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

Posted by CapeCodAlan at 12:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Stupid Birds...

Don't get me wrong... I don't hate birds... Not at all. They give the wife and I great pleasure and peace. And that's especially true when they actually show up. By now, I was expecting to produce an eye popping close up of a hummingbird... Instead, we get a stock chickadee...

I know the hummers are around here. Take a look at the hummingbirds.net map...

Maybe I should make up some t-shirts that read, "I went to Cape Cod to look at Ruby throats and all I got was a chickadee and this stupid shirt!"

And following right behind the no-show hummingbirds in the "Uncooperative Parade" is the flicker who's determined to shred our chimney. At least twice a day, I have to go out and shoo away that dumb critter as it tries to crack open a new home in a place where he really doesn't want to be. So I have to walk out and basically yell at the roof. (What the neighbors must think... "Yup, there's crazy ol' CapeCodAlan shouting at the shingles again... It's a shame he went around the bend so young...")

But I guess this is the fate and allure of backyard birding -- sometimes you get lucky and simply miss an award-winning photograph, and other times, your beloved creatures try to tear your house apart... That reminds me of a National Lampoon poem -- a takeoff on the old faithful, "Desiderata..."

Deteriorata

You are a fluke of the universe. You have no right to be here.
Deteriorata. Deteriorata.

Go placidly amid the noise and waste,
And remember what comfort there may be in owning a piece thereof.
Avoid quiet and passive persons, unless you are in need of sleep.
Rotate your tires.
Speak glowingly of those greater than yourself,
And heed well their advice, even though they be turkeys.
Know what to kiss, and when.
Consider that two wrongs never make a right, but that three do.
Wherever possible, put people on hold.
Be comforted that in the face of all aridity and disillusionment,
and despite the changing fortunes of time,
There is always a big future in computer maintenance.

Remember The Pueblo.
Strive at all times to bend, fold, spindle, and mutilate.
Know yourself. If you need help, call the FBI.
Exercise caution in your daily affairs,
Especially with those persons closest to you -
That lemon on your left, for instance.
Be assured that a walk through the ocean of most souls
Would scarcely get your feet wet.
Fall not in love therefore. It will stick to your face.
Gracefully surrender the things of youth: birds, clean air, tuna, Taiwan.
And let not the sands of time get in your lunch.
Hire people with hooks.
For a good time, call 606-4311. Ask for Ken.
Take heart in the bedeepening gloom
That your dog is finally getting enough cheese.
And reflect that whatever fortune may be your lot,
It could only be worse in Milwaukee.

You are a fluke of the universe.
You have no right to be here.
And whether you can hear it or not,
The universe is laughing behind your back.

Therefore, make peace with your god,
Whatever you perceive him to be - hairy thunderer, or cosmic muffin.
With all its hopes, dreams, promises, and urban renewal,
The world continues to deteriorate.
Give up!

Stupid birds...

Crazy ol' CapeCodAlan mumbling by the feeders

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Posted by CapeCodAlan at 10:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

650th Post

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)

Alor, God of the Birds

Hi,

Alor here (the bird blogger formerly known as CapeCodAlan...)

You know, it's finally beginning to dawn on me that I (and Mrs. Alor) must be in some respects (and to whatever limited capacity available) deities to the backyard birdies. After all, it is I, Alor, who disbands a dozen velociraptor turkeys with just the mere threat of My "Mighty Floating Comfy Cushion of Horror."

dozen turkeys resized_IMG_1213.JPG

What the crows must think... It is I who chases away hawks, provides fresh food and water, and gives them shelter. I can move an entire landscape within hours... Yeah... I like that... Alor, God of the Birds.

Of course, even Gods can't be perfect. (Vulcan was ambulatorily challenged... Hodr was visually less than 100%, and Zeus was way too frisky.) And no doubt there are chinks in My divine armor - I'm hobbled by stepping in critter droppings, wood ticks are My nemesis, and I yack in the presence of macaroni and cheese. Still, I must be supernatural to my feathered flock.

Geez Wally... This could be a pretty sweet gig being all powerful and stuff...

See you by the feeders,

~~CapeCodAlan~~ Alor, God of the Birds...

P.S. OK, so on a re-read, maybe I got carried away and had a "Gulliver moment". Oops...

P.P.S. A question came up about the mechanics of out word search contest... Simply put, search for words up and down, left and right, and on the diagonal whether they be spelled correctly, or in exact reverse correctly. For example, if you find "ylregnig", that would be a valid discovery disclosing the word, "gingerly".

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Posted by CapeCodAlan at 8:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

Nicole and Gliese581g

Time for a "Birdie Break". (When was the last time we had a feather time out???)

It looks like we've got more bad weather coming our way. Tropical storm Nicole is moving up the East Coast and there seems to be a potential of up to 10in. of rain here on the Cape. Oh goody. Here's a snapshot (thanks to weather.com) as of midnight Thursday that can shed some light on the situation. Yup, that green blob of rain is just meandering up the eastern seaboard.

