eBirdseed.com Wild Bird Feeding Blog tag:www.ebirdseed.com,2012:/blog//2 2012-02-07T08:09:25Z Learn about birdseeds, suets, feeders and techniques for attracting a variety of wild birds to your backyard. Movable Type 4.35-en Smorgasbord... tag:www.ebirdseed.com,2012:/blog//2.936 2012-02-06T23:41:42Z 2012-02-07T08:09:25Z Let's see... What have we got for this post??? There's a quick look see on a bunch of birds, an update on the shed, and of course, an update on our home brew... CapeCodAlan Let's see... What have we got for this post??? There's a quick look see on a bunch of birds, an update on the shed, and of course, an update on our home brew...

400__grackles and redwings in rain_101_0185.JPG

This is an old photo, but it should give you some idea of today's activity -- grackles and robins galore... If only I could do a 'Vulcan Mind Meld' with one of those critters for just 30 seconds...

As for the shed... The roof is now pined to the gable ends and the whole thing is pretty much buttoned together. I still have to drive a few over-sized screws, but In no time that stack of plastic panels will be transformed into an over-stuffed man cave. Oh goody... It just dawned on me, that if properly reinforced, that thing could be mounted on a sled, and come winter time, be dragged out onto one of the Great Lakes

Finally, there's the home brew. Here's the skinny:

  • Coopers DIY Lager: 10 days in fermenter, 5 wks in the bottle... Not bad. Probably on par with a Fosters Larger.
  • Coopers DIY Stout: 10 days in fermenter, 3 wks in the bottle... Ok, but it needs considerably more time in the bottles -- IMHO, 4 to 6 wks.
  • Coopers DIY Bitter: 10 days in fermenter, 2 wks in the bottle... Respectable... Very respectable... Imagine walking into a small pub in England and asking for a pint of bitter -- there you go...
At this stage, all three lack that creamy head, and feel a little "rough", but all are worth the effort. If nothing else...

Next time by those busy feeders,

CapeCodAlan

Cornell Ornithology Laboratory: Inside Birding

Cornell Ornithology Laboratory: All About Birding

Live eBirdseed.com streaming cam

eBirdseed.com photo library

eBirdseed and misc. references

Other birding references

By Location, Birds and Natural History Books (a global reference)]]> Box Joint, Birdhouse, and Turkey Love... tag:www.ebirdseed.com,2012:/blog//2.935 2012-02-05T08:22:21Z 2012-02-05T11:24:23Z

I'm going to have to find a way to use that box jig to make a turkey pooper scooper. Like I said... Grrr!!! CapeCodAlan box joint (below).

resized box joint_IMG_3738.JPG

Please forgive the lack of sanding, but I hope you get the idea. Here's the Rockler jig used to create that joint...

resized and loaded_IMG_3737.JPG

What this all really boils down to is the ability to create neat, strong box-type stuff (like the birdhouse components above) really quickly once the jig is configured properly... Something to think about for the backyard, etc...

Lastly (and on a different note...) The photograph below probably says it all, but it seems that the toms are... Well, you know... The other day we had 21 hens and 7 males. The yard is a mine field of turkey doo... Grrr... I'm going to have to find a way to use that box jig to make a turkey pooper scooper. Like I said... Grrr!!!

400_toms_IMG_3731.JPG

By those well crafted but messy feeders...

CapeCodAlan

Cornell Ornithology Laboratory: Inside Birding

Cornell Ornithology Laboratory: All About Birding

Live eBirdseed.com streaming cam

eBirdseed.com photo library

eBirdseed and misc. references

Other birding references

By Location, Birds and Natural History Books (a global reference) ]]> Bad Beer and Vacuum Bagging Birdseed... tag:www.ebirdseed.com,2012:/blog//2.934 2012-02-03T00:37:57Z 2012-02-03T05:58:25Z

