Saturday morning in the park.

Here's the results of our bird walk at Hills Creek SP Saturday morning. With the leaves of the trees growing larger and larger, more and more of the birds are first IDed by their singing. That will end soon for some of them as they pair up, build a nest and become a bit more secretive.

Hills Creek SP, Tioga, US-PA
May 12, 2012 7:30 AM - 10:30 AM
Protocol: Traveling
2.0 mile(s)
Comments: Beautiful morning: Clear, cool (45-60 degrees), sunny, with little breeze.
42 Double-crested Cormorants flew over in a perfect V formation.
39 species

Canada Goose X
Mallard X
Hooded Merganser X
Double-crested Cormorant X
Great Blue Heron X
Osprey X
Spotted Sandpiper X
Chimney Swift X
Ruby-throated Hummingbird X
Red-bellied Woodpecker X
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker X
Pileated Woodpecker X
Eastern Phoebe X
Red-eyed Vireo X
Blue Jay X
American Crow X
Tree Swallow X
Barn Swallow X
Black-capped Chickadee X
Carolina Wren X
Eastern Bluebird X
American Robin X
Gray Catbird X
European Starling X
Ovenbird X
Common Yellowthroat X
Magnolia Warbler X
Yellow Warbler X
Chestnut-sided Warbler X
Yellow-rumped Warbler X
Black-throated Green Warbler X
Eastern Towhee X
Chipping Sparrow X
Song Sparrow X
Swamp Sparrow X
Northern Cardinal X
Red-winged Blackbird X
Common Grackle X
American Goldfinch X

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org)

One mystery solved...

Besides which switch is used for the hot water heater, that is. (Yeah. I forgot. Between rewiring the circuit board last August, not being up here long enough to use the hot water system since September when I drained it, and not updating the paper sheet on the inside of the circuit box's door.... Luckily I had a written copy sitting on the kitchen table.)

I got the toilet to work properly...for now. First an explanation: A flush toilet works by holding a quantity of water (1.5 gallons in the new version, closer to 3 gallons in the old) in a tank. Flushing the toilet requires opening a valve that lets that water rush into the bowl building up pressure to push water over a system of humps inside the base. (Think a combination of water slide and roller coaster.) When the water gets above and over a critical hump, it creates a siphon that pulls the balance of the water (and other stuff) in the bowl into the drain pipe. It all depends upon that valve.

My tank has a flap valve that gets pulled up by a chain attached to the end of an arm attached to the exterior handle that you push to start the whole thing rolling. The simple flap is soft but stiff rubber it's own weight and the weight of the water in the tank holds it firmly closed until the chain pulls it upward. Somehow, while getting all the water out of the tank last year, the chain was adjusted and became too taut. It would not allow the flap to fall that extra 1/10th of an inch necessary to form a seal. I couldn't see that last night until I shinned a flashlight in there. (The inner workings of a toilet are dark and secretive. And the water in the tank was damn cold!)

Solution, let the chain out one link--about 1/4 inch--and everything is hunky-dorey. For now.

All right! (Almost.)

Well, the plumbing repair seems to have worked. I just turned the pump back on and there were no leaks in the pipe!

But now the toilet doesn't work.

The water flows into the holding tank just as it should...but the tank never fills up! I've no idea where the water is going but it's not going down into the bowl. (It did just once fill and flush properly, but quoth the Raven....) There are several spidery cracks in the porcelain god throne but there are NO extreior leaks. It sounds like the water is going right down the drain. How it's getting there is the puzzle. The damn thing may have hemorrhaged internally despite the use of antifreeze.  Considering the number of winters in the unheated cabin the current throne has endured, it's not terribly surpirsing.

Now I'm waiting for the hot water heater to...well...heat the water that currently fills the tank.

It's always something...

There's always some little thing that tries to ruin a perfectly good day.

******

We had a good morning birding at Hills Creek State Park today. First we had two new couples and a long lost couple show up thanks to an article that ran in a local free magazine called Mountain Home. It contained information about our walks and several of Gary's excellent bird photographs. Then we had perfect conditions for an enjoyable walk as the temperatures ranged from the upper 40s to the low 60s under clear, blue skies. And there wasn't much of a breeze either.  Finally, the birds cooperated and we spotted some 38 species including a few I don't believe we've seen before..they were certainly new to this year's walks. I'll be posting the complete list probably tomorrow.