And here's another image of the possible flooding ranges.

rain chart_resized.jpg

Like I said... Oh goody.

As always we hope that you are prepared for an emergency.

On to a more cheerful subject... Reports indicate that astronomers have found a possibly inhabitable planet - Gliese 581g. The planet is only a scant twenty light years away from us. And that means that if we decide to go there and poke around, we'll only have to spend the next 66,780 years cruising along at 20,000mph to get there. Still, who knows what we might find? (It's tough to wrap our minds around this because IMHO we're all soaked in the "wink and the nod" of sci fi and the Area 51 crowd.) Seriously, think about it from a somber biologist's point of view. Think about the stunning diversity of life on earth and then use that as a backdrop for what else might be (or might have been, or might yet to be) out there. Just imagine (if by some freakish miracle of technology) we discover squirrels on good old Gliese 581g... The philosophical/theological implications would be mind numbing - earth life is not a singular freak of the universe. I for one would love to meet E.T, even if he was just a bit of microbial wiggly. Quite honestly, I wouldn't feel so lonely in an existentialism sort of way... The following video speaks volumes.

Trying to stay dry and wondering by the feeders...

CapeCodAlan

And what of that word search contest?

Cornell Ornithology Laboratory: Inside Birding

Cornell Ornithology Laboratory: All About Birding

Posted by CapeCodAlan at 2:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Crow Video, New Grill, and Early September

Hi all,

I wanted to start this talking about the wonderful early Fall weather... But the flesh is weak. Here is a nice video of some crows chowing down on old pizza. (I swear that one of these days we'll have one of our old "Coffee-Table Discussions", but for now the birds are just too much fun.) Keep an eye open for the great play of sunlight, and the vision of crows descending from heaven, as it were.

Once again, the food was eatable, just not very palatable. (To be completely honest, given the fact that crows eat August road kill, I imagine the corvid's gut is pretty rugged.) Anywho, as the video clearly shows, the birds didn't seem to care.

Onward, and on a completely different topic...

Looks like we got us a new grill!

The old one was almost 10 years old, the burners were disintegrating, and it was just plain tired. Oh, I could have rebuilt it yet again, but that would have cost another $60, and the frame holding the old one together was rusted to the point of being unsafe - so, goodbye. Besides... This one was on sale for about the same price... No brainer.

Details of the build:

* Usual stamped-steel frame with heavy aluminum firebox.

* Usual claim of "No Tools Needed For Assembly!!!" which was shattered by the time I reached Step 2.

* Usual instructions printed in three languages, one of which pretended to be English

* And so it went...

Hopefully,I can finish getting this baby put together by the time Jeopardy! is over, and the wife and I can be cooking pork chops by dark. (I'll post photos of the finished product in an upcoming entry.)

See you by the feeders, grilling like crazy...

CapeCodAlan

Cornell Ornithology Laboratory: Inside Birding

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Posted by CapeCodAlan at 1:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

New Ways of Looking at Birds

Hi all,

Trying some new stuff here at eBirdseed.com... We're going to start playing with cameras in new and unique ways. I'm not sure exactly what we're going to do, but it should be interesting. (Read that, "I'll find yet more ways to insult the Lens Gods.") Subjects that have been mulled include radio-controlled macro shots (for those nice closeup, blurry pics); 3D images (we could provide those cool 1950's paper 3D glasses); underwater photographs of ducks feet (or anything else that moves); a stunt squirrel cam; or maybe even a rocket cam for inspecting nesting areas. But for the moment, I thought it might be cool to simply look at birds from the ground level, and see the goings on "from the 'hood" if you know what I mean...

Here we've got a blue jay taking some bread. Kinda cool. It's very fast, but you can always replay.

Gotta love an inquisitive mourning dove! I know this guy is common... But still, it's a pretty creature.

And then there are a couple more doves standing pretty for the camera...

And finally, there's "Doves vs. Don the Squirrel". (Or is that Donna?) Guess who wins?

Simple fun stuff really. I just snugged a tired woodworking spring clamp horizontally to the base of our diminutive Mino video camera and stuck it out in the weeds out on the lawn and let her rip.

Stay tuned...

See you by the feeders,

CapeCodAlan

Cornell Ornithology Laboratory: Inside Birding

Cornell Ornithology Laboratory: All About Birding

Posted by CapeCodAlan at 2:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Cape Cod Chupa Attacks! And a Birdbath with a Catbird

Hi all,

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

empty birdbath_400.jpg

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

And then, look at the poor thing struggle!

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

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

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

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

See you by the feeders,

CapeCodAlan

Cornell Ornithology Laboratory: Inside Birding

Cornell Ornithology Laboratory: All About Birding

Posted by CapeCodAlan at 12:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Happy (Belated) Mother's Day

DSC_0224_resized as Vince.jpg

Happy Mother's Day...

