Birdwatching at home: how to set up a nest cam

Install a nesting box camera, sit back and watch the wonder of birds raising their young in your garden

There's never anything good on the telly, is there? So why not set up your own entertainment, courtesy of the nesting birds in your garden? "There's been a big increase in the sale of nest camera boxes over the past couple of years, thanks to programmes like Springwatch," says Scott Oestler of the RSPB.

You can buy cameras on their own, starting from around 40, or buy a nesting box that comes with an inbuilt camera system. The more expensive models should have higher definition, gradual infra-red (which means a better coloured picture than on/off infra-red), and, most importantly, no flashing lights, which would disturb the birds.