WiFi systems, intrinsically,
are extended PC networks (LAN). Wildlife Windows can help you choose which
system to use, depending on the site, distance, budget and whether mains power is available.
The main advantages to using a wifi link are:
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Potentially greater
transmission distances can be achieved
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Reduced chance of interference issues
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Secure encrypted
data transmission
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Ability to use IP cameras and encoding devices
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Can enable PTZ
camera control and camera switching via touch-screen technology
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Viewing equipment - Field Screen
Wildlife Windows' portable daylight-viewable screen is a very useful companion to any
moderately sized wildlife camera system. Housed in a weatherproof Peli case, containing its own power supply the 'Field Screen' can
perform a variety of mobile camera viewing operations.
How the Field Screen can be used:
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Connect to cameras along a guided walk
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Display close up images from a pond dipping tray with
a microscope camera
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Watch bats using a handheld infrared camera
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Playback
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Set up PVR |
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Viewing Systems - Screen and Control Consoles
One of our particular specialities is bespoke viewing consoles. These are
craftsman-built, laminated timber structures to house screens and camera control systems accessible to the general public.
Choosing a viewing console for your LCD screen, interpretation material and vandal-proof control buttons is a bit like choosing
furniture for your house. You need it to match the setting in which it will be placed, to fit with the décor and style. This is
where our bespoke wildlife camera viewing furniture exactly fits the bill.
Some of the characteristics of our Viewing/Control
Consoles:
- Made-to-order and unique to each installation.
- Built by a craftsman using traditional skills and modern
materials and equipment.
- Choice of construction material and finish includes:
- Machined timber-based
composite (e.g. MDF) with laminated finish.
- Machined hardwood from sustainable temperate forests (non-
tropical).
- Machined softwood or composite with painted finish.
- Any colour of paint and any laminate
from a sustainable source.
- All timber-based materials are from sustainable sources (non-tropical)
- Built-in apertures for
LCD screens (and fitted screens).
- Storage for electronics and other associated equipment and materials.
- Built-in modular
display systems for interpretation materials.
- Built-in controls, usually vandal-proof buttons, for use by members of the
public.
Photos
Top: Cabinet with two screens and extensive
interpretation materials for a cliff-mounted PTZ camera watching a seabird colony. The cabinet houses the electronics required to
run the camera and was designed, built and installed by Wildlife Windows. Interpretation material was done by [say who they
were].
Bottom: A selection of our stand-alone, laminated viewing consoles with public accessible camera controls.
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| NATIONWIDE OPERATION |
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Wildlife Windows will install systems anywhere in the UK. |
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