eBirdseed.com Wild Bird Feeding Blog

Thought we might take a 'bird-less-traveled' track this time... Take a look at the pics below...

There's a common theme here -- that of doing it yourself. The top shot is of homemade brew, and the one below is of a glimpse into our dining area. Aside from cost savings and getting just what you want, there's something comforting in DIY -- "Yeah, I made it or put it together myself..." There's no buck passing here. Obviously, this isn't the first time we've discussed taking on a project without hands-on professional help... There was the shed, the trellis, a farm table, a birdhouse, and even a Shaker clock... (I really should finish that clock...) Years ago I bought 'Buehler's Backyard Boatbuilding', and was struck by the preface... Part of it follows...

Somewhere our culture seems to have lost that spark of imaginative energy that created it. I was thinking recently that I can't remember the last tree house I've seen. Why don't high school kids build 'rods anymore? And why do so many people stand around with their mouths open, afraid to try anything unless they first take a socially-approved class to tell them how?

How, in just a few generations, did this country's soul go from folks who walked, rode horses, and dragged wagons clear across our continent, to a majority who spend most of their time staring at teevees; whose feeling of self worth is based more on income than on personal accomplishment?

When I asked Mr. Buehler if I could quote that, he emailed back permission in a colorful sort of way. But he has a point...

What is stopping you from measuring out your own yard and house and making a scale model complete with trees, a pool, a shed, and whatnot? Maybe your architect already has all that info. (We got a copy when we bought this house.) Then there's Google earth. But once you have the dimensions...

To make things easy, you might consider modeling in one of the more common scales such as N, HO, S, or O (1:160; 1:87; 1:64; 1:48 respectively) and in doing so have access to existing accessories. Or, you can design/build to your own scale (I build all my boat models to 1:27 because they fit easily on the mantle or the bookshelf that way.) With model done, you can experiment with feeder/birdbath/birdhouse locations to your heart's desire. And you don't even have to be limited by medium -- use paper, plywood, clay, or software like Sketchup... The variety of choices go on and on...

Just thinking for myself, and hoping you're doing the same...

By the feeders...

CapeCodAlan

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Posted by CapeCodAlan at 5:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

As I've mentioned umpteen times before, so long as you locate your bird feeders properly, keep them clean and full with quality seed, and provide fresh water, backyard birding is pretty much a hands-off hobby... If you're not familiar with any of the steps above, please feel free to:

• Google on this blog for instructions
• Ask a question via the comment field
• Email me at CapeCodAlan@eBirdseed.com
• Call us at 1-866-324-7373

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

On to other more domestic stuff...

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

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

Beer maturing...

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

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

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

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

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

Always busy by the feeders...

CapeCodAlan

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Posted by CapeCodAlan at 4:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Is that a title or what? Onward!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I'll be regressing by the feeders...

CapeCodAlan

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Posted by CapeCodAlan at 11:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

First off, hope you had a wonderful Christmas! (There... I said "Christmas..." Big whoop... In these times of hyper-sensitive political correctness, I have the gall to utter that often unpopular word... Life can be so cruel for some.) I digress...

Spotted a goldfinch on our deck feeder... Didn't have enough time to get the camera, but there he was just chowing down on a fresh stock of thistle seed... It was so cool in that the feeder has been there for weeks with zipoid for activity, and then, there he was. Why is it the little things offer such subtle rewards? If you've read this blog for any period of time, you know that I'm not a bird geek, but still, for just a brief snippet, there was a "Cool!" rush. There's something special about little birds partaking in our efforts... Ok, so I'm a wonk... so sue me...

Speaking of 'wonk', here's my holiday gift - an n-gauge railroad set...

For those of you not familiar with model railroading, n-gauge is 1:160 and is the bees' knees. In general, model railroading is like sailing, golf, shooting, boatbuilding, and crack cocaine -- fun and addictive as all get out. In the case of n-gauge, one can build his entire little village on a half sheet or full sheet of ply and then frame it with 1 X 4 and store it out of the way on its side... Doomed...

Let's see.. What else for XMas? Gloves are always welcome... I got yet another woodworking plane with a Buck Brothers blade -- superb... There was a 9 LED pocket flashlight which is off the scales... My brother gave me a book and a movie -- more wonk stuff... He also tossed in a case of Sam Adams, which won't make it through the winter...

