eBirdseed.com Wild Bird Feeding Blog

And here's the hint...

The bottom line is this... This isn't that tough a challenge... All it will take to solve this puppy and win is to be the first to do a few Googles and sending an email to me, capecodalan@ebirdseed.com with the appropriate link... Easy breezy...

What else is new? Not much... About the only real revelation is my decision to avoid the back yard at almost all costs. The turkeys have completely riddled the place with their own special 'presents'. I'm starting to think about non-lethal ways to convince them that they are 'gobbla non grata'... I may resort to the dreaded 'far flung falling comfy cushion from on high'... (Turkeys are extremely stupid, While a two ton truck doesn't faze them in the least, a floating bit of foam spiraling down on their empty little craniums Frisbee style will scare their snoods off.)

In the mean time, I'm trying to figure out how we can feed the birds from the deck and still offer them the protection of the trees... Maybe some rendition of the old fashioned clothes line pulley system? But then there's the water issue... Hmmm...

Puzzling by the feeders...

CapeCodAlan

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Posted by CapeCodAlan at 1:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Obviously, the sconces are almost done. (At this point, all that's left is to hide and secure wire.) It wasn't a bad project. Here's my advice for anyone who decides to take on such an endeavor:

1. First, think safety. Unless you know your stuff concerning wire gauges, ground planes, code, etc., get a licensed electrician. Also, turn off the power to the circuit breaker that controls your work area and use masking tape to ensure that someone won't inadvertently re-activate the circuit while you're elbows deep in it. Tell everybody what you are doing. If nothing else, warn them that electrocution doesn't smell pretty.
2. Alright, safety out of the way, hit the Web and decide what fixture you want. This is where it gets tricky... The secret to lighting is light, and with the options of incandescents, CFLs, and LEDs, the choices are endless. Good luck to you.
3. Next tip... Hook up your fixture to the planned existing circuit before you start drilling holes and running wires. Once again... If you don't know what you're doing, call in a pro.
4. Ah those pesky studs and bricks... Know your turf...
5. Onward... Dry run your installation. Example: Wire 'A' has to run along through floor/wall 'B' and then go through junction box 'C' which has to be installed blah blah blah...
6. After all that, there's nothing but the sweat and cussing to make it happen...

By the feeders,

CapeCodAlan

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Posted by CapeCodAlan at 4:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Yup, it's every bit 'American Folk Art Cheesy' as it appears in the image... We're talking scrap pine 'Birds Whimsy' held together with drywall screws and sold at a flea market for $10 (which in turn might buy a bottle of fortified wine like Mad Dog 20/20 for the creator... Just kidding... just kidding...). Here are the details of the contest:

• Contest question: What popular music duo produced the finest version of 'Ave Maria' ever? (Hint: their roots lie in classical and jazz...)
• The correct answer to the contest question is entirely subjective, and will be decided by me, CapeCodAlan...
• You must be a resident of the continental U.S. to enter...
• Can of 'Diet Coke' not included...
• Winner should expect delivery of prize when CapeCodAlan and the Mrs. get around to shipping it...
• Winner must provide 'YouTube' link to actual performance of said finest version of 'Ave Maria' via email to CapeCodAlan@ebirdseed.com...
• Only constraints on entrants are that you can't be 'doing time' and you can't be an immoral reprobate... Also, zombies and cockapoos are ineligible...
• Prize comes directly from CapeCodAlan and not eBirdseed.com...
• First correct answer with link wins...

Waiting by the feeders... (Told you that you'd hate my guts...)

CapeCodAlan

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Posted by CapeCodAlan at 1:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Man oh man oh man, is it easy to get lost in the colors and the fonts or what? Truth be told, there's nothing wrong with the sequence. The only real problem is the duplication of the word 'and' in the instructions. And so it was for the contest -- the answer was there in the title but so easily skipped -- find a way to translate 2096 characters into a recipe in less than 60 seconds. 20/20 hindsight says there must be a converter or translator; and so there was.

In general, misdirection and inverted perception are nothing new... And so it goes with birds... A couple of weeks ago, I was working with a knowledgeable friend in the backyard, and when we got our usual turkey invasion, he gushed that one must have weighed 30 pounds. (Wild turkeys rarely exceed 20 lbs. The hen in question was more like 15.) When my friend spooked the thing, it flapped off at an estimated speed of 60mph. (Once again that was an overestimate. Turkeys have a top speed of about 45mph, and this one wasn't doing half that.)

The bottom line to all this (contest, birds, or UFOs for that matter) is that perception can be exceedingly persuasive. (I wonder how many 'Rare' bird sightings are legit'?)

I think I'll be by the feeders...

CapeCodAlan

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Posted by CapeCodAlan at 12:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Well, we have a winner! Kathy K. won. (She won a previous eBirdseed photo contest back in Oct. 2008.)

Kathy was quick on the draw and realized that all those ones and zeroes could easily be converted to plain old text using an online converter. (I checked... There are converters out there for every imaginable language and numerical expression.) So not only did she win a boatload of delivered birdseed, but she (and you!) also bagged a killer recipe... And here it is: all that binary converted into the following...

3 eggs, 1.5 c sugar, 2 c flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp cinnamon, .67 c oil, .25 tsp salt, 1 tsp vanilla, 3 pears chopped, .5 c raisins, Walnuts (opt). Mix all together, and bake in a 9 X 12 pan at 350 degrees for apx. 45 minutes.

By the demystified feeders...

CapeCodAlan

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Posted by CapeCodAlan at 9:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Nice prize aye? You get that much in birdseed delivered to your door if you win... But I'm getting ahead of myself... First the background of this simple contest...

Yeah, it has to happen. That old eBirdseed.com data encryption contest just has to have a winner, and today is the day... (We've had a bunch of bird-related contests before, and I really wanted to have something non-bird just for a change of pace.) Well... Here are the rules, and then the contest...

• Previous winners are allowed to enter this contest!
• eBirdseed.com employees and their immediate family are not allowed to enter contest...
• Prize will only be shipped within continental United States....
• Contest solution must be submitted via email to: capecodalan@ebirdseed.com (I'll contact the winner by responding to the winning entry...)
• First correct answer wins...
• Judges' decisions are final...
• Contest remains open until we have a winner...
• Timely notification of contest winner will be posted on this blog...

00110011 00100000 01100101 01100111 01100111 01110011 00101100 00100000 00110001 00101110 00110101 00100000 01100011 00100000 01110011 01110101 01100111 01100001 01110010 00101100 00100000 00110010 00100000 01100011 00100000 01100110 01101100 01101111 01110101 01110010 00101100 00100000 00110001 00100000 01110100 01110011 01110000 00100000 01100010 01100001 01101011 01101001 01101110 01100111 00100000 01110000 01101111 01110111 01100100 01100101 01110010 00101100 00100000 00110001 00100000 01110100 01110011 01110000 00100000 01100011 01101001 01101110 01101110 01100001 01101101 01101111 01101110 00101100 00100000 00101110 00110110 00110111 00100000 01100011 00100000 01101111 01101001 01101100 00101100 00100000 00101110 00110010 00110101 00100000 01110100 01110011 01110000 00100000 01110011 01100001 01101100 01110100 00101100 00100000 00110001 00100000 01110100 01110011 01110000 00100000 01110110 01100001 01101110 01101001 01101100 01101100 01100001 00101100 00100000 00110011 00100000 01110000 01100101 01100001 01110010 01110011 00100000 01100011 01101000 01101111 01110000 01110000 01100101 01100100 00101100 00100000 00101110 00110101 00100000 01100011 00100000 01110010 01100001 01101001 01110011 01101001 01101110 01110011 00101100 00100000 01010111 01100001 01101100 01101110 01110101 01110100 01110011 00100000 00101000 01101111 01110000 01110100 00101001 00101110 00100000 01001101 01101001 01111000 00100000 01100001 01101100 01101100 00100000 01110100 01101111 01100111 01100101 01110100 01101000 01100101 01110010 00101100 00100000 01100001 01101110 01100100 00100000 01100010 01100001 01101011 01100101 00100000 01101001 01101110 00100000 01100001 00100000 00111001 00100000 01011000 00100000 00110001 00110010 00100000 01110000 01100001 01101110 00100000 01100001 01110100 00100000 00110011 00110101 00110000 00100000 01100100 01100101 01100111 01110010 01100101 01100101 01110011 00100000 01100110 01101111 01110010 00100000 01100001 01110000 01111000 00101110 00100000 00110100 00110101 00100000 01101101 01101001 01101110 01110101 01110100 01100101 01110011 00101110

Waiting by the feeders...

CapeCodAlan

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Posted by CapeCodAlan at 9:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Well, the old eBirdseed.com streaming cam isn't looking so hot right now...

Time to make a change... Granted, the window could use some washing, and the sun wasn't cooperating, but still... The cam is focused on a now-vacant hummingbird feeder, and where's the fun in that? No, it's time to get a cam outdoors. The problem of course is to get video 'out there' without destroying it. Here are my concerns:

• I need a good housing that will stand up to a drenching or two (or three... or...) At the same time, it will also have to endure countless blizzards. In that respect, I'm leaning towards my previous 'mailbox solution' -- modifying a standard mailbox and using that as a housing. The problem is that I'm not in the mood for setting up a thermostatically controlled enclosure. On the other hand, I'm not about to sacrifice our Logitech 9000 Pro either.
• The USB extension cable may not be designed for elements -- that would dictate shielding it in PVC pipe and burying it... Yech.
• Then there's always the issue of the mount itself... Do I want to go through the hassle of making a long-lasting mount for a short-lived project?

Onward... About that pesky $195 contest... I'm 99% sure that I know what I want to do, but the problem is that it's insanely simple and at the same time terribly offputting. The person who sets aside the intimidating and deals with the problem can solve in less than one minute. The individual who freaks at things that look scary will walk away disheartened. Probably the best way to handle this is simply to work as a team... You need someone who can solve problems by thinking outside of the box snicker snack...

