Daily Photo - Where Did My Chair Go?

Her chair was borrowed for a party but at least we left her the cat hair covered cushion.

Daily Photo - Icy River

Icy River at Broadmoor. If I'd been paying more attention I would have noticed that the iso was set to 400, which explains why I wasn't getting the shutter speeds I was expecting. It was very, very cold.

Peanut Wire Bird Feeder - Design

I made a plan for the Sunflower Seed / Peanut Tube Feeders I've been making. It should be printable if you click on it to enlarge it to full size. Note: I'm unsure why but make sure when you print you use print preview and set scale to 50% otherwise it seems to try to print at screen resolution which makes it 3 pages long, and cuts off the bottom and right side. They can be filled with Whole Peanuts, Shelled Peanuts or Sunflower Seeds. For whole peanuts you could likely change the spacing to 1/2" wire. If you want to post it somewhere please LINK BACK TO ME and tell me where it's going up.

Daily Photo - Last Two For Now

PVC Pipe Tube Feeder - This is my least favorite one. It is loosely based on several versions I found online, and in one book. The tube is 2 in PVC, I used two PVC caps for the top and bottom. The bottom one is screwed on, while the top just slides on. The holes are 1" in diameter and stuck in them is a 1/2" PVC coupler to keep the seed from falling out. The coupler had 1/4 of it removed so there would be a hole, and you had to squeeze it to get it into the holes. I used 1/4" oak dowels for the perches. Improvements on my next one would be using a larger tube and letting the couplers stick out some to deter water a little more. Upside Down Suet Feeder - The easiest to make. I think the top was 1" x 8", the sides are 1" x 3". I used some of the screen I have from the sunflower and peanut feeders for the bottom, so it is 1/4" mesh. The top slides up the wire on the sides for feeding. I wanted to fit two suet cakes in there, so made it about 11" long (12.5" for the top) by the width of the wood I was using.

Daily Photo - Not the Last Birdfeeder

Sorry, I have at least two more after this. This one is exactly the same as the peanut one from a few days ago. They work nicely for sunflower seeds too. I'm finding the bottom rather hard to attach, and it might be easier if it was replaced with the same fittings as the top, but I don't really need a feeder that opens on both sides. It might be an easy way to attach a seed tray though to catch anything that falls out. I think I'll be looking into it before I make my last one (I have fittings already for one more). I have had visitors to my other three feeders. A wren hung out on the peanut feeder though the woodpeckers haven't found it yet. A nuthatch liked the droll yankees copy feeder and I think a squirrel discovered the peanut butter. I have a tube feeder made from PVC and an upside down suet feeder to still post.

Two More Feeders

First one was the easiest. We have a huge pile of rotting maple logs, and I borrowed this one. I drilled a bunch of 1/2" or so deep holes with a 1 1/2" spade bit and filled them with peanut butter. A $.69 holds it up. No idea yet if it will actually attract anything but the dogs. You can also fill the holes with suet by jamming it in as small blocks. I didn't have any suet handy. This one I haven't seen a design for anywhere. I'm trying to copy those droll yankees feeders, the ones with a built -in squirrel baffle on top and a dish, that you can raise and lower to allow different sized bids into it. Looking at the above, I think I have to lower it a bit. I used a slightly broken squirrel baffle I already had, a 1/4" threaded rod (it started out at 24" but I chopped it), a puppy feeding dish made of galvanized steel? and a turnbuckle with one 1/4" side for the hanger. I used assorted nuts, washers and locking washers to keep it together. There are extra holes drilled in the bottom for drainage. It was $9 for everything but the squirrel baffle, which I think was $10 bucks when I bought it a few years ago. It's not as pretty as the feeder I based it on but it should be functional.

Daily Photo - Another DIY Peanut Bird Feeder

It's main components are 1/4" hardware cloth and some PVC fittings. I used zip ties all up the side to hold the hardware cloth together and to attach the caps. The bottom is just a 2" cap, while the top is a slip coupling with female threading and a male threaded cap to make for easy filling. I've found designs for these using wood on the end caps and that just doesn't seem permanent enough (I also can't cut a nice circle very well.) The wire was $9 for a 5 foot long 24" high roll, the PVC was $4 and a pack of zip ties was $4. The zip ties and the hardware cloth can be used to make at least 6 more feeders, though I'd need more end caps. I might try to figure out a way to attach the wire together with metal as well to make it more squirrel proof. I have 3 other feeder attempts to finish tomorrow. I hope the squirrels will at least wait a week to chew out the zip ties. Edit: To make the tube you need 8 inches of wire, if you want to overlap it 1/2", to make construction easier. 8 inches is 32 squares long.

Daily Photo - Merry Christmas

I swear this is the last snowy dog photo. I ran out of dogs...

Bird Feeding

So this week as I got in my car to head for work I noticed that the woodpecker on the peanut feeder was not the one I normally see. I made myself a little late to work trying to photograph this one. It's a red-bellied woodpecker which I don't remember ever seeing before. It chased off one of the resident downy woodpeckers. Seeing that one bird made me rethink my bird feeding. I've been lazy and only last week refilled the two feeders that survived the summer intact, my platform feeder and an in-shell peanut feeder for the woodpeckers. The gears in my head made me spit this sketch out after thinking on it during the drive to work. My goal is for it to be not permanently anchored to the ground, far enough from trees to keep most of the squirrels off, and have natural branches attached tor some better photos. The above led me back to a library, and the only book I found was talking about making a bird feeder out of PVC pipe. I ended up going to Home Depot for materials (and to price out wood for the stand) and came home with some other stuff. I'm kind of obsessed with platform feeders, but the one I made just isn't big enough. I also didn't really like using window screen, even though the squirrels haven't ripped through it like I keep fearing. I came home with a 24" x 12" black aluminum decorative screen, a 6 foot piece of 1" x 2" pine, and a box of eye hooks. (I already had the screws for this, but you'd need 8 - #6 1 1/4" wood screws and 12- 3/4" wood screws to do what I outline below.) This was in addition to a PVC pipe set, which I may finish tomorrow, or Saturday. Supplies: 1 - 24" x 12" screen piece, stiff aluminum from door section of HD used here. (It was called decorative sheet metal actually) 1 - 6ft length of 1" x 2" pine board (cut to make a box fitting the size of the screen) 4 - eye hooks 8 - #6 1 1/4" wood screws 12 - #8 3/4" wood screws (varies due to holes in screen)

Close-up of the screen pattern I picked, which I think will keep most seed from falling through, but drain well.

With box assembled.

Box attached to screen.

Hopefully tomorrow I might have a shot of it in use, I finished it right around sunset, so no good lighting, or birds. After I finish the PVC tube feeder I'm going to try to make a very tall peanut feeder.

Daily Photo - I'm Getting Repetitive

And we have a house guest. She's only half as crazy as she looks in this photo.

Daily Photo - Doggy

I swear I started this before midnight, so technically still Wednesday. Another treat induced photo.

Daily Photo - Snowy Dog

This is as focused as she gets when there are fun shadows to chase. Yes, it involved dog treats.

Daily Photo - Snow

Got 12 or so inches of snow over the weekend, more pics to follow.

Daily Photo - Deer Print

From Moose Hill on the 21st. I went snowshoeing, but didn't get many useful images.

Daily Post - Cold

At least at 20 something degrees the yard wouldn't be squishy...

Daily Photo - Cold Water

Waterfall with icicles - Broadmoor yesterday

A Hawk Landed on My Head Today!!!

Well, it may have been a Merlin, I didn't manage to get a picture. Anyway. I went to Broadmoor this morning since I didn't have to be at work early today. It was freaking cold, 19 degrees or something and windy. I meandered a little, found some ice, and the mostly frozen river and noticed the spillway under a water fall I like got reworked. Only time will tell if they ruined it for photography or not. There also appears to be a new overlook at the wildlife pond, though I didn't explore it. Wandering around I spotted a hawk in a tree quite far off, and circled around to try to see it better. By the time I got there the blue jays had chased it and a friend off. I stayed to try to photograph some birds with some new tips I got about by 55-250 mm lens (f8, Servo Auto focus, shutter speed 1/320 or faster). I stood there for a good 10-15 minutes, very still with the camera up in front of me, snapping images of some sparrowy looking birds. I heard wings, and felt something land on my head, but almost immediately take off. I felt nothing but a light weight settling on my hat then it was gone. I turned around, expecting a blue jay, though I couldn't figure out why one would land on me. I figured if it had been an attack, I would have been pecked, or been whacked with the wings, there also would have been some shrieking as a warning before any dive-bombing. A few feet away at eye level was a tiny raptor, grey or brown and white streaked chest, tiny hooked beak, about the size of a jay. He took off before I could get the camera up. I think he had pointed wings, but the people at the Wildlife Center thought he was a sharp-shinned hawk, since merlins aren't as common this time of year. (Mind you just about anyone I know probably wouldn't have held still if they heard wings that close. My cockatiel has been using my head as a landing platform for years now, and I've become accustomed to freezing so she doesn't miss. Most of my relatives start freaking out when she takes off, which of course in turn freaks her out more.) So apparently in this getup and not moving I look like a very inviting tree stump. Especially since I was about 10 feet away from what I suspect would have been breakfast. I find it extremely funny that on my first day actively birdwatching a hawk landed on my head. I did manage some much, much better pics of small birds, though none were outstanding. A few of my very close to actually focused birds... not too heavily cropped.

American Robin White Throated Sparrow (maybe) Northern Cardinal (female) No idea, it had a little yellow on the top of its head and yellow and black wings. It also sat still almost long enough to focus then would take off again. About the size of the above birds in their original files. Basic tips for the lens included get closer, which I'm not so good at. I bought some thermal pants, so maybe I'll go out again tomorrow.

Daily Photo - Viola

I gotta say I'm quite impressed with these little guys. Several are blooming in December after several 20 degree nights.

Daily Photo - Only One More Week

One week to go until sunrise starts getting earlier and sunset starts getting later again. I can't wait. Driving home in the dark is phenomenally disappointing, and without any snow or frost to make mornings interesting I'm saving lots of money by not going out anywhere much.

Daily Photo - Frost Yet Again

My Pet Requirements

Crested Gecko Eye

I have what I consider reasonable rules about getting any new critters. Not that I'm planning on getting anymore but you never know what might fall in your lap. Rule 1: Easily Handled. I feel that any animal I keep as a pet, provided it is given fair warning and isn't obviously terrified, must be easily handled. I have to be able to at stick my hand into a cage and provided I warn the critter, not get attacked, or alternately not be fled from in terror. This is especially important to me if I ever had to pack everyone up and leave in a hurry. After that whole Hurricane Katrina debacle, I made doubly sure I have enough snake bags and containers for all the critters. Given about an hour I can get everything alive and important packed up and ready to go. That might not help in an immediate emergency, but if I had any warning I could just leave everyone packed. Rule 2: Easy Feeding Requirements. I prefer insectivorous lizards, and mouse feeding snakes. Most insect or fish feeding snakes do not survive long-term in captivity because in nature they wouldn't just eat fish or crickets. My perfect lizards are actually crested geckos, that can be maintained on just crested gecko diet which mimics their main food in nature, nectar. Rule 3: Captive Bred. Easily 50% of reptile keepers should not try to keep wild-caught animals. Rule 4: Safe(ish). My preference is for non-venomous, non-aggressive species. I tend to pick 'domesticated reptiles, ie those that have lived in captivity for so many generations that they will eat just about anything, aren't overly stressed by handling and adapt fairly quickly to new situations. Some people would call them boring. Rule 5: Nocturnal. I've mostly ended p with nocturnal animals,. My main reason for this is they do not require supplemental UV, which I believe can not truly be provided adequately by lighting setups. Technically those lighting setups are also rather expensive but if a bearded dragon dropped into my lap I likely wouldn't say no. Admittedly most of these requirements are for reptiles, but my opinions do cross lightly over to the other critters. I would not get bird that wasn't hand tame, and quite happy hanging out with people. My furry pets have to be easily lifted, or trained to be safe around other people and controlled enough to be safe around other animals. Heck, I'm still teaching the dogs that Licorice has no problem whacking them in the face for being pushy.

Eyes

Apparently I was quite well lit for this picture. My favorite. She just keeps looking so annoyed since that second cat arrived. It is kind of funny watching a 12 pound cat run away from an 8 pound one who can barely walk straight.

Daily Photo - Light Play

Christmas Tree Streaks.

Fish Bones

I find it funny that a cat food as ridiculously expensive and low quality as Fancy Feast has actual fish pieces in some of their formulas. I find it odder that there are sharp bones in those fish which are considered I guess a safe cat food. Are they kidding? The worst thing is they're in Licorice's (who won't eat anything else) favorite flavor, and if nothing else I'm not having much luck switching a 13 yr old toothless skinny cat from his preferred food, even if it is likely why he lost all those teeth.

Daily Photo - Bird Feeder

So, it's not the most glamorous location and the background needs some work, but the light should be good once they discover it. It should work for figuring out what I'm doing anyway. As soon as I wash the windows...

I'm Bored

Well, maybe not really bored. I've done nothing productive for the last 2 days. I discovered that blogger changed the Next blog button so it isn't random anymore. This has let me to clicking on it a lot top see what blogger thinks might interest me. Seems I get a lot of bird photography. I find this interesting since I don't actually end up with a lot of bird photos. It also remembers now where you've visited before, so if you click on a blog of the day about poker, suddenly you get nothing but gambling blogs for a while. I'm not really impressed. I'd rather it let you click something like "I like this one", "I don't like this one", so it would be actual recommendations, not so badly aimed. I have found lots of new blogs to check out, even with the wonky button. So I've wasted a ridiculous amount of time reading what other people are doing, but not actually doing anything. I did buy some camera stuff off eBay to play with but since it's eBay I don't expect to see it until at least next week. Really though it's just lens hoods, and some close-up filters to experiment with. If I can find somewhere that rents extension tubes or tele-extenders I have a bit of playing I want to do with both, but I'm not quite willing to spend $500 yet just to play with them. From what I understand I could hook a tele-extender to my 100 mm macro if I put an extension tube between them. From meandering on Flickr I came up with the idea of both items. I want to get a bit closer to the dragonflies, and It would be nice to have any hope at all of photographing a bird as more than a moving dot. I am going to be putting some bird feeders up in my front yard, where the light is better around dawn, and they're close to clean windows I can maybe photograph through. I have bird feeders out in the yard, but they're all so far away and at such back angles I can barely tell what landed on them. The other advantage of the front yard is they would be under a big pine tree which has already killed the grass behind it, so the sunflower seed wouldn't do as much damage. I hate not including a photo, so here you go. An early photo from my cheap cloud camera.

Daily Photo - I'm getting predictable

Daily Photo - Fun Commute

I bet getting to work today is going to be fun...

Daily Photo - Frost Again

This mornings frost was flat and uninteresting, so here is another from yesterday.

Woo Hoo

My Kenyan Sand Boa, who I bought back in October, finally took food. I had tried several times putting it and food in a deli container and leaving it overnight with no success. The temps were good but the snake showed zero interest. I even tried chopping up one of the frozen pinks, still no interest. Tonight I was very near giving up. I'd already started thinking up his craigslist listing (snakes I can't get to eat go on craigslist in the hope someone willing to try with live has an interest in a bargain snake). This was his last chance. Contrary to my preferences I offered this pink in his cage (I prefer my snakes do not connect cage opening to feeding). I left it on a deli cup cover and left it alone. Less than 2 hours later the little butt head ate it. I guess he likes it here. If this looks wonky it's because I typed it on my iPod as my normal computer is off now. I'll fix it tomorrow.