Rain Moving In, Turkeys, Seagulls, Etc.
Got kind of a potpourri for you today... Weather, turkeys, seagulls, salt parading as food, and yet another update on our busted streaming Web cam. Let's get to it.
According to the forecasters, we've got some weather coming to Cape Cod.
Not that a radar image was really necessary to convey nature's message... I took this photo earlier in the day...
Ah... Into each life a little rain must fall. (Still this would be perfect clamming weather. There's a saying on the mud flats, "When one quahog sneezes, it gives 'em all away." One of these days I'll get back out there... But in the mean time, as long as it stays above freezing, I'll be content.
Saw an interesting interaction between turkeys and a hawk (Coopers I think) a few days ago. As soon as the raptor "made the scene", the gobblers headed for cover; but it was the manner of their retreat that was so interesting. The males splayed their tail feathers as might be expected, but, they also pivoted them in the direction of the perched hawk. It seems that they were using their posterior adornments as a well-positioned shield. Wow.
And speaking of turkeys, I had another run in with the brutes today. Somehow, they've lost all fear of humans and will run up to be fed by hand. So, once again, I unleashed the horrifying "Comfy Cushion From The Heavens". (That's just the seat cushion from one of the deck chairs.) All I do is float the foam over their heads and let it drift down. While the object itself couldn't break a light bulb, there's something about it that just horrifies toms and hens. Good. Wild things (especially delicious wild things) need to fear people.
As if the turkeys weren't enough of a problem, the seagulls have decided to move in to claim their own turf. (If crows are bullies, seagulls are gangsters.) Put out some scraps for the crows on their own dedicated tray, and somehow the gulls caught wind of the booty. What an ill-mannered brawl! Fair enough... I'll find a way to feed the crows and freeze out the "Good Fellas with Wings". (Maybe I can make them an offer they can't refuse? I wonder if they too fear the dreaded floating foam?)
Moving on to the "Don't Try This At Home" department... The pic below should probably be blown up and used as a "Top Ten Wanted" poster for the American Heart Association.
Uh huh... Hormel Chili seasoned with Tabasco and Tony Chachere's. Did you know that you can actually get the capillaries in your toes to visibly pulsate?
And finally, about that pesky cam... After beaucoup troubleshooting, it was finally decided that a new cam was in order. (Hats off to Richard at Birdhouse Spy Cam for fantastic customer service and follow through!) Not to worry... We'll get the eBirdseed.com cam up and running pronto.
Getting late,
See you by the feeders,
CapeCodAlan
Cornell Ornithology Laboratory: Inside Birding
Cornell Ornithology Laboratory: All About Birding