Next time, the contest... Be ready...

By the feeders...

CapeCodAlan

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Posted by CapeCodAlan at 12:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Back around my 800th post, I mentioned that I wanted to do something special for the event... I never did. That got me to thinking about other things I've promised along the way and never followed up on. (Yeah, I know... I finished off that last sentence with a preposition... tough.) Anywho, here are two projects that go unresolved: the streaming eBirdseed.com Web cam refinements, and that pesky encryption contest from long ago... One thing at a time...

First, here's a screen shot from our streaming Web cam mid-day.

Not very exciting is it? The original plan was to house the cam in some sort of protective enclosure outside (see the link above), but that sort of fell by the wayside... Maybe it's time to re-visit that idea... The first step is to find the acceptable operating temperatures for the camera (a Logitech Webcam Pro 9000). Bummer that the Logitech manual and site doesn't have that info; I put in a tech request for same. We'll see.

Next up... that nasty old data encryption/decryption contest... Truth be told, it really isn't that nasty, and offers tremendous insight into the ease of data encryption. (Whether or not you know it, you're probably using some form of data encryption as you read this -- your banking, credit cards, and medical records all use this stuff.) Anyway, all it takes to win this is a brief bit of learning and then doggedness... Alright... Your silence (and the silence of those who read two other blogs) concerning this contest has been deafening. So, it's now closed... I need to simplify the contest, and at the same time change the rules and prizes. How about this? I can boil it down to a 30 second solution, change the rules as to who can enter (previous winners will be allowed), and up the ante on the prize. Let me mull it over... But in the meantime, here is the single lump sum prize for that future lone winner...

• Black Oil Sunflower - 10 lb - $24.19
• Cracked Corn - 4 lb - $14.02
• In Shell Peanuts - 6 lb - $28.50
• Large Striped Sunflower - 4 lb - $17.98
• Nyjer - 20 lb - $47.48
• Peanut Pieces - 5 lb - $19.55
• Safflower - 7.5 lb - $22.04
• White Millet - 10 lb - $21.40

Total Retail Value: $195.16 delivered right to your door in the continental U.S. only... (Value may vary with supply.)

Now there's something to ponder...

Tidying up by the feeders...

CapeCodAlan

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Posted by CapeCodAlan at 12:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A couple of things you might find handy...

First, expect an upgrade to the ebirdseed.com FaceBook page... We'll let you know when the upgrade happens, but expect sooner vs. later...

Now, about that New York City style pizza contest...

Yeah... That pizza contest... We most definitely have a winner! Thank you Jefe for the following, and rest assured that your prize shall be well placed...

Just saw this. I spent about 4 years landlocked in the midwest. The end of that sojourn culminated in construction of Gypsy (the model there, the real thing once I was coastal again.)

Anyway, I could never find the NY style pizza I liked and spent a ton of time researching, experimenting, etc. I spent a lot of time reading on pizzamakingforum.com

There are a couple really basic things that I found made a pretty big difference in terms of quality for me.

The first was using "raw" sauce. Canned tomatoes in a blender - experiment with seasonings (salt, pepper, thyme, basil, "italian seasoning", garlic powder, onion powder etc) and also the time interval between blending with seasoning and using . Not using already cooked tomato sauce (home-made or in a jar) was a huge first step.

Second was cooking on a really hot stone. Some of the people on the other forum advocated a proprietary product called fibrament (I think). I ended up getting a piece of cordierite on clearance from a kiln supply company online. This is the same material bakers pride uses in the deck of their commercial ovens. These are the only kinds of ovens I ever saw in "real NY Pizza" places. And using the oven as hot as you can get it. Some people take this seriously (disable the locking latch and cook using the cleaning cycle!)

Third was cold fermenting the dough (in the fridge; experimenting between 2-7 days). I used King Arthur bread flour (blue bag) (Also, Google Jeff Varasano.)

Fourth was buying bulk mozzarella, pre-shredded (Sam's Club or somewhere where you get more of a wholesale type product.) This somehow always turned out better than buying a block or bag of polly-o from the grocery store and grating it myself (or buying a small bag of shredded from a grocery store). I also have experimented with fresh mozz for more of a Neopolitan.

Since moving back to where I can get NY style, I haven't done much of this lately.

Cooking in the kitchen that looks out on the feeders...

CapeCodAlan

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Posted by CapeCodAlan at 12:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

First... Thought you might enjoy the following screen shot...

Yup... That's from our new, free, streaming Web cam. In case you don't remember, the last one - a small analog unit - fell victim to a local computer problem. (As I've mentioned umpteen times, CapeCodAlan's computers are not on the eBirdseed.com network. No matter what happens to me, all orders on eBirdseed.com are completely secure.) Anywho, the image above is typical for our new rig. Can't wait until Spring and we get the chance to get up close and personal with hummingbirds. Still can't decide whether or not to build/buy an external housing; time may well be a deciding factor.

Onward...

Hey, this is post number 685... Before you know it, we'll have 700 entries (and over 1,000 library photographs, 30,000+ cam visitations, 800+ comments, etc...) So what do we do to celebrate? Let's see... I'm pretty sure that eBirdseed.com has already got the "Lobsters-and-Bunny-Babes-for-CCA-Alaskan-Cruise" covered, so that's off the table... I don't know... How about a contest? A new, and very different contest... Something that you'll not only feel comfortable entering, but also feel comfortable winning...

Time to ponder... Ideas? Bueller?

See you by the feeders,

Me...

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Posted by CapeCodAlan at 12:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Well, Merry Christmas to you all! (I know that that salutation may not be politically correct for some, but tough!) Here's the great Nat King Cole... (Did you know that he was an exceptional pianist before he became a vocalist? On the keyboard, Nathanial Adams Coles was comfortable with both jazz and classical music.)

Onward...

As I mentioned in the last post, the trick in getting the new cam outdoors is to keep it dry and warm/cool. Here's what I've got so far...

No, the main shelter is not a Quonset hut, but instead a mailbox. (And no, we do not receive our snail mail in the mailbox on our deck - that one is reserved for small gardening tools.) Anywho, I hope the drawing speaks for itself, but the idea is to bore two holes in a standard mailbox - one at the end which will be sealed by glass for the cam, and the other in the bottom that will allow a jar-mounted light bulb/fan to keep the thing warm/cool. I'm still mulling over the wiring and mounting details, though those don't worry me terribly... The other option is to simply buy an outdoor security camera housing; that too would bring the project in on budget. Hmmm... For a sneak peek of the indoors experimental version, go here to see the live streaming video in action. (Sorry about the commercials - understandably, UStream has to find a way to make money.)

Lastly, there comes those buzz kill turkeys... Jeez Louise, just when you have the backyard just a little tamed, the turkeys discover how to perch on top of the feeder and raid it to oblivion...

Geez... I wonder what's for Christmas dinner???

See you by the feeders,

CapeCodAlan

P.S. the "Word Search Contest" is now closed... Harry, we'll think of something... More on that later...

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Posted by CapeCodAlan at 2:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Man, have we got a lot to cover... Let's get cracking!

I guess I can group the first two subjects as one: birds and our latest Cape Cod storm... As you can probably tell just by their demeanor, the birds were none too keen on our surprise storm...

Alrighty then... Do you remember just a few days ago, I thought (that is, trusted the weather forecasters) that this storm was going to swing out to sea... Not so much. Truth be told, we got about four to six inches of the wet, heavy muck and suffered four brownouts. Oh goody...

On a much more cheerful note, our new cam (below) arrived... Meet the Logitech Webcam Pro 9000. As the photo shows, it looks to be your standard webcam... I'll have to play some games to get it streaming live (not to mention the watertight, heated/vented housing), but all looks doable. Stay tuned for updates.

Now, about our word search contest... It's been brought to my attention by more folks than I care to think about, that people are simply reluctant to enter any contest for fear of being spammed, junk mailed, or pestered at home... Fair enough. About a year ago, the wife and I donated to a political party and have been hounded ever since. I really don't know how to speak to this issue except to offer the following company statement:

This Web site does not utilize cookies which request any personal information or collect any information that personally identifies you or allows you to be personally contacted. The only cookies used simply aid the checkout process. The only personal information gathered is your shipping and billing information which is not stored unless you create an account. We do not share any personal information with any third parties.

Finally, with your security and sanity in mind, let me informally offer this simple word of advice when it comes to buying a gift to the "un-giftable". Just buy an eBirdseed.com gift certificate. (And no, the boss didn't put me up to this - this is from the heart.) Just buy a gift certificate. Feeding the birds is a good thing and you won't have to fight the mall.

There! I'm done for now...

See you by the feeders,

CapeCodAlan

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Posted by CapeCodAlan at 8:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Guess the title pretty much says it all...

It's interesting to note the crow's behavior in the presence of the ominous turkeys - he is clearly miffed. In essence, the crow behaves the same as our cat Toby when he is frustrated - he turns his back on the problem, bristles, and gripes. (Sound familiar?)

As for the jumping turkey... Well, all indications are that turkeys just aren't that bright. While they seem to like bread, and know where it's located, they just can't seem to put two and two together to reach four. I know for a fact that gobblers can easily perch on that open feeder, they just don't have the intellectual horsepower (EQ) to make it happen... I've always known turkeys were idiots from the time I saw a posse of the beasts try to make a running attack on a UPS truck.

I keep telling you... Someone ought to sell tickets...

See you by the feeders,

CapeCodAlan

P.S. I've decided to close the word search contest on my Christmas post... Better get cracking!

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Posted by CapeCodAlan at 2:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Right off the bat, let this be an object lesson on how not to execute a plan. It doesn't matter whether you're landscaping, setting up bird feeders, building a birdhouse, building a boat, or sending a probe to Mars - this is how you don't make it happen...