On to the seed front,.. Do you by chance remember my 2007 entry about buying in bulk and vacuum bagging as a way to save money and keeping feed for the long haul? CapeCodAlan First, the bad news... Earlier, I talked about brewing beer, and in that discussion I mentioned cleanliness... I guess I should have paid closer attention to myself -- one of my batches went bad (rotten egg smell), and I had to pour 6 gallons right down the drain. In brewing, there are three stages of prep to worry about: cleaning (no visible gunk); sanitizing (reduce the number of wee beasties to a tolerable minimum); and sterilizing (as in ready for surgery). Somewhere between stages two and three I blew it, and the mix was destroyed... If I had to guess, I'd say that my failure to sterilize the extract can itself was my downfall... Sooo... I cleaned up everything (bleach and steam are wonderful things) and started another batch. Time will tell...

beer and vacuum bag resized_IMG_3719.JPG

On to the seed front,.. Do you by chance remember my 2007 entry about buying in bulk and vacuum bagging as a way to save money and keeping feed for the long haul? Well, it just so happens that we ran out of the stuff today and have nothing for tomorrow... except for that bag from four plus years ago, (see pic above). After all this time, that is hermetically tight, utterly bug-free, and ready for action. That is why we buy in bulk and seal for later. (I do the same thing for my brewing supplies -- not only do I always have the required materials on hand, but it's much cheaper in the long run.) Just sayin'...

Prepped and cooking by the feeders,

CapeCodAlan

Cornell Ornithology Laboratory: Inside Birding

Cornell Ornithology Laboratory: All About Birding

Live eBirdseed.com streaming cam

eBirdseed.com photo library

eBirdseed and misc. references

Other birding references

By Location, Birds and Natural History Books (a global reference)]]> Just Another Day... Memories... tag:www.ebirdseed.com,2012:/blog//2.933 2012-01-31T05:52:26Z 2012-02-01T06:31:24Z

Yup, I've talked about this before... You set up the tripod, do your thing, maybe get a bird photo, and then go on with your life. But, (as the song goes) these are days you will remember. CapeCodAlan Meet a couple of cardinals. (Or is it a cardinal couple?)

resized female cardinal IMG_3715.JPG

resized male cardinal IMG_3713.JPG

Yup, I've talked about this before... You set up the tripod, do your thing, maybe get a bird photo, and then go on with your life. But, (as the song goes) these are days you will remember...

Memoies of the mundane are funny things... For me, the first that leaps to mind is the boring oil change. I don't know why, but when I started this post, I searched my soul for typical memories, and the 'oil change' came up. Ditto for my apartment in Natick, and flying a kite. (Welcome to ADD.) Certainly, there are a ton of them, but perhaps the earliest memory was that of a seagull... I must have been in the first grade, and I spotted a gull out a classroom window and decided to watch it until it flew completely out of view. I don't know how long I watched it, but eventually, it reached the point beyond my eyes... I still wonder about the creature... Did it live a long life and have many chicks? Did it meet its fate at the bumper of a car, or the cold of a winter? In all its time aloft, what did it see? How high could it fly, and did it ever reach its highest altitude just for the sake of smiles and giggles?

Anywho... I ramble... The point is that we remember things even for a lifetime...some as mundane as an oil change, and some quite remarkable like a distant seagull... 'These are days you will remember...'

By those hopefully indelible feeders...

CapeCodAlan

Cornell Ornithology Laboratory: Inside Birding

Cornell Ornithology Laboratory: All About Birding

Live eBirdseed.com streaming cam

eBirdseed.com photo library

eBirdseed and misc. references

Other birding references

By Location, Birds and Natural History Books (a global reference)]]> Intro to Home Brewing and a Question About Book Reviews... tag:www.ebirdseed.com,2012:/blog//2.932 2012-01-27T18:29:18Z 2012-01-28T06:57:57Z

First up, a quick overview... Why home brew? There are a bunch of reasons: you like to cook; you want a higher quality beer than the stuff in the stores; saving money is always cool; it's nice to be able to tailor your own beer; etc. CapeCodAlan

Ain't they beauties? Those are 20 of 30 750ml bottles of home brew just waiting to head for dark storage.

