eBirdseed.com Wild Bird Feeding Blog

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

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Posted by CapeCodAlan at 9:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

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.

2. Get your head wet.

3. Start splashing!

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

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Posted by CapeCodAlan at 1:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

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.

See you by the feeders,

CapeCodAlan

Cornell Ornithology Laboratory: Inside Birding

Cornell Ornithology Laboratory: All About Birding

eBirdseed.com photo library

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eBirdseed.com bird cam

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

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)

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

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eBirdseed.com bird cam

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

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...

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

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eBirdseed.com bird cam

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

Take a look at the shots below...

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:

• July 30 - STS 128
• Oct. 15 - STS 129
• Dec. 10 - STS 130
• Feb. 11, '10 - STS 131
• Apr. 8, '10 - STS 132
• May 31 '10 - STS 133

Gotta run, but will 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 1:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Yeah, more hummingbird video. I warned you that once we got the Flip video rolling, there'd be no stopping us. A few thoughts about that camera and the Novabird motion-activated cameras...

• Some time ago, I created the "eBirdseed.com photo library" (see link below). And that's cool, but it ain't enough. Nope... Not even close. I think we need a library of videos and even bird songs, and I'm pretty close to to making that happen...Hmmm...
• My problem with creating a video library has to do with the taxonomy of the beast. That is, how do we organize the content relative to our own needs, and at the same time make the Web app that will do the hosting of said content happy? I think I have a solution... Stay tuned.
• Mrs. CCA discovered a neat little trick for getting the hummingbirds to wander into the purview of the lens - she simply draped the top portion of the tripod in fake red flowers. Go figure.

Finally (and on a completely different topic) if you're thinking about a new and very different hobby (and educational) hobby, consider model boatbuilding. The beauty of this pastime is that it consumes almost no time, and costs virtually nothing... If you're interested, I wrote a six piece primer here.

Gotta 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

Other birding references

eBirdseed.com bird cam

Posted by CapeCodAlan at 1:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

As a thoroughly experimental process, we also mounted the Flip Video camera in the bow of the kayak, started it up, and off I paddled.

So it seems that the FlipVid worked pretty well, but clearly we have to work on filtering out the sound of the wind.

Got a few shots of the osprey family from a distance, nothing great, but also got a few nice shots of some swallows as I paddled under them.

A while later in a quiet backwater, I came across what I believe is a willet. It's amazing how well he blends in with his surroundings, no?

And around here you can't go anywhere without seeing either Canada geese or mallards. Today, it was Mr. and Mrs. Mallard who floated by to say hello.

All in all, it was a glorious afternoon. I highly recommend a good kayak trip to anyone who needs a little peace of mind.

See you back by the feeders one of these days.

Mrs. CapeCodAlan

Cornell Ornithology Laboratory: Inside Birding

Cornell Ornithology Laboratory: All About Birding

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Posted by CapeCodAlan at 7:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It's another rainy day here on the Cape... We had a few anemic rumbles of thunder, but nothing worth reveling in. (I used to live in Arizona... Now there are some electrical storms!) Anyway, in keeping with the less-than-perfect weather, I figured that I'd throw in the less-than-perfect picture below. That shot is of "Don the Squirrel". (Twixt you and I and the lamp post, it looks like Don has been "raiding the feeder" a little too often...)

Whoa! And there you go... apparently Don is shouting down at his earthbound friends who've been heckling him concerning his weight...

(Jeez... I hope Don is shouting at his friends and not at his little rodent shoes!)

Onward...

Got an email from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology regarding a "Funky Nest" contest. Sounds like fun.

Other stuff...

I tried to get a video of the hummingbirds yesterday. Instead, I got 54 minutes of moving cloud shadows. My hunch is that the tripod scared the little birds away. Alright... So now the challenge becomes one of setting out the "Flip Video" camera in such a way that it's situated properly and unobtrusive. Hmmm...

Wondering 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 11:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

What follows are a few pictures from the wife's garden. The first is a Sea thrift in all its translucent glory. I like the almost pearl sheen...

