Friday 16 May 2008

Derby Peregrines - full stream ahead!

Update: This is an archived post. Because of equipment problems at the Derby end, we were unable to maintain a live feed beyond 2008, and this posting has been edited to reflect this fact.

Viewers have often commented how wonderful it would be if everyone could watch and hear our peregrines live on the internet. During 2008 we were grateful to Media on Demand, who provided a live audio-visual stream from our peregrine falcon nest camera! Media on Demand are a leading provider of streaming media services in the UK, and they already webcast the meetings of Derby City Council.
We were grateful to them for coming on board as our latest supporting partner, and especially to their MD, Bryan, for his support and interest. We are sorry that our equipment and IT support at that time could not sustain this feed into subequent years, but this was through no fault of Media on Demand.
Here's looking at you, chick!


. . . With up to 6,000 visitors a day to our webcams, not everyone could watch at once. In fact the arrangement allowed a maximum of 50 users at one time, and each video stream is limited to a 10 minute period.

The streamed image was smaller than our static pictures so as to keep bandwidth consumption down to a sensible level. It was great hear the sounds of the chicks, their parents, the bells, and the background sounds of Derby city centre.

34 comments:

Anonymous said...

WOW..Awesome, just awesome. I'm thrilled your link 'view the stream' worked first time for me.
THANK YOU to Media on Demand and all you folk behind the scenes that have made this possible. The babes are currently napping. Can't wait for the next feeding. Good luck now to everybody in trying to cure this addiction! Veronica in Cornwall.

Anonymous said...

Just watched a feed on the streaming. Amazing! And the sound adds so much. Thanks again to Nick M and Media on Demand.

Anonymous said...

Like Veronica, I was thrilled by this exciting new development, and it also worked for me when I clicked on "view the stream" - seeing the chicks, hearing the sounds and the Cathedral clock chime-- and seeing Mum return was absolutely briliant.

As previous comment says, thanks to Nick M., Media on Demand, and all involved...
J.B. Derby

Anonymous said...

Wow, amazing. Thank you!

Worked fine for me, just clicking on the view the stream link.

Is the swooshing noise the wind, or traffic?

Anonymous said...

absolutely brilliant - thanks to everyone involved.

Can't wait until feeding time.

Anonymous said...

Wow again...just heard the 11am chimes and I truly love the sound of church bells. However, even with my volume turned down, if I were trying to sleep with that going on every hour, I'd really get pissed off. These raptors are really hardwired for urban living. Thanks again also for the recent close ups of those gorgeous feathers. Veronica

Anonymous said...

ab fab just viewed my first live stream mum was brooding our babes amazing insight into these fab fab birds thanks alot to everyone involved jo

Anonymous said...

Nothing I can say except 'Hurrah' and many, many thanks. All the effort greatly appreciated.

Anonymous said...

Fantastic!!! I just got the midday feed! Amazing!!! It looked quite a sizable feed. Any ideas what the bird was?

Anonymous said...

You can even hear people speaking. Well, yelling. I wonder what that person would think if he knew what he yelled was broadcast over the planet :-)

Birds are much better behaved than humans.

Anonymous said...

Brilliant!! Thanks to Media on Demand and all the Derby Peregrine team.

Dave

Anonymous said...

Very cool! This is the most fun online to watch all the goings-on.

I haven't seen two adults lately. Has anyone else noticed that? Maybe one is out hunting most of the day?

Anonymous said...

Wow!!!! The live viewing is amazing and my little chickys are now streching more and moving more. Any one else noticed.

Anonymous said...

It's been five or ten minutes at least, and I haven't seen either adult.

I'm hoping the chicks are old enough to manage their own body temperatures. I noticed a parent on the nest box edge a day or two ago for some time but none brooding the chicks at that time.

Maybe a parent is keeping watch out of camera range...

Anonymous said...

I have just watched a feed at 4.40pm, it was good to see the smallest chick getting it's fair share. Your video stream is fantastic.

Anonymous said...

Just watched a brilliant live 10 minutes, although seemed a lot less, watching chicks being fed. (Doesn't time fly, etc.)