Alrighty then all you adults... As promised, I'm taking a day off (sort of) from the birding theme and focusing on another aspect of cooking: beer. (Here are my posts on making chowder and bread.)

First up, a quick overview... Why home brew? There are a bunch of reasons: you like to cook; you want a higher quality beer than the stuff in the stores; saving money is always cool; it's nice to be able to tailor your own beer; etc.

So where do you start? That depends... If you want to get serious in a hurry, buy an equipment kit that includes a primary fermenter, secondary fermenter, bottling bucket, hoses, bottles, capper, caps, ingredients, hydrometer, thermometer, long spoon.. etc. Midwest sells a nice beginners package for about $200. I wanted to ease my way back into the hobby, so I settled for Coopers DIY setup for about $125. Coopers is a respected Australian brewery, and their DIY is simple and produces a decent beer. (Note on the bottles... I vastly prefer reusable plastic P.E.T. bottles -- no capping -- just screw on.)

General/subjective observations about the actual brewing process:

  • After you decide what rig you're going with, order it and then hit the home brewing forums and start at least lurking -- knowledge is a good thing.
  • When your gear arrives, open it and start reading... Don't even think about starting that night..
  • Cleanliness is absolutely critical.
  • Watch the temp of your wort... It matters.
  • Be patient. If you rush your brew or its aging. Bad things happen to those who can't wait.
  • Children and pets have no place around an active brewer. There's too much wet glass and hot fluids for something to get under foot.
  • Keep a journal. (Years ago I created the finest red ale known to humankind only to lose the slip of paper that held its recipe. Sob!)
In general,just follow the directions and use your head, and your beer should be at least okay.

On a different note, if you're a regular reader of this blog, you may have noticed a number of reviews of bird books from Princeton University Press. And that's fine because, for the most part, the books focus on the birds of the U.S. But now I can start reviews for birds beyond the States... the Indian Subcontinent for example. Would you like me to review those sorts of books? Let me know via a comment or email me at: capecodalan@ebirdseed.com.

See you by those feeders...

CapeCodAlan

Cornell Ornithology Laboratory: Inside Birding

Cornell Ornithology Laboratory: All About Birding

Live eBirdseed.com streaming cam

eBirdseed.com photo library

eBirdseed and misc. references

Other birding references

By Location, Birds and Natural History Books (a global reference) ]]> Shed Update and Recording Bird Activity and Barometric Pressure Experiment tag:www.ebirdseed.com,2012:/blog//2.931 2012-01-26T05:28:15Z 2012-01-26T09:59:42Z

I'm telling ya that backyard birding is more fun than watching a five-legged turtle try to juggle 5.5 M&Ms... CapeCodAlan Well, the shed build is coming along nicely... Here, the roof support timbers are installed...

Shed with support rafters installed_400_IMG_3704.JPG

And now the roof itself is in place...

shed with roof on_400_IMG_3706.JPG

I still have to secure everything, but you get the idea... Truth be told, we're the third owner of this wee building, and is does show its wear, but there's nothing there I can't fix. {Why is it that we as a country (or China, or Japan, or Russia, or South Korea, or Australia, or Germany, or...) can't come up with a 20-year plastic home like these sheds for disaster, famine, and refugee victims? They'd have to be 12 volt, small, have outdoor plumbing... But all this is do-able... Imagine a semi-permanent home for $100... Native Americans, Thoreau, and Eskimos all thrived on less... Anywho, Rubbermaid came up with a fairly good design... If they still made them, I'd recommend one to a friend in a heartbeat.