******

After our bird walk, we had our end of the year picnic for the Tiadaghton Audubon Society. Even that was well attended with the core group of a dozen or so showing up. Even our east-west snow birds made their return from California in time to join in. We had a good time talking birds, travel, gizmos and what-not.

******

Around 1:30 PM our picnic broke up and Terry headed to New Jersey for Mother's Day and I headed north to the Bolt Hole to see what needed to be done in and around the cabin and to start getting the trailer in shape for our trip to Cape Cod.

My trip went well with no traffic delays or snarls and I even got to listen to the last two innings of the Mets game against the Marlins. (Mets won 9-3.) I arrived at the Bolt Hole around 5:30 PM. I got a few things out of the truck, turned on the phone and refrigerator and went down into the basement to turn the water on and that's when things got wonky.

Oh, the pump turned on just fine, but for the first time since I bought the place, one of the PVC pipe sprung a leak and water started to spray all along the 3-foot section of pipe. Needless to say, I was not pleased.

I started to rummage around and found the pipe cutter, a length of pipe, properly sized joints, primer and glue for repairs. Unfortunately, the glue had congealed over the winter and was worthless. Soooo...off to the nearest Lowes to get more. (The local hardware store closes around 5 PM on Saturdays and doesn't open on Sunday so the 60+ mile round trip was necessary.) I needed to pick up some gasoline for the lawn mower anyway.

Back at the Bolt Hole it took me about half an hour to cut out the old, split section of pipe, cut a new length, prime and glue the joints to the replacement and then clean, prime and glue the new piece to the old ends. Now I wait while it cures before turning the water on again. Hope the patch works!

******

Tomorrow, if the plumbing repair worked, I can get on to the other things I need to do. I'll crank up the lawn mower and get those sections of the yard that Mark has not been maintaining. He's gotten the bulk of the yard done in an effort to make the place lok lived in so that leaves the pieces out of sight from the road.

Then I'll check the tire pressure on the trailer (I brought the air compressor with me--just in case--but left the tool box witht he spare gauges back at the Aerie. Sure home there's one in the truck!) and see what's going on inside. I brought the fully charged battery up to put that in place and will get the propane tanks out of the garage and put them in their cradle.

Past, Present, and Future

It's been a couple of very quiet days at the Aerie. Well, for me anyway. Terry's been running hither and yon doing all kinds of stitching stuff.

After a rainy Tuesday we had a decent Wednesday and I got the grass cut once more. Thursday we had a nice morning but then waves of isolated showers swept in to keep everything nice and damp. And the wind picked up, too. Out of the north-northwest so things got really raw. When the rain stopped, the wind didn't so we had a very cool night with temps dropping to the upper 30s here on the side of the hill. It probably got colder down in the valley.

We're going on the road in about a week. Yesterday we made arrangements to have a young lady come in to care for the cats while we are out gallivanting around--first to Cape Cod and then to Portland, Oregon over a five week period. The first leg of our trip will be with travel trailer in tow and will be a reunion of sorts with the folks from our Alaska Adventure. After returning the trailer to the Bolt Hole, we'll head west to visit with our son and daughter-in-law. They've a porch that needs reconstruction. Terry also has a desire to see her niece and her husband down San Francisco way so we may end up looping down the coast before heading east on I-80.

In the interim, we've got a Saturday Bird Walk to attend to and then a picnic lunch. Then I get to go up to the Bolt Hole tomorrow afternoon to check out the trailer and--probably--cut the grass.

Covering some new ground looking for birds.

This morning six of us went west on Route 6 to the small village of Rexford just east of Gaines where one of our Tiadaghton Audubon Society members lives on the banks of Pine Creek. She led us on a merry little car tour southeast over the mountain and through the woods all the way to the west rim of the Pine Creek Gorge at Colton Point State Park. Our quest to find birds had us stopping on the road numerous times. Sometimes we were in front of private lands and cabins while at other times, we were in wither parts of Tioga State Forest or Colton Point State Park.

