Today they finally installed the PondCam that will survey Botany Pond. It shows almost the whole pond, or at least the bits where the ducks and ducklings like to hang out. I don’t think it’s movable or zoom-able, but you’ll at least be able to see the action and watch the ducklings and their moms (hatch date: about May 3). If you’re there at the right time, you’ll see me feeding them.
Below is Eddie, the awesome camera installer who spent four days putting it in, from installing all the electric through conduits to the basement, to installing the bracket and finally to mounting the camera this morning. I didn’t realize it would be so big, but now I don’t feel so bad that it wasn’t trained on the nests: such a big camera would have been impractical.
I’ll let you know when it goes live, which will be 24/7 on a website yet to be designated. I’d like to call it the Web(Foot)Cam, but the media people, who promoted its installation, may have other ideas. Can you suggest a name?
Kudos to The University of Chicago Media Relations and IT people for getting this done.
An iPhone photo of the camera in place, and Wingman drifting by:
That’s very cool. It looks like a pretty fancy rig. Maybe there’s some zoom/pan control available to someone with special duck farmer access?
I don’t think so; I asked if it could be moved or zoomed, and I think the answer was no because of privacy considerations (you don’t want to zero in on a pond visitor).
Ah. Of course.
Botany Ducks Cam.
Congratulations! I’m looking forward to seeing Botany Pond – well, Honey, Dot, and their broods – in real time.
That is very cool. And nice and high up where it’s safe.
Quacker Cam
Peeking Duck
That is really funny!
Good one!
This is a good one
🤣🤣🤣
I guess “Big Brother” is already taken? 🙂
Hyde Park Hide?
How cool! Not a trivial job! Especially the maintenance of the entire system – I’m thinking about publicly accessible web cam data – there’s got to be some serious software maintenance there. – perhaps a willing undergraduate will take the job?
As for a name – something to reflect the love of mallards and friends in the pond, despite the pandemic- but not citing the pandemic or virus….
Hooray! Hooray! This is welcome good news to counteract all the bad news!
It’s a Koduck camera.
Name idea :
Duck!
Including the exclamation mark. Perhaps it’d bring to mind The Great Leap, to come soon.
Quack-o-Vision! Looking forward to first bits.
How about: “Everybody duck, the canard cam featuring everybody’s favorite duck.”
some funny ideas — I like Web(Foot)Cam because it’s closest to WebCam. I also like Koduck Camera — just wonder if people younger than myself will get it!
I’ll be waiting for a “Koduck moment” around May 3rd!
👏👏👏
We all know it’s the HoneyCam, but I don’t think that will fly.
🙂
I could be wrong, but I suspect it will attract the wrong kind of clientele. Could be good for viewer numbers, though!
Well, after they see what’s on it, the “wrong kind” will surely leave quickly!
I don’t think there is a big market for duck porn.
Well, WEIT reader Dominic told me he spent ten minutes yesterday watching St Mark’s flies having sex, so there’s no accounting for taste…
How about: “Weighs the same as a fill-in-the-blank cam.”
How about:
https://i.imgur.com/JJryGlu.jpg
I think in all fairness to our host, CoyneCam would not be inappropriate.