Let's see... What else? Ah yes, bird activity and barometric pressure... A post or two ago I wondered about the possible correlation between these two, and decided that some sort of informal, simple, non-scientific, experiment was in order... Here's what I came up with... Each day, I'll watch the birds for around 15 minutes at 1pm. Based on my highly subjective analysis, I'll note their feeder activity on the kitchen calender. After a month of this, I'll go back and look at the barometric readings for those days and see if I can spot a pattern... Obviously, any correlation is suspect unless it is screamingly apparent that it is out of the norm... (I'd get nervous if a sudden violent drop in pressure coinciding with crows and seagulls trying to get down with their bad selves and doing the 'electric slide 'together...) Still, we might have something to mull over...

I'm telling ya' that backyard birding is more fun than watching a five-legged turtle trying to juggle 5.5 M&Ms...

By the feeders and the shed...

CapeCodAlan

Cornell Ornithology Laboratory: Inside Birding

Cornell Ornithology Laboratory: All About Birding

Live eBirdseed.com streaming cam

eBirdseed.com photo library

eBirdseed and misc. references

Other birding references

By Location, Birds and Natural History Books (a global reference)]]> First Real Snowfall on Cape Cod, Cardinals, and Barometric Pressure... Part 1 of 2 tag:www.ebirdseed.com,2012:/blog//2.929 2012-01-22T06:20:28Z 2012-01-23T06:37:40Z

So... That begs the question... "Can I correlate past strange bird activity with unusual local barometric patterns?" Well, because of the need for experimental redundancy and third-party corroboration, the answer is, "No, but this is curious..." Stay tuned for next time... CapeCodAlan

Hi,

Well, it took until January 21st, but we finally got a decent snowfall -- 6" to 8". Not a huge deal because we were prepared. (Are you prepared?) (It's also nice to have a generator and extra gas at the ready.) But I digress... The snow was liveable, as was the dig out... To borrow from Dorothy Parker, I dislike shoveling, but I take rewarding contentment in having shoveled...

About them birds... I saw the most beautiful cardinals (male and female) in the snow-covered trees this morning. They were something right out of a $3.95 Christmas card. But did they hold still long enough for just one pic? Of course not... Personally, I've found that birds are to photography as paper cuts are to a thumb. So no, I didn't get any images... You'll just have to take my word for it...

Yet again, the feeders continue to be uneventful. It's almost disconcerting. The birds feed in the morning, eat a light lunch, and then snack before nest. I keep wondering if this kind of act has something to do with barometric pressure. (And I'm not the only one...) Sure enough, the following is from birding.com:

"When hurricane winds rip roofs off buildings and toss mobile homes, what happens to the birds? Birds are very sensitive to changes in air pressure and know instinctively to take shelter. A sharp drop in barometric pressure alerts them that a big storm is on the way."

So... That begs the question... "Can I correlate past strange bird activity with unusual local barometric patterns?" Well, because of the need for experimental redundancy and third-party corroboration, the answer is, "No, but this is curious..." Stay tuned for next time...

By those mysterious feeders...

CapeCodAlan

Cornell Ornithology Laboratory: Inside Birding

Cornell Ornithology Laboratory: All About Birding

Live eBirdseed.com streaming cam

eBirdseed.com photo library

eBirdseed and misc. references

Other birding references

By Location, Birds and Natural History Books (a global reference) ]]> Book Review: "Petrels, Albatrosses & Storm-Petrels of North America" tag:www.ebirdseed.com,2012:/blog//2.928 2012-01-18T20:28:37Z 2012-01-20T05:01:27Z

When I do these reviews, I like to look at the following factors: book logistics such as paper, binding, etc; the immediate and long-term ease of use; book organization; photography;and lastly an overall impression... Let's get started... CapeCodAlan 400 cover_2012-01-18_131910.jpg

When I do these reviews, I like to look at the following factors: book logistics such as paper, binding, etc; the immediate and long-term ease of use; book organization; photography; and lastly an overall impression... Let's get started...

As for logistics, this 10" by 7.5" by 1.75" book consists of 520 pages, 975 pics/figures, and 66 maps. It's well-bound in cloth, and the paper is high-quality. This is 'library grade' stuff.

