eBirdseed.com Wild Bird Feeding Blog

"News" and Hummingbirds

2012-05-13T21:46:51Z

Deep sigh... Check out the headlines below from aol.com news...

Okay... Let's see what we've got...

Woman attacks with a sledgehammer...
Sex workers have a shootout...
A naked unicyclist...
Alien abduction...

In all fairness, I don't know what aol page I stumbled upon -- I'm a news hound and comb all sorts of news sites, so I don't know if this was the aol main news page or not... But for me it really doesn't matter... I, wonder, "Is this the best use of bandwidth by a major media outlet???" How about...

The role of union influence in government...
The validity of Bill Gates' assertion that we are destined to have a robot in every home...
The rise of radical Islam in Northern Africa...
An explanation of what/who 'derivatives', 'bundlers', 'venture capitalists', and 'speculators' are...

ARGH!!!

Sooo... In keeping with a lower blood pressure and an acid-free stomach, here are a couple of hummingbird pics...

I promise I'll give you a more 'wordy' post next time, but for now...

Om by the feeders...

CapeCodAlan

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Spring Occurrences: Orioles, Hummingbirds, and Little Birds Fluttering against the Windows...

2012-05-12T03:06:03Z

Hi all,

First... news on the oriole front -- they're here, and they're here hungry! Like zombies lurching around craving brainnnsssss, these guys are insane about the grape jelly and the oranges, and will stop at nothing, including squabbling with siblings, to get some.

And speaking of the grape jelly, our local crows are not above doing an occasional air raid on the oriole feeder to get some for themselves. They perch on top of the trellis, scoping out the area to make sure no humans are watching, then zoom up to the feeder, wings flailing wildly, grab at the jelly, and return to the trellis. We can now see purple stains from blobs of jelly on the top span where the crows retire to eat their gleanings.

Beyond those guys, our hummingbirds have finally arrived. And once again, they've come en masse. As we reported last week, they've been at the feeders almost non-stop, so be sure to tune in to the streaming cam--you're pretty much guaranteed to see someone show up every five minutes or so... Like this guy: (See link to cam below...)

Perhaps the strangest appearance though, has been the little birds (titmice and such) who seem absolutely possessed with the notion of getting into the house. They flutter at the windows and create quite the distraction. I've read that they may be males seeing their reflection and trying to fight off a perceived rival suitor, but then again, they might in fact simply be looking for bugs... Who really knows? All we know is it drives the cat absolutely bonkers--what fun!

By the feeders...

CapeCodAlan

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Another Great Photo Gone...

2012-05-09T01:33:04Z

Hi,

Take a look at the pic below...

There... Does that look so tough??? Those walkie talkies always work... period.

Here's the backdrop to this post...

Yesterday, there was a beautiful oriole just splashing in our front birdbath -- it would have made for a fantastic photo. I grabbed my monopod/Kodak and set up what would have been a remarkable image... except that the batteries (or electricals on the camera) were deader than Julius Caesar... (It turns out it was the batteries...)

So why can't we in America make good stuff like we used to? Motorola (note the name on the walkie talkies) has long been known as a fine American product. Henry rifles are simply superb. Case, Kershaw, Buck, Leatherman, and Ka-Bar are all excellent and reliable as well. So putting aside cheap cost, why are we continuing to buy cheap junk from China when we can make (or at least assemble) quality stuff right here? All the savings in the world will never bring back the lost oriole...

Anyway, the photograph is gone, and we're stuck with a manufacturing society who doesn't even know who it is anymore... Oh, for a camera I can grab as reliably as I do my Motorola...

By those senselessly frustrating feeders...

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Just a Spring Day

2012-05-06T21:18:59Z

Hi,

There is a rule of thumb on Cape Cod, as iron-clad as these rules get, that one should NEVER plant before May 15. While I am aware of this rule, and usually abide by it, I'm hoping that Mother Nature will not penalize me by sending a killing frost within the next nine days!