I started this post thinking about Mother's Day, and what the most appropriate content might be only to finally realize that there really is no appropriate content. Moms do some amazing things (like giving birth), and there ain't much that a "shirt-tail" writer like me can do to elucidate the whole motherhood thing. I'll just say, "Thanks mom, it's good to be alive... Hope you enjoyed the home-made clam chowder...", and leave it at that.

Onward

Set up the NovaBird camera yesterday... Hence the photo above. Obviously, it ain't much, it's just an adolescent oriole, but still, pretty cool. Kinda' reminds me of "Vince" the "Slap Chop" salesman.

(If you're smart, you'd close this window right now and go do something useful with your time. I'm about to go down the "Goofy Lane" and it ain't going to be pretty.)

Yup... Yup... Yup ... I can see it now... Birds as schlock hawkers...
Hi! Birdie Mays here with the new Mighty Nest It! Bind stick, twig, and feather... "Mighty Nest It!" holds it together!
Or,
Welcome to our show today folks... I'm Ron Poecile and I've got the most exciting product we've ever seen... The Poecile "CrowTime Rotisserie"! You can cook worms, seeds and grubs... Just peck it and forget it! But wait, there's more! If you order now, we'll include, at no extra cost to you a complete set of SinGu knives... (Just pay shipping and handling!)

Did I mention that I haven't been getting much sleep lately?

See you by the feeders,

CapeCodAlan

Cornell Ornithology Laboratory: Inside Birding

Cornell Ornithology Laboratory: All About Birding

Posted by CapeCodAlan at 12:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

More Beakly World News

BEAKLY%20World%20News%20Banner%20White%20on%20black%20FINAL%20BANNER.jpg

Beakly World News Peeps Attack headline.jpg

Just to bring the new readers up to speed, we here at Beakly World News have been following the threat to our backyard feeders for some time. Back in Feb. of '08 we broke the story the extraterrestrial Helobird. A couple of days ago we published the amazing picture of the missile bird.

DSC_0282_crow_with anti_gravity_400.jpg

Ah ha! Dr. Testors was right! We are being invaded by "spongy" yellow birds. Just look at the crow above fighting off the "Peep" above...

Alright... Enough already with the wacky "Beakly World News". Here's the deal... I've purposely kept this post and especially the last post lighthearted... Between Binghamton, the three Pittsburgh officers killed in the line of duty, the slaughter in Washington, the earthquake in Italy, the economy... given all that (and more) it's been a rough few days to say the least...

At times like these, there isn't much to say...

See you by the peaceful feeders...

CapeCodAlan

Posted by CapeCodAlan at 11:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

E.T. Redux

BEAKLY World News Banner scientists stumped.jpg

Once again, E.T. has struck a harmless little birdhouse! And this time, the intent seems insidious... Scientists are baffled as to what might have caused the image below...

Rain 003_test_400.jpg

After all, what could possibly have set in motion the conditions that would embed a bird half way through the face of a birdhouse? For answers, we turned to "World Beakly News" expert, Dr. Max Testors. ('Doc Max' is also a noted cattle mutilation expert, crop circle maven, seasoned ghost hunter, respected crytozoologist, and mean tuba tuner),

Astonishing, noted the famed ufologist from the Ulaan Bator Institute of Outer Mongolia... Just astonishing! And with that, he continued...

I have four theories:

The creature was spooked by some sort of UFO... The small gold flying disks are particularly frightening to birds. The poor thing might have been so startled that it crashed right through the back of the birdhouse and wedged itself half way out the front.

Or maybe the little sparrow was fired as a test missile.

We may be looking at the results of another "Philadelphia Experiment" gone horribly awry.

Worst of all, this might even be a macabre alien cuckoo clock joke (the bird equivalent of, "It's a cookbook!")

I tried to delve into the theories with Dr. Testors, but he was too preoccupied with the supposed presence of some unknown "spongy" yellow bird.

For Beakly World News, this is CapeCodAlan signing off by the crop circles under the feeders,

CapeCodAlan

Posted by CapeCodAlan at 7:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Flooding, Hummingbirds, and Good Film Fun

Hi all,

First off, please keep in mind the flooding that's occurring in parts of North Dakota and beyond. (Hence the public domain picture above.) To help out, you can contact the American Red Cross here. And remember, this disaster won't end when the news coverage stops; flooding will continue for at least a month.

Have you checked out the hummingbird migration progress? We haven't seen any yet, but we're looking. (That reminds me... We've got to get our feeders ready for the Ruby-throated. And we're also going to have find a better way to photograph the creatures. No doubt that will mean that I'll have to start messing with stuff like shutter speeds and aperture, so expect blurriness, underexposure, and absolute white. You've been warned.)