When it comes to use, I openly admit that the first thing I do is crack one of these tomes open and try to find a particular piece of known info. I my case, I wanted to see the petrel types that frequent the New England coast... I couldn't find a quick list... The best I could do was make a fast thumb through and look at the maps as I went... A more prolonged study showed that the author lists the North American ocean currents, and then provides a list of birds that inhabit those currents. It's then up to the user to look up each bird. (More on this later.) Beyond the reference issue (and I'm not sure how the e-book version handles this), Mr. Howell is remarkably thorough... Taxonomy, flight patterns, molts, wing spans and body masses -- you name it and he has covered it.

Concerning book organization... This is where standard Princeton University Press shines. Here's how it breaks down per bird:

  • Bird Number (P1 -- P40 for petrels); (A1 -- A11 for albatrosses); (S1 -- S19 for storm-petrels)
  • Identification Summary
  • Taxonomy
  • Names
  • Status and Distribution
  • Pacific (and/or Atlantic)
  • Field Identification
  • Similar Species
  • Habitat and Behavior
  • Description
  • Ages similar
  • On the Water
  • Molt

What good is a photographic guide if it doesn't have good photographs? Not to worry... This one knocks it out of the ballpark...

Finally, my overall impression... This book is extraordinary in its depth... As far as I know, there isn't another one like it available... The table of contents is fine. The index could use a bit of fleshing out, but for me that's not a deal breaker The maps could be more extensive, but that's nothing to lose sleep over. IMHO, the only real weak point in this book is the lack of a simple table for quick reference of 'region to bird' including page numbers... But even that can be solved with a cup of coffee and a few minutes cross referencing ocean currents with birds. I'm just going to take a bit and generate my own local list.

All told this is obviously a 'must' for seabird fans as well as all serious birders. Mr. Howell's work would also be at home with those who live on any briny coast, with fishermen, in libraries, schools, and waiting rooms... You get the idea...

As always, by those feeders...

CapeCodAlan

Cornell Ornithology Laboratory: Inside Birding

Cornell Ornithology Laboratory: All About Birding

Live eBirdseed.com streaming cam

eBirdseed.com photo library

eBirdseed and misc. references

Other birding references

By Location, Birds and Natural History Books (a global reference)

]]> Around the Homestead... tag:www.ebirdseed.com,2012:/blog//2.927 2012-01-17T22:46:22Z 2012-01-18T04:26:37Z

As I've mentioned umpteen times before, so long as you locate your bird feeders properly, keep them clean and full with quality seed, and provide fresh water, backyard birding is pretty much a hands-off hobby... If you're not familiar with any of the steps above, please feel free to: CapeCodAlan As I've mentioned umpteen times before, so long as you locate your bird feeders properly, keep them clean and full with quality seed, and provide fresh water, backyard birding is pretty much a hands-off hobby... If you're not familiar with any of the steps above, please feel free to:
  • Google on this blog for instructions
  • Ask a question via the comment field
  • Email me at CapeCodAlan@eBirdseed.com
  • Call us at 1-866-324-7373

So, around here, it's 'gaze baby gaze...'

On to other more domestic stuff...

First off, we have our n-gauge train on our dining room table... Both seem to be aging well... (Who knows what we'll do with the train...)

400 table with train_IMG_3689.JPG

Speaking of aging... Here's our third batch of home brew snug and dark. Give it about a month and it ain't bad... (Stay tuned... Sometime I'll write a 300 word post on how to brew beer for the first timer...)

400 covered fermenter_IMG_3691.JPG

Beer maturing...

bottled in white_400_IMG_3692.JPG

Next up is the tall Shaker clock... The mock-up cardboard 'hood' (the wood enclosure that houses the actual clock mechanism itself) rests about midway... The final assembly height of the hood will match that of our hutch...

