eBirdseed.com Wild Bird Feeding Blog

Wood Butchery and Feeder Repair

Repairing the Oriole feeder_400_IMG_3355.jpg

I don't know... Someone probably wrote this post long ago, but just in case... There are ways (as ugly as they are) to make wood do exactly, precisely what you want sort of. And that goes for the feeder above. Here's the deal... Most folks would look at that funky old broken-down feeder and say, "Replace it!" But now look at the tools above, and come to grips with the hidden karma of your recycling soul. We can re-build it, make it better, repair it. So we epoxy in a couple of new orange spikes and use a heavy cable tie as a hanger; that won't make the world explode. (And if the squirrels break those spikes, that will mean an open declaration of war... I'll make orange spikes no squirrel can ruin - Hell hath no fury like an engineer crossed.)

Anywho... About the tools and repair... The spikes were broken off and their holes were clogged - nothing that a drill, some scrap, and a couple healthy dollops of epoxy couldn't cure. Better than new. And if that isn't good enough, it will be.

There's something about the "Waste Makers'" attitudes that grinds against the very nature of "we'll-find-a-way" folks. We just don't like the "Cornucopian" or endless view of new stuff. Better wood butchery or whatever.

See you by the feeders,

CapeCodAlan

Cornell Ornithology Laboratory: Inside Birding

Cornell Ornithology Laboratory: All About Birding

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Posted by CapeCodAlan at 9:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Bath Time!

We've been noticing an increase in activity around the birdbaths, particularly the one in the front garden. While both baths (front and back) are used by our local avian population for drinking, lately lots more birds have been bathing in our front birdbath. Not sure if it's the weather, the season, or what, but it sure is fun to watch.

Today, we noticed a sleek male goldfinch enjoying a quick drenching. He seemed to be having a good time, and he epitomized the three steps to taking a good bath:

1: Find a good spot.

goldfinch 1_400.jpg

2. Get your head wet.

goldfinch 2_400.jpg

3. Start splashing!

goldfinch 3_400.jpg

In a similar vein, we caught video of a grackle having a wonderful time at the Casa di Speakman Spa for Birdies. Notice how he observes all three steps above as the goldfinch did. Also notice that in his exuberance, he liberally splashes the hidden Birdie Spa Cam in the process.

See you by those shiny clean feeders!

CapeCodAlan

Cornell Ornithology Laboratory: Inside Birding

Cornell Ornithology Laboratory: All About Birding

eBirdseed.com photo library

eBirdseed and misc. references

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eBirdseed.com bird cam

Posted by CapeCodAlan at 1:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

Comments

Really good videos of the bird bath. I like your bubbler arrangement. I don't have that on my bird bath so I have to clean mine every two or three days for algae and other debris.
When I put new water in, I usually put a seed pod from a nearby palm tree in it. It floats and looks like a boat. The Grackles especially like it and play with it like a toy. Three CGs will spin it around the bowl and eventually one CG will try to stand in it. Of course it sinks. Then they each try to pull it out as if to re-float it. Not being successful, they pull it out and toss it over the side of the bowl.
Agreed, C. Grackles are especially fun to watch around a bird bath.
Cheers,
Harry "Gipper" Morris

Posted by: Harry Morris | June 29, 2009 2:33 PM

Thanks again for this lovely site! That's a great little bubbler in the birdbath! I have big fountains and birdbaths around the property, but would love a tiny spray or bubbler in front of my birdcam! I checked out aquarium bubblers, but I am stumped! What are you using? Wish I had the great camera set up and the more colorful birds like yours, but I am in the Santa Cruz mountains and it is dry and hot here, not as many colorful birds as back east!
Christine...

Posted by: Christine | June 29, 2009 8:00 PM

Hi Christine,

Thanks for your readership!

As for the pump, it's a "PondMaster". (http://www.pondmaster.com/products/default.asp). We bought the very small one, but a call or email to those folks couldn't hurt for your need.

The camera? No prob! I used a Flip Video from Pure Digital Technologies... Mine cost about $85 and records pure digital video. I mounted it on a $1 broken tripod the wife found at a yard sale. (Good ol' Billy Mays' Mighty Putty resurrected the tripod.) The video quality is truly remarkable.

