Update on the Camera Outage
We understand and share your disappointment and frustration over the current outage and continue to work toward resolving it to the best of our ability, while also keeping the falcons’ welfare in mind. This camera outage happened at one of the most inopportune moments of the falcon pairs’ breeding cycle, as the hatching of the chicks and their early development is a much-anticipated event for both the Falcon Cam viewers and ourselves.
To function properly, our camera uses multiple pieces of equipment located both inside the building as well as outside the building where the nest box is located. Due to the young age of the chicks and their inability to regulate their own body temperature at this stage, we have been unable to do any type of diagnostic testing of the equipment out on the ledge considering its proximity to the nest. Not only would this work be incredibly stressful for the adults and chicks, but it would also result in the chicks not being brooded or fed for an extended period of time.
Despite our inability to access the ledge, we have gone to extensive lengths to test and troubleshoot all of the equipment inside the building where there is no risk of disturbing the birds. Late last week we were advised the power injector (located inside) was the most likely cause of the camera outage. A new injector was delivered on Monday and installed within hours of its delivery; however this did not fix the issue as we had hoped it would. Considering the amount of diagnostic testing that we and our partners have put into examining the components inside the building, it has been determined that the fault must be associated with some of the equipment out on the ledge – likely by the camera itself, by the microphone, or by the cables connecting the cam to the mic or the mic to the power supply. It is possible that there is a simple solution to the problem such as fixing a loose connection somewhere along the line or it may be an issue that is beyond our ability to repair, but we will not know without accessing the ledge.
We have elected to wait until roughly the middle of next week (when the chicks have reached an age at which they are better able to regulate their own temperatures) before we access the ledge to diagnose and hopefully resolve the problem. While we are out on the ledge, the chicks will be placed in ventilated pet carriers and kept inside the building in order to avoid stressing them.
Unfortunately, we have no way of seeing inside the nest box without the camera, and as such we do not know whether all four eggs have hatched. Regardless of whether we are successful in our efforts to get the camera back online following our visit, we will be sure to post an update on the birds status to keep viewers informed to the best of our abilities.
Thank you for your patience and your understanding during this less than ideal situation as getting the camera back online remains a top priority for us.