And finally, I treated myself to a home brew kit, which is long overdue. Bud has been soaring in cost and plummeting in flavor. (Lest anyone chirps the mantra that Budweiser never changes its recipe... read this Brookston piece.) I figure I can make a quality case of beer for around $15... If I still have the touch for brewing, expect some pretty good recipes in the not too distant future...

All for now...

See you by those merry feeders!

CapeCodAlan

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Posted by CapeCodAlan at 2:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Now, about that hummingbird... Here's a screen shot of one of the little beggars coming from our live eBirdseed.com streaming cam...

Pretty cool, no? From what we've noticed, we've had quite a bit of activity since they've discovered the homestead... The hummers seem quite skittish though... Maybe as the summer unfolds, they'll calm down... Still, they're fun, and available for everyone to watch for free...

Guess that's about it from here...

By the feeders,

CapeCodAlan

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Posted by CapeCodAlan at 2:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Last time we looked at carving simple fish and birds. While this is far from a comprehensive carving course, it should be enough to get you started. Take a look at the torso of my first bird - a hummer, as well as a whimsical fish...

• Unexpected horizontal and vertical lines can be interesting... Note the "scales" on the fish...
• Curved lines in the form of a circle are usually a no-no. Ellipses, parabolas, and hyperbolas are more pleasing.
• Use repetition to maintain the "spirit" of the piece. At the same time, don't be afraid to mesh techniques to avoid boredom... Just don't ruin the overall harmony and flow.
• Keep the work in tune with its environment. (I'm not quite sure how I'll do it, but I want the hummingbird to be "floating" - only attached to the final display by its beak as it drinks from a flower.)
• Static objects should have a great deal of symmetry, but curves should reflect motion... In the case of the hummer, look at how I've got the rear half trying to adjust for the wind.
• Don't be afraid to mix mediums... Consider master boatbuilder and modeler Dynamite Payson's "Friendship Skiff"...
  (Yeah, that really is a model that mixes wood, glass, photography, paint, and metal to create the desire effect. BTW... Should you be interested in buying Mr. Payson's models, contact me; he is no longer making them, and there aren't many left.)
• Consider colors, perspective, shadow, size, value, and shape...
• Use all of the above to breath life into your bird/fish/boat model...

Making sawdust by the feeders,

CapeCodAlan

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Posted by CapeCodAlan at 10:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It's time for the latest rage that's sweeping the country - fish decoy carving! (Why do I have this strange feeling I'm weirding you out???)

O.K... Peraps a bit of explanation is in order... Fish decoys are used as whimsical decoration, serious art, and actual "bait". Here's the story of the last part... Imagine yourself in Minnesota or Michigan, and the winter is a monster... You can only stand so much work-time and home-time - you need some fresh (albeit frozen) air... So, you hook up your shack to your snow machine, drag the shelter out on the local lake and take up residence. Nothing left to do but chop a hole in the ice and dangle your decoy in the hopes that a big ol' pike comes along that you can spear... Dinner!

With the explanation out of the way, how does one actually carve/make these quant little oddities? Glad you asked... It really is quite simple...

1. Gather the requsite tools. (A cheap power scroll saw and a dremel go a long way, but a pocket knife, sandpaper, and patience works too.)
2. Get your mitts on some scrap soft wood. Make sure that it's square or rectangular in cross section. A piece about a foot long by 1" by 1" should be fine for starters.
3. Label the front of the block, "body", the side "profile", and the top, "plan". Those are your three views. The body shows the "head on" appearance. The profile is the side view, and the plan is the "top down" looksee.
4. Next comes the tricky/fun part... Use a pencil and draw the three views such that they are all in agreement. It takes a few tries, but it is doable.
5. Carve/sand/grind/rasp away! Release your creature from its cellulose confines.
6. Fins are easy... Just pick up a box of those tin disks carpenters use to hold down shingles and cut them to shape using heavy scissors. Carve a slight groove for them and epoxy home.
7. You paint as you like, fuss with the eyes, hang appropriately, and it's show over... Another fish decoy enters the world.

Ah the craziness of this blog...