Alrighty then... Take a look at the shot below... See that circled "A"? That is where the vertical shelf support meets the bottom of the top of the carcase. So far, so good... The mechanism that marries these two structural components is a "cleat" - a block of wood that is glued and screwed to the backside/underside of both. Now obviously, the cleat has to be bored, countersunk, and permanently attached to the vertical piece ASAP - that is, one can't affix the cleat to the bottom of the top, and then expect to drill/countersink in the dark, cramped, overhead nether regions behind letter "A".

Ummm... Take a look at the photo below - that's a mirror pic of those very nether regions with a couple of screws (circled) hobbled into the cleat. And why were they hobbled in you ask? Because I anchored the cleat before I prepped its backside, that's why. (I heard that snicker...)

Solution? Get the cleat glued in place, let the glue cure, back out one screw at a time, and then use the 10lb beast below to countersink etc. (I included the Bud can for two reasons: First, I wanted to give give some scale, and secondly, it was a tip of the hat to my late dad and the original owner of the tool - he liked Budweiser.)

When all is said and done, the hutch is fine, but let this be a cautionary tale... In 1999, NASA lost a Mars orbiter when it crashed due to a confusion over the use of metric vs. English units. It's one thing to know something, and entirely another to actually execute the idea appropriately. Happy building...

See you by the feeders,

CapeCodAlan

P.S. Contest...

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Posted by CapeCodAlan at 2:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

They say a picture tells a thousand words. The next two probably say more.

You probably can't read the number in the lower Camstreams shot, but it shows that our little live cam had 29,260 views in its 2+ year lifespan. There was a lot of innocent, free fun there. But no more. Last week, CapeCodAlan (not eBirdseed.com) got slammed with some sort of email virus or worm. To make an excruciatingly long story short, all my email contacts were spammed and my Internet connectivity was cooked. (The fact that my ISP, Comcast crashed, at the same time may or may not have played a role in this.) As a result, I've had to torque up my AV and firewall settings to new heights which unfortunately croaks the cam. Deep sigh... I really don't know what to say about this... How do you speak to the subject of gutless weasels who raid other people's mailboxes... who have no more professional acumen than to pilfer innocents' IDs. Sad, sad, sad...

But life goes on... Here's is the top of the hutch as it stands now. (The clamps and sticks are securing the quarter-round molding to the upper inner back of the carcase while the glue dries...)

And then there's the infamous mailbox birdhouse(s). Finally, rest assured that another (and better) streaming cam will soon be coming to a blog near you. :)

See you by the resilient feeders,

CapeCodAlan

P.S. I'm telling you, there's a contest just waiting for a winner...

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Posted by CapeCodAlan at 12:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

About four bazillion years ago, I was an all too brief philosophy major. (I made it through the 19th century, then slammed into Sartre et al and went sniveling back to the university registrar to change my major.) But one thing that did stick (I think), was Heidegger's ideas on the philosophy of thought (epistemology). I believe it was in his book, "Being and Time" that he suggested that for any given issue or problem, the essence of thinking is the stripping away of the esoteric, convenient, comfortable, and instead grappling with the most intrinsic - i.e. not what we want to think, or even what we believe should be thought, but rather what is most "think-worthy"*.

Still awake? Wow... Anywho... It's with that om wafting in the back, that I approach the "right now" problem of seagulls raiding the crow feeder (or any danged feeder they can get to for that matter.) This has to stop. Where the crows peacefully co-exist with, and even protect the smaller birds, the gulls are simply bulldozers. So how to stop them? Everything from a flying comfy pillow to starvation has crossed our minds, but I think Heidegger nailed it... What is unique about crows and seagulls and what is different? Well, crows are smaller, they have oscine feet (great for perching), and are highly intelligent. Gulls are huge, have larus (webbed) feet, and quite frankly aren't all that bright. So how about this??? A smaller feeder that crows can still use, surrounded by a perch wire, and if need be, only accessible by a foot trigger or "key". (No "key push" means the door doesn't open and the food remains inaccessible.)

It would be a relatively easy build, and would give the gulls fits... On the other hand, if the seagulls watch the crows, and learn how to balance and use the "key" to open the feeder door, they may be closer to Heidegger than I thought... Hmmm...

See you by the feeders,

CapeCodAlan

* And what did Martin think was the most "thought-worthy" subject for humanity??? He suggested that the fact that we're still not thinking takes the prize.

P.S... Contest still open...

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Posted by CapeCodAlan at 10:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Some time ago, one of our readers asked that I (we) spend more time exploring bird behavior, and I think we've taken a fair shot at that request. But something is starting to happen that just gives me the creeps (again...) Lately, whenever we put out food for the crows, the seagulls have shown up, chased off the crows, and simply ravaged the feeders. Here's an old photo that shows the sheer size of the brutes...

But here's where it all gets truly freaky. Mrs. CCA pointed out that so long as the crows put a cease and desist on their "feed me" cacophony, the gulls pay no attention, and the tray remains unmolested. Pretty clever on the part of the crows, no? Now stop and think about it for a moment... If the crows can't call, how will they tell me that they're hungry? Very simple... They've taken to either knocking on the front door, or swooping by the windows. (I couldn't make this stuff if I tried.)

I'm not sure whether I'm flattered, being manipulated, being initiated, or just warming up for the Alcoa head gear. (Thank heavens that Mrs. CCA has seen most of this behavior... At least if I have to break out the ol' aluminum foil hat, I'll have to do it in the plural.)

Really, I'm at a loss... Who is really pulling the strings here? Where most backyard birders become emotionally attached to their "flock", I've become intellectually engaged with my fellow murder members... Who knows what's next?

See you by the feeders,

CapeCodAlan

P.S. You know... We have this contest...

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Posted by CapeCodAlan at 11:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

"[This] is a pumpkin pie I can really get behind. It's adapted from a recipe found in my mom's infamous recipe binder, and really does provide the best of both worlds: the scrumptious, seasonal flavor of pumpkin and the decadence of cream. "

P.S. 'Tis the season to win a contest...

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Posted by CapeCodAlan at 2:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Well, a heartfelt and Happy Thanksgiving to you! (Yeah, the rest of this post is going right downhill from here.)

Did I ever mention that I don't like birthdays or holidays? Oh, there's nothing like a little time off, and yes, we should be thankful for things and acknowledge loved ones. That's fine. But that doesn't forgive the orgy of food, football, or excessive drink that accompanies holidays like Thanksgiving. Be honest... of the millions of Americans out there today stuffed to the gills, buzzed to the nines, and screaming at their juiced jocks on TeeVee, how many are inwardly thinking, "Geez, I'm sure thankful for Aunt Ezmeralda!" Exactly...

{O.k., so I'm of bad humor. (Welcome to my world.) My birthday was a few days ago, and on a whim, Mrs. CCA suggested that I check the expiration date on my driver's license.

Surprise!

After a joyous experience at the DMV (and a lousy eye test that even a hawk couldn't pass), I am legal once again... Grumble... As "Fed Ex Carl" would say, "But I digress." Back to the holidays...}

I don't know... It just seems that that old saw about the superficiality of the holidays is ringing all too true. (Though if you're reading this, odds are that you're into nature and have a clue.) You know what? If I were King of America for a day - this day - I'd send out an immediate edict ordering all to stop gorging, turn off the TeeVee, sober up, and think about what's most important to them for just an hour - just an hour of quiet somber thought and thankfulness.

But for the most part, that's not going to happen, and most of us know it. There will be the "light" version of the lip service, and then off to the debauchery... As I was saying, "Bah Humbug!" (And why isn't the DMV open 24 hrs and serving drinks?)

See you by the feeders,

CapeCodAlan

There's a contest just a waiting with no strings attached...

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Posted by CapeCodAlan at 1:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Here's what happened... I went out to put some old bread on the crow tray and was greeted by six turkeys. Being always prepared, I carried the oft mentioned "Comfy Cushion of Doom" - a simple lawn chair cushion I've used in the past to scare the things away. Not so much today... They simply circled me and then tried to implement a "peck-and-run" strategy. As soon as I would fend off one, another would go for my flank. (Do you remember the velociraptors in the movie "Jurassic Park?) As I said before, this is not funny. I was surrounded by six, belligerent, 20lb animals with five foot wingspans, each with a brain the size of a raisin. True, after a few charges, they decided to move on, but they made a fair attempt at ruining my day.

Upshot? The wife and I will still walk around our property in safety... anytime we want. Period. We'll do our very best to convince animals that we're the benevolent alphas, but one way or the other, we will remain the alphas. If the turkeys lose their fear of the cushions, then I'll move on to Frisbees. And if they still want to attack, there's always the garden hose or worse.

Not fooling around by the feeders...

CapeCodAlan

P.S. Don't forget the word search contest! A feeder would make a fine gift!

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

Sorry about my lack of post over the last few days - the attempted bombing kind of knocked me for a loop... I was going to write about the effects of digital photography on the masses and how those effects reverberate throughout the art world. Heck... I even had a semi-respectable picture...

But the near-miss terrorist attack put me off my feed... (Here's the deal, I have a background in engineering, technology, and weaponry - I won't go into the details because it would bore you to tears, but I know what I'm talking about.) Bluntly, Friday's failed attempt(s) were too derned close... The explosive du jour was PETN - one of the world's most powerful... The big question is, "What will happen when fanatics and flat-out loons keep acquiring the ever-advancing and ever-more-ubiquitous technologies?"

I wish I had an answer for you, or had more to say, but I really don't. I do though have a few rhetorical questions:

• Do we really believe Aum Shinrikyo, Jonestown, and 9/11 are the end or even the worst?
• It's 11/2/10... Do our politicians understand what we're really facing?
• Has the world seen its last mushroom cloud and if not will the nuke be fired in anger or by mistake, and by whom?

Sometimes there are events that push birding to background.

See you by the feeders,

CapeCodAlan

P.S. On a happier note, there's always our word search contest...

P.P.S. This just in... Four mail bombs explode in Greece.

