It took four attempts to finally get a suitable webcam to observe the bird’s nest outside my office window. Most cheap webcams, even those which show off with true 720p HD resolution simply cannot cope with the different outdoor lighting conditions over a full day.
After a lot of testing and research on the net, I finally invested into a Microsoft LifeCam Studio. This camera has real focus (both manual and auto) and can adapt its exposure to everything from twilight to full sunshine.
Here is today’s life of the fieldfare hen in and out of her nest (according to internet sources it is only her who does the hatching job).