CapeCodAlan

P.S. You'd almost think that this post was an informal way to get you to think about carving birds... Naw...

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Posted by CapeCodAlan at 11:49 PM | 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)

Check it out... (Sorry for the commercial in the beginning...)

Remarkable isn't it? (I told you I like old bird books!) But I do have one gripe, and it's a deeply personal one. (Read that, "Don't blame eBirdseed.com for what follows...")

My problem is that Audubon was a hunter who killed birds to make his paintings. Sorry, but for me, that's just wrong. (Before you jump ugly on my "Pacifist Side", understand that I'm a life member of the NRA - I'm not exactly "buddy buddy" with Code Pink.) Still, I just don't understand the satisfaction/enjoyment/glee/thrill/reverence in killing... From Monty Python:

Bevis: I always preferred the outdoor life... hunting... shooting... fishing... getting out there with a gun and slaughtering a few of God's creatures... Charging about the moorland, blasting their heads off.

In my not-so-humble opinion, killing should only occur for two reasons: survival and food. (And if we have to kill a million lab rats to save one child, so be it.) As for food... There are some of us (myself included) who digest meat better than veggies - sorry Porky. But no matter what, death is a bitter process, and I simply don't understand those who happily partake in the name of "Sport", or "Art", which takes us right back to Audubon...

I'd better quit now or I'll be looking for a soapbox and ticking off everyone in sight. My point is, "Don't kill unless you have to, and don't feel particularly grand about it afterwards. Needless dead beauty in every way shape and form isn't all that damnably profound."

See you by the feeders if you're still reading this,

CapeCodAlan

Time is running out on that contest!

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Posted by CapeCodAlan at 9:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

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)

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)

The other item was a lovely Chinese porcelain plate with cranes or herons, and what are possibly kingfishers, flying around a pond of waterlilies and lotus blossoms. While Oriental art is not my usual taste, I simply couldn't put this one down, and I was able to bargain it down to a paltry $5...


With the owl plate, it was easy to identify and find a relative value. The Chinese plate on the other hand, posed far more of a challenge. Starting only with a search engine description of "chinese plate birds lilies", we verified that the plate was indeed Chinese. Then working with the maker's mark on the back, two hours' of research told us all we needed to know: that this is not a rare Ming dynasty lost treasure of untold value, but simply a plate made and fired in China and hand decorated in Macau for the tourist trade some time after World War II. It may be worth more than the five dollars I paid for it, but not much.

Still, I like it, and it adds to our "indoor bird collection" in an unusual and beautiful way. And for those of you who are interested, the maker's mark is from the Qianlong period, from 1736-1795; this was considered by many to be a Golden Age for Chinese art. And had the plate actually been from that period, well, let's just say that Gordon would be looking for a new blogger right about now.

See you by the feeders, and by those things which feed the soul as well,
Mrs. CapeCodAlan

P.S. Don't forget the word search contest...

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Posted by CapeCodAlan at 9:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Moving inside for just a bit... The cherry hutch project is finally (read that umpteen years) winding down...

The photos above mislead concerning the simplicity of the build... While the carcases are box-like (our design was for for something between arts & crafts and Shaker) the devil is in the details. And in this case, the detail is the wood itself - cherry. What an obstinate, twisting, warping, heavy, tool-busting stuff it is. If ever I am so foolish as to try another project in cherry, you have my personal permission to come to my very domicile and kick me right in the tail section and demand to know if that I've once and for all lost my mind. Creating the through mortise and tenon joints, dovetails, and recesses for the stained glass (below) were nothing short of Herculean tasks, and in retrospect, the Augean Stables don't look all that bad...

Still, the whole thing should be pretty neat when all is said and done...

Now... About that invitation... Sometime on or about December 11 or 18, Mrs. CCA and I and a few suckers friends are going finish this beast, take it apart, and stevedore it up to its final resting place in the dining room. My plan is to turn our bird cam inward to stream the whole event live. Yes, you too can be a part of the laughter, triumph, beer, skinned knuckles, and cussing. (I'll leave the volume off... My suckers friends are an earthy lot who've taken obscenity to a sublime level.) Consider yourselves invited, but be forewarned that this ain't going to be pretty.

I'll be glad when this behemoth is done so I can go back to building simple stuff like boats...

See you by the feeders,

CapeCodAlan

I'm telling you... There's a word search puzzle with a cool prize just waiting to be had...

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Posted by CapeCodAlan at 10:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

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)

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)

In the past, we've discussed general woodworking, but given the time of year, perhaps a more immediate and practical post is in order. (Nothing like the change of seasons to break everything...) To the point, here I am fixing a feeder... (Note that this shot was taken off our live streaming cam and thankfully is out of focus...)

But what would be a good "all-hands-on-deck" tool kit? Put another way, if you had to grab just a single toolbox and race out into the backyard to save "Truth, Justice, and the American Way", how would you be armed? Take a look at my IRB (Immediate Response Box).

Alrighty then... What have we got here? Why, 20 tools that will save the world, weigh less than 15 lbs, and cost less than $100 total!

• Toolbox: Buy it cheap or build it from scrap.. No biggee.
• Pencil
• Plumb bob: These can be had for zip at yard sales, flea markets, etc.
• Knife
• Bungee: Buy a bag of bungees down at the "Bottom Buck" store Bucko. Good clamps make those.
• Screws and nails: If you don't have a "Skippy" jar full of mixed hardware, you need to leave the mall immediately!
• Cable ties: Do you see that heaving mass of white by the hammer head? Them's the greatest invention since duct tape... (Twist-ums are a good idea too!)
• Tape rule
• Torpedo level: Never leave home without it.
• Tyvek tape: Think of this as weatherproof duct tape. It also serves as a great clamp... Yee Hah!
• And speaking of "weatherproof": A glue like Titebond III is invaluable.
• Pliers: Never know when the Three Stooges may need to do some dental work.
• Saw: Take a good look at this puppy... I use a Stanley "Short Cut" saw... It's small, cheap, has a built-in square, and takes no prisoners. (I know there's a joke in there somewhere...)
• Multi-bit screwdriver (reddish-orange handle)
• Hammer (bang stick)
• Wire nippers
• Paper towels
• 14.4 volt cordless drill
• Collection of jobber drill bits (yellow box)
• Shingle(s): Where would we be without the inclined plane? (And you can write on them too!)

See you by those well-maintained feeders,

CapeCodAlan

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Posted by CapeCodAlan at 2:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We've had a bit of a snag when it comes to comments. (We're jumping ugly on that issue! Not to worry... Keep sending your thoughts - I do receive them and will respond!) And here are two comments that have gone unanswered:

Hi Alan, I was thinking of you as Earl gets closer to your neck of the woods. Please be safe .....

kathryn

And...

Good morning CCA.
Mr. Earl is passing me today but leaving huge 10ft. high ocean swells.
I'm wishing you and the Mrs. safe harbor. Be careful. Forecasts
predict winds approaching you Sat. AM to be much less than they are today, so I hope it
won't be too bad. As soon as you can, let us know how it's going after it passes.
Good luck.
Cheers
Harry "Gipper" Morris

Thank you both so much for your concern... It truly means a lot to me and the Mrs... As you probably guessed, we came through unscathed...

Now... about recycling!

There's an old poem that celebrates Yankee thrift...

Use it up, wear it out,
Make it do, or do without.

These days, we might add another verse...

Once worn out, don't turn it loose,
Put it to another use. (Burma Shave)

Ever wonder what to do with that old grill? Here's an example of putting something "to another use". Late last summer, our ancient grill was pretty much on its last legs; we had replaced the innards several times, and it was clearly time for a new one. Once the new fire box was up and running however, what to do with the old one?

We started by putting it by the side of the road with a "FREE" sign on it. Understandably, there were no takers. So it languished beside the garage for nearly a year, with both of us always planning on taking it to the dump... eventually.

"Eventually" never quite rolled around, so we decided to figure out how to turn the thing to some other use... But what for? Well, since we are fair gardeners, how about trying to make a planter out of it? After all, it's a good big basin, it already has drainage holes, and it's on a semi-sturdy base.

So on a sunny afternoon, we pulled the beast from beside the garage down into the yard, disassembled it, and scraped off several years' worth of accumulated grease, grime, and rust (nasty!). What we ended up with was a jumbo, wheeled, clean pot ready for foliage.

We then cast around for some large rocks to add as a layer at the very bottom. On top of those, we added a layer of smaller stone (a leftover bag of marble chips). The larger rocks mostly block the holes in the bottom where the grill workings went in, and the smaller ones give a base for dirt; and they also provide drainage. We then smoothed the rocks and stones to end up with this:

Next, we added a layer of dirt (a combination of old potting soil and topsoil) and ended up with a large, well-drained space for potted flowers.

Once a few plants were put in place (we recycled some sad geraniums, and picked up a few pansies and a gorgeous impatiens at the Labor Day sale at a local nursery), the result was a one-of-a-kind movable container garden. Like this:

The great thing is that as the season wanes, we can simply wheel the whole cart to a new location for more sun.

Hmmm, now, what should we do with the big old cover to this grill? Maybe a water garden!

See you by those blooming feeders,

CapeCodalan and Mrs. CapeCodAlan

P.S. This entry has been cross posted with thriftyyankee.net.

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Posted by CapeCodAlan at 8:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

First things first... Faithful reader "Gipper" Morris asked about the use of hot pepper in repelling squirrels... To answer you directly Harry, no I haven't actually tried hot pepper as a squirrel repellent. As we do sell hot pepper suet plugs, I assume that they do work. As for plain old hot pepper, I've never tried to use that to drive off the "gray menace", but, as an experiment, I just sprinkled a heaping helping of "Tony Chachere's Original Creole Seasoning" on the 4X4 post that holds one of our feeders... (Even though we use a metal conical anti-squirrel shield, the rascals still try to rob the birds!) So let's see what happens... If they have the intestinal fortitude to go near the 4X4, they'd better bring both their gastroenterologist and their cardiologist - Tony Chachere's two main ingredients are red pepper and salt. I'll let you know ASAP if the squirrels try their normal futile raids (or if the 4X4 is even there in the coming days).

But on to another subject that hasn't gotten nearly the attention that (IMHO) it should have... That of free or nearly free bird pics and info... Take a look at just one more plate I got out of an old 1916 bird book:

Those are Northern Pileated Woodpeckers... But the real point I'm trying to make is that the book cost virtually nothing... There are no doubt tens of thousands of like tomes out there with great artwork, great descriptions, and a sub-dollar price tag. (I was going to say that I'd bet that I could sell the plates alone and make more than a few bucks... But I couldn't do that - this beauty belongs in our home.)

Anywho... There you go - repelling squirrels and fantastic bird prints... Only on eBirdseed.com...

See you by the feeders,

CapeCodAlan

P.S. Should you want any hi-res copies of old pics (copyright expired), just let me know... I'll be more than happy to scan and email to you or add to our eBirdseed.com photo library.

Cornell Ornithology Laboratory: Inside Birding

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Posted by CapeCodAlan at 12:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

First off, respect and thanks go out to all veterans! A tip of the hat to the mottos and core values...

(I wrote a piece on Memorial Day here.)

Back to less noble things... Well, the news is in about the Gulf, and it ain't good... BP's estimate of the leak was 5,000 barrels of oil/day. Now the USGS is putting the estimate at between 12,000 and 19,000 barrels/day. That equates to somewhere between 500,000 gal/day (for a total of 18 million gal) and 800,000 gal/day (for a total of 30 million gal). Compare those numbers with the 11 million gal from the Exxon Valdez and the blood runs cold. To make matters even worse, we don't know exactly what the dispersants are doing and the effects of introducing them at such depths. Who knows where that mess is going to show up? Lastly, we find out that the dispersant itself (all 700,000+ gallons of the stuff) is toxic to humans. Once this toxic cocktail gets into swamps and wetlands... look out. I did manage to find another source (Department of the Interior) that you can try if you want to help:

• Volunteer: 1-866-448-5816.
• Report oiled wildlife: 1-866-557-1401. Messages checked hourly.
• Report oiled shoreline: 1-866-448-5816
• Report spill related damage: 1-800-440-0858.
• Submit alternative response technology, services or products: 1-281-366-5511 or horizonsupport@oegllc.com
• Submit your vessel as a vessel of opportunity skimming system: 1-281-366-5511
• File a claim for damage.

Onward... Well, the wife saw our first fisher cat a couple of days ago...

She'll write a post on that later.

Next! More woodworking for the backyard birder... So far we've got:

• Books
• Workshop Layout
• Philosophy, Safety, Plumb, Level, and Square
• Tools
• Glue
• More on Glue

Alright then... It's almost time to make sawdust! This lesson is easy. Go to your local lumberyard, put on some gloves, and buy a bunch of cheap strapping (a.k.a. "1x3") and whatever bargain bin stuff you can find. And don't be afraid to ask the yard man if they have free scrap wood. Now take it home, break out a flashlight and study it. Study its end and face grains and note how the pieces warp, curve, cup, split. See if you can find a pattern. How were the boards cut at the sawmill? Refer to your books or to here. So much of your success working with wood is going to hinge on understanding how it moves...

'Til next time, see you by the feeders,

CapeCodAlan

P.S. The old NovaBird motion-activated camera is "circling the drain". After three years and 10,000+ pics, the little trooper is starting to fail big time. More on that next time.

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Posted by CapeCodAlan at 3:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Well, that's quite an image? Where to begin? Maybe at the bottom...

That white object on the floor is the mailbox/birdhouse to be. I've repaired the wooden bottom, and pounded the metal of the box itself back into shape. That will be fine. After reviewing the comments from the link above, I've decided to pull a mea culpa and go with no perch... Birds have been making nests in metal objects since humankind has been making metal, so I'll simply round the edges of the hole, put on some paint, drill some ventilation holes, and mount the rascal. Problem solved.

As for the hutch... Well, the drawers are done. They consist of cherry, pine, and luan bound together with epoxy and 48 dovetails - beautiful, and brutally strong. But there's still a lot of work to be done... The top panels have to be secured to the posts via biscuits and glue, and the top and bottom doors need to be routed for the glass and hinges. Then there's more framework, cleats, the top, a couple more shelves, glass, tiles, hardware, lights, and final assembly. (Who knows what this thing is going to weigh when all is said and done?) Ahhh, Spring...

See you by the feeders,

CapeCodAlan

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

Anyway, as I say, I stopped at a local yard sale and came across this lovely little addition to our collection of indoor birds.

However, before adopting him into the family, there was the matter of price. No self-respecting yard sale attendee would dream of simply plunking down the sticker price without at least an attempt to dicker. So: sticker price was $20. I offered $15. Young boy manning the cash box says he'll have to ask his mom. 10 minutes later, I was $15 poorer and one genuine Herend green fishnet duck richer!

Once home, I was positioning the new arrival in place with some of the regulars, when I began to wonder just how many birds we have inside the house. After all, CapeCodAlan is always talking about the birds outside--what about the indoor ones?

Wandering around, camera in hand, I came to the conclusion that, however many birds we have outside, we also have avians aplenty on the inside.

And of all those birds, I was surprised to discover just how many chickens came home to roost:

Of course, it's not only roosters around here. We've slowly been building a collection of decoys, miniatures, and shore birds as well.

As you can see, the hobby of birding can encompass the great indoors as well as the great outdoors.

See you at the next yard sale,
Mrs. CapeCodAlan

Cornell Ornithology Laboratory: Inside Birding

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Posted by CapeCodAlan at 8:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

First, here's a video we just made of grackles doing their very best trying to re-create Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds". This is an unusually long video (apx. 10 minutes) and the camera gets shifted a bit in the process, but IMHO worth the view. Note how even the crows complain because they can't get to their standard buffet tray. Good to see at one point where "Don" the squirrel sends them scattering... I'm pretty sure red-wings are in the mob somewhere, not that that really helps any...

I don't know about you, but that just gives me the creeps. It also makes me worry about birdseed consumption and the grackles scaring away other birds. Not too much to be done I guess. Besides, with that kind of food source, it's only a matter of time before a hawk takes care of the problem for us. And on another front, we have the outdoor streaming cam hanging tough for 35 hours plus...

That's not bad considering that I'm streaming off an old tired AMD machine and that the video server service (CamStreams) often gets hammered... I guess the next hurdle will be to build a water-tight enclosure that will meet the following requirements:

• protect the camera
• be truly weather-proof under all conditions here on stormy Cape Cod
• be optically perfect in normal weather, and acceptable in inclement weather
• not diminish the light reaching the lens any more than necessary

I gotta tell you... Part of me wants to go with one of those water-proof camera bags, and the other part wants to build a shelter from scratch - something that would be more or less open yet still be buttoned up should things turn ugly... Hmmm...

I'll be mulling this stuff over by the feeders,

CapeCodAlan

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Posted by CapeCodAlan at 9:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Well, my network went bonkers. I mean like crazy man. Somehow the power cord to the cable modem went roaming for greener pastures, and the battery backup could only hold the fort for just so long. (How I love mixed metaphors! But you get the idea.) As the modem wheezed away, apparently it damaged either the router or the NIC. Anywho, my network is sucking wind, and the connected eBirdseed bird cam is down. (Keep in mind that my network is completely separate from the eBirdseed.com network which is fine... that's why you're able to read this.) To remedy the situation on my end, we've purchased a new router, and shifted the modem over to another computer. Now, if we can just get the router working, that will breath life into our network, and bring the camera back online. In an arcane way this is really a bummer... We launched the bird cam about 15 months ago, and ran into trouble after roughly 4,000 views. Since then, I've reset the thing in our kitchen, and racked up another 15,500 views. All told, we were inching up on 20,000 hits when this new problem occurred - arcane bummer indeed. But stay tuned, I'll fix this mess, or my name isn't Phineas J. Whoopee.

On to the birds...

Obviously, the shots below aren't exactly of real birds... These are carvings by a local artisan - Fred Schmelke from right here on Cape Cod. It's quality stuff... The birds are (in order): Canada Goose, a Stilt, the Short-billed Dowitcher, and a Pin Tail...

So that's it... A broken network and bird models. What do ya want for nuthin'? Rubber biscuits?

See you by the feeders,

CapeCodAlan

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Posted by CapeCodAlan at 3:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I don't know... Someone probably wrote this post long ago, but just in case... There are ways (as ugly as they are) to make wood do exactly, precisely what you want sort of. And that goes for the feeder above. Here's the deal... Most folks would look at that funky old broken-down feeder and say, "Replace it!" But now look at the tools above, and come to grips with the hidden karma of your recycling soul. We can re-build it, make it better, repair it. So we epoxy in a couple of new orange spikes and use a heavy cable tie as a hanger; that won't make the world explode. (And if the squirrels break those spikes, that will mean an open declaration of war... I'll make orange spikes no squirrel can ruin - Hell hath no fury like an engineer crossed.)

Anywho... About the tools and repair... The spikes were broken off and their holes were clogged - nothing that a drill, some scrap, and a couple healthy dollops of epoxy couldn't cure. Better than new. And if that isn't good enough, it will be.

There's something about the "Waste Makers'" attitudes that grinds against the very nature of "we'll-find-a-way" folks. We just don't like the "Cornucopian" or endless view of new stuff. Better wood butchery or whatever.

See you by the feeders,

CapeCodAlan

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Posted by CapeCodAlan at 9:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Kind of all over the place today...

First up - Michael Jackson. My $.02? Well, my heart isn't exactly bleeding right now. I have a real problem with people who dangle babies 40' off the ground as a publicity stunt. (Needless to say, I didn't lose any sleep after Steve Irwin's passing either.) Still, Jackson's (and Jones') "Thriller" was a brilliant video. What a waste of phenomenal talent...

Now about those hummingbirds... Check out the video below...

There really isn't much to say. At least the rain has stopped and we were finally able to get a decent clip for you. (We have yet to find a way to set up the camera in such a way as to catch that flash of red in the throat, but we will.)

Finally, if you like backyard birding (as I assume you do because you're reading this), you really should consider model boatbuilding.

There are several reasons why you might want to check out this funky hobby...

• It offers great insight. Though it will probably take some time to get started, the slight work invested will be well worth it.
• It's fast... (See the Instant Boats Forum where I created six tutorials on building models.)
• It's cheap... We're talking using old cereal boxes.
• With practice, you can actually build a decent model. Take a close look at the second from left. That's a 1:27 scale model of the Bolger "Car Topper". While I tend to make scruffy models, that boat ain't bad.

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 2:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)