The next is of a Wild chive blossom. Gotta love those purple spikes!

The last is of an Iris. It seems like a sad plant - I guess it's just the droopy yellow and purple...

Anyway, the flowers (like birds and cooking) offer a pleasant diversion. And speaking of cooking (nice segue ay?)... I cooked up that batch of clam chowder I promised, and in retrospect I really should have done something just slightly more productive like painting all the door knobs with "white out" or trying to mow the lawn with fingernail clippers - the chowder was an abomination. It started out well like all the others in that I followed the old family recipe as always, except that I used canned clams. Wow, was that a phenomenal mistake... Four cans of chopped clams (read that clam mush) does not a chowduh make. As soon as all the ingredients were added, and the simmering began, tasting flagged a culinary train wreck. We're talking bland, off-balanced, slop that was to food what an electrical fire is to odor. So I panicked and added shrimp, more clam juice and cream. "Doom! Doom!" I say. (I might as well have been adding spiders and toads...) And in a final homage to St Jude, I dumped in a mess of Tabasco. The saint could not be reached for comment.

So now what do I do? There's no way we can eat the stuff. I can't put it out for the crows because that might be animal abuse. I guess I'll just dig a hole and bury it out back.

Now there you go... When you have a winning recipe, don't stray... Right now, I think I'll just go look at the flowers.

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 9:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Ever wonder why crows hog food? (Or perhaps more appropriately, "Why crows take more food than they can possibly eat in a single serving?") Well, I think I done stumbled upon the answer dag nab it... Take a look at the shot below...

By happenstance, we stumbled upon a strange behavior in the eating habits of crows. We were watching several corvids snatch up far more than they could devour, and then fly away. But one flew just a dozen yards, dropped a manageable piece, and took the rest to a nearby pile of leaves and proceeded to cover the rest. Those safely hidden, he went back to his more immediate lunch.

I didn't have time to watch the creature further, but I think you can see where this story is going... Crows are selfish yet social hogs.

What else? Well, it's time to make some more chowder. I was thinking of perhaps adding shrimp or even corn... The wife put the nix on that. (I might serve up corn on the side and see how it tastes when mixed into the chowder. Time will tell on that one.)

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

Other birding references

eBirdseed.com bird cam

Posted by CapeCodAlan at 2:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Hi all,

Yeah, I know... Video of a grackle eating bread ain't terribly exciting... Still, the imagery is better than a kick in the head - at least I like it. Beyond the flick, there's wiegelia crowding the trellis...

Fun to look at, though the wife may cut the beast back. (Also, note the tripod arrangement off to the right. That's what I used to shoot the "movin' picktur" above.) We'll probably post some close up's of the bush sometime in the near future - stay tuned.

What else? Ah yes... The weather is supposed to be cold and rainy... Just the sort of conditions prime for quahogging! Maybe the wife can get out of work early and we can hit the mud flats together. But wait... Just checked my 'hoggin' license, and its expired. Dang! A number of folks are going to miss fresh clam chowder... (No prob... I'll think of something snicker-snack... And with said solution under bib, we'll come galumphing back!)

On that happy image, 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 8:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Well, there you go - proof of the dreaded Cape Cod Chupacabra! Look carefully at the first photo, and then the one that follows it...

Do you see the difference?!? The first shot is of a typical idyllic afternoon... Just a little birdbath... But the next photo (from the exact same camera taken from the exact same viewpoint) clearly depicts a chupa attack approaching from the upper right! Look at the red teeth and the pointy ears... Look at that wild eye! The beast has obviously been caught leaping towards some poor unsuspecting creature, and there he is now...

And then, look at the poor thing struggle!

Alright, alright, alright... The camera captured an SUV going by, and the rest of the photographs are those of a catbird enjoying a bath. (Sorry... Just can't resist ribbing the "Area 51" crowd.)

Joking aside... Now is an ideal time to clean your feeders and birdbaths. (See more info here.) Just be sure to rinse everything completely afterwards.

Other stuff... Well, hurricane season is starting again... Are you prepared?

Finally... This is my 400th post... How about that?

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 12:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)