Thanks again,

CCA

Posted by: CapeCodAlan | June 29, 2009 10:40 PM

Michael Jackson, Hummingbird Video, and Model Boat

Hi all,

Kind of all over the place today...

First up - Michael Jackson. My $.02? Well, my heart isn't exactly bleeding right now. I have a real problem with people who dangle babies 40' off the ground as a publicity stunt. (Needless to say, I didn't lose any sleep after Steve Irwin's passing either.) Still, Jackson's (and Jones') "Thriller" was a brilliant video. What a waste of phenomenal talent...

Now about those hummingbirds... Check out the video below...

There really isn't much to say. At least the rain has stopped and we were finally able to get a decent clip for you. (We have yet to find a way to set up the camera in such a way as to catch that flash of red in the throat, but we will.)

Finally, if you like backyard birding (as I assume you do because you're reading this), you really should consider model boatbuilding.

There are several reasons why you might want to check out this funky hobby...

It offers great insight. Though it will probably take some time to get started, the slight work invested will be well worth it.
It's fast... (See the Instant Boats Forum where I created six tutorials on building models.)
It's cheap... We're talking using old cereal boxes.
With practice, you can actually build a decent model. Take a close look at the second from left. That's a 1:27 scale model of the Bolger "Car Topper". While I tend to make scruffy models, that boat ain't bad.

Better run,

See you by the feeders,

CapeCodAlan

Cornell Ornithology Laboratory: Inside Birding

Cornell Ornithology Laboratory: All About Birding

eBirdseed.com photo library

eBirdseed and misc. references

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eBirdseed.com bird cam

Posted by CapeCodAlan at 2:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Oriole, Our Library, Hummers, etc.

Hi all,

Sorry about the pic above - it's an old one. It's been raining here on Cape Cod for the last couple of days, and I really wasn't able to get any decent bird shots. Bummer.

And speaking of photos, you might have noticed that our eBirdseed.com bird library (see link below) has been greatly reduced. Not to worry, all the images are still there, we're just trying to find a way to shuffle them around the Net. 'Til I get that straight, it looks like there's a max of 200 (10% of the total library) visible at any given time. That issue should be resolved ASAP.

Now about the photograph above. We've seen a ton of oriole activity lately... so much so that they habitually empty the jelly jar. Somehow, they (or creatures squirrel or crow) have even managed to break the wooden spikes that hold the orange halves to the feeder... Hmmm...

Hope you've been watching our bird cam (again, see link below). The hummers have been going nuts around here. While any time of the day is a good time to check out the camera, it might be wise to tune in towards 7pm. At that point its getting dark and the ruby-throats are going crazy.

What else?

Breaking news! Salads are more healthy for you than my normal fare of pretzels and "Salt-lick de Jour"... Sorry, I'm trying to reign in my eating habits and I figured I'd share the new found wisdom and pain...

See you by the feeders,

CapeCodAlan

Cornell Ornithology Laboratory: Inside Birding

Cornell Ornithology Laboratory: All About Birding

eBirdseed.com photo library

eBirdseed and misc. references

Other birding references

eBirdseed.com bird cam

Posted by CapeCodAlan at 9:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Squirrel, Hummingbird, and "Snausage"

Hi all,

Got kind of a smorgasbord for you today...

One of the most common questions I get is how to keep the squirrels out of the bird feeders. Sure there are baffles and flippers and witchcraft. And yeah, the first two do work. But, the problem (for me anyway) is that I like squirrels. Besides, trying to stay one step ahead of the rodents can be daunting... So, first up is a video that was recommended by our very own CaliforniaKathryn... (This is why the wife and I give squirrels (like Don) their own feeder.)

Next subject: hummingbirds. We had a ton of activity today... Probably because it's been rainy and cool, and they simply need the food energy. Mrs. CCA got a number of good photos including the one below.

And finally, there's the cooked "snausage"...

Seeing that this is the first day of Summer, 2009, I thought I might toss out my own $.02 when it comes to BBQ and food preparation... Take a look at the "meat products" above. They're done, right? Some would say overcooked. (They'd be wrong, but still, they might say it.) When we bought those brats, the package said that they were pre-cooked. And technically, I'm sure that they were. And as long as they were handled properly, shipped properly, refrigerated properly, and shelved properly, I'm sure that they were fine to eat right out of the package... But for me and mine, I'll play it just a tad safe and grill 'em 'till they glow. Besides, we honestly like the taste of slightly burnt. Like I said, that's just my two cents.