One last thought... A flicker was on the feeder today. It was such a beautiful thing, and the bird was right in the sweet spot of my normal camera setup. Unfortunately, I didn't have the camera setup "set up", and so this post will close not with a stunning flicker shot, but rather with a lame-o DVD rental suggestion. (I'm sorry, I just should have gotten those closeups... However, you can still see some great bird and wildlife pictures by accessing our eBirdseed.com photo library link below...) Now about those film suggestions... Parents, take a look at the old "Sherlock Holmes" movies (Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce). Yeah, the flicks are campy and contrived, but kids (and adults) love that stuff. Doubt it? Just look at the success of NCIS and the Harry Potter series... Just a thought...

See you by the feeders, (I'll be the one wearing the deerstalker hat and brandishing a magnifying glass... Great Scott!)

CapeCodAlan

Posted by CapeCodAlan at 2:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Spring is Trying to be Sprung... Oh My!

Where oh where to begin?

Let's see... According to the "Ubiquitous Weather Guy", New England is about 5 degrees cooler than normal for this time of year. (We've got another storm bearing down on us as I type.) Anyway, it looks like "Old Mr. Squirrel" was right that Winter ain't quite over yet.

But there is another issue beside the weather that deserves a bit of observation, and I'm not sure how to approach it tactfully. Let's just use the image above and see if we can't ease into this as gentlefolk...

No doubt you know of the rabbit's reputation for... ummm... reproductive expediency. (Oh if I could only write this in the voice of Andrew Dice Clay, this would be the shortest and funniest post ever.)

Anyway, I glanced out the kitchen window the other day, and there were two squirrels fussing and fretting on the deck railing. Though upon quicker observation, it became apparent that they weren't exactly fussing and fretting. (I say "quicker" because the entire honeymoon seemed to last all of about 5 seconds.)

Sure enough, the next day, two more squirrels were having a "Barry White" moment... But just for a moment....

Observations and studies:

Gray squirrels mate twice a year (Spring and end of Summer) and have a total of 4 to 10 kittens per year
Squirrels begin mating around one year of age, and can live as long as ten years
Squirrels certainly don't need Viagra, but they could use a workshop on slowly developing that "magic moment"

Ahem... Tis my responsibility to write about backyard nature and offer predictions like a continuing Winter. So be it. But nature is also telling us that Spring has begun to sprung if you know what I mean.

See you by the feeders, and I'll be blushing...

CapeCodAlan

Posted by CapeCodAlan at 10:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Rainy Sunday Afternoon

Hi all,

It's a pleasant old picture isn't it? There's a crow and a squirrel out there. (You may have to squint to see them, but they are there.)

All told, there ain't a lot of hot birding action right now though - raining out. (Superb quahogging weather!) But not to worry, there's always something to write about.

Let's see... There's the economy... Uhhh... Nope. (If you want to get severely depressed, check out a piece I wrote here. Be sure to take a gander at the embedded link for the Beck/Walker interview only after you take your Prozac...)

Onward.

Aside from clamming, there's nothing that lends depth and meaning to a wet weekend wrap-up quite like Chinese food leftovers and a good cheesy sci-fi movie. Yeah, now we're talking! So nuke the lo mien and lobster sauce, and break out the high blood pressure medicine 'cause there's campy celluloid afoot.

By definition, the show for the day has nothing to do with quality science fiction like 1954's "Them!" or "Creature From the Black Lagoon", or even Howard Hawks' 1951 masterpiece, "The Thing". Naw, we want silly, illogical, goofy stuff fit for a six-year old. Enter "Reptilicus" from 1962. I won't give away the storyline because only a schizophrenic could follow the storyline, but suffice it to say that this abomination has plenty of roaring, horrible models, and used the entire population of Copenhagen as extras. (Oh I can't resist... here are some highlights...)

To borrow from the the great arts critic Leonard Pinth-Garnell, this one was "monumentally ill-advised", "unrelentingly bad", and "exquisitely awful".

My guess is that there's an art form to making a "good" bad movie, and we've lost that art. In its place has come the rough and dark handiwork of computers and all-too-real gore.

Deep sigh...

See you by the feeders,

CapeCodAlan

Posted by CapeCodAlan at 1:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Strange Tracks in the Snow and a Shingled Bird House?

Hi all,

Yeah, the tracks above are the stuff of conspiracy theories ain't they? (And no, I didn't PhotoShop them.) My guess is that what we're looking at is the trail of a "Cold-Weather, Cape Cod Chupacabra." Very dangerous! Note the staggering, widening and narrowing gait! Bet he's on cross-country skis and gassed to the gills. Oooh... Scary!

I apologize... Obviously, I'm poking fun at the "Area 51" crowd. Couldn't resist...

Fact is that we probably had a couple of "Tom Turkeys" wandering from our yard to the next. Still, the pic is kind of neat. Now, as to the next photograph...

aluminum top and digital thermometer.jpg

Well, as the thermometer shows, it's cold out. Plenty cold.

