The other day campus experienced a really dangerous power supply “fluctuation” which almost destroyed some of our computer equipment. It wasn’t a power outage as much as it was a cycling of power, no power, power etc, which (as some may have seen before in computers) can ruin a computer for good. Basically the surveillance server won’t reboot properly so we’re going through Windows diagnostics to get it going again, but also the streaming server ran out of disk space (??), hung on a dead screen, then managed to delete the streaming app that we made! So for now the streaming is offline, and will be until we can correct the server. We’re VERY lucky our servers survived (so far) as a monster “Uninterruptible Power Supply” in the same rack blew itself up (AU$15k-18k gone!). The fluctuation wasn’t a normal situation for computers or UPS units to handle so there will be a few days of repairs and restorations. Luckier than the power pole down the road that flamed up and burnt out in the process!
When I can get the equipment all back online with some stability I’ll advise.
What a nightmare! (imagine if it had happened during incubation of the eggs – when all we had to worry about was a night-light! – or during the youngsters’ first fluffy weeks…. doesn’t bear thinking about!)
I really hope things are fixable – I’m sure I’m not alone when I say I love the Falcon Cam Project and want to see it continue for many more falcon generations! What you guys do is just so fascinating.
Hi Sue, many thanks for your kind comments. It’s been a tougher season than most to keep the equipment going, but with the various generous donations provided by our awesome supporters, and a little donkey work back at FalconCam HQ, I’m sure the immediate repairs and upgrades will see us through in to the future. We’re SO privileged to be able to watch these graceful arrows hatch, grow up and go forth in to the world, from so close. We’ve all learnt so much about the peregrine falcon (the macropus sub-species here). The cameras will hopefully be back very soon, even with a state-wide, severe rain storm coming through Orange tonight!!
thanks Sue. It is really frustrating – and I only need a couple of weeks probably to finalise this breeding season, but I have no data at all…. at least I’m getting to do some other work that’s piled up.
Streaming is back!
Many thanks!
Bali left 5:25:29 this morning.
Lovely to see things up and running again – YAY!
Dec 3 Bali in the box again.
Seems odd
SO HAPPY and grateful for ground shots of Mara
THANKS
Bali was alone in the nest box and left a little before 5:27 am. Hopefully Marragaay is tucked away safe somewhere!
And he or Diamond? is back 5 minutes later!
5:24 am Bali left the box.
5:28 am Xavier (or D) arrived, like yesterday.
Oh, Jane, we saw the same!
Thanks Kaoru, now I cannot tell the kids from their parents! How Bali has grown!
Yes, he really has. And he keeps the nest box to himself at night…
It’s very easy to tell the juveniles from the parents as the plumage is quite different – vertical brown streaks right up to the throat, whereas the adults have horizontal grey stripes, but white throats (female adult with more spotting around the edge of the ‘bib’).
Telling the two juveniles apart is harder as it’s more dependent on size, which is hard to judge unless they are both there (I measure from top of box to shoulder).
Thanks for all your comments. The software is still not working unfortunately. I was going to see if we could set up screen capture.
No sign of the juveniles in the roost tree this morning, but I know they are around as Diamond was in protective mode early this afternoon. Probably in the more sheltered woodland.
The edge of each feather of youngsters is colored buff. When you see the back, the outlines of each feather look clear, then he or she might be Balli or Marragaay…right?
But when they are wet, they look darker and sometimes look like adults, though…
I hope Cilla’s software will work soon.
6:38 pm Bali arrived.
thanks,,,, I managed to get some screen software running last night (Mivavo), and I got Bali arriving, but then nothing, the screen froze, and because I wasn’t here, I couldn’t refresh the screen. Does anyone know what time he left in the morning?
I’m just heading home, but wanted to capture the night visitor! it’s Bali and he’s looking a bit wet! I’ll have a have a go at using the screen capture at home, but it might need too much data for our limited system. Or I’ll try and ‘jog’ the frozen screen from home (but I suspect that’s impossible), so please keep sending our screenshots, particularly the early morning time when I’m not at uni. At least I’ve turned the power down off, so the computer will keep going all night and I’ll see what’s happened tomorrow.
Christmas Carols Instrumental
Beautiful Song Birds and Bird Song
Some stay and pig out, others come, grab and leave
http://youtu.be/xXn1kVRVWOM