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Posted by CapeCodAlan at 10:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Hi,

Yup, this is my 650th post. I was going to name it the "Sexcentennial-Plus-Quinquagenary Post", but I figured the title alone would be a turn off. Then I thought "650th Jubilee", but given yesterday's (terrorist) events the word, "Jubilee" seems way out of line. That led me to write a poli-sci piece, but that was unfitting for this blog. Sooo... For the moment, here's Mrs. CCA to display and discuss her carved bird collection. (If the demand is there, I'll get back to the terrorists later.)

Mrs. CCA here. It's appropriate on the occasion of CapeCodAlan's 650th post to share a few of our favorite birds--not the outdoor ones, but the indoor ones. Some of these you may have seen before, and some, not. Just in case you're interested, here's a bit about some of our favorites, and how you can find similar ones.

This photo shows two of our miniature birds carved by Canadian decoy maker John Gervers . One is a marsh wren, and the other is, oddly enough, a roadrunner. You can't tell from this photo how small they really are, but both birds are charming. Then we have a primitive bob-white by Massachusetts carver Will Kirkpatrick. Mr. Kirkpatrick continues to do beautiful work in Hudson, MA. Then there's the wonderful Delft tile of a flying goose, which I picked up at an antiques show here on Cape Cod.

Here we have two real actual decoys by Cape Cod carver John Mulak of Yarmouth. The one on the left is a bufflehead, and the one on the right is a blue-winged teal. Both are fairly old, but in beautiful condition. If you're lucky, you may be able to find some of his work at decoy auctions in the Northeast. The third small duck is in fact a porcelain Herend figurine, and while the green ones are difficult to find, Geary's has a decent collection of this duck in other colors. Pricey (because they're embellished with 24k gold!) but sweet.

Last but certainly not least, we have a set of three shorebirds perched on a piece of driftowood, with no maker's mark at all. But just because they are unbranded doesn't mean we don't love them--they're full of character! And we have a lovely Kentucky warbler carved by another Yarmouth man, Fred Schmelke. Mr. Schmelke was a local high school shop teacher, who turned a profession into a hobby which then turned into a new profession! His birds are available each year when the South Yarmouth United Methodist Church has its annual summer fair. I've bought birds from Mr. Schmelke at the fair for three years running now, and each year, his carvings are better!

So that's a show of some of our favorite birds. Why don't you all share some photos of your best "indoor" birds?

See you by the feeders for another 650 and counting...

CapeCodAlan and Mrs. CapeCodAlan

Contest: Word search...

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Posted by CapeCodAlan at 3:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Check this out...

I included the old storage mailbox to provide perspective... No matter how many times I see these puppies, I'm still struck with the "Velociraptor Nature" of the beasts. (By the way, take a look at this piece concerning velociraptors and birds...)

On the more diminutive front, have a Red-breasted Nuthatch... Quite cute...

The feeders were unusually active today... No doubt the smaller residents were charging their batteries for the upcoming nasty weather.

And suddenly, the "Nag-o-Meter" goes off the scales!!! Yes, just like the turkeys and the nuthatches, you should be bracing your feeders for the winter. I'm sorry... I'm being as gentle as I can be. But feathers big and small are depending on you to clean things up and make all back 40 copacetic. I've found that if the yard is in order, and plans are in place for the inevitable snows, all will be fine. (I still have to figure out how I'll dig my way to the feeders this year... but not to borrow trouble... at least not yet.)

See you by the feeders...

CapeCodAlan

P.S. And speaking of nagging... What about that word search contest?

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Posted by CapeCodAlan at 4:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Before we get started, I should mention the obvious and then offer a simple solution. To wit, about the "puniness" of the chest drawing in the last post... True, it is puny, but you can zoom the IE/Firefox display simply by holding down the "Ctrl" key and hitting the "+" key. Try it... To reset the display, just do a "Ctrl 0". That should make the crude drawing usable and keep you sane at the same time.

Back to the birds, or more accurately, the yard...

While the shots above may not look earth shattering, for us there's been a significant change; I added mulch around the footings of the feeders. The idea being that the grass there had long since been worn/scratched away (and seed remnants took its place), and that a new venue was called for. Besides... perhaps the area won't be so muddy during the soaking times. We'll see what happens, but already the ground feeders seem to disapprove.

But that leads us into a touchy subject for me - spiders. Quite simply they scare the Hades out of me. We're talking phobia here. Oh, I don't freak over the daddy long legs types, but those big honkin' (1"+ diam.) black suckers absolutely blow my mind. (I once took a BB gun to a 2" wolf spider in my living room.) Anyway, back to the mulch for just a moment... I was lifting old bags of the stuff when surprise! Looks like I interrupted a nasty-spider house party. Woo hoo! I was already nursing my annual "back spasm boogie", but that didn't stop me from performing a near-perfect 9.8 "Ricochet Rabbit Head Smash" against our 9' garage ceiling. As soon as I landed, I stomped one of the brutes straight into the Shadows of Glory, and I know another galloped off into the flotsam and jetsam that is our still-being-cleaned garage... But after that things get blurry and I probably suffered a convulsive, arachnid loss of consciousness. (I don't mind killing spiders, I just mind getting close enough to them to kill them. Do you see?)

The upshot of all this? We've got mulch under the feeders, the garage is cleaner, and Mrs. CCA is going to ride shotgun for the rest of the car stall revitalization. (And I do mean shotgun!)

See you by the feeders,

P.S. Word search contest

CapeCodAlan

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Posted by CapeCodAlan at 9:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

All kinds of project-related stuff tonight... Let's see... First up is a pile of hobby in the waiting...

• The inlay curio table is almost done and only needs the tender loving care of a honking big fastener, a bit more inlay, thickened epoxy, and a finish coat.
• The mailbox/birdhouse too is pretty much fait accompli. I figure I can mount that on a 10' tabernacle mast and sink the steps in a large sonotube. That will be a blast...
• But what of the "fleur de lis"? Should we wait until I build a shed? Perhaps when we open the kitchen into the dining area? Or should we just stick the thing on a pike and jab it into the garden???

The problem had to do with the long screws that would rise from the underside of the top of the bottom carcase into the posts of the top cabinet. Unfortunately, the internal lower workins' (cleats) got in the way and would split for sure... The solution was the old boatbuilding trick of gluing (or sistering) a block to the cleat to reinforce...

Lastly, there are these...

The "youngest" of those boards is 100 years; the oldest is probably 300 years... (Note the ruler on the first piece - that's 12" marked in black.) I've fussed over the latter for three decades and probably have one more to go. Years ago I spotted an old chest in a local restaurant and took appropriate measurements...

I've started building with the "newest" of my antique stock, though the crude "napkin" drawing and modern boards will probably do ya'...

Just fun projects to think about and then really mull over...

See you by the feeders,

CapeCodAlan

P.S. And the contest waits...

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Posted by CapeCodAlan at 5:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Well, I thought I'd at least start this post on an upbeat note... The Coopers hawk above certainly is a beautiful thing... Unfortunately, one staked out our yard yesterday, and the crows (try as they might) couldn't drive the creature away. (For a moment, the hawk actually attacked the crows - not pretty.) The upshot of it all was that "Don the Squirrel" got munched. (One of the reasons we feed the crows and the squirrels is to keep the predators away from our song birds. This time the strategy worked all too gruesomely.) So, Mrs. CCA discovered the half eaten remains just 15' from our front door. It seems that the hawk is less than secretive when it comes to dining.

Occasionally, I get emails from people asking, "How can I keep away hawks?" or, "How can I keep away crows?" or, "How can I keep away squirrels?" And about the best I can do is to echo the status quo with the usual hollow suggestions about making noise, keeping the feeders close to shrubbery, plastic owls, etc. But when truth be told, there really isn't much one can do... When you feed wild birds, you enter the wild, even if in a limited way. The wife and I made the decision to support sacrificial creatures like chipmunks and squirrels as a way of keeping our birds as safe as possible. Still, it's all too easy to become attached to the sacrificial ones as well... Until the hawk decides to move on... It's a hard world out there...

Somber by the feeders,

CapeCodAlan

P.S. Don't forget our word search contest!

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Posted by CapeCodAlan at 11:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

• First, don't forget our word search puzzle contest! I'm tellin' ya', there's a nice tube feeder with your name on it just waiting.
• Next up is the nearly miraculous flight of crows through a narrow line of trees... We all do it all the time - we all look at stuff, but sometimes we just don't "see" it. Consider the shot below...
  

  Notice anything funky about that photograph? I'll give you a hint... The wingspan of the crow is wider than the span between the trees it's about to encounter. Obviously, the creature only has four options:

  • Stop... (Not likely!)
  • Suffer a tree hit... (I've never seen that happen.)
  • Tilt sideways like a TIE fighter... (No, the corvid doesn't do that, though crows are capable of ballet-type flight.)
  • Hold straight-and-level and retract his (or her) wings at just the right moment so as to "squeeze" between the trunks... And that's exactly what the little rascal does. The momentary loss of lift causes a slight dip in the normally flat flight pattern. Still, even laden with a hunk of old stromboli, disaster averted.
• Thirdly... Every so often we get a small deluge of grackles or robins. Today the "rain" consisted of grackles...
  

  Who knows why this happens, but it sure has a Hitchcock "feel".

• And last but not least, take a good look at the photo above... Notice how the squirrel blends right in? (Here is an earlier image with the squirrel highlighted...)
  

So much for the theory that birds fear squirrels. (My guess is that so long as there's enough food, everyone is happy.)

And on that upbeat note...

See you by the feeders,

CapeCodAlan

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Posted by CapeCodAlan at 1:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

What do you win? Well, this would be an excellent time for that new tube thistle feeder. How about something like the K-7G Deluxe Thistle Feeder?

And what is the word search puzzle you ask? Why, here it is now...

