eBirdseed.com Wild Bird Feeding Blog

First off, I thought you might enjoy this video of a grackle marauding a chunk of suet. No wonder we have to put out suet cakes every few days.

That clip was shot with our little Flip Video camera. (If you're a back yard birder, and want a cheap digital solution for your video needs, I'd vote for the Flip. It's small, shoots for 45 minutes at least, and cheap. Today, a Flip and a tripod will probably set you back about $100.)

Onward...

Concerning the swine flu... Being a "germaphobe", maybe I can speak to this... (Keep in mind that I'm not a doctor and have no medical degree, but what follows is simply a repeat of what the media has been reporting for days.)

• Don't panic. The authorities keep telling us to avoid a mad dash to the emergency room, and they're right. If you're the average healthy adult and you're not feeling up to snuff, give your doctor a call and let him or her offer direction.
• In general, influenza viruses are of particular concern for the elderly and the very young. Once again, the Center for Disease Control is warning that any flu-like symptoms in those two age groups deserves immediate medical attention. If you have to head for a hospital ASAP, so be it.
• Be proactive! If you have symptoms, act! Follow the steps above appropriately and promptly.
• Stay clean! Did you know that there's a proper way to wash your hands? A good hand washing takes a solid 60 seconds and plenty of flowing warm water and soap. (A health care pro taught me that.)
• Keep your hands away from your face.
• Wash your hands whenever you use the bathroom. (I keep one of those small antiseptic bottles on my person at all times for use when I leave a bathroom or a mall or wherever just to be double safe.)
• Do not eat when handling stuff that John Q. Public has touched. One of my old bosses was a math teacher, and he swore that he had a 100% chance of getting a cold if he snacked when grading students' tests.
• If you don't feel well, follow the steps above, and stay home. Don't take your problem to work or the ball park and then give it to someone else. Again, let the medical experts decide when you're ready to face the world again. (Now would be a good time to talk with the boss about telecommuting,)
• For heaven's sake, cover your face when you cough or sneeze. Try to keep paper towels handy, and throw them away after each use. Coughing in your hands and then grabbing a door knob is just plain dumb.
• Never sniffle! When your nose runs, it runs for a reason. Your body is trying to rid itself of nastiness, and sniffling only makes the situation worse. Sniffling takes that nastiness and drags it down into the dark, warm (98.6F), wet chambers known as your throat, sinus passages, and chest. (To hear some people sniffle and snort, it's a wonder that they aren't growing mushrooms inside their body cavities!)
• Watch for school closings. In general, use common sense. Likewise for travel plans.
• Sleep. Exhaustion equals weakness.
• Avoid sick people. Duh.
• Cook food thoroughly. (And no, you can't get swine flu from pork. Still, cook all food regardless. Ditto duh.)
• Lastly, as stated before, don't panic. Every year brings a new flu... without exception. If the current projections are correct, this year will be significantly less severe than the last few.

See you by the feeders and be well,

CapeCodAlan

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Posted by CapeCodAlan at 11:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Hi all,

Yup, they're back! The Ruby-throated Hummingbirds have arrived - the wife saw one today. While the shot above is from last year, you'll be getting some fresh pictures in the near future. Nothing says "Spring" like a Ruby-throated! Be sure to keep an eye on the eBirdseed.com bird cam - it's trained right on the hummer feeders.

Hey now! Tweet, tweet! eBirdseed Twitters... (If you're not familiar with social networking, take a look here.) I'll warn you right up front that I'm not your typical tweeter... I don't ask stuff like "Who's your favorite Star Trek character?" Nope, I tend to fall along the lines of silence or at best, "Oh, a Red-tail just swooped through the backyard." Anyway, you can access Twitter using the "Share" button below. All you really need is an account, and then "follow" CapeCodAlan.

What else is new? Well... It turns out that our little Flip Video camera has a decent mic in it, so it looks like I'm going to have to start building a bird audio library. First I'll have to find a way to strip the audio out of the video and then edit it, but that should be no prob whatsoever - I live for this stuff.

And speaking of videos... We now have a YouTube account for our vids. All that remains to be done is to wrestle the digital celluloid gremlins into submission, and then force them into some sort of logical order. When all is said and done, it might not be pretty, but at least it will be entertaining. Stay tuned for that one.

Before I go... As promised, here's the finished model of the sailboat "Gypsy".

It's obviously primitive, but the lines are right. If you're going to build anything (from boat to birdhouse), the best advice I can give is build a quick model first. It doesn't take any money, and it takes little time, and in the long run you'll have a more pleasurable experience throughout.

Gotta' run... See you by the feeders,

CapeCodAlan

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Posted by CapeCodAlan at 9:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I won't waste your time... Here's a short Flip vid that the wife took of a downy.

