In reply to Graeme G:
Be careful. Some birds can be spooked by new objects being placed next to nests. Cameras are particularly prone to causing desertion, perhaps because they have eye-like shapes on the front.
Particular species are susceptible to this, but particular individuals of any species are susceptible to this. So there's really no rule with which to know whether birds are going to respond by deserting. A couple of tips, if you are determined to do this:
- Set the camera back as far as you possibly can
- Watch to make sure the adults happily return to the nest after the camera is installed.
- Birds are less likely to desert if they have invested more in a nesting attempt - i.e. if it is at a later stage. Therefore desertion may be less likely if you install a camera at a later stage (although if you cause desertion later on it will have a higher cost in terms of breeding season wasted).
Another lower-risk option, if you are just interested in keeping an eye on how they are doing, is just to make a short visit to the nest every week or so.