This ratty old birdhouse has a secret. It was actually an “outdoor enclosure” for an indoor WiFi security camera (D-Link DCS-920). The birdhouse worked well over the last five years protecting the camera from the weather. (I lost one power supply, which hangs outside the birdhouse, so I waterproofed the replacement with hot glue and lots of layers of electrical tape.)

It looked better five years ago (the perch was gnawed off, probably by a squirrel), but it was never operable as a birdhouse, as the entry hole is covered by clear Plexiglas and acts as the viewport for the camera.   It’s basically the opposite of Dennis Nino Clasen’s birdhouse camera:

Now that I’m retiring it, I can post the secret on the internet. It was relatively difficult to notice the camera inside the birdhouse. Over five years of operation, I only know of one person who noticed that it was a camera (and then called over the whole crew to take a look…)

I did feel (only slightly) guilty about the number of birds that flew to the perch and tried to go inside….

One of these animals is not the same….