But beyond the weather, note the little piece of flat aluminum that once was the top of a small tub of microwavable chili... After throwing away a gazillion of these tops, it suddenly dawned on me that perhaps I could cut them up and use them as shingles for the next bird house. Why not? We use aluminum siding on our own homes. And birds certainly don't seem to be put off by aluminum. There would still be ventilation in the summer to keep them cool... So why not? I've reached the point where replacing rotting bird houses is no longer fun. I don't want to use chemically treated wood, and people actually do make aluminum birdhouses. Why not build a conventional one out of wood and shingle the thing with diminutive aluminum shakes?

Stay tuned Airstream campers!

See you by the feeders,

CapeCodAlan

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

eBirdseed.com Video!

Hi all,

Yeah, it had to happen. I saved my nickels and dimes (literally) and finally bought a video recorder. Hot Dog Gone! We're talking optical incompetence in motion. More about the technical in a minute, but first check out the "Cecil B." work below.

I attached the camera to a tripod and set it out by the feeder. After some time, the camera mysteriously pointed skyward. Still, I did get a quick shot of a crow. (Before editing, the video was 47 minutes long.) No doubt the quality of content will improve.

Onward.

OK, so here's some of the "dweeb" camera stuff...

It's a Flip Video... Popular enough
As surprising as this sounds, it's only about the size of a deck of cards
640 X 480 resolution
1 hour of recording time
2 GB of memory
Has 5 hr battery life (AA)
30 frames/second (Good enough for smooth video)
Focal length .8 meters to infinity
Built in mic
TV out
Vids can be uploaded to YouTube
The only real downside seems to be the requirement for proprietary software.

Yup, yup, yup... If you're a repeat reader, you're going to be seeing a bunch of bird videos from here on out. And as you might expect, the videos will be posted in our photo library (link below).

Quiet on the set... Action... And roll'em by the feeders,

CapeCodAlan

Posted by CapeCodAlan at 1:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (1)

Getting Gomez "The Gut" Squirrel to Talk!

The scene was that of a 1950's police interrogation room - a dark cramped space with no windows, a single hanging light bulb only partly sheltered within a cheap tin shade, a set of cold metal chairs with a matching cold steel table. In that awkward, stark little smoke-filled arena sat the two seasoned combatants - Gotham's police detective Don, and Gomez "The Gut" Squirrel. And so the conversation went:

Don: "Gomez, don't you ever get tired of this? Don't you ever get tired of stealing seed and getting caught red pawed?"

Gomez: "Caught red pawed, schmaught red pawed! You coppers ain't got nothin' on me and you know it." (With that, "The Gut" leaned back, took a long draw off his unfiltered Camel coffin nail, squinted, then pointedly jabbed a silent exclamation mark with his foot. The half-naked light bulb undulated ever so slightly.)

Detective Don pondered his smug adversary for just a bit, then stood, left the room, and immediately returned with a manila folder. There was silence. Gomez fidgeted a bit and the interrogation went on.

Gomez: "Whatcha got there Don? Your third-grade homework assignment?"

Don: "No, I've got evidence!"

The detective slammed down the first bit of proof of the crime - the picture below.

goofy squirre_without seed_IMG_2189.JPG

"The Gut" went silent and then stammered out a weak excuse: "That snap don't prove nothin! All I was doin was collecting the seed so that the birds could eat it better... see?"

Almost instantly, the tension was as thick as the smoke, and Gomez ground out his cigarette in rage.

Don: "Is there anything that you want to say, because I've got one more picture?"

There really was no place for words... The next picture spoke volumes.

goofy squirrel_with seed_don_IMG_2190.JPG

"The Gut" slumped in his chair, defeated, girth everywhere.

Gomez: "Who was it that squeaked? Who turned me in? Was it 'Sammy Seeds'"?

Don: "No."

Gomez: "Was it 'Three-Toed Louis'"?

Don: "No."

Gomez: "'Chippy Chips The Cross-Eyed Roughian'"?

Don: "No... No... No... It was your old pal, 'Lefty Lafayette'".

Gomez "The Gut": "Ohhh dag nab it... I should have known it would be him!" Once he gets a snoot full of peanuts, he'll sell his own grandmother for just one stinkin' sunflower seed."

Don: "Look... What are we going to do with you? You're a poster rodent for the cause of recidivism. You simply can't stay away from the birdseed."

The question seemed to linger in the air forever, but finally Gomez "The Gut" Squirrel threw out an idea: "Suppose you set up a separate feeder for just us four-legged reprobates? In trade, if you do that, we'll leave the birds alone, act as a warning system for predators, and you can yell at us to boot."

Detective Don paused, almost began to speak, then paused again, and finally proffered a gruff: "Yeah, OK... Just get out of here."

As Gomez left he turned to see a slight smile on Don's face.

