Monday, April 18, 2011

Troglodyte!



So who came to visit the feeder yesterday?

Within the huge order Passeriformes, the family Troglodytidae includes small insectivore birds. They are New World species except the Winter Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes) which also occurs in the Old World.

Based on the pronounced white eyebrow and overall rusty brown of this cheeky bird, I'm guessing Carolina Wren.


I've figured out a way to get closer photos of the birdfeeder in action: bird blind!




Downy versus Hairy? I'm guessing Hairy Woodpecker again, based on size and the comma. It's a close call, though.


Also, I've had this orb photo sitting around for over a week, so it's getting posted.


And final piece of business for this blog post: Carmi at Written, Inc. has a topic, "Stumped". We had some trees that were dead and threatening to fall on the house removed several years back. A team of three came in, with a crane, and did the work. They also made one hell of a mess. When we had to get this one removed, my brother had a friend of his, a forester, come by. He cut the tree down by himself, and carved this chair and footrest out of the stump.

~

9 comments:

Jennifer said...

I'll sock it to ya, daddy!!

LOL! I haven't heard that song in a long time.

And again... lovely photos. That sunrise is beautiful.

Ruth said...

Lovely stuff. Thx.

Big Bad Bald Bastard said...

I'd never heard that song before you posted it the first time...DIG IT!!!

The blind is a brilliant idea.

ifthethunderdontgetya™³²®© said...

It's true I've posted that video before, BBBB ('cause I love it!), but this time I had an actual troglodyte picture to go with it. (It's funny that those little perky birds are in the family Troglodytidae.)

P.S. I believe Ruth is right (in her comment at Atrios), that this woodpecker is a Downy Woodpecker, not a Hairy Woodpecker. They are very similar, and size of the bird and shape of beak are the major clues.

The woodpecker in my blog post is facing away, but here's one that I'm pretty sure is a Hairy Woodpecker for comparison.
~

mikey said...

I think you might be missing the point of stumps. Stumps are a joy. One should carefully manage one's inventory of stumps.

And then, when the time is right. You can go to the hardware store and get a plastic tube of ANFO, or even better, a few yards of three eighths inch primacord.

You get a keg. Invite your friends. Drag some big old speakers out back, and play JUST the right mix. Loud. As the people drink beer and sample snacks from brie and hummus to vegies to swedish meatballs, you set and tamp the charges. Make sure there's no power on the charge - we're using chem fuses here, right? Ok, cool.

Now, the party goes, building, kind of like burning man but it's exploding stump, and the music builds toward a climax, and right at sunset you make sure you account for everybody, put them behind the ceremonial yellow line and walk carefully and fully upright down to the targeted stump and pull the fuse. In a strong, unhesitant voice you announce "SIXTY SECONDS" and you stroll, head high, back to the keg, where you casually draw a beer and wander casually to the yellow line. Time stops.

BOOM!!

Stump out, people entertained, satisfaction derived. Life is good...

Substance McGravitas said...

Also, I've had this orb photo sitting around for over a week, so it's getting posted.

Holy shit, it's like an orb pizza!

Smut Clyde said...

Stump out, people entertained, satisfaction derived.

Mikey is giving me flashbacks to life on the farm.

mikey said...

Fun is as fun does.

Blow shit up or stay home.

This is NOT complicated....

Kathleen said...

awesome love the chair