In January 2006, in an effort to validate the bird camera concept, Stephens, Global Point Products’ General Manager Dave Testa and Product Development Manager John Kempf attended the bird watching industry’s annual trade show, Birdwatch America in Atlanta, Ga. The group discussed the concept confidentially with potential buyers.

“People recognized the product’s value and were immediately drawn to it,” Stephens explained. “But it was unusual for bird watching. Everyone acknowledged that this was not an obvious homerun, that it would take work.” In the end, the feedback was positive enough to convince Stephens, Testa, and Kempf that the idea was worth pursuing. In February 2006, Dixon Brooke [president and CEO of EBSCO] decided to green light the project,” Stephens said. . .”

Exactly one year after first visiting the Birdwatch America tradeshow, Stephens returned to the show with production models of the camera, ready to take orders. The attitude toward technology this year was warmer than it had been a year ago.

“Buyers were ready to embrace the more innovative products this year,” he said. “Our BirdCam – along with birding software products for handhelds and iPods – was one of the most popular products at the show. Store owners reported inquiries about these products from customers.”

Stephens explained that the two main focuses while engineering the camera were ease of use and image quality. “Ron Woller and Josh Suggs at PRADCO Engineering did an excellent job designing a camera case and an accessory bracket that will make the camera easy to mount on a variety of feeders,” he said. The camera also features a user-friendly interface designed with the help of John Kempf at Global Point Products.