See you gumshoes by the feeders,

CapeCodAlan

Posted by CapeCodAlan at 2:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Counting the Birds at Christmas

Hi all,

Every now and again, it occurs to me that it might be interesting to count the number of times that birds (in some way, shape, or form) cross the paths of the immediate family during a fixed time period. (Think of it as a non-violent form of "punch buggy" for birders.) As fate would have it, today, December 25, 2008 seemed to be a fitting abacus. To refine the experiment a bit, I'd limit the count to just a few hours during the gift-giving mayhem. And with that, we're off!

First, there's the fellow in the photo above. (Maybe I should have put an appropriate title on it such as, "Crow Eating Egg Roll".) And that's not to mention the downy woodpeckers, turkeys, seagulls, and various "little brown birds".
One of the wife's gifts was a beautiful set of coasters from China which had images of birds on them.
I received a bottle of "Birdman" wine.
We enjoyed Chinese "Chicken with Vegetables" for dinner.
In rummaging through my old mail for an email address, I came across a humorous bird drawing.
There are bird figurines in our creche.
Ever notice that eagles are part of the Budweiser logo?
And then there are "geese a laying", "swans a swimming", etc.
The mug beside me shows a squirrel dressed as a bandit out looking to steal birdseed.
'Tis the season for NCAA Bowl Games, and you can't turn on the idiot box and surf without being deluged with the nicknames of teams like:
- Golden Eagles
- Cardinals
- Eagles
- Jayhawks
- Owls
- Falcons
- Redhawks
- Ducks
- Gamecocks
"The Christmas Story" movie was on earlier as was "True Grit", and both had great "turkey scenes".
A quick glance around the office happens upon the "Bat Out of Hell" CD by Meat Loaf. (Yeah, I know Meat Loaf is to music as the old "Weekly World News" was to journalism, and bats aren't really birds... But you get the idea.)

And so it goes... That's an even dozen references to flying creatures in just in a few hours, and I'll bet I missed another dozen. But the point being that birds (and bats too) play a remarkably ubiquitous role in our lives.

Try the experiment yourself. It's surprisingly fun and less bruising than "punch buggy".

Finally, don't forget that the real Audubon Great Backyard Bird Count set for February 13 - 16, 2009!

See you by the feeders,

CapeCodAlan

Posted by CapeCodAlan at 2:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

A Bit of Humor After Turkey Day

Hi,

Well, we're entering that time of year again: crazy sales, lousy weather, packed malls, rabid materialism, icky cranberry sauce, etc., etc., etc. The video below (from the TV show, "WKRP") might ease the pain. And I took the photo of a crow trying to stuff as much popcorn into his mouth as possible. Enjoy, and happy holidays!

resized_crow eating popcorn_IMG_1932.JPG

Chuckling by the feeders,

CapeCodAlan

Posted by CapeCodAlan at 12:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

"Turkeys Invade!" and a Peaceful Bog

Well, so much for a good bird shot using the remote camera. The hairys, downys, and even the flickers had been active around the suet, and I was hoping to get a good photo when the turkeys drifted into the scene. (I swear those things are quieter than smoke.) Anyway, here's the pic I did get. Kinda funny really. I've tried setting the tripod low and seeing if I could get some close ups of the gobblers, and have had some success, but still it's tough to do with a camera with a fixed focal length of apx. 15" and a mind of its own. The photographs are simply too close for such large birds. The wife and I have even entertained the thought of buying a remote for the Eos and plunking that camera down in prime turkey territory. We could set our own focal length, and see what happens. But that could be very time intensive, and should we spook them, that could be an expensive proposition to boot.

Onward (or even backward) to a different place and time... The snap below is of the old Harwich Bank Street bog. It was donated as a conservation area some time ago. Thirty plus years past, my chums and I grew up roaming these "wilds". What magnificent memories. We built tree houses, forts, had hikes... Yeah, we were even Frost's "swingers of birches". I feel sorry for so many of the kids today. Far too often, theirs' is exclusively a world of "the mall", "IM", "HDTV", and the Internet. It's been my great good fortune to know both the world of the bog and the blog, and IMHO young minds should know the former at least as well as the latter. Turkeys and digital cameras offer a fine reminder of this.

IMG_1804_tree on bog_resized.JPG

Anyway... I'll get off my soapbox now and go to bed,

See you by the feeders,

CapeCodAlan

Posted by CapeCodAlan at 3:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Yes Chris, Turkeys Really Do Exist In Our Yard

Hi all,

A quick funny story... The other day I was doing the usual, and missed a call from my neighbor and friend, Chris M. Upon returning his call, the conversation went something like this:

Me: Hello...

Chris: Hey, it's Chris.

Me: What's up?

Chris: Well, I was just driving by, and I wanted to ask you if you knew that you have six big turkeys in your yard?

