How I created a bird feeding station camera for less than £40 in three steps

11 December 2023 , 08:34

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Gareth has managed to set up a live feed, so he can watch his garden birds from his home office

According to the latest State of Nature report the UK has lost 600 million breeding birds in the last 40 years, due to habitat loss and wild food shortages - so there has never been a better time to start feeding the birds in your garden.

I've had bird feeding stations dotted for as long as I've owned a house and, like so many of us, I get a lot of joy from watching the various species who drop by to gorge on the seeds and suet I put out for them every week.

But I also have to work for a living, otherwise I couldn't afford the bird food in the first place, and that means, for most of the daylight hours, I'm sat at my desk, earning enough money for the next big bag of sunflower hearts.

Winter is the best time to feed birds in your garden (Getty Images)

So as much as I'd love to spend my mornings gazing at my feeding station, counting up how many goldfinches are coming back for a banquet, I need to be in front of a computer, earning an honest crust.

But thankfully technology has provided a way for me to keep an eye on the food I put out for the birds, and I can now watch them arriving at the feeders from the comfort of my office chair. And it's cost, well... Peanuts.

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An added bonus is it adds another level of security to your house. My setup uses a security camera that has all sorts of functions aimed at monitoring your home and, the way I've got it set up, I can also watch people coming to my door.

There's a few key components to my setup, which I'll talk you through. It's taken me a while to get it all right, and I've still got some tweaks to make, but here's how I monitor my feathered friends throughout the day with an overall budget of less than £40.

1. A good wireless camera

This is the bit I'm most pleased with. I've tried a few wireless cameras over the years, but I'm now sticking with the Tapo C320WS 2K Outdoor Security Camera, for a few reasons.

Firstly, it's really cheap. If you can catch an offer at Amazon it's £36.99 - and that's a bargain for such a feature-rich wireless camera.

The Tapo C320WS 2K is a bargain at the moment

This particular one needs to be plugged in to the mains. To do that I borrowed one of the insulated boxes we use to plug our Christmas lights into and ran an outdoor extension cable I found lying around in my shed to it. You can create your own insulated box using a sturdy plastic tub and a lot of careful insulation, or you might be lucky enough to have a power source nearby.

You could also try a solar-powered camera, like this one from SwitchBot, I did that originally, but it makes it quite expensive and, if you're like me and you stream the footage for long periods, you might find the solar panel won't give it enough energy - especially in the darker months.

The other reason I love the Tapo C320WS camera is because it's the only one I've found that lets you stream for long periods without timing out. Having to refresh the screen every five minutes is really tiresome.

2. An old camera tripod

Sturdy tripods to attach your camera to can be fairly expensive, but thankfully I had an old one in my loft that belonged to my grandad. Rather than shell out for a new one, though, visit the charity shops and see if there's a relic you can repurpose. The heavier the better, because you don't want it blowing over in the wind, and make sure it's as tall as possible. Either way, use some tent pegs to pin it down with.

An old tripod could cost a few pounds from a charity shop or car-boot sale

Being honest, this is one aspect of my setup I'm likely to change soon. The tripod works well in all weathers, but I want a bit more height. I think I'm going to hammer in some sort of wooden post, and find a way to mount the camera to it.

This part of the project needn't cost much, regardless, though.

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3. A cheap tablet

I was lucky enough to have an old tablet lying around that I'd replaced a year or so ago for a better model, and it's made a perfect viewing monitor for my cameras.

It honestly doesn't need to be too powerful and, if you haven't got a spare one to hand, ask your friends and family if they have one they don't need. Because it's surprising what people have in their gadget drawer these days.

Gareth mounted his old tablet on a cheap holder

I used a bracket to fix the tablet above my PC monitor, which cost about £6, but a tablet stand costs a pittance if you shop around - that's if you haven't got one already. You could even make one if you're handy.

It's also possible to download free software that lets you view the camera feed from your computer screen - but that wasn't an option for me, hence the tablet. Just remember, the tablet will need charging constantly, so you might also need a power lead.

And that's it. Three key elements, maybe a few accessories here and there, some of which you might already have or you could make cheaply, are all you need to create a window into the world of the birds in your garden.

As I write this a flock of long-tailed tits are feeding on my fat balls, and I'd expect my regular charm of goldfinches to return any time. The birds are busy today, because it's been a frosty morning. And I'll be able to watch this while I'm working, from my desk. I could even watch them while I'm away, thanks to the Wi-Fi camera being accessible on a smartphone app.

Have you found a similar way to keep an eye on your garden birds? If so, let me know in the comments.

Gareth Butterfield