Rocky Mountain Research Station

Fort Valley Experimental Forest Webcam

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Archive of images (9:00 am each day since December 28, 2007).

Fort Valley Webcam Frequently Asked Questions

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 perhaps the longest continuous climatological record from a weather station in northern Arizona. Here is an interesting area climatological record that dates back much further!

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. The feeder and webcam are supported entirely by Wildlife and Terrestrial Ecosystems Program personnel.

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

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 making size of birds and other animals difficult to estimate. The photograph below is 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. Possibly suet as the weather changes.

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 September 27, 2009 the seed in the feeder is consumed in about 12 hours.

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 3.5" 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!

Does feeding the birds delay their migration in the winter? Based on the information this Audubon Magazine article affect 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?
Yes, on a limited basis due to bandwidth concerns. Send us an email (dhuebner@fs.fed.us) and we will send you information to access a version that updates twice per second. Fun to watch.

Do many people contact you about the webcam?
Yes and we love to get email from visitors to the webcam. It is nice to hear that people are enjoying it.

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.

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