Feature: The Quack Cam

NOTE: As of 04/20/2016, the ducklings have hatched and waddled away. Thanks for watching!

Today we're taking a break from our typical stop motion fare to feature something different, but equally cool!

A reader of the blog has sent us a link and some pictures of the "Quack Cam". This year a mallard duck has nested inside the 100 year old apple tree in his yard. He's hidden one of our 1080P USB Cameras inside the tree, and attached it to his computer with a few USB extension cables. 

You can visit the UStream.TV site and see live video of the duck sitting on eggs, turning them over and making sure everything is tidy inside the nest. It's amazing!

If the stream is down, check back later. He's working to iron out an issue with the computer his camera is connected to. Also the stream is shut down at night when it's too dark to see, and turned on in the morning (8 EST).

Although I wouldn't recommend placing your animation setup on one side of the room and the computer on the other, this project confirms that you can use a USB camera with a 32-foot "repeater" USB cable, and not lose the USB signal. 

Pictures of the setup: