Turtle Live-Cam

[stevej37]

Plants are just starting...they suffered a killing frost a few weeks ago.

[Bill Douglas]

Thanks Steve. The goldfish are looking nice and active.

[stevej37]

^^^ Thanks! The goldfish grow like crazy. I bought three of them at Meijer about 5 months ago.
They were all about an inch long...now about 4 inches.
I think I paid 79 cents each...they mostly go as feeder fish.

[JackDidley]

Turtles rock!!

[stevej37]

^^^

[masraum]

Nice! I looked earlier and the video kept stopping and having issues. It could have been because I was downloading some stuff, but what I was thinking was "Steve needs new Internet, maybe fiber optic based." LOL

[stevej37]

^^^ The camera is at the max distance from my router...and it's a dozen years old. I don't know if the fiber optic would help.
It does seem to hold the picture better when the sun goes away...like at night. I've checked newer cams...but none have the embed video feature that this old drop-cam does. The newer ones all require a security code to view.

[stevej37]

Had a visitor during last night.
I looked out the window this am and saw one side of the 3 sided plexi-glass food station was gone. Went out there to temporarily fix it because without it, the turtles can just walk away to escape. Won't know if any did that until they come out to bask in the sun.

There were wet raccoon tracks on the top edge of the pond. He was after the fish or the turtle food in the bowl. I try to not leave food out in the bowl overnight...cats and raccoons love the pellets.

[MBAtarga]

That ramp incline looks steep. The turtles are able to climb up there and not bottom out at the top?

[stevej37]

Originally Posted by MBAtarga

That ramp incline looks steep. The turtles are able to climb up there and not bottom out at the top?

The camera angle makes it look worse...but they have no problem. The first year that I had the same ramp, it would get slippery from them going up and down and then start sliding. So I cut a small section of plastic coated rabbit fence and stapled it to the ramp.
With that, they get a good toe hold, and sometimes just bask in the sun on it.

If you click on the 'enlarge screen'....you will see the fence material better.

.

[Scott Douglas]

I'd like to suggest that this be made a sticky so we can enjoy it whenever we'd like without having to hunt for it once it drops off the first page.

What do you guys think?

[stevej37]

Originally Posted by Scott Douglas

I'd like to suggest that this be made a sticky so we can enjoy it whenever we'd like without having to hunt for it once it drops off the first page.

What do you guys think?

I'm fine with it... I just asked the turtles about it and they said it was okay with them.

.

[stevej37]

Was gone most of the day....every time I checked my phone, there were only two of the three turtles showing. Tomorrow I will look closer, but I'm guessing one found the way out when the glass was down.

[Scott Douglas]

Aren't you worried it'll be too far gone to find in the morning?

[stevej37]

Originally Posted by Scott Douglas

Aren't you worried it'll be too far gone to find in the morning?

That's the first thing I did this morning when I saw the panel was down. I walked the perimeter of the yard and then moved in around the deck. I saw nothing.
Hoping that with some sun tomorrow, he will show. It's been raining almost all day here.

I'm doubting he went out because I didn't see a wet trail on the deck...but I did see wet raccoon tracks.
.

[stevej37]

The sun came out....All present and accounted for.

[stevej37]

Raccoon was on the pond again last night...knocked three of the plants over into the water. Luckily, the dirt was set enough that it didn't all fall out into the bottom of the pond. Here are some of the tracks he left.....

[Bill Douglas]

Steve, I know you are not in New Zealand, but we put an electric fence up in times of trouble. Being a sheep farming country they are readily available here and cheap enough.

Basically a capacitor loads up, then when the raccoon touches the wire it creates a ground and gets a few milliseconds of a mighty blast. It sure won't come back.

[stevej37]

^^^ I thought of that before...but I'd have to place it outside of the deck on the ground around the steps. If I did it just around the pond...I don't think the wood floor would provide a ground?

I've got a large size live trap that I've used before. I had pizza a little bit ago, and saved one piece for the live trap. I'm hoping he likes Motor City Deep Dish.

They love these warm nights we've been having.

[Bill Douglas]

Motor City Deep Dish. If he doesn't want it I'll have it

Another idea is a trip wire alarm. They have a shotgun cartridge primer in them and sound about as load as a.22 going off. A guy I know of in NZ has had good success with them