400 clock hood mock up_IMG_3690.JPG

Here is the board that will be used to make the hood... I'd guess it's 125 years old, checked, painted, and loaded with iron nails... I glued the checks back together, the old paint will be carefully stripped, and the board will be cut to shape using a blade that can handle both wood and ferrous. -- time consuming but beautiful when done properly...

hood wood resized_IMG_3695.JPG

Outside to the shed! Work goes exceptionally well... All looks square, level, and plumb... Right now, the ridge beam is in place, and all that remains is to put in the 2 X 6 roof reinforcements and to install the roof...

shed with ridge beam and two by sockets_400_IMG_3693.JPG

400_two by six_IMG_3694.JPG

One small problem -- the 2 X 6 timbers we bought don't seem to be the standard 1.5" by 5.5", but rather a true 6" wide... Nothing a table saw can't fix...

And that's about it from here on the back forty... Happy birds and projects galore

Always busy by the feeders...

CapeCodAlan

Cornell Ornithology Laboratory: Inside Birding

Cornell Ornithology Laboratory: All About Birding

Live eBirdseed.com streaming cam

eBirdseed.com photo library

eBirdseed and misc. references

Other birding references

By Location, Birds and Natural History Books (a global reference) ]]> What Value Contentment? tag:www.ebirdseed.com,2012:/blog//2.926 2012-01-14T10:18:58Z 2012-01-15T09:54:21Z

For a New England guy, it might have been an orgy of chest thumping and, "Who's your man?!?", but not for me... Granted, there's nothing quite like watching Gronkowski thunder his way through the opposition (though that diving catch in the end zone is the stuff of Orr and Bird)... Still, there's something missing... CapeCodAlan Just 'watched' (glanced and typed actually) the Pats blow out Denver... For a New England guy, it might have been an orgy of chest thumping and, "Who's your man?!?", but not for me... Granted, there's nothing quite like watching Gronkowski thunder his way through the opposition (though that diving catch in the end zone is the stuff of Orr and Bird)... Still, there's something missing... Consider a screen shot I took last night...

41 smiles in a week_resized_2012-01-14_051451.jpg

All I wanted was a list of the bird/backyard pics I took over the last week. I was expecting a dozen or so, but instead, there were 41... That probably represents seven or eight times in the last week that something moved me to the point of dragging out the camera/tripod and then taking five or six photographs...

So how does a frenetic series of pigskin plays relate to a bunch of cruddy feeder photos? Here's how (at least for me.) Last night's Patriot's antics were fun, albeit fleeting; but the backyard moments were more subtle... peaceful... content... And for every ten seconds of ' Brady Magic', I'll bet there were 60 seconds of feather and down serenity, and unlike adrenaline, serenity lingers a long time...

By those feeders...

CapeCodAlan

Cornell Ornithology Laboratory: Inside Birding

Cornell Ornithology Laboratory: All About Birding

Live eBirdseed.com streaming cam

eBirdseed.com photo library

eBirdseed and misc. references

Other birding references

By Location, Birds and Natural History Books (a global reference)]]> A Couple of Updates on the Shed tag:www.ebirdseed.com,2012:/blog//2.925 2012-01-12T17:53:38Z 2012-01-12T21:55:57Z

I always thought of turkeys as idiot dinosaur spawn who spent half their lives just trying to remember where they were 15 minutes ago, and the other half trying to find our lawn so that they could do their 'business'... CapeCodAlan Not a lot to report... It has been an unusually warm winter here on Cape Cod. (Having said that, it probably will snow 10' deep tomorrow...)

The shed build goes relatively uneventfully...

doors on_400_IMG_3676.JPG

Obviously, I need to get the ridge beam and roof on, but that's just a matter of time. The structure being thrice owned, I'll have to refine here and there, but all told, we're pretty happy.

It's interesting to note that the turkeys find the shed 'captivating'... They flocked around it, which at least suggests that they remember that once upon a time the building was not there. (I always thought of turkeys as idiot dinosaur spawn who spent half their lives just trying to remember where they were 15 minutes ago, and the other half trying to find our lawn so that they could do their 'business.'.) But apparently not so... Maybe a more accurate ratio is 40:60...

