Watch a bird feeder with your iPhone
You do not need to stare at an empty feeder to catch a visitor. Point an iPhone at the landing spot and ask Snitch to check for a bird when movement triggers an analysis.
Choose a useful distance
Position the phone so a bird is visible as more than a tiny shape. Keep the device dry and stable, and avoid disturbing wildlife. Through a window, compare several angles to reduce reflections. Check the view again as the sun moves.
Exclude the busy background
Draw the box around the feeder and its perch. Branches, shadows, and moving leaves can prompt unnecessary checks. A stable feeder against a simple background is easier to evaluate than a wide view of the whole garden.
Begin with a broad bird condition
Start with “a bird is on the feeder.” Snitch checks a written condition; it is not presented as a specialist species-identification tool. Inspect replays and explanations to understand what the camera saw. Quick visits may be missed because motion triggers, scan timing, and network latency all matter.
Plan the session
Keep Snitch open on an awake, connected device and connect power for longer sessions. Review scan budgets and intervals in the app. Test the scene before a long watch, and stop the session when the light no longer provides a useful image.