Live Loon Cam

Loon Cam FAQ

When will the eggs hatch?
This early Looncam pair usually lay egg in mid to late May.Incubation is approximately 28 days, so if the hatch is successful, it should occur in mid to late June.

How does the loon cam work?
The solar powered camera is mounted to a wooden post that is driven into the bottom of the pond, just a little offshore and 30 feet from the nest. An Ethernet cable supplies power and an internet connection to the camera, which runs underwater to an equipment box, on shore.Sound comes from a microphone, mounted on a post in the pond, close to the nest. It is muffled to avoid picking up people talking and there may be occasions where it is muted to protect the privacy of the neighbors. The signal is sent via Wireless Ethernet to a residence and an internet connection. the video stream runs 24×7, over a 35 megabit per second internet service to YouTube Live. With this design, hundreds can view the video feed at the same time, and the stream is converted to match the viewer’s device and internet connection speed. We also employ a 7 day streaming archive service and can make a video clip of interesting events.

Can I see the archived videos? 
The YouTube player is configured so that you can replay the most recent twelve hours of the video stream. This is useful if you missed watching a nest switch or egg turning. Edited video clips from the archive are occasionally published on the Loon Preservation Committee’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/LoonCenter. Let us know if you see something interesting that we’ve missed. The archive goes back a week.

Is there a Twitter hash tag to alert people to special events? 
Yes. Our blogger, Biff, will continuing using Twitter again this year. To participate, follow the #LoonCam hashtag. We encourage viewers to send out a Tweet with #looncam in the text when something special happens. That will help us go back through the archives and publish a video clip of the events. Our Twitter name is @lpc_nh.

Where is the loon cam located?
For privacy of the loons and the gracious people that allow placement of the loon cam, the location is unidentified. It is in New Hampshire, within an hour’s drive of the Moultonboro based Loon Center.

Can I donate to the operation of the loon cam?
Yes! Please use the donation button on the loon cam page and select the “Loon Cam” button. We upgraded the bandwidth this year and bought new batteries for the solar powered Looncam 2.The budget is about $2000 to operate two Loon Cams in 2019, from May into July. Your donations help make it possible.

How do I control the view?

The camera may be programmed to periodically rotate through a sequence of preset scenes. At times, the LPC staff may take control of the camera and change the scene or follow interesting events. If you want a specific view, send us an email or mention it in the YouTube chat room and if the loon cam operator is watching, your request may be granted.

Can I make the picture bigger?
Yes, use the YouTube full-screen icon, which shows when you touch or mouse-over the bottom of the picture. Be sure to select a high resolution with the settings gear on the stream. You can also open up the stream on the YouTube web site, smart TV, or mobile application. On the YouTube page, there is a chat feature, where you can have a discussion with other Loon Cam Viewers. The LPC staff will chime in when they have a chance and not in the field.

Can you turn the sound up? I can barely hear it.
The camera’s microphone is very sensitive and is set as low as possible, to provide some natural sounds while protecting neighbor’s privacy. At times, the microphone will be muted.

Why is the picture jerky or fuzzy? 
If you are on a slow or congested internet connection, YouTube reduces the resolution and the picture will be less sharp. The slow-down may also be on our end.When there is a lot of movement, like wind on the water, we can run out of upload bandwidth.We broadcast in 1080p resolution and strive for 15-20 frames/second.

Who do I contact if I have a problem or question?
For technical questions or problems with the looncam, send email to looncam@loon.org For other questions, contact volunteers@loon.org