The camera was mounted on a tripod and left to run for 40 minutes unattended. Obviously, most of the time was for naught, but we did manage to get 3:05 of good stuff. As for the Flip itself, we're still playing with the zoom and accompanying software, etc. But we'll figure it out.

The video does drive home an interesting point though - downies are steadfast eaters. In the case of a chickadee or sparrow, dining is performed on a rather "hit and run" basis. But the Downy (like the one above) really tends to settle down and chow. And that's more than fine by me. They really are beautiful birds.

This Spring and Summer will see more videos from us. I'd like to include more work from the ponds, wetlands, and seashore. I know that's not exactly the typical backyard feeder scenario, but time and opportunity will tell nonetheless. (I'll take pictures of birds on the moon if I get the chance...)

See you by the feeders wherever they may be,

CapeCodAlan

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Posted by CapeCodAlan at 12:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

OK, So what in the name of Sam Hill has the photo above have to do with a birdhouse? Well nothing really... and then again, everything. Here's the deal... I was searching the Web a couple of nights ago for something on eBirdseed.com, and I noticed that the auto-complete feature of the search engine was adding in "birdhouse". That's cool. Right now, we don't carry them, but we've still got you covered.

Some time ago I wrote a couple of posts on building a birdhouse. In the first entry I laid out a rough design, and in the second I actually built it.

Alrighty then, what about building a birdhouse for your backyard? Obviously, it will have to meet certain "bird requirements" regarding dimensions, ease of cleaning, nest size, etc. (See our references links below for more info), But still, there lies the slightly flexible issue of aesthetics...

So how do you build that perfect birdhouse (or kitchen island, or deck, or whatever)? Very simple... First, you do your homework on the Web, find the designs that work for you, and then tweak them via a model like the one above. It's nothing complicated - just some cardboard and 5-minute epoxy... In the photograph, I'm building a 15' sailboat in a scale of 1.5" to 12". But it really doesn't matter - a person can just as quickly whir up a cardboard mock-up of a birdhouse. All you really need to do is establish the ratio between the design and the desired result. (Here's a table converting fractional inches to decimal inches.)

Many moons ago I was a cabinet maker... Today I moderate a couple of boat building forums... But one lesson remains the same. When you're trying to build something, even a simple birdhouse, model first... I'm telling ya, it saves time in the long run.

See you by the feeders,

CapeCodAlan

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Posted by CapeCodAlan at 12:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Hi all,

The pic above is that of our eBirdseed.com bird cam. Obviously, it's focused on one of our hummingbird feeders. (We have yet to see a ruby this Spring.)

But beyond the hummingbirds, I thought I'd mull over the cam itself...

• Right now (if you can see the stat above), we're at roughly 12,000 views. Add to that another 4,000 hits (before I crashed the birdcam in the early days of this project) and we're talking 16,000 people. Granted, some are repeat guests, and no doubt a few of my friends have tuned in... Still, 16k is a large number.
• I might stick an old-time thermometer out beside the hummingbird feeder for a quick temp reading for all... Given that, a passing gaze at the movement of the faux flowers, the light and precipitation involved, and you can get a pretty good idea of the local weather here on Ol' Cape Cod real time.
• At some point, we're going to need to replace the existing camera with something a little better. (The wife votes for a wireless model that I can waterproof and mount right next to the standard feeder - that will be cool in the extreme.) I'll probably have to take into account some sort of ventilation, cleaning, and means for delivering power, but that's all do-able.

Gotta sign off... If anyone should see a ruby throated on Cape (or better yet on our Web cam) please send a comment... Can't wait!

See you by the feeders,

CapeCodAlan

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Posted by CapeCodAlan at 3:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The photo to the right is that of a simple starling... Nothing very exciting. Kinda cool, but nothing to brag about. But it got me to thinking about this blog, and the very nature of these posts...

It would be so much easier to write these entries if birds were my absolute passion. If I were truly a bird nut, this would be a walk in the park. But odds are I'm just like you - we feed the birds, then go about our day-to-day business.

So what to write of and what not? Perhaps the best is the subtly of it all (the feeders and such...) Ask yourself this... When was the last time you watched a really good cable movie? How about the last time you had a quality frozen dinner? Any problems with appliances lately? Issues with the car? The job??? Now contrast that with the last bird song you heard... Has a bird song ever been less than perfect? (And no, crows don't count, though I'd argue the point.) And what of their flight... Amazing, no?

There is a beauty out back too easily overlooked. (After all, what good is it if it doesn't come out of an HD TV with 7.1 sound?) I don't know... I really don't. It's as if we've long since lost the ability to see, even forgotten how to look, and only have the ability to gawk.