Me: No, but it's no surprise. They visit once or twice a day.

Chris: No way!

Me: Yeah, really... Sometimes they roost in our trees.

Chris: Oh, 'cause those are some really big birds!

Me: You ain't lying. Did you know that those suckers can fly at 50 mph for short distances?

Chris: Really?

Me: Yup. That was one of the reasons that Benjamin Franklin wanted to make them our national bird.

Chris: (Laughing...) If we'd done that, what would we have for Thanksgiving?

Me: (Laughing too) Probably eagle!

And so it goes... Just some fun banter sparked by birds attracted to a backyard feeder. That's the finest kind in my book. And yes Chris, turkeys really do exist in our back yard (see pic above).

Chris and I will see you by the feeders,

CapeCodAlan

Posted by CapeCodAlan at 4:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Male Downy Woodpecker and Whatnot

Gotta' love those cute little downys... The suet and feed have been popular over the last few days, so I set up "Old Faithful" (our NovaBird remote, motion-triggered camera) and let her go - great fun really. We can set up the rig in the afternoon and pretty much forget about it until sundown. That usually results in hundreds of shots including a few good ones. It was interesting that when I was setting up the camera (it has to be roughly 15" away from the intended subject), the birds continued to use the feeder. That leads me to believe that I could probably set up our 10 MP Canon Eos and simply stand there and get some pretty impressive photographs. (The NovaBird is a 3 MP job with a 0.5" lens.)

And while we're on the subject of lens craft, the image below is of one of our tripods, and obviously it's seen better days.

broken tripod_resized_before glue_IMG_1876.JPG

Tonight's mission is to see if I can't mend that crack. (Yeah right!) But not to worry, One of my hobbies is collecting glue. I kid you not. The photo below depicts just part of my collection.

Missing are such treasures as Gorilla glue, TiteBond III, and umpteen boatbuilding epoxies. (Why is it that as I'm typing these words, I''m getting the feeling that your "Geek Alarm" might be going off?) Anyway... Onward. The plan of attack is to use "Mighty Putty", an epoxy-based $5.00 miracle product endorsed by "Billy Mays" himself! Tune in next time to see what happens.

Stuck by the feeders, but still watching the woodpeckers boss,

CapeCodAlan

Posted by CapeCodAlan at 2:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The Coot and the Old Coot

Hi all,

There! Do you see that? Do you see that creature above? That's the difference twixt yours truly and the rest of the world. The wife correctly identified the bird as a coot. I guess the proper name would be "American Coot". That's what people call it... In Fred J.Alsop III's "Birds of New England", he writes that this fellow is "a close relative of the gallinules and the moorhens."

Well La-Tee-Da...

I say that we stop all the pretentious stuff and call the bird what it should be called - "That Ducky Thing Over There". Other truly appropriate names might include: "Beaker" (in honor of the great lab assistant to Dr. Bunsen Honeydew), "Torpedo Bird", and the all-too-obvious "Dive! Dive! Dive! Bird". I mean, if the wife and I and a few common-folk friends (my friends, not hers) are out on the water and she "pointingly"* gesticulates, "Look, a coot!", we ain't going to be looking for any bird... In befuddlement, we'd be looking at her and not any feathered thing. However, if she "pointingly"* gesticulated "Look, a Quacky Flappy Thingy over there!", well, everybody would gaze in wonder at the "Dive! Dive! Dive! Bird".

Why is life so difficult? Fast food for dinner should consist of a couple of Slim Jims and pretzels... Nobody should tailgate on the highway... And we should start naming birds in a sensible manner... Did you know that according to Mr. Alsop the III, there are 35 types of warblers in New England alone? Why if I were King, I'd simplify that roll call down to one, and I'd...

Why do I get this eerie feeling that you readers out there are labeling me an "Old Coot"?

See you by the straight-forward feeders,

CapeCodAlan

* Yeah, I know "pointingly" isn't a word, but it should be. Grumble, grumble, grumble...

Posted by CapeCodAlan at 2:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Hairy or Downy Woodpecker?

Back on September 2nd, I offered advice on "How to be a Birding Expert Without Really Trying" Looks like the shot above is one for the experts. So, is it a Hairy or is it a Downy?

By my of seeing things, it's a Downy, and here's why:

The bill of a Hairy is roughly as long as the distance from the red occipital patch to the face. This bird's beak is too short.
A Downy has a sizable white back patch
The Downy's face is quite white compared to a Hairy. All the references below indicate that the facial color scheme suggest Downy.

While we're on this subject of references, I couldn't help but notice that the books show that the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker is quite similar to the two mentioned above. I've always wanted to see a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker if for no other reason than the old "Honeymooners" skit. In that piece, Ed Norton has decided to start birdwatching, and tells Ralph Kramden that he has spotted a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. Kramden balks and asks Norton how he knows it really was a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker... To which Ed replies, "Well, it had a yellow belly and it was sucking sap!"