See you by the feeders,

CapeCodAlan

Cornell Ornithology Laboratory: Inside Birding

Cornell Ornithology Laboratory: All About Birding

eBirdseed.com photo library

eBirdseed and misc. references

Other birding references

eBirdseed.com bird cam

Posted by CapeCodAlan at 7:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Comments

Thank you for the wonderful blog. I was having a problem with my logitech quickcam, set up as a birdcam, tethered with a usb cable to my office laptop. I saw that you put sunglasses over your lens! I tried it, and no longer get the blownout brightness on my video! Thanks again, love the site!
Christine
Santa Cruz, CA

Posted by: Christine | June 23, 2009 5:36 PM

Glad I could be of help Christine!

CCA

Posted by: CapeCodAlan | June 25, 2009 2:19 PM

Update On Red-Winged Blackbird, Blue Jay, etc.

Hi all,

A quick update... Man oh man oh man... In the last post I incorrectly identified a female Red-winged as a young Purple Finch. Doh! Thanks to reader Sarah for catching this... The mistake wouldn't have been so embarrassing if we hadn't posted back in March of '08 on this very creature. Double Doh! But thanks again to Sarah.

Onward...

Below is a shot of the ubiquitous Blue jay...

mothra_03 DSC_0288_400.JPG

Not very exciting, but still cool... It's fun to just take a break and wander through old pics.

And speaking of taking a break... Today, the news is pretty much non-stop Iran. Our thoughts are with the protesters, and they have our fervent hope for their safety and success.

See you by the feeders,

CapeCodAlan

Cornell Ornithology Laboratory: Inside Birding

Cornell Ornithology Laboratory: All About Birding

eBirdseed.com photo library

eBirdseed and misc. references

Other birding references

eBirdseed.com bird cam

Posted by CapeCodAlan at 10:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Comments

I was particularly interested in your comments regarding "red-winged blackbirds". I've identified one bird showing up on my patio, as a "RWB" but further search suggests that it may be a "tricolor black bird". This is unusual because they are reported to be only in Oregon and California. I'm in Florida.
Can you offer some direction for me to truly identify this bird?
BTW, the bird species you asked about. It looks similar to a female Red-Winged Blackbird.
Cheers,
Harry "Gipper" Morris

Posted by: Harry Morris | June 25, 2009 11:13 AM

Hi Mr. Morris,

Good to hear from you again!

Concerning info on bird ID... Aside from the books by Sibley and Peterson, I usually rely on Google and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Check out the following sites:

http://www.animalpicturesarchive.com/list.php?qry=Tricolored+blackbird

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tricolored_Blackbird

http://www.prbo.org/calpif/htmldocs/species/riparian/tricolored_blackbird.htm

Thankfully, both you aand another reader, Sarah, caught me on the "unknown bird" as being a female RWB... Funny, the RWB is a favorite of mine, but I always think of the distinct markings of the male.

CCA

Posted by: CapeCodAlan | June 25, 2009 2:16 PM

Cheat Birding, NASA, etc.

Hi all,

Take a look at the shots below...

DSC_0144_purple finch face_400.JPG

DSC_0024_purple finch back 400.JPG

Well, this was supposed to be a quick post. It was supposed to talk to the fact that casual birding is almost cheating... that you don't have to blow big money, big time, and big travel to enjoy the creatures. And then those pics above crept into the scene. What on earth is/are that/those bird(s)?

As best I can tell, we're looking at a first-year Purple Finch. On the other hand it might be a juvenile Red Crossbill, or a Pine Siskin. Arghhh! (BTW, any suggestions you might have as to the actual identity of the wee beasties would be more than welcome.)

Other stuff... NASA just launched the "Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite". I won't waste time here talking about the vehicle and the project - suffice it to say that it's cool stuff. (On a related note, here's something to consider concerning the remaining six shuttle launches... When those events are over, that will end a stunning 29 year achievement never to be seen again. Should you want to watch one of those last blasts, the dates follow: