Fort Valley Webcam

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Note to users: We are experiencing some issues with the updates of the images above. Updates work most of the time but you may find that you need to reload the page a time or two, or come back later for the current image. Hourly images above may not reliably update (may see image that is a day or two old). We are working on related technical issues as time permits. Thank you for your patience.

Archive of images (9:00 am each day since December 28, 2007)
Here is a photo for snow lovers (48 inches on ground, January 23rd 2010)

Fort Valley Webcam Questions and Answers

When was the webcam installed and why?
The Fort Valley Experimental Forest webcam was installed on September 18th 2007 to monitor snow depth at our cooperative weather station. Incidentally the weather record dates back to August of 1909 making it one of the longest continuous climatological records from a weather station in northern Arizona. Here is an interesting area climatological record that dates back much further!

What time zone is the webcam in?
Mountain Standard Time (GMT-7). Arizona, with the exception of the Navajo Nation, does not observe daylight saving time.

Why the birdfeeder?
A bird feeder was added in June of 2008 to help keep things interesting during the snowless months. It has attracted quite a following.

What animals might I see from the webcam?
Mostly birds, sometimes other animals. See wildlife visitors to the webcam for some fun photographs in our image library. If you capture a good animal shot while viewing (right click, save image as) please send a copy to dhuebner@fs.fed.us). Several of our more interesting animal photographs have been submitted by visitors like you!

Other Imagery
A few video clips
Many night photos of visitors to the webcam

Feeder Life List (draft - birds only)
Disclaimer: this list is maintained by our web steward who is not yet an avid birder. Please let us know of any errors or suggestions!
source http://www.aou.org/checklist/north/index.php

Is there a way to estimate the size of birds in the feeder?

The bird feeder is about 12" in diameter. The feeder is very close to the webcam providing good detail but it makes the size of birds difficult to estimate. The photographs below are intended to help in that regard. The camera is located inside the gray enclosure.

What kind of feed is in the feeder?
Currently black oil sunflower seed and suet.

The feeder is empty, when will it be filled again?
Tending the feeder is on a catch as catch can basis so it is possible the feeder may go empty for a time. We do our best to keep it from being too long a period. As of November 2010 the seed in the feeder is consumed in about a day and two blocks of suet are consumed in about a week.

Why don't I see squirrels in the webcam?
The feeder is about 5 feet above ground mounted to a fairly smooth metal pole of about 4" diameter. For a number of months we had no squirrels at all. Eventually they figured out they could climb the pole and feast on the seeds. See Abert's Squirrels on feeder and snow gauge. We let that happen for a while but the seed started to get depleted quite quickly. We added a baffle - visible in this photograph. No more squirrels but this fox can jump up there!
March 2011 update: Squirrels are again visiting the feeder. We'll have a look to see if the baffel is still in place. Perhaps the squirrels have been working out, developing the gymnastic skills to get around the baffel!
August 2011 update: Must have been a "one off" or a traveling troupe of olympic squirrels. None seen since the March event.

Does feeding the birds delay their migration in the winter? Based on the information this Audubon Magazine article effect on migration timing is not a concern as daylength rather than food abundance is the determining factor. If you are considering a backyard feeder read the article - lots of good information.

Is streaming video available from the webcam?
Possibly, depending on status of some technical issues. Send a note to dhuebner@fs.fed.us to inquire. Also available for interested viewers is an opt-in mailing list with news related to the webcam (e.g. new species). Just let us know if you want to be added to the list.

Is there some way I can offer suggestions or support?
You can use this form to evaluate our service. Please include "Fort Valley Webcam" in your evaluation.

How can I find other bird feeder webcams?
This web site has links to many bird feeder webcams around the world. Nest cameras too!

If your question has not been answered here please feel free to contact us!