You see, after a few weeks of rain and chilly weather (I'm not complaining too much, we definitely need the rain!), we finally are blessed with a beautiful Sunday in May. Sunny and about 65° with clear blue skies and a soft breeze off the ocean, it's a perfect day to do a little gardening. Earlier in the week I had purchased some geraniums and petunias from the garden center at our local Shaw's market, and as always, having a myriad of useful pots in which to occupy said plants, I set out on this beautiful day to create some colorful planters to add to the ambiance of the garden which already abounds with blossoms.

The lily of the valley is in full bloom, and this year we have a few shy stems of blue snowdrops mingled with them.

I have always loved the combination of red geraniums and deep velvety purple petunias. The sharp scent of the geraniums cuts a bit of the sweetness of the petunias, and the combined aromas have always meant Spring to me. And for me, there's not much better than red geraniums and purple petunias in a big cobalt blue planter. This is nature in all her glory, in miniature, my friends.

As CapeCodAlan had mentioned in previous posts, we now have our hummingbirds back for the year, and they are so active around the feeders! If you keep the streaming cam open, you'll likely see at least one female and two males visiting the main feeder every five minutes or so. And the oriole feeder is up and full of jelly and oranges... if the hummingbirds are here, we know that the orioles aren't far behind! And the butterflies are starting to show up as well. Alan snapped a quick photo of one of my favorites, a Mourning Cloak, sunning itself on our deck railing a few days ago.

All in all, it's been a beautiful Spring so far, and a lovely Sunday in particular.

Oh, and by the way, I bought a gun...

See you by those feeders in Paradise on Cape Cod.

Mrs. CCA

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Hummingbirds Captured... Arghhh!!!

2012-05-03T03:56:24Z

Hi,

Check out the following...

and...

You know, there are times when bird watching takes on its own certain snippiness -- its own distinct 'ticked off' attitude... The last couple of days have been like that... All I wanted was to snap a couple of cute shots of the countless hummingbirds (you really should be watching our streaming cam) and post them here. That's all I wanted. But would they sit still and let me take a lousy photograph or two? Absolutely not. (There are times... especially in the afternoon... when those ruby-throated little buggers will land on the deck railing and break out their tiny unicycles and tiny tubas. They're partial to riding to the beat of Polish beer polkas... And they ride and play and have a great old party until I try to unleash a camera, and then, "Poof!", they're gone... I'm just one photo away from a PhD in animal science... But nooo...)

Speaking of beer, the new beer closet is running at capacity... That's kind of cool.I don't know what I'm going to do come the summer months... (Most brew recipes aren't exactly designed for heat...) But still, it's nice on a rainy day to opt for closet beer vs. no beer..

What else is new here?

Well, it looks like we need a new toilet. (I should actually document that process because because sooner or later we all need to fix the loo...)
The yard chugs along most happily... The rabbits are out there, the birds are singing and playing the tuba (arghhh!) And in general we just keep on keeping on...
The shop is fine except that I accidentally sanded one of my knuckles off...

By the frustrating and boring feeders...

CapeCodAlan

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We Have Hummingbirds!!!

2012-04-29T18:17:00Z

Hi,

Just a quick post to let you know that the hummingbirds have arrived on Cape Cod...

Is that little dude cool or what? Obviously, that isn't the greatest photo of all time, but there he is... Actually that's a screen shot from our eBirdseed.com streaming Web cam, so you can watch too...

Enjoy!

Prepping the sugar water...

CapeCodAlan

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Potpourri of photos Including the Great Flicker Hunt...

2012-04-29T04:23:02Z

[Note from CCA... I just found this post unpublished... Oops!!!] Hi,

Alrighty then... For some time I've been piling up pics for you, and of course not publishing them... Rather than responsibly and dutifully issuing them one at a time along with its own post, I decided to empty the SD and dump them in your lap... Ain't I a stinker??? (If you 'Google' on any of the subjects below along with 'ebirdseed and blog', you'll be able to find more info...)

First up... The 'Great Bird Hunt...' I'd been trying to photograph this flicker for far longer than I should have, and finally in a fit of frustration, abandoned the Canon for the monopod and a cheap Kodak... We're talking foul language and flying pixels, but I won!

I wasn't sure what the next bird was (told you I'm no ornithologist!) I recognized the female cardinal, but not the female red-wing... D'oh!

There! Now take a look at the feast below!!! Home brew, 'snausage', and crackers... Somewhere there's a cardiologist smiling...

Ah... The new bird house in action...

For you woodworkers, you might want to pay special attention to the shot below... If you need to round stock (for stuff like spars, masts, or walking sticks), use Dynamite Payson's technique (I don't know where he got it from) and make your own rubber covered drum that will chuck in a power drill... Then just turn a belt sander belt inside out and use your common sense... Sweet!

Have some Turk's Heads knots...

Lastly is the wife's trail kit... And yes that is a real pistol, and yes, she has a license to carry that concealed, and yes, she knows how to and will use it if there's no other way.

Phew! My memory card feels so much lighter!

By the feeders...

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Monopod, Turk's Head Knot, etc...

2012-04-25T03:55:46Z

Well, here it is (left) -- the finished monopod... It's pretty much as predicted, though a bit more refined than my drawings... But the important things are that: it works, it's light, it's quality, and dag nab it, it has that elusive default 'use-me-first' presence... If you have any inkling towards birding (or walking or hiking or...) you need to make one of these for yourself.

Below, check out 'up close and personal'... ... ... the neat Turk's Head knot used to accentuate (and strengthen) the top of the staff... .........

I'm so very sorry... Time out... Time out... I've been fighting this post for half the day, and now I've learned that someone very special in the family has passed... I can't explain at the moment... But I give you my word... As soon as things settle down here, I promise that I will post on this character -- a sort of cross between Norman Rockwell and Hunter S. Thompson...

If I do my job, one of my next entries will leave you both laughing and crying at the same time... Until then... here's to you Rocky... May the 'Yellow Rose of Texas' carry you on your way to the Streets of Glory...

Weepy and extraordinarily grateful by the feeders...

CapeCodAlan

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Cornell has Two New Hawk Chicks Streaming Live!

2012-04-23T21:37:03Z

Hi,

Just a quick post with a live streaming video into Cornell's Hawk Cam... Wow!!!

Watch live streaming video from cornellhawks at livestream.com

Well how about that!?! Granted, some of the activities aren't for the squeamish (I believe that's what's left of a pigeon in the foreground), but still, this is pretty neat stuff. Be sure to visit the Cornell links above for all sorts of cool info...

By the monitor...

CapeCodAlan

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Book Review: How to Be a Better Birder

2012-04-21T20:11:13Z

'Bout time for another Princeton University Press book review, and as always I'll follow my standard review pattern: book logistics such as paper, binding, etc; the immediate and long-term ease of use; book organization; photography; and lastly an overall impression. Here we go...

book logistics: This little softback is roughly 6" by 9" and consists of 192 pages of standard-quality paper. The font is fine... I find it to be perfectly acceptable as a read.
ease of use: Couldn't be better -- read the intro, table of contents, and the first chapter, and you've got the gist of the book under your belt -- sweet!
book organization: Speaking of the introduction/TOC...
- Introduction
- Chapter 1: Advanced Field Identification
- Chapter 2: Birding by Habitat
- Chapter 3: Birding by Geography
- Chapter 4: Birding and Weather
- Chapter 5: Birding at Night
- Chapter 6: Birding with a Purpose
- Chapter 7: Vagrants
- Chapter 8: A New Jersey Case Study
- Chapter 9 Patch Listing
photography: Like the print and fonts, this is perfectly serviceable. (How much can Mr. Lovitch do with 6" by 9"?)
overall impression: With one caveat I thought this book was fantastic. And that caveat is, IMHO, the title is poorly chosen -- this should be a starter book for all birders. To his great credit, the author has poked the sacred cow that is the traditional field mark system and introduced a 'whole birding' system that works in conjunction with the traditional field guides. Bird appearance alone does not the best identification make. A birder needs to ask questions such as, What tree was that unknown in? What's the weather like right now? What's the terrain like? He also wisely suggests that the observer take the time beforehand to do a bit of research on the Web, in the books, talking with locals, contacting forestry types and preparing for what might very well be out there tomorrow.

