A real bird's eye view! (From Wiltshire Times)

A real bird's eye view!

3:55pm Tuesday 15th May 2007 in News By Charley Morgan

CHILDREN at a west Wiltshire primary school have been given a bird's eye view on nature with a new web cam set up in the school's grounds.

The Bird Cam' at Shaw Church of England Primary School near Melksham, gives the children a direct view inside a bird box.

The camera, which is linked up to an interactive whiteboard in a classroom, has given the children the unique opportunity of following a family of Blue Tits as they make a home and hatch their young.

The initiative is the latest in a series to try and develop the school's grounds and the children's interest in the environment.

Headmaster Dave Borrie said: "We set it up in late March and it was all running nicely but we wondered whether any birds would actually go in.

"One day during class we saw a flash of blue and a little Blue Tit came in."

The bird and her mate made their home in the bird box and one morning the children came into school to find an egg had been laid.

Mr Borrie said: "The next day there were six more, it was very quick, and the children have been fascinated."

The pupils have named the couple Beatrix and Bob and have been studying the birds in classification books.

They waited with baited breath until the first of the eggs hatched last week and are now watching the baby birds grow and get stronger.

The camera and microphone cost £150 and the school purchased the equipment with money raised by selling off produce from their vegetable garden in the grounds.

The camera was put up on the wall of a mobile classroom and a hole was drilled in the side for wires to come through to an interactive whiteboard.

Mr Borrie said: "The next step is going to be watching them learn to fly - that's going to be very frightening, we might have to have a duvet underneath the box in case they fall."

As well as the vegetable garden the school has planted trees, created a fenced pond with ducks that are also nesting and the PTA is raising money for an adventure trail.

Mr Borrie added: "We want school to be fun because the children will learn if you make it interesting and stimulating."

But the next stage in the story of Beatrix and Bob could be an appearance on the BBC's Spring Watch with Bill Oddie as Mr Borrie has contacted the producers to see if they are interested in featuring the happy couple.