See you by the feeders,

CapeCodAlan

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Posted by CapeCodAlan at 12:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Hi all,

Did you ever have a teacher or prof who would stand and look over your shoulder as you struggled through a test in school? Well, if you didn't you missed out on all the fun. The shot above reminds me of that time. Long ago, Mr. Drew (a noble mountain of a man and my first physics teacher) would walk the rows between the desks, his hands behind his back, glower over our shoulders, and wonder just what the Hades we were doing with all the math in his physics...

So, given that as a backdrop, and using that as a "Coffee Table Chat" jumping off point... A few thoughts on our economy and yesterday's Tea Parties...

I'm not going to waste time with politics... If you want politics, just look me up on the Web. No... Worse than politics, I'm going to scare the living bejabbers out of you with plain old numbers... If I've posted them before, forgive me, but they bear repeating:

• The national debt is not $12 trillion... That doesn't include Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security obligations. (The government keeps separate books for this stuff. Check out the former top comptroller for the feds, David Walker. See also the 2007 USATODAY piece.) All things considered, we as a country are at least $53 trillion in the hole. Let's see... $53,000,000,000,000.00 divided by the entire population of America (300,000,000) is a debt of $176,666.67/person. And as technology improves and our society ages, that number will certainly go up.
• Our GDP (Gross Domestic Product) is around $12 trillion. (There's that number again.)
• Because of our international sale of treasury bonds, roughly $2 for every $10 of our debt is held by China and Japan.

My guess (and yes, it's just my guess) is that yesterday 300,000 Americans peacefully asked just a couple of questions... "Where is this country going?" and "Who is going to pay the $53,000,000,000,000.00 (plus interest, increased spending, an aging society, and inflation)?" Make absolutely no mistake about it, that amount will have to be paid, or the Republic will fail. Borrowing money can't go on forever, and simply printing money can't go on forever either. So who is actually going to work off/sell off that debt?

Mr. Drew has long since passed... But there are times when it feels like he is looking over my shoulder and wondering at the math behind our nation's bookkeeping.

See you by the feeders... And next time, thankfully, we'll be back with the birds,

CapeCodAlan

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Posted by CapeCodAlan at 1:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Hi,

Happy Easter and Happy Passover to all. (Jeez... I hope I haven't insulted anyone... No joke - nowadays, people get miffed at even the best of intentions.) Anyway... Happy belated Easter, and happy Passover. (Dang the PC Police!)

Onward!

The photo above is of a beautiful hyacinth (Hyacinthus orientalis) taken on a cool and very windy Sunday in Spring. At this point in time however, there is more to celebrate than just flowers, holidays, and less-than-freezing weather... Hostage Capt. Richard Phillips is free and safe, and for that, there is yet another reason for thanks...

The birds today were for the most part boring, but the crows put on quite a show. They spent at least half an hour chasing a hawk. Given the wind speeds, the crows and their antagonist were something to see... Too bad that it was all too fast to get photographs. I can only hazard a guess at the type of hawk... Maybe a red tailed or perhaps a coopers... But I've got to tell you, it was quite extraordinary.

Let's see... What else?

Have you noticed the uptick in home improvement center commercials and emails? I'm getting buried with the latter. And I don't think this is just a "Spring thing" either. Obviously, these are tight economic times, and people are coming to the realization that a week off doesn't demand a big elaborate vacation. (Back in February, Trump Entertainment Resorts filed for Chapter 11.) Ya see that? Us thrifty backyard birders and do-it-yourselfers are on to something! Besides... Where can you go in Vegas and spend a few precious minutes watching crows and a hawk duke it out?

See you by the feeders,

CapeCodAlan

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Posted by CapeCodAlan at 12:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Ah, the ubiquitous crow... I don't even know what he has in his beak in the shot above...

It seems that the crows have taken to a rather cacophonous form of speaking with us. Quite creepy really. Both the wife and I are now keenly aware when the crows want food. And on the flip side, it appears that they either put up a sentry or "make the rounds" to expose the fact that we've put out food for them. Either way, there is very clear communication going on between human and crow. Like I said... Creepy.

And on a slightly "smaller" and less sinister note, have you been keeping track of the Ruby-throated Hummingbird migration? Looks like we should be seeing them any day now on mid Cape Cod. Last weekend Mrs. CapeCodAlan cleaned and put out the feeders. Beyond the cleaning, we use a 4:1 solution of sugar water for the nectar itself. (Measuring by volume, carefully mix four parts water to one part sugar, and then bring to a simmer until a consistent solution is achieved. You can make extra and then refrigerate.) If you'd like to keep an eye out for our usual hummingbird suspects, be sure to check out our free eBirdseed.com bird cam.

And speaking of free (and before we say goodnight), keep in mind that this blog (and site) is hassle-free. We go out of our way to make sure that you can access our bird cam, eBirdseed.com photo library, and all the other stuff without fear of resulting "spam".