All told, super work delivered by an informal mentor -- highly recommended...

By the bookshelves...

CapeCodAlan

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New Neighbors and Careful Economy...

2012-04-20T04:50:13Z

Well, that didn't take long! You know, it's rewarding really... A few nights ago, that house was just some scrap sitting in a garbage bag. (Seriously, I was just going to throw it out.) But now it's a perfect home in an ideal location for a family of little chickadees. (Let me talk that back a bit... I think the final tenants are black-caps -- that dwelling has seen a ton of views.)

It's my fault really, but I look at stuff like bird houses (and boats and tools and cloths and cabins and...) as a sort of mild challenge to frugality and cleverness. I mean, what does it take to make a birdhouse? Call a lumberyard, a hardware store, or even a supermarket and ask if they have any scrap wood. Trust me, one of those places will have scrap galore. Beyond that, Lord knows the Web is choked with bird house plans. And old tools are everywhere... After that, it's all sawdust, pounding, and cussing. (I reign supreme in the latter.) Kidding aside, that's it -- get off your duff and go make something. But make something of quality and efficiency.It really isn't all that tough, and the rewards are remarkable...

By those stingy but well-crafted the feeders,

CapeCodAlan

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Trees, Hummingbirds, and Turkeys...

2012-04-17T15:30:11Z

Well, as CapeCodAlan noted previously, it was a busy weekend, what with the tree planting and all...

Since we lost the big maple last fall, we've been trying to figure out what the lack of shelter is going to do to the yard and the wildlife. So far, we've noticed that the birds are a bit more cautious around the feeders, and that it's sunny all day long. (The inside temp is already starting to climb...)

Hence, the flowering crab. We chose the Sargent Crabapple, which will provide shelter for the birds, but won't grow big enough to crash down on the house in a storm... We also like the fact that it will flower in the Spring and will bear fruit that the birds (and other creatures) enjoy later in the year.

I'm also extrordinarly pleased with our other tree, the dwarf weeping cherry. It's started to blossom already, and looks lovely. We planted it in a area between the house and the deck, where I'll perhaps add another bird bath and some low-growing plants for ground cover. It's already settling in well.

In other news, we've been standing by the hummingbird cam, ready to take a screengrab of our first visitor. However, despite the evidence of the migration map, they just ain't here yet. And that actually correlates weill with previous years: the rubies generally don't show up until mid-to-late April, so at this point, I'm expecting them any day now. Just keep wathcing the live cam--they'll be here, they'll be here!

And what post would be complete without a great photo of some of our tom turkeys displaying their masculine attributes? This was taken back in February, but aren't they just magnificent? I expect we'll be seeing Mama turkeys and poults running around pretty soon.

All in all, it has been an auspicious start to a lovely Spring season. Here's hoping Summer is even better!

See you by those tree-shaded feeders,
Mrs. CapeCodAlan

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Backyard Chores and Invisible Turkey...

2012-04-15T08:20:34Z

Alrighty then... What have we got here?

Let's start with a snapshot of a bunch of work that needs to get done...

The above shows the new trees (arrows) just begging for a fresh home. It also reminds that the large maple pieces need to be slabbed, the shed foundation that longs for its final block enclosure, and the 16' 6x6 cedar beams eager to become part of the landscape. (Can you say "Bengay"?)

Around here, nothing gets done without the help of a turkey or twenty... Bet you can't spot him...

If you look carefully at the center holly tree, you can almost make out a dark gobbler... The next photo shows him as he emerges. Care has to be taken around these creatures in that surprising one might provoke an attack. (Oh goody!)