And that's the update on the shed, turkeys and all...

See you by the feeders and the storage facility... but be careful where you walk...

CapeCodAlan

Cornell Ornithology Laboratory: Inside Birding

Cornell Ornithology Laboratory: All About Birding

Live eBirdseed.com streaming cam

eBirdseed.com photo library

eBirdseed and misc. references

Other birding references

By Location, Birds and Natural History Books (a global reference)]]> Serendipity tag:www.ebirdseed.com,2012:/blog//2.924 2012-01-10T03:27:06Z 2012-01-10T06:14:34Z

Every so often, a person just gets lucky... The day before yesterday, I walked into the kitchen and there were birds everywhere -- downys, robins, the ubiquitous little brown birds... And by the time I got the camera set up... zipoid. But not today... CapeCodAlan resized_two_banner_IMG_3666.JPG

IMG_3664.JPG

That second shot contains a bunch of robins on the ground as well as a couple of downys on the feeder... Nothing fit for the cover of Nat Geo, but fun nonetheless...

While we're in the 'Serendipity Department', check out the cherry boards below...

416_Cherry_resized_IMG_3527.JPG

Well, Mrs. CCA did it again...

On her lunch break, she headed off to a local estate sale and promptly called me that she might have found something... It was a dark reddish wood that was really heavy for $10 total... I thought she might have come across some 2 X 6 stained fir, but she stuck to her guns and claimed that it was cherry... So she bought it all for $10 and brought it home... When I opened the car trunk, I almost had a kitten --

Those are four planks of pristine, clear, finish-planed cherry:

  • (2) Six foot by 1&7/8" by 5&5/8"
  • (2) Six foot by 2&3/8" by 8&1/4"
That's around $300 worth, and almost priceless in its intrinsic heirloom quality. What on earth are we going to make out of those? How to best utilize such a precious find? This is stuff of the bucket list...

And finally, there's our ongoing shed project... Not exactly cheap, but a windfall used...

walls up resized_IMG_3671.JPG

Sometimes you do just get lucky...

By the feeders looking for another four-leaf clover...

CapeCodAlan

Cornell Ornithology Laboratory: Inside Birding

Cornell Ornithology Laboratory: All About Birding

Live eBirdseed.com streaming cam

eBirdseed.com photo library

eBirdseed and misc. references

Other birding references

By Location, Birds and Natural History Books (a global reference)]]> Finches and Bluebirds and Sheds, Oh My! tag:www.ebirdseed.com,2012:/blog//2.922 2012-01-07T05:05:06Z 2012-01-07T07:13:33Z

And so it goes here... Happy birds, relatively mild weather... Work in the yard... There are worse things... CapeCodAlan If you look carefully, there are seven bluebirds/finches circled... Very cool...

400_seven_IMG_3606.JPG

Next up is a nice bluebird shot... A second glance will reveal that the bird is not only flicking the seed into his mouth, but also that you can see his reflection in the plexiglass...

400 open beak_IMG_3587.JPG

Have some color...

House finches on feeder_400_IMG_3596.JPG

What a fantastic expression... (Can you say, "Someone get me some mealworms!"?)

400_side shot_IMG_3599.JPG

And finally, there is the shed... In the pic below, we're fitting the bottom... Looks like we're going to need a couple of sheets of plywood...

400_IMG_3608.JPG

The shed flooring above is only roughed in place... We'll have to remove it, square and level it, and then put sheathing over the 2 X... Oh goody...

And so it goes here... Happy birds, relatively mild weather... Work in the yard... There are worse things...

By the feeders...

CapeCodAlan

Cornell Ornithology Laboratory: Inside Birding

Cornell Ornithology Laboratory: All About Birding

Live eBirdseed.com streaming cam

eBirdseed.com photo library

eBirdseed and misc. references

Other birding references

By Location, Birds and Natural History Books (a global reference)]]> Birds, Shed, Beer, Train... Homeward Bound... tag:www.ebirdseed.com,2012:/blog//2.921 2012-01-04T05:16:44Z 2012-01-04T07:51:49Z

I'll be regressing by the feeders... CapeCodAlan Is that a title or what? Onward!