Our goal was to locate the allegedly abundant Blue-headed Vireo and we finally succeeded. (Its call was heard many more times than we were able to actually see the little bird.) Along the way we also saw 37 other species according to my list. A couple of the warblers (the Black-and-white and Blackburnian) put on a nice little snow for us but several species were more easily heard than seen as the leaves of the trees are mostly out now and provide excellent hiding spots for the small birds.

Rexford to Colton Pt, Tioga, US-PA
May 9, 2012 8:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Protocol: Traveling
6.0 mile(s)
Comments: From the Rexford Bridge over Pine Creek we took Painter Run Road to Painter-Leetonia Rd then on to Deadman Hollow Road to Colton Point.
The weather was cool (55 degrees) and overcast. No breeze at all.
38 species

Common Merganser X
Wild Turkey X
Turkey Vulture X
Osprey X
Mourning Dove X
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker X
Northern Flicker X
Least Flycatcher X
Eastern Phoebe X
Blue-headed Vireo X
Red-eyed Vireo X
Blue Jay X
American Crow X
Common Raven X
Black-capped Chickadee X
Tufted Titmouse X
Hermit Thrush X
Wood Thrush X
American Robin X
Gray Catbird X
Ovenbird X
Black-and-white Warbler X
Common Yellowthroat X
Blackburnian Warbler X
Yellow Warbler X
Chestnut-sided Warbler X
Black-throated Blue Warbler X
Black-throated Green Warbler X
Eastern Towhee X
Chipping Sparrow X
Field Sparrow X
Song Sparrow X
Dark-eyed Junco X
Northern Cardinal X
Rose-breasted Grosbeak X
Red-winged Blackbird X
Common Grackle X
Baltimore Oriole X

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org)

Mowing the Grass...again.

Sheesh! Last Saturday I came back from our bird walk and realized that the lawn--which I had mowed on the previous Monday--looked like hell. Some of the grass had started to send up seed heads and all the dandelions that ducked beneath the blade on Monday were standing tall, proud and, in most cases, in seed. So I cut the lawn again. It looked like I succeeded in cutting off some 90% of the flowers and all the seed heads. (Some of the flowers still hugged the ground.)

Then we had some cool nights, a little rain and some sunny days and when I got back from taking another bird walk this morning (more on that in the next post), I looked at the lawn and saw that it was in pretty much the same shape as it was Saturday before I cut it: lots of dandelion flowers and seed heads. So I got out the lawn mower and cut it again before the predicted showers arrive this evening. This time I dropped the blade about half an inch before starting. Once more the lawn looks respectable with about 95% of the dandelions clipped off.

This time I spotted four snakes while working on the lawn. Two garter snakes were spooked from the stone wall that forms one of the raised garden beds and two red-bellied snakes--one of them the largest red-bellied I have ever seen was over a foot long--were on the edge of the driveway. Like the return of certain species of birds, the appearance of snakes on the stone walls and in the grass is a sure sign that summer has nearly arrived.

This is the third time I've had to cut the grass in a week and a half. I'll probably have to cut it again Sunday or Monday. I really do not mind cutting the grass. It's good exercise and a pretty mindless activity. I've already got a huge pile of grass clippings that should be worked into a compost heap by mixing in some soil. But that can wait fro another day. 

Time to Look at...

21 Congressional Members resembling Muppets

Go. Look. Laugh.

Birding at Hills Creek State ParkMay 5, 2012

We had a nice morning for a walk about at Hills Creek State Park. It was overcast and a little humid but the temperature stayed between 55 and 60 degrees.

There were a ton of warblers in the trees which means I'll be putting some hot compresses on my neck this afternoon! Most of the little buggers were Yellow-rumped Warblers but there were a few Chestnut-sided, Black-throated Green, Blackburnian, and Magnolia Warblers, too. Hermit and Wood Thrushes were present along with the Ovenbirds although none of them were real easy to spot! The Red-eyed Vireo, usually very difficult to find in the tree tops, cooperated by picking an ash tree that hadn't yet leafed out as it's singing perch of choice.

We didn't see many water fowl except for the Canada Geese, but there were two ospreys and an adult Bald Eagle.