Finally, the trees are going in... (It's important to take into consideration the size and bird/feeder location... We spent considerable time picturing how the birds could best use these additions to better access the buffet...) The first in is the flowering crab apple...

And here is the second (red arrow), a dwarf weeping cherry... Good stuff -- small, yard friendly, inviting to birds, no raking, away from the septic, attractive...

Just another weekend on the homestead...

By those busy feeders...

CapeCodAlan

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New Bird House, Monopod in Action, etc...

2012-04-11T04:56:09Z

I like to think of the construction techniques used to create the above abomination as 'Slam Dash' -- I had the scrap and a few minutes, and I went for it. I used a simple box I built while practicing making finger joints (and stuck together with a waterproof polyurethane glue...) then ripped a back support and bottom, drove some screws, drilled a few vent holes, bored an entrance, slapped on some linseed oil, and she was done. If only mounting was that easy...

The picture above was taken using our new homemade monopod. After working with the mono, I'll rarely resort to a tripod unless I need a granite-solid platform and have the time to set it up. Granted, the monopod takes a bit of dexterity (you may end up riding it like a stick horse, but that doesn't take long to learn... Besides, the 'pod makes for the perfect walking stick... (BTW and FWIW -- a 5' long staff with a 1/2" long pointy bolt stuffed in the end might also make for a formidable defensive weapon out on the trail.... Just a thought...)

Getting late, so I'll wrap this one up...

As always, by the feeders...

CapeCodAlan

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'Gator Golf News etc...

2012-04-10T17:05:24Z

(Contributing photographer Bruce 'Hole In One' Gibson)

Before I get to the bird stuff, I thought I might just throw in my unwanted, ignorant, and wildly over-priced 1/50th of a dollar concerning golf... You know, I never really understood golf. (The fact that I only traded blows with the so-called 'sport' a few times and was KO'ed in all bouts probably doesn't invigorate my objectivity... but like Carl, I digress...) The pic above speaks volumes as to what I perceive to be very physical proof of the asinine pursuit of this pastime. My idea of a sport is something along the lines of Frisbee or leisurely jogging down at the local track -- at least there's some aerobic activity involved. Golf on the other hand is at best (as so famously has been said) is a good walk ruined... and that's on a rare good day. No, more typically, 'club and dimpled ball' are fraught with lightning strikes, heat exhaustion, depression, suicide, divorce, bankruptcy, and sudden dismemberment by one of the course 'hazards' like the scaly brute above. Now, before I leave this topic to touch on birds, please allow me to be proactive and suggest how I would make golf sane. (For me anyway...)

I'd keep the game roughly the same. (I mean who doesn't see the reward of using a wildly expensive club to scoot a small ball into a slightly-less-small hole from long distances?) But, every third green would have a Hooters with bullet-proof walls and windows. Cheating and lying would not just be tolerated out on the links (as it currently is), but instead would be wholeheartedly encouraged -- anything to speed up the crypt-like pace. Better yet, if I had my way, my golf bag would contain more than clubs -- it would contain large caliber firearms to kill the derned reptiles. In fact, all said, the best approach would be to get rid of the clubs and balls entirely, and just carry guns. And when I'd yell, 'Fore!', people wouldn't just duck, they'd hit the dirt because they knew that that meant I was about to uncork my .44 magnum on one of the beasts. My gentleman's pursuit would be reduced to little more than a crazed drunken dash from green to sand trap to yet another Hooters blasting big toothies en route all the while hoping not to get shot by the following party. Now there's a sport even Ernest Hemingway would endorse!

Ah crud... I've used up all my bird time with you... But at least here's a couple of shots that Bruce also took of Sandhill Cranes at the Habitat Golf Course in Valkaria, Fla...

Sometime remind me how with just a few tweaks (chainsaws and flamethrowers) we could make the America's Cup more engaging...

By those never boring feeders...

CapeCodAlan

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