First the birds... All are 'systems go" here... feeders are clean and full... water is fresh and warm... birds are fat and happy... Just take care of your feeders, and the rest is sanctuary.

What else? Well, New Years has passed and we (Mrs CCA and I) hope you're taking advantage of sales, football etc... But there's something else haunting us -- for want of a better phrase, 'a need for back to the basics'... To that end, we got off to an early start and picked up a used Rubbermaid 'Big Max' shed. Below is the 'foundation' almost complete...

400 2 by 4 flooring support 100_0716.JPG

Perhaps, just once and for all, we can get that garage cleaned out!

Next stop... Beer Land! As I've mentioned before, I used to be a pretty fair home brewer... Time to go back to the fundamentals... Commercial beer has become so expensive and so 'bleck' that a reasonable soul has little choice but to brew his (or her) own. Below is my second batch -- a stout. My first was a lager, and the next will be an English bitter... The hobby takes time, practice, a thick skin... But it's like making chowder or bread... Just hang in there...

400 stout fermenting_100_0718.JPG

Here's a particularly cool shot of the very active froth of a primary fermentation... (The smell is wonderful!!!)

400 foamy stout fermenting_100_0710.JPG

And finally there is this -- a simple N guage model train. I've wanted one of these since I was a kid. (I used to build in HO -- 1: 87, whereas N is smaller at 1:160 scale.)

400 first model n train_100_0717.JPG

Regardless, the mind boggles at the possibilities... I was thinking of setting up/securing a complete local diorama on a 36" by 72" sheet of plywood, and encasing it in a closeable box suitcase-style. It could be stored on edge and come each December unfolded and plopped upon the dining room table for all to swoon... Just a thought...

I'll be regressing by the feeders...

CapeCodAlan

Cornell Ornithology Laboratory: Inside Birding

Cornell Ornithology Laboratory: All About Birding

Live eBirdseed.com streaming cam

eBirdseed.com photo library

eBirdseed and misc. references

Other birding references

By Location, Birds and Natural History Books (a global reference) ]]> Wet Hawk, Little Bird tag:www.ebirdseed.com,2011:/blog//2.919 2011-12-31T23:51:10Z 2012-01-01T04:42:52Z

Strange how the little bird just a few branches away wasn't scared... CapeCodAlan
First things first... Happy New Year!!!

I'll tell you, things never seems to get dull around the feeders. Last night and this morning we had a good deal of wind and rain; thank goodness no more trees came down! But I did notice a very wet hawk who flapped into the neighborhood and into a tree across the street.

Once he got settled on a branch, he began to spread and ruffle his wings and tail, in what I can only presume to be an effort to get somewhat less waterlogged. He remained on the branch, feathers all articulated, for at least half an hour.

wet hawk resized_IMG_3545.JPG

Interestingly enough, the little birds of the area, the chickadees, the titmouses, the finches, et al, seemed to realize that the hawk wasn't a threat to them at that time, and they massed in the same tree, very close, just keeping an eye on him.

Small bird with hawk_IMG_3559.JPG

I stayed by the camera for a while waiting for the hawk to make his move, but he never did, even though the rain started again. The conclusion I came to is that he was either still too wet to seek more shelter, or he didn't care about the rain and wasn't interested in eating any of our little birds.

Regardless, a predator who refrains from attacking his prey seems a peaceful end to one year and an auspicious beginning to the new one.

Wishing you and yours a very joyous new year by the soggy feeders,

CapeCodAlan

Cornell Ornithology Laboratory: Inside Birding

Cornell Ornithology Laboratory: All About Birding

Live eBirdseed.com streaming cam

eBirdseed.com photo library

eBirdseed and misc. references

Other birding references

By Location, Birds and Natural History Books (a global reference) ]]>