So, I'll be with the crows and the hummingbirds... See you by the no-pressure feeders,

CapeCodAlan

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Posted by CapeCodAlan at 10:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Just to bring the new readers up to speed, we here at Beakly World News have been following the threat to our backyard feeders for some time. Back in Feb. of '08 we broke the story the extraterrestrial Helobird. A couple of days ago we published the amazing picture of the missile bird.

Ah ha! Dr. Testors was right! We are being invaded by "spongy" yellow birds. Just look at the crow above fighting off the "Peep" above...

Alright... Enough already with the wacky "Beakly World News". Here's the deal... I've purposely kept this post and especially the last post lighthearted... Between Binghamton, the three Pittsburgh officers killed in the line of duty, the slaughter in Washington, the earthquake in Italy, the economy... given all that (and more) it's been a rough few days to say the least...

At times like these, there isn't much to say...

See you by the peaceful feeders...

CapeCodAlan

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Posted by CapeCodAlan at 11:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Once again, E.T. has struck a harmless little birdhouse! And this time, the intent seems insidious... Scientists are baffled as to what might have caused the image below...

After all, what could possibly have set in motion the conditions that would embed a bird half way through the face of a birdhouse? For answers, we turned to "World Beakly News" expert, Dr. Max Testors. ('Doc Max' is also a noted cattle mutilation expert, crop circle maven, seasoned ghost hunter, respected crytozoologist, and mean tuba tuner),

Astonishing, noted the famed ufologist from the Ulaan Bator Institute of Outer Mongolia... Just astonishing! And with that, he continued...

I have four theories:

• The creature was spooked by some sort of UFO... The small gold flying disks are particularly frightening to birds. The poor thing might have been so startled that it crashed right through the back of the birdhouse and wedged itself half way out the front.
• Or maybe the little sparrow was fired as a test missile.
• We may be looking at the results of another "Philadelphia Experiment" gone horribly awry.
• Worst of all, this might even be a macabre alien cuckoo clock joke (the bird equivalent of, "It's a cookbook!")

For Beakly World News, this is CapeCodAlan signing off by the crop circles under the feeders,

CapeCodAlan

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Posted by CapeCodAlan at 7:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The photo above seems so appropriate for 4/3/09... Another day, another slaughter - this time in Binghamton, NY.

Not exactly sure what to say... Obviously, thoughts and prayers go out...

OK... So I'm not going to write about birds today. I'm just too sickened. But I will write - not because I want to but because I should. And there are two reasons I should write about this savagery:

Reason 1: Believe it or not, I have a limited bit of training in the field of crisis intervention. Granted, it's just a two-year degree, but I was (and am) qualified to man a suicide hotline as I type this. Here are my insights (for what they're worth) into the "ballistic" personality...

• In general, people who flip out tend to think that a particular person, group, or culture has wronged them terribly. The thing to watch for here is the sincerity in the individual - you'll know it when you see it. These people don't smile and don't blink when they express their "righteous" anger. Their logic may be flawed, but their rage is pure and deep, and they'll stare right through you.
• Should a friend or loved one seriously change fundamental behavior, keep your eyes open. The gal who's been gregarious all her life, but suddenly goes silent is dealing with issues. Likewise for the guy who's always kept to himself, but suddenly won't shut up...
• Listen to threats.
• Significant changes in sleep or eating patterns may indicate a problem.
• Be thoughtful of folks who lose a job or go through a breakup. Worse yet, be particularly thoughtful of the individual who suffers multiple personal disasters at a single time.
• If you know of someone taking medication for behavioral problems, help them stay on their meds.
• You parents out there, keep an eye on the company your child keeps, and stay in touch with his teachers. Most importantly, talk with your child.

Reason 2: I know of what I speak... I know of hard times... I know of haunting a food court just to score leftovers. I literally sold the shirt off my back one night in a Boston subway just to get back to Cape Cod... I've looked down the barrel of a gun held in anger and contempt... Hard times and hitchhiking ain't for the faint of heart... Look, most people (myself included) can take almost anything... But then there are a few who snap, who go "ballistic".

Bottom line? I don't know what happened at Binghamton... I don't know if anyone does know (or ever really will know for that matter). Maybe the shooter had some sort of medical problem... I really don't know. But going forward, I think we need to keep two things in mind...First, we need to be aware of our surroundings, loved ones, neighbors, and co-workers. When people change significantly, something is going on and discussion is in order. Beyond that, we have to recognize that these are tough times - a rare few of our brethren are going to teeter on the abyss...

There, this post is done, and I'd just as soon move on.

See you by the feeders,

CapeCodAlan

P.S. As if moving on was that easy... The breaking news this morning is of four police officers being shot in Pennsylvania...

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Posted by CapeCodAlan at 5:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)