Setting up your first Crow Cam

How to set up your own crow cam

Now, there are a few things you ought to know if you are thinking about your very own crow cam.

To start, you really should have a weatherproof camera. Especially in Oregon, where it has been 45 degrees and raining this month.

We got by without one on our project with some Mythbusters-like ingenuity that included two paperclips, a plastic storage container, and Duct Tape (or course). Our camera has held up for three weeks (fingers crossed), but we'd advise you spring for a good one.

Just add crows

Ok, you've got your weather-ready camera, but you can't have a crow cam without some crows. The good news is that crows are abundant creatures. Some may say too abundant. Here's what our nest looks like.

Do some sleuthing in the spring season and track down a nest. This is a bit of commitment, but be patient and it can pay off in spades. Let us know if you have found a nest.

Congratulations if you have found a nest, but don't get too excited yet. There are some criteria to meet for a good Crow Cam.

1. Is it feasible to reach, and set up your weatherized camera in close proximity?
2. Does it offer a dry location with power (energy) for your media center? If not you'll need a seriously long USB extension cord.

So this is sounding like a lot of work I know. But beyond a nest and a camera, you'll also need a media center. This is what ours looks like.

If you look closely, you can see the crow in the tree, watching me watch the media center.

If you take away just one thing from this article, please remember this-- Crows do not forget faces. They also hold a grudge. And that's not all. They will let all their friends know that they should also hold a grudge.

If you do not feel comfortable being harassed as you walk down the street on a daily basis, or being stared down by a crow at work for 2-3 hours per day, setting up a crow cam might not be the best idea for you.

If you completed all the steps and requirements above, then nice work!

You can now reap the benefits of enjoying the devil spawn over your home PC.