Watched the DVD last night and really enjoyed it.

Thank you so much for the hard work everyone is putting in to make it all possible.

Anna, Ripley

Anonymous said...

Watching a feeding on the video stream is amazing. I think everyone got enough, as the chicks seemed uninterested by the end vs. frantic at the beginning.

I put a photo at
http://members.cox.net/katkolling/tmp.JPG

Can anyone tell if this is the Mom or the Dad? If we don't see two adults for awhile, it would be reassuring to know both are there.

Anonymous said...

At midday, I saw the feed via the Live Feed. I think 'mum' got the food as I could see 'dad' on the ledge above - where I have seen them de-feather their prey before taking down to the dining ledge + 4 voracious appetites!

Anonymous said...

re. the sounds you hear, just be aware that there is a major redevelopment of the erstwhile Cathedral 'Green' going on just at the back of the cathedral. If you look at the photo of the blond lad looking up at the cathedral on the blog home page you see a grassy area ahead of him. All that is fenced off with piles of earth and rubble and new paving and tarmacing going on all over the site. No wonder you hear machinery and workmen's voices even.
It looks like it will be many months before the work is completed so we will just have to do our best when it comes to running the watch points, beginning during next week I hope.
Nick B (DWT)

Anonymous said...

That video stream and microphone are just amazing.

It must be about 11 pm, and the parent and most of the babies were sleeping, except one was rutching around and maybe preening. Meanwhile it sounds like they're next to a washing machine.

I thought, that can't be a quiet English village, can it? It must be the wind. Then I heard a car horn and I can hear voices.

That's 11 pm in Derby? Talk about urban birds :-)

I'm just astounded that voices carry that far up to where the birds are.

Froona said...

It's great to see our beloved peregines live and hear the little eyases! Thank you Nick and the sponsor Media on Demand, It works great, no problems here. The churchbells are something to get used to, haha.
This livestreaming makes it even more fun to watch this special nestsite.

Froona

Anonymous said...

i just think its lovely and even better now with Media on Demand. So thanks.

Anonymous said...

The live video is amazing thanks so much for all those involved. I am an x derby girl now living in Canada. We are 5 hrs. behind you so I can see the night time shots wonderfully. When are you going to put the rings on the chicks? ( Ann in Canada. Will it be shown on the camera.? Ann ( Canada )

Anonymous said...

Camera seems to have stopped at 9.48 Canadian time night time 5 hrs behind you. What has happened. The live camera seems ok but not the camera we can take pictures from. ( Ann )

Anonymous said...

Fantastic to have live stream. It was great before, but with sound etc it is just so much more amazing. Thank you, thank you.

Unknown said...

Absolutely facinating.. The whole family are watching everyday, including my children. Excellent live feed cant wait for the next one. Planning a trip to Derby from north yorkshire to see if we can see them.

Anonymous said...

Live streaming is a fantastic development. Trouble is I'm getting no picture, although the sound is loud and clear. Am I missing some software?

Anonymous said...

I have the same problem as Chris - Audio feed only, though it was working a few days ago.

Anonymous said...

Like several others I cannot get the live streaming only the sound. I did before it went down this last time. don't understand it. Mickleover

Anonymous said...

By the sound of it some of us are definitely missing "Videocodec 7" and it doesn't automatically download on Windows Media Player V.11

I can't find any references to it via the usual technical web sources either so it must be pretty exotic...!

Anonymous said...

Sorry about the Anonymous thing, I've forgotten my details.

So, where did the people thats got "Videocodec 7" get it from? because I've only got sound too.

Thanks, Paul.

Anonymous said...

Right, I've got the video now, which is fantaastic, but lost the sound. Any ideas?

Anonymous said...

What am I doing wrong? I have media player 11 but am getting nothing.

Peregrine Project Member (Nick M.) said...

Sorry - because of equipment failings at the Derby end during 2008, we were unable to sustain the live feed in subsequent years which Media on Demand generously supplied. So for now we still have just the two webcam pages which refresh every few seconds.

Nick M
March 2010