• You need to find 10 words in the puzzle, each of which are five or more characters long. Those words cannot contain: contractions, abbreviations, acronyms, obscenities, possessive form, hyphenated words, slang, etc... However, if you look carefully, you might just find the last name of one of the world's greatest living bird experts... then again, maybe not. And, there might even be a non-bird word in there... then again, maybe not. (To quote the legendary Bugs Bunny, "Ain't I a stinker?")
• Puzzle solutions must be sent to capecodalan@ebirdseed.com along with a valid return email address. The first correct one received wins. (For the sake of sanity, please give me directions to the first character of each solution word such as, "Over 12 and down 3 from the top left.")
• Employees and their immediate families are ineligible.
• The decisions of eBirdseed.com concerning contest rules and the winner are final.
• This contest is not open to those who've won in the last 30 days. (Gee whiz Harry, I just checked your last win... You missed this contest by a day or two... Maybe you should have a confab with your neighbor!)
• Only those in the continental U.S. may enter.
• eBirdseed.com will provide the prize and pay for the cost of shipping.

CapeCodAlan

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Posted by CapeCodAlan at 2:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

First of all, hats off to Harry "Gipper" Morris for winning our latest contest... There were three questions:

• What was the 37th state to join the U.S. union?
• In what year did that state join the union?
• And what is that state's bird?

• Nebraska
• 1867
• Western Meadowlark

Now, about those pesky video questions... Harry asked the following... (My answers are in blue)

• Can we talk camera stuff? Absolutely!
• How much file space does your Flip Video camera use for a 1-minute video? Just the same as yours (I measured...) 35.16 MB. That's an AVI standard. (Do you really want the pixel math?) And if you take 35 MB/min and multiply that by 60 minutes, you get roughly 2 GB, or the standard amount of space on an old Flip cam. If you want HD, you'll need to step up to a 4 GB model. In comparison, my Olympus F-120 movie feature uses 35.0MB. That seems like way too much to be useful in sending to a friend or something. While it's do-able to send huge amounts of video info this way, for the "Average Joe" there's a better way... Save the vid to the computer, edit it in something like Windows Movie Maker, and save it as a WMV file. (More below.)
• I saw the prices of the Flip Videos HD, 2nd generation cameras, and their prices have come down a way from last year. Ah, the dilemma of technology... When is "good enough" priced right before becoming obsolete?
• Still thinking about buying one. Lot's of questions about how to use it, programs, transfer files, etc. I'd highly recommend the purchase. Understand that there is a sharp learning curve, especially if you're not comfortable with drives and folders, importing files, etc. It's not that it's terribly difficult, but it is foreign.

But the real beauty is that a free service such as sendspace will let you upload your 30 minute WMV file (300 MB max), and then you can give your friends access to the download information. Granted, it takes a bit of time, but it works... Slick aye?

Congrats again to Harry!

See you by the feeders,

CapeCodAlan

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Posted by CapeCodAlan at 11:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Hi,

First the duck...

Is that stunning or what? We like the "below-the-waterline" feet. Once we really figure out what we're doing with our new camera, we could be downright dangerous.

Onward...

Well, our video contest ended without even an entry. Bummer. No great surprise really... Many folks are still uncomfortable with video, video editing, and stuff like YouTube. Add to that the stifling heat, and... Well, there you go. Not a problem... But... Here's the next contest, same prize as before - a $60 "Squirrel Buster Plus" feeder.

And the contest is this... Answer these three questions: What was the 37th state to join the U.S. union, and in what year? Also what is that state's bird?

Rules?

• First completely correct answer sent in as a comment wins
• eBirdseed.com employees and their relatives cannot enter
• Only entries from the continental U.S. will be valid. eBirdseed.com will pay for prize shipping
• All decisions by the eBirdseed.com judges will be final

See you by those ever-competitive feeders,

CapeCodAlan

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Posted by CapeCodAlan at 12:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

And speaking of quintessentially summer stuff, here at Casa CapeCodAlan we are trying a new recipe. Yes, it's summer, so it's an ice cream recipe, and since banana splits are something dear to Alan's heart, we are attempting a recipe for banana split ice cream. The custard has milk, chocolate milk, bananas, strawberries, and crushed pineapple in it, and even though we halved the recipe, it still made a LOT of custard.

In fact, it made so much custard, that I used less than half in the ice cream freezer, but even so...

Yes, the ice cream freezer overflowed. It overflowed by quite a bit. It overflowed like a golden chalice to bright wine, and while we won't be eating it out of golden chalices, we were able to rescue the ice cream, and we're hoping that we were able to clean all the excess from the motor area. I guess we'll know for sure the next time we try to make ice cream, right?

In the meantime, the ice cream is in the freezer, firming up. I'll be back in an hour or so with a report on the finished product. Keep your fingers crossed!

LATER: Well, here goes nothing! We're about to serve it up. Let's see how it goes.

Aaaaand, we have a winner!

See you by those summertime feeders!

Mrs. CapeCodAlan

P.S. And don't forget that video contest!

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Posted by CapeCodAlan at 8:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)

First the osprey... Here is a shot of the bird coming in with a fish to the nest perched atop a 50' cell phone tower. (They don't call them "fish hawks" for nothing.)

And a better look...

As best I can tell, that's a very unlucky catfish in the claws. Ouch.

Anyway, lunchtime...

Now on to the contest... Here's the deal... Do you remember back when we had our eBirdseed.com photo contest?

Here's the idea... We use your homemade "YouTube" videos as contest content... We're talking backyard bird videos. (Though if your backyard is a field, we'll take that into consideration...) Features such as subject, lighting, focus, video quality, audio, etc. will weigh heavily on the final decision.

Here are the rules:

• Each entry must be your own original material. Piracy is strictly forbidden! If you didn't create the video from scratch in its entirety, you're disqualified!!!
• Each entry must be one minute or less in length.
• Submissions will be YouTube links.
• Capturing, holding, or harassing of birds is not allowed.
• eBirdseed.com employees and their relatives cannot enter.
• eBirdseed.com reserves the right to embed the winning video code in our Web site.
• Only entries from the continental U.S. will be valid. eBirdseed.com will pay for prize shipping.
• All decisions by the eBirdseed.com judges will be final.

For all this "Cecil B. originality", what do you get??? How about a $60 "Squirrel Buster Plus" feeder?

Not bad... Not bad... Can't wait to see the entries...

See you by the feeders,

CapeCodAlan

Cornell Ornithology Laboratory: Inside Birding

Cornell Ornithology Laboratory: All About Birding

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Posted by CapeCodAlan at 6:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

Well, we've got a bunch to talk about today. As the title suggests, we have a contest winner and some new readers who are using the new Kindle - the Amazon.com reading device. But first, here's the contest winner!

That shot from Kathy K. of the Rufous just blew us away. You can see the full-size version here.

Congrats to Kathy, and thanks again to all who entered. You can see both the entire collection of entries and the finalists in our eBirdseed.com photo library.

Things to note about the contest:

• All 53 pictures had true merit. "You guys done good."
• At least 9 photos were exceptional.
• The wife and I, the boss, and a professional photographer all had input on the final decision. Kathy's was the one that won general consensus.
• We were very careful to hide the identities of the entrants. However, if you would like to have your name, photo credit, town, camera used etc. included in the "Description" field with your picture in the library, just use the "Comment" button below and let us know, and we'll take care of that.

Now, as for you new Kindle folks... Welcome! Where to begin? Obviously, this is primarily a backyard birding blog. (The free library below contains over 1,900 public-domain bird photographs. I apologize beforehand for being a menace to society when holding a camera.) Anyway... Some time ago, I wrote a "Welcome" to the newcomers, and I hope you check it out. Just understand, that while birds are our driving force, this is not your average bird blog.

We look forward to your input, and as always...

See you by the feeders,

CapeCodAlan

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Posted by CapeCodAlan at 12:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

• The boss will take a long look
• Consideration for the typical stuff like context, drama, mechanics, framing, perspective, lighting, etc. will count.
• And then there's always "that something"

CapeCodAlan et al

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Posted by CapeCodAlan at 10:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Hi all,

The fellow on the right stopped by yesterday, no doubt to feast upon our birds. (Grrr!) But nature is nature, so we might as well live with it.

But what kind of hawk is that? Well... Let's see... Around here, we usually only have Coopers, Sharp-shinned, Red-tailed, Red-shouldered, Broad-winged, Rough-legged, and Goshawks.

• Could it be the Coopers? Maybe. The chest stripes are right... Maybe...
• How about a Sharp-shinned? Possibly. The head is less blunt than a Coopers.
• Perhaps a young Red-tailed... Plenty of those around, though the chest markings aren't right.
• On a long shot it might be a Red-shouldered. Naw... The tail isn't long enough.
• Broad-winged, or Rough-legged? Doesn't feel right...

Any buteos experts out there?

You know, this is really the fun of backyard birding. We feed the birds in the morning, take a look whenever, and maybe we see something. We mull over our sighting with a friend on the phone or trade emails. It's not a huge deal. Just a colorful thread in the weave that is our lives.

See you by the feeders,

CapeCodAlan

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Posted by CapeCodAlan at 5:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Hi all,

The picture above is of our informal eBirdseed.com hummingbird cam (the gray object stuck to the window). Since we put the camera up, we've had over 9,000 views. And that's wonderful when there are hummingbirds around. But the problem is that on Cape Cod now, the hummingbird season is over and the camera pretty much shows bupkis. So what do we do? We could simply replace the hummingbird feeder with a standard feeder and that way see lots of bird action. On the other hand, we could try to do something crazy like enclosing the camera in a waterproof container and running it out to the squirrel feeder. (That would exceed the limits of USB cable length, but would still make for an interesting experiment.) What do you guys think?

Onward... Remember, the eBirdseed.com September '08 bird photography contest is about to end, so enter 'em if you got 'em. You can see the current entries here.

