Solar-powered Live Camera Streams Seagull Nesting on Floating Rafts at Iidesjärvi

According to the City of Tampere, a solar-powered live camera is monitoring seagull nesting on floating rafts at Iidesjärvi this spring and will run through August, allowing researchers to follow breeding and assess raft design without disturbing the birds.

Iidesjärvi, a 65-hectare bird lake in Tampere, has hosted the floating nesting platforms since 2020 as part of the Ministry of the Environment’s Kunta-Helmi project to help the black-headed gull, a species classified as endangered in Finland. Surrounded by water, the rafts are harder for small predators such as mink and raccoon dogs to reach. The camera records in darkness and is silent to minimise disturbance. The gear was renewed for this season, and new access ramps on the rafts—one visible in the live feed—make monitoring easier, said Petri Mäkelä, head of outdoor services at Ekokumppanit.

In addition to dense black-headed gull colonies, nest boxes on the rafts have been used by mallards, tufted ducks and other waterfowl, said Tampere city environmental planner Eeva Punju. Ekokumppanit Oy operates the camera with permission from the Regional Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment for Southwest Finland (Varsinais-Suomen ELY-keskus) for research and teaching. Viewers can watch the stream and join a live chat to share sightings; mornings are often the most active times.