Phase I of the installation began in February. The work around the tree needed completing before the ospreys migrated back from West Africa.

On a cold windy morning  I guided everyone out across the treacherous bog surface, crossing numerous hidden flooded ditches.

Two local tree surgeons from Radiata Tree Services climbed the swaying nest tree with ropes and installed the cameras above the osprey nest, with expert guidance from Duncan, technician at 2020 Vision, looking on safely from the ground. They also checked the safety of the nest platform and attached an addtional strut underneath to support it.

We also installed a box on site, away from the nest, with a computer server and various control units that I cannot claim to understand in detail. These are recording all the footage in high definition, allowing me to browse back through it and compile edited highlights for this blog.

These were not typical days in the lives of the technicians (or us, to be honest!). Cumbrian sleet and slipping into the bog meant changes of clothes for several brave souls.

Phase 2: the major part of this job was the practical challenge of connecting the Foulshaw Moss cameras to the outside world. Powerlines with electricity and phone cables run along the A590 past the nature reserve, but this is a long long way from the nest tree.

Our only option was to drag armoured cables by hand the full distance across treacherous flooded ground covered in tree stumps and holes, to then sink it into the moss. On delivery the armoured electricity cable reel proved to weigh three quarters of a tonne, with the fibre optic cable weighing in at a measly third of a tonne!

This was a team effort, rolling the huge reel along nearby quiet roads to undo it. then dragging the slack slowly out onto the moss, going back and starting again. I will admit to starting out nervous about the practicality of this, but we triumphed in the end.

For the benefit of my sceptical colleagues, yet again I've led  a foolhardy mission onto a remote Cumbrian bog without losing anybody (wet feet don't count, thats a basic initiation rite).

By the time Rob turned up to help, it was almost finished, no wonder he looks so pleased!

Phase 3 was digging a trench near the road. This was definitely the worst part, as we crossed a small gravel track that turned out to have 4 inches of tarmac underneath & I was armed only with a pickaxe.

The trench took the cables into underground junction boxes where the utility companies could connect them to the grid. Followed of course by a month or so waiting for them to come and do that!

Phase 4 simply required us to nervously wait and wait for a well known telecoms company to turn on our broadband connection. And yes, I can finally say it is actually working! We can move and control the cameras via the internet, and you can hopefully all see the nest too. 

Recently, for those of us involved it has sometimes felt like we were painfully slow getting the cameras finished, but our timescale was always incredibly tight. I have to remind myself that it really is amazing to get this technology working at all from such a remote location.

This is not quite the end of the story. Now we are developing a rota of staff and volunteers to watch the nest and talk to visitors, we are investigating ways to show the images live at Foulshaw Moss nature reserve.

I will of course keep uploading highlights of the ospreys' year for you to see in future blog posts at much higher definition.

Simon