Finally, here's an update on our world-famous quahog chowder recipe.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups clam meat chopped (best scratched from mud during storm)
• 1 cup clam juice from above clams
• 1 medium-sized white onion sliced and diced
• 2 inch square of salt pork sliced and diced
• 2 peeled, medium-sized potatoes diced
• 1 quart of milk
• 1 pint of heavy cream
• 1/2 stick of butter (optional)

1. Practice sanitary kitchen habits
2. Place potatoes in milk and warm gently in pot 'til almost fork tender
3. While potatoes soften, shuck quahogs... (hint: if a 'hog doesn't want to open, nuke him for a max of 10 seconds)
4. Use cheese cloth to filter out grit and shell bits
5. Dice quahogs and let them simmer in their juice on low heat
6. Fry salt pork until cracklings are a golden brown, then set aside. (Save that fat!)
7. Lightly brown onion in pork fat
8. Dump all ingredients in pot along with 4 oz. of heavy cream to gently stew for an hour or so stirring during commercials
9. Serve with dab of butter and more cream to suit in cup. (This is a rich recipe!)

See you by those photogenic and oh so aromatic feeders,

CapeCodAlan

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Posted by CapeCodAlan at 12:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It's tough to write about birds right now. It really is. Congress has just reached a $700,000,000,000.00 bailout deal to rescue the American banking/credit system. But why today? Why not at least work on the issue over the weekend? After all, this is the most crucial financial issue since The Great Depression and it seems that it would bear a bit more scrutiny. Actually, there are three reasons why the deal was done so quickly.

• First, tomorrow is Friday, and congressmen don't like to work on Fridays. (The following address contains a pdf file which is slow to download so I've failed to put in a link. But if you want, take a look and be prepared to be absolutely furious... http://democraticleader.house.gov/docUploads/2008-CALENDAR.pdf)
• The big presidential debate is scheduled for Friday. The pols simply cannot afford to ruin the ratings - especially in an election year.
• With approval ratings for both the president and congress hovering around a mind-numbingly low 15%, the stuffed shirts had to look proactive. (My God, I could put on a Mickey Mouse hat and skip down the street and get a higher approval rating from my neighbors!)

There... That "coffee-table moment" being out of my system, let's move on to more sane stuff like birds.

Whoops! Almost forgot... The September '08 Photo Contest is almost at an end. You can look in our photo library to see the current entries.

Now, about that grackle above. Not a happy looking fellow is he? From what I can gather, the Common Grackle is expanding its territory from the East Coast towards the West Coast of the U.S. And while they're on the move, their numbers seem to be dropping. Surprised? Don't be. The BBC reports that the number of the more common backyard birds are dwindling at a rather shocking rate.

Hmmm. This does seem to be a dour day doesn't it? Maybe that grackle picture above just suits the moment...

I'll see you by the feeders,

CapeCodAlan

P.S. THIS JUST IN! Looks like the economic bailout ain't a done deal yet! Could it be that politicians are starting to fathom the concepts of individual and corporate fiscal responsibility??? Stay tuned!

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Posted by CapeCodAlan at 3:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Before we get started, just a quick reminder that the September '08 Photo Contest is winding down, so, if you snooze, you lose!

Onward...

Right off the bat... Understand that in some respects, gulls are to Cape Codders what pigeons are to city dwellers - rats with wings. Granted, if the analogy is carried to its rightful conclusion, gulls are huge rats with wings, but I digress... Some folks around here tend to think of them as, well, "lower class". That's not to disparage them... Not at all. They serve a crucial role on this peninsula keeping things tidy, but they do have a sort of "garbage truck" reputation. Whatever...

Alrighty then, let's take a look at the gulls below and see if we can't identify these critters or at least look foolish in the process...

But what of the brownish brute on the left? Time to crack open the books. Hmmm... Looks to be a Herring Gull, but it's kind of on the large side. Given the size, I'd guess that that bird is a juvenile Great Black-backed Gull, though I'm itching to be corrected.

But that's just one aspect of the fun of birds - you get to fuss with books (and the resources below) and play detective. Hey! I could have completely misidentified those birds. One might be a hummingbird, and the other might be a merganser. But I still had fun, and no one got hurt...

See you by the feeders,

CapeCodAlan

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Posted by CapeCodAlan at 11:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

*eBirdseed.com photo library

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Posted by CapeCodAlan at 5:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Before we get started, here's another quick reminder that Hurricane Ike absolutely devastated a sizable chunk of this country, and well over a million people are in trouble... If you want, you can use the information below to help out.

• Web site: The Red Cross
• Phone: 1-800-REDCROSS /1-800-257-7575 (Español)
• U.S. Mail: American Red Cross National Headquarters 2025 E Street, NW Washington, DC 20006

Onward...

Yup, he looks fat and happy. It seems that he's eaten his fill and just settled down for a bit of sunbathing. Notice how he uses the lid bungee as a sort of safety belt. What a gas!

The next photo is that of a squirrel trying to steal an ear of corn. All you can see is "The Claw". Good stuff.

And on a related note... Both the squirrels and crows have become quite good at acting as alarms for the other birds that there's a predator in the area. In general, when we hear a racket kicking up out back, we know that there's a hawk, fox, coyote, or cat around and that it's time for us to pick up the camera and slowly ease towards a good shot for a photo. I don't even try to go out on the deck anymore. Instead, I just ease into position in the kitchen or living room and see what I can see. Over the last few days, we've had a large Red-tail, and a couple of appearances by a fox. We didn't get any decent photos though - either the creatures were moving too fast, or the camera decided to automatically focus on the wrong thing. Grumble, grumble, grumble...

See you by those blurry feeders,

CapeCodAlan

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Posted by CapeCodAlan at 1:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This is what hurricane Ike looks like as seen from space. Pretty rugged, isn't it? Obviously, the conditions on the ground look pretty rugged too. According to news reports, roughly 3,000,000 are without power, and many will stay in the dark for at least two weeks. With that in mind, here is the contact info for the American Red Cross:

• Web site: http://www.redcross.org/
• Phone: 1-800-REDCROSS /1-800-257-7575 (Español)
• U.S. Mail: American Red Cross National Headquarters 2025 E Street, NW Washington, DC 20006

Well, the Summer is over and our orioles are gone. Bummer. The end of the season also forebodes the departure of the hummingbirds. We'll leave the nectar feeders out through the end of this month to make sure that even the stragglers have plenty of energy, and then take them down, clean them, and store them away. But what of our eBirdseed.com hummingbird cam.

Indeed, what do we want to do with our hummingbird cam? Let's see... We have some choices.

• We could pack it away for the Winter - boring
• Maybe a would provide new video subjects
• And then we could always stray way off subject and set up a fish cam or something of that sort

P.S. Don't forget our September '08 Bird Photography Contest!

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Posted by CapeCodAlan at 5:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It's now 9/12/08, and I'm really not going to discuss what happened on 9/11/01 or yesterday for that matter... If I expressed my opinions in the language I'd like to use (and richly deserves to be used), this blog might not be here for long - after all, we strive for "Rated G". If you'd care to take a look, a friend, Mrs. CCA, and I have a social-commentary blog, that offers a brief, respectful, reflection... Again, I wish I could use the language that I'd like to use.

Onward...

About that crow above...

Borrowing from "Cool Hand Luke", "What we've got here is...failure to communicate." That is to say that we have a crow confused by the likes of lo mein and fried shrimp bones. (I eat the shrimp itself and leave the batter bones behind.) Say what you will, but that crow is just failing to communicate with that cuisine. Not to worry, there's boneless spareribs in there as well as chicken fingers. And health-wise, these guys should be fine given the occasional treat... After all, crows are used to eating roadkill on August afternoons. (Sorry, but the truth is what it is.)

Anywho... It's still fun to watch a crow have a "failure-to-communicate moment" with some still-good leftovers.

See you by the feeders,

CapeCodAlan

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Posted by CapeCodAlan at 1:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Hi all,

Just a quick reminder that the photo contest is an ongoing concern. There's still plenty of time to enter!

About that crow above... There are pictures that are just too cool to file away, and this is one of them. Yeah, look at that corvid. Us old jazz aficionados might say that he's Cake Walking Babies (From Home) or Struttin' With Some Barbecue. (Sorry, but for us jazz nuts, the sun rises ands sets on Ella, Louis, and Duke. Ives and Copland trail in the lofty dusk.)

Onward...

It's interesting to note how the crow moves on a swaying trellis. Obviously, the structure is moving front to back in the crow's perspective, but it's also moving side to side. Still, the bird uses a "stepping motion" vs. the "two-legged hopping motion" that serves him so well on the ground. Perhaps the "stepping" approach offers the advantage of always having one anchor point (note the grip on the trailing left foot). Should the unknown, undulating "next step" prove not to be in the place it should have been, at least he's got something to hold onto.

The crazy stuff that crows, jazz, and bird walking will get you into...

See you by the feeders, (expect the soulful allure of Armstrong and Cash Blue Yodel No. 9)

CapeCodAlan

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Posted by CapeCodAlan at 12:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

So what do you think... Is the crow above perched? More to the point, was the crow I watched today who was hanging perfectly upside down off the suet feeder "perched"? Well, it looks like we've got a "Contest Rules Situation" brewing here...

Initially, the eBirdseed.com September '08 Bird Photography Contest rules stated "... the main subject of the picture has to be a bird perched on a feeder". Within a day of the start of the contest, I received a photo of a hummingbird just hovering while drinking at a feeder... Within hours of that picture came another showing a bird pecking at a suet cage. Then there was a shot of birds fighting over a feeder... Later still were photographs of birds on a homemade tray. Obviously, the rule needed to be sharpened.

Ok, to define "perched" at a feeder is tricky indeed. And to address that issue, I re-worded the rule slightly to, "...the main subject of the picture has to be a bird actually on or at a feeder". The idea being that the contest should consist of birds using feeders to eat.