Alright... Speaking as an "expert", I've changed my mind. Speaking as an "expert", the bird isn't a Downy (or a Hairy for that matter). It's a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, and the suet ain't suet, but rather it's sap.

Ed and I will see you by the feeders,

CapeCodAlan

Posted by CapeCodAlan at 4:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Contest Winner and a Welcome to Kindle Users

Hi all,

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!

Kathy K July 31, 2008 019_Resized to 400.jpg

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.

So Kathy, keep on the lookout for your prize feeder!

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

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

More on Hurricane Ike, and Crows and Squirrels as Warning Signals

Hi all,

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

Also, keep in mind that our backyard bird photo contest continues and doesn't end until September does. You can see the current entries in our eBirdseed.com photo library

Onward...

sunbathing squirrel_1_resized.JPG

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.

The claw_ resized_DSC_0263.JPG

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

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

Crow Moving on Trellis... Hmmm

crow on trellis_01 Strutting_resized.JPG

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

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

Things that go Bump in the Night (or Day)

turkeys on neighbors' chimney_PICT1207_resized.JPG

Yup... Long ago when we were little kids, we heard them... Boogeymen, chupacabras, hobgoblins... We all heard them up there and our parents just told us that it was our imaginations and to go back to sleep. We could hear them up on the roof, or worse yet in the attic trying to get in, but the adults dismissed the sounds as "the house settling" or "that old furnace". Decades later, the truth can be told... There were things up there - it's just that the old geezers didn't have the open mindedness and youthful hearing we had.

No, seriously, take a look at the picture above and imagine some poor 5-year-old kid trying to take a daytime nap and watching a couple of those big guys flash by his bedroom window and "thunk" up on the roof. Would his parents believe his screams and warnings that there were beasts out there trying to get in? Of course not, they would have been too busy eating pie and watching "Green Acres". Besides, they had hair in their ears, so what did they know? What adult would believe that huge birds even existed on Cape Cod, let alone were stomping on the roof? And those were just the daytime beasts.

Do you remember the ancient "Twilight Zone" episode starring a very-young William Shatner as the airline passenger who looks out his window on a dark and stormy flight and comes face to face with a hideous creature bent on tearing the plane apart?

Now we're dialed in... Oh, we heard 'em alright... We heard something. And even if it was only turkeys, that's more than enough for me.

See you by those spooky feeders,

CapeCodAlan

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

Posted by CapeCodAlan at 2:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

September '08 Bird Photography Contest

Yup, the feeder on the right is a beauty alright... 30" tall, cast metal and stainless. Looks like it has 6 or 12 bird ports depending on the latest model... (You can read more about it here.) That's the prize for our new contest. The photo contest rules/guidelines are...

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 have umpteen options to submit an entry...

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

So come on... Enter! T'ain't much to lose, and a lot of fun to be had.

Looking forward to your entries...

See you by the feeders,

CapeCodAlan

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

Turkey Monster!

Hi all,

Well, per usual, I was working quietly in our home office when a very distinct thump/bang sound nudged the usual silence. Worried that our "Navigationally-Challenged Wonder Cat", Toby had run into yet another table leg, I ventured forth in search of the usual flustered feline. I found him alright, but far from flustered. He was frozen mid-slouch in the living room, with his head down, ears back, and eyes staring into the spare bedroom. "Hmmm," methinks. "This is not good." If someone was at the door, Toby would have pulled a rapid "Snaglepuss" and exited stage left for the underside of the bed. Nope, the cat was confused and scared. Really not good... So I made the usual rounds, but could find nothing askew or broken. Anyway, I wrote it off to the groans of an "experienced" house (nothing that money and copious amounts of time can't fix) and started back for the office. As I passed through the dining room, for just a fraction of a fraction of a second, on the outermost edge of my peripheral vision, I spied through the glass sliders a most-unnatural monster and it was staring at me. Tough to describe the feeling to those who haven't been there, but I'll do my best. Imagine walking past the open door of Congress, and as you pass you glimpse a pack of congressmen and congresswomen and they're clutching all your credit cards and checkbooks. A pack of slow, mechanical zombies... Staring... Silent... Indifferent... Creepy stuff ain't it? Lucky for me it was just the three below. (But on second thought, turkeys are turkeys even if they're wearing suits.)

350_autocorrect_three%20turkeys%20on%20deck%20rail.jpg

Now about those birds... Judging from the sound they made when they arrived on the deck railing, 20 lbs of wild turkey can make quite a thud when they "stick a landing". Someone oughta sell tickets.

To wrap this one up... In the last post, Mrs. CCA asked the question, "Why do turkeys cross the road?" Her answer was that they came here to eat all our seed. I think she only got that one partly correct. They also come here to scare the tar out of the cat and me.

See you by the feeders if Big Bird doesn't get me first,

CapeCodAlan