• What about the ground feeders below the feeder? (Like the flock of turkeys that just graced our backyard...)
• Suppose someone takes a great photo of a deer snacking at a feeder... Do we accept that pic as an entry?
• What of raptors that only use nature as their feeder?
• Suppose we get a snapshot of a chickadee "snatch a seed and fly" without really perching?

So, if you look at the eBirdseed Photo Library and don't see your picture feel free to send a comment my way or email me at capecodalan@ebirdseed.com and we'll see if we can't work out a reasonable solution.

CapeCodAlan and eBirdseed.com.

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

Just use promo code "CAM15F" (online during checkout or when calling by phone) during September to receive a 15% discount in any feeder in our online store.

(And if you don't remember, just use our bird cam below to actually see the code.)

Now is the perfect time to get a quality feeder for winter.

Click the link below to see the full selection... http://www.ebirdseed.com/page/EB/CTGY/feeder

There... Now the business stuff is out of the way... On to the more important subject of how to become a "Backyard Bird Expert" in one easy lesson... Let's take the fellow below as an example and lesson guide...

He's (she's?) probably a grosbeak or a finch... But who knows... And that is exactly the point! The legs say grosbeak, but the throat says goldfinch... And that leads us right into the secret lesson of becoming an "Instant Birding Expert"...

1. First, never admit to ignorance! Should the bird above suddenly perch on the deck railing of your fall BBQ, and the grilling throngs ponder the ilk of avian... Never say, "Gee, I don't know what that is..."
2. Learn the basics... There really are only six bird types:
   • Tiny birds like hummingbirds
   • LBBs (Little Brown Birds)
   • Jay-size birds
   • Water birds like gulls and ducks
   • Big guys like raptors
   • Cessna birds
   You see that? So right off the bat, I'd I.D. the bird above as a LBB and everyone would "Ohh" and "Awh".
3. So what happens if some Weisenheimer wants to know real details about the bird? Well... After accidentally knocking over said Weisenheimer's drink, I'd take a closer look in the hope that the bird will fly away. (This almost always works for me.)
4. And if that still doesn't work? Ummm... Fall back to a unique blend of one of "Basic Six" above. Our bird in question might be a "Lesser Hummingbird". (Though given my experience and gall, I'd go for some derivation of a "Cessna 172 bird"...)
5. Finally, should all else fail, you can use the references links below to look up the bird, but I'd use that only as a last resort!

Kidding aside, this post isn't making fun of real bird pros - those folks have got game... It's just a tease for the backyard birders and soon-to-be "Birding Experts".

Don't forget our promo code, or our photography contest...

See you by the feeders,

CapeCodAlan

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Posted by CapeCodAlan at 12:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

• the entrant must take the photo
• all entries need to be in the ".JPG" format
• the main subject of the picture has to be a bird actually on or at a feeder
• all appropriate snapshots immediately enter the public domain (no copyrights) and will be placed in our eBirdseed.com photo library for all to share and enjoy
• pictures that show entire bird bodies and faces are desirable
• eBirdseed.com employees and their family members cannot participate
• eBirdseed.com will determine contest winner

• You can email me at capecodalan@ebirdseed.com and simply attach your JPG file
• You can use the "URL" box in the "Comment" field in conjunction with a file-sharing service like "Flickr" or "PhotoBucket"
• If you have difficulties, you can email me at my address above (or just use the "Comment" button) and I can walk you through the appropriate process

Looking forward to your entries...

See you by the feeders,

CapeCodAlan

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Posted by CapeCodAlan at 12:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

UPDATE: The Pizza contest is now closed. See May 4th, 2011 entry. We put out the NovaBird (a remote, motion-activated camera) early this morning, and caught the following image. Now is that cool or what?

As we were rummaging through the 200 new pictures on the NovaBird, that one, (as blurry as it is) simply jumped out at us. Natch, a mad scramble for the bird books followed... Looks to be a Yellow-rumped Warbler, though a Golden-crowned Kinglet certainly ain't out of the question. What say you? (Use the "Comment" below to offer opinion.) In any event, we either haven't seen this coloration before (if the bird is a Yellow-rumped Warbler), or, we've never photographed a Kinglet before. Either way, this is exciting for us!

Alright, alright... Setting aside the bird fervor, we need another eBirdsedd.com contest. (Though no one won the last challenge (an encryption puzzle), we still have at least one person plugging away at the mystery. And keeping in spirit with the old contest, if anyone solves that puzzle, I'll still reward them with the old prize and send them chowdah and a signed pic of me wearing a mouseketeer beanie right out there on the clam flats.)

But now... Onward to a completely next contest...

Ok... Someone is going to win this one - the contest is open ended until we have a winner. We're simply looking for a good recipe for a true New York Pizzeria style pizza.

We're talking about that magical concoction of thin, almost crispy, (but NOT "doughy") crust cooked with that fresh tomato/oregano (or tomato/"something") sauce and topped with the perfect cheese. (Read that - no "California" accruements of salmon, tuna, or potatoes.... Just simple New York, cheese, thin-crust, pizzeria pizza.)

So who judges the contest??? Me, that's who... World's greatest pizza-holic! Been making pies for 38 years. (Also spent a couple weekends brewing beer and baking bread...)

The winning recipe should jive with a plain beverage like a Budweiser, or a Sprite.

(Jeez... In retrospect, this contest is tougher than the encryption puzzle!)

Regardless, see you by the feeders...

CapeCodAlan

P.S. So what do you win? Who knows? Somebody is going to win something cool... But what? What do you think the prize should be? (Let's stay on planet earth here. Again... Use that "comment" button!)

Posted by CapeCodAlan at 12:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

First, (before we get to the contest stuff) be aware that much of this country has suffered under some pretty severe winter conditions. Be sure that the backyard brethren have plenty of suet for energy and warmth. See our "Suet" post. (Nuthatches and Downeys love the stuff!)

Now concerning the encryption contest and its hints... A number of reports have come in suggesting that the puzzle was too hard. Ramblings about the mystery puzzle...

• If the truth be told, the mechanics of the thing were no more complex than learning two simple embroidery stitches... The problem (continuing the analogy) was that in order to solve the entire recipe puzzle you'd have to embroider a small, simple doily using the same two knots ad nauseum. Still, some people enjoy that sort of thing.
• If you've been following this blog for any period of time, one of the themes we've stressed over and over and over again is that of community involvement. We actually hope that you put down the pie, step away from the living room one-eyed brain bandit, and actually talk with a relative, friend, neighbor, or co-worker concerning our contests (and our site). Beyond that, there are countless math forums that could have helped your cause.
• Note also that the XOR operation is a critical element in your life whether you know it or not. From the computer that you're looking at right now to your ATM card, to your credit cards, to your social security information... XOR plays a crucial rule in virtually all data encryption, computer programming, and computer electronics.
• It's interesting to note that if the key is truly random, and used only once, the code is virtually unbreakable. In fact, the hotline between the USSR and the US used this data-encryption system after the 1963 Cuban Missile Crisis.

Anyway... No one solved the puzzle, no one gets the chowder, and (thankfully) I don't have to wear a mouseketeer hat out on the flats... Whew!

See you by the feeders,

CapeCodAlan

Posted by CapeCodAlan at 1:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

If you haven't checked out The Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) yet, you might just want to take a look. This is a joint project from the folks at the Audubon and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology... I'd go into detail, but the name seems to say it all. Just follow the first link and you should be all set. (But watch the dates! February 15th to the 18th is the whole enchilada...)

Associated with the GBBC is a fantastic little applet - the online bird tally sheet. This utility will give you some very specific information concerning the birds that reside (or vacation) in your neighborhood. Very handy indeed when it comes to selecting seed, feeders, suet, etc...

What else? Well, we're looking at ways to better get our eBirdseed.com message into the ether that is the Web... And one of the ways I've been fussing with is the emerging social networking stuff. The following two videos might offer some insight...

Social networking:

Other stuff... The contest is looking good. (Read that... It looks like I'm not going to have to don a mouseketeer beanie and go scratching quahogs, though I've given some pretty hearty hints...)

Guess that should do it for today...

See you by the feeders sans mouse ears,

CapeCodAlan

Posted by CapeCodAlan at 2:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Well, I give you fair warning... The end of this post contains a link to a popup which shows a picture of a coyote gulping down the last of a gray squirrel. There's no blood, and no guts, but there is a squirrel foot sticking out of the coyote's mouth. If that sort of thing disturbs you, don't click on the link.

Onward...

Early yesterday morning, I gave thought to setting up the automatic NovaBird camera, and simply letting it run all day. And just before I started to rig the system, I looked out and saw a beautiful coyote with half a squirrel in his yap. (Keep in mind that I like squirrels. Also, I think they serve as a good alarm system for the birds - this is especially true when one of them gets devoured under the feeders.) It wasn't a pretty sight and it probably wasn't a pleasant sound either. Still, that's the name of the game, and we all need to understand that.

Let's be careful around the feeders...

Ok, on to happier stuff... In the last post, I introduced a puzzle for a recipe. My hope was that you guys would mess around with it, seek out help from your geek friends, neighbors, co-workers, etc., and maybe come up with a solution. Well, I've gotten some feedback, and quite frankly, I'd like to save you a little time. Here's how the encryption game works...

1. Understand that a computer character is typically represented by a unique pattern of eight 1s and 0s, (known as binary ASCII). For instance, the letter "A" is "01000001". (The Web is loaded with conversion tables.) Take note that each "1" or "0" is called a "bit".
2. An unknown "key" is converted into binary ASCII. (You have to find the key... Something about 1775... Obviously, I know what the key is.)
3. Next, I used a simple math operation called XOR to encrypt the recipe by meshing the key with the recipe. How is the meshing done? Well, each eight bits of the key are sequentially compared with each eight bits of the recipe to produce the mish mash in the last post. (An XOR operation is simply a measure of uniqueness. A "1" XORed with a "0" shows variety, and results in a "1"... Whereas, "0" XORed with a "0" demonstrates no variety and produces a "0"... A "1" XORed with a "1" also yields a "0".)

So how do we undo the XORed mish mash in the last post and find out what the recipe really was? Very simple... We XOR the mish mash with the binary ASCII equivalent of the key and poof! The recipe reveals itself. I'll get you started... The key begins with the character "T", and that breaks down to: "01010100". Now, if you XOR that with the first 8 bits of the mystery mess ("01100111"), you'll get "00110011", or the binary ASCII code for the character "3". (Yes, the recipe begins with the number "3" as in "3 eggs,".)

But the problem still remains... What is the key? (Hint: Keep in mind the phrase "the earth has many keys", and the number 1775.) Also note that once you understand the XOR process and have the key, the actual decipher is just an extraordinarily boring, simple, tedious process. Hmmm...

And with the hints out of the way... Again, warning! Coyote picture follows:

See you by those annoying feeders,

CapeCodAlan

Posted by CapeCodAlan at 8:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Time we had a new contest... But this one ain't so easy. The picture below is a secret code I wrote for a recipe. (Might help to print it out...) The hints are provided. With the right research and whatnot, this can be cracked in your spare time. (Unfortunately, I didn't have that whatnot, and had to cipher the beast by hand. Still perfectly doable though time consuming...)

So... If you come up with the complete, correct recipe and a valid description of how you broke the code, what will you win? You'll get a quart of my fresh, frozen, vacuum-packed, home-made clam chowder (shipped anywhere in the continental U.S.) and a signed picture of me out on the clam flats wearing a Mickey Mouse hat... I kid you not.

The contest is open to everyone... Employees of eBirdseed.com and their family members are welcome, as are our regular customers and blogites, strangers, wee beasties from Mars... (Yup, only I know the encryption process, and I have absolutely no intention of wearing Mickey Mouse ears for anyone.)

Note: Delivery of prize will depend upon weather and tides. Contest ends 11:59pm EST, 1/24/08

See you by the feeders,

CapeCodAlan

P.S. For what it's worth... It's been a number of years since I created this puzzle. "Aut" is another term for XOR.

Posted by CapeCodAlan at 2:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

1. Jen: 66
2. Monika: 53
3. Joanne: 14
4. Joni: 11
5. Kate: 9
6. Laura: 9
7. Teresa: 3
8. Archie: 2
9. Craig: 2
10. Joanne T: 0
11. Detlef: -1

Robins sun basking
Hungry fast cat on the prowl
Loves BASKIN ROBINS

Posted by CapeCodAlan at 8:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Posted by CapeCodAlan at 10:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

• -3 points: Not a valid haiku
• -2 points: A valid haiku that is irrelevant to this contest
• -1 points: A valid haiku that is relevant to this contest but simply isn't funny at all
• 0 points: A haiku that is relevant to this contest, but "ho hum" funny in a "bird" sort of way
• 1 point: A haiku that is mildly funny and deals with birds
• 2 points: A haiku that deals with birds and is really funny
• 3 points: A haiku that deals with birds and is truly hilarious

• Use the comment function on this post to enter both a single "funny, bird-related" haiku and a single fractional answer.
• Enter as many times as you like using separate comments. But each entry needs to have a new haiku (which will be rated on its own merits) and a single fractional answer. (Obviously, if you're sure that you've got the right fraction, you can use the same fraction over and over again. But I'll be adding up the wrong ones!)
• Dictionary.com will be used to verify syllable counts.
• Scores will be tallied for each contestant throughout the contest.
• The winner will have the highest number of points. In the case of a tie, a random drawing will be used.
• Only rated “G” comments/entries are allowed.
• Entries made by eBirdseed employees and/or their families will not be eligible for prizes.
• All decisions made by the judges at eBirdseed.com are final.
• The contest starts as soon as this post goes live. (That is, if you’re reading this, the contest has begun!)
• The contest will end 11:59PM EST, Friday, August 3rd, 2007.
• *As always, eBirdseed will pay for the shipping of the winning prize to anywhere in the continental U.S.

Posted by CapeCodAlan at 2:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (97)

Posted by CapeCodAlan at 8:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

1. Just ask (using the "Comments" button for this post) a "Yes/No" question concerning the mystery bird. Valid questions will take the form of, "Does the bird (fully matured) have a wingspan wider than 4 inches?"; and "Is the bird that CapeCodAlan thinking of a water bird?" Invalid questions will fall along the lines of, "What type of food does the mystery bird eat?" (Just think of the old "What's My Line?" game show!)
2. You are welcome to enter as many comments as you want.
3. At any time you can take a guess at the specific "unknown" bird, but I won't tell you if you're right or wrong. If you enter more than one guess, only your last guess will count when the contest ends.
4. So when does the contest end? ("Bwa ha ha ha!" he laughs with an evil laugh...) The contest ends when we get at least 20 different people/commenters/email-account entries. So what does that mean? It means that "John Doe" can post 100 separate comments each asking a separate "Yes/No" question, but he only counts as ONE entrant. And for poor "John Doe" (who no doubt knows the exact bird after asking 100 questions), that presents a problem... He can either prod family, friends, and co-workers into entering comments/questions, or he can sit and wait. Better yet, he can actually communicate with other readers of this blog via comments (and email) and exchange ideas.
5. After 20 different people have commented questions/guesses, we'll hold a random drawing to determine the final winner from among those who made the right, final guess.

Other common sense rules apply...

• We'll try to keep and eye on the entrants, but we're also using the honor system here. (Read that that we wouldn't be very happy if an individual created 20 different "Hotmail" accounts just to win this feeder.)
• Only rated “G” comments/entries are allowed.
• Entries made by eBirdseed employees and/or their families are void.
• All decisions made by the judges at eBirdseed.com are final.
• The contest starts as soon as this post goes live. (That is, if you’re reading this, the contest has begun!)
• As always, eBirdseed will pay for the shipping* of the winning prize to anywhere in the continental U.S.

And finally, there are a couple of hints...

• The bird I'm thinking of is not extinct.
• The mystery bird is quite common across a majority of the U.S.
• I'm NOT thinking of the "Yellow-bellied Sapsucker".
• The resources below can come in very handy!
  • Cornell Lab of Ornithology
  • Wikipedia
  • Audubon Society
  • U.S. Geological Survey
  • MSN Encarta
  • Winged Wisdom
  • The National Audubon Society’s “The Sibley Guide to Birds”
  • ”Birds Of North America” published by Golden
  • ”Birds of New England” from Smithsonian Handbooks
  • Chapman's "Handbook of Birds of Eastern North America"
  • Peterson's "A Field Guide to the Birds"
  • "Birdwatching" from publisher "Discovery Travel Adventures"

Posted by CapeCodAlan at 9:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (51)

Posted by CapeCodAlan at 11:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

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

• Only rated “G” comments/entries are allowed.
• Multiple entries are allowed, but each entry must be in its own individual comment and only the latest comment will be considered as the entrant's formal entry.
• Entries made by eBirdseed employees and/or their families are void.
• All decisions made by the judges at eBirdseed.com are final.
• The contest starts as soon as this post goes live. (That is, if you’re reading this, the contest has begun!)
• This contest ends precisely at 11:59 PM EST, June 30th, 2007.
• As always, eBirdseed will pay for the shipping* of the winning prize to anywhere in the continental U.S.

Posted by CapeCodAlan at 10:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (11) | TrackBacks (1)

Duncraft Advantage Squirrel Blocker
Our squirrel-proof Advantage is quick to fill and easy to clean. And did we mention it's indestructible? This ultra-clever design is ours alone. The Advantage has a metal Squirrel-Blocker grid on each side that rests above the seed to prevent squirrels from reaching the food. Our EasyClean Advantage provides excellent squirrel protection without batteries, weights or springs. The grids pull right out so you can clean every inch of this feeder in a jiffy. Roof lifts easily for filling then locks tightly to keep squirrels out. Clear plastic view panel lets you monitor the seed level. For best results we recommend black oil sunflower seed or a blend of large seeds. Comes with a hanger or you can post mount. Capacity 6 lbs. 12 x 8 x 10 inches

• Wood Stork, (Mycteria americana)
• Barrow's Goldeneye, (Bucephala islandica)
• Bonaparte's Gull, (Larus philadelphia)

• First, you need to use the comment button below on this post to submit your entry for the Latin name of the “dino/squirrel/bird”, (aka “Gordon Alan Pterodactyl Squirrel“) depicted immediately above.
• Remember, the funniest Latin name wins!
• Only rated “G” comments/entries are allowed.
• Ideal entries should be in the hokey Latin form of Descriptius Locationium. (And no, you don‘t need to put your answer in italics.) A few examples should give you an idea of what we‘re really looking for:
  • SeedStealium cape codior
  • GetMyFillius philidelphius
  • UnstoppableEatingMachinium bostoni
  • They‘reInMyAtticus! floridae
  • CrazedPterodactylSquirrelium new yorkium
• Multiple entries are allowed, but each entry must be in its own individual comment.
• Entries made by eBirdseed employees and/or their families are void.
• All decisions made by the judges at eBirdseed.com are final.
• The contest starts as soon as this post goes live. (That is, if you’re reading this, the contest has begun!)
• This contest ends at 11:59 PM EST, January 26th, 2007.

Posted by CapeCodAlan at 6:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (15)

• Video game machines that will be obsolete and discarded in just a few months.
• CDs and DVDs that will spin a few times at best.
• Ties for guys who really would prefer never see another tie as long as they live.

• Fill a feeder for a neighbor...
• Contact the local retirement home, fire department, police department, community center, etc., and see if you can’t help them experience the joy of bird watching.
• Things like thistle socks, bird seed coupons, suet, birding books, binoculars, disposable cameras, etc. makes for great stocking stuffers for both the birder, and the backyard birder to be.

Posted by CapeCodAlan at 10:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (23)