In any event, here's the list of species I compiled this morning:

Hills Creek SP, Tioga, US-PA
May 5, 2012 7:30 AM - 10:30 AM
Protocol: Traveling
1.5 mile(s)
Comments: Overcast with a slight breeze out of the north. Temperatures between 55 and 60 degrees.
38 species

Canada Goose X
Turkey Vulture X
Osprey X
Bald Eagle X
Spotted Sandpiper X
Mourning Dove X
Eastern Phoebe X
Red-eyed Vireo X
Blue Jay X
American Crow X
Tree Swallow X
Barn Swallow X
Black-capped Chickadee X
Tufted Titmouse X
Carolina Wren X
Ruby-crowned Kinglet X
Hermit Thrush X
Wood Thrush X
American Robin X
Gray Catbird X
European Starling X
Ovenbird X
Common Yellowthroat X
Cape May Warbler X
Magnolia Warbler X
Yellow Warbler X
Chestnut-sided Warbler X
Yellow-rumped Warbler X
Black-throated Green Warbler X
Eastern Towhee X
Chipping Sparrow X
Song Sparrow X
Swamp Sparrow X
White-throated Sparrow X
Dark-eyed Junco X
Northern Cardinal X
Red-winged Blackbird X
Brown-headed Cowbird X

This report was generated automatically by eBird v3 (http://ebird.org)

Carolina Wren

Another bird to add to the Aerie's list for 2012.

The Carolina Wren, is a resident. I spotted a pair of them looking over the box they've used for three years as a nest site. They are NOT good neighbors, however.

For one, they are loud! For small birds, their vocalizations are surprisingly up there on the decibel scale. And, since they sing all day from dawn til dusk, that can be annoying. (Good thing the cats wake us up early anyway.)

The other problem with Carolina Wrens is that they do not like having other birds nest in the boxes they consider too close. They build their nest in one box and then fill the other(s) with sticks to make it look occupied.

Like I said--bad neighbors. So we have a small, brown, feisty, loud, obnoxious bird who's a bad neighbor. Remind you of anyone?

Carolina Wren 

How about now? Carolina Wren

Okay. This one has to give it away. Chin up and off to the viewer's right. Look familiar?

Carolina Wren in a..ahem..Presidential pose

Baltimore Oriole

Yet another bird to add to the list: The Baltimore Oriole

I see these come through the yard once or twice a summer. I haven't found any nesting areas on the property, perhaps because we don't have any ponds or streams. The neighbors do, however. What we have are several apple trees and a handful of crab apples and choke cherries. All of which are currently in flower. And the orioles seem to like the nectar.

Today, three of them appeared in the apple tree across the driveway at noon as I started grilling a steak for my lunch. One stayed around long enough for me to grab the camera and snap a few pictures off the deck.

Baltimore Oriole 

Baltimore Oriole 

Baltimore Oriole

Baltimore Oriole 

Baltimore Oriole

 

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

I mentioned the other day that we have had Rose-breasted Grosbeaks coming into the feeders I've seen three males at one time and they have nested around the house in years past so it was only a matter of time before the females showed themselves. Today I managed to get a couple of pictures of both when they came to the tray feeder on the deck. The photos could be clearer--if I just went out and cleaned the windows--but these are pretty good for showing the very different plumage between male and female.

Male Rose-breasted Grosbeak 

Male Rose-breasted Grosbeak 

Female Rose-breasted Grosbeak 

Female Rose-breasted Grosbeak 

Although she's not nearly as flashy as her male counterpart, I like the lines on the head that camouflage her in her weedy nest. (The Red-winged Blackbird female is similarly camouflaged.) And the subtly yellow on her striped breast--about the only other part of her that would be seen while she sits on a nest--is also very nice.

Dandelions and Butterflies

I mentioned the other day that while I was mowing the lawn all the dandelions seemed to have ducked beneath the blade. That left nearly as many yellow dots on the lawn after I cut them as before. I'm not about to go out and get some weed-and-feed type lawn fertilizer or even spray weed killer upon the lawn indiscriminately. To do so would result in 1) virtually no greenery at all and 2) grass growing too quickly for my liking (i.e. more mowing). Maybe I should get a cow or a couple of goats or sheep. We've had some thunderstorms the last few nights and the result is a well watered lawn--and crop of dandelions. Bright sunlight and warm temperatures have caused those dandelions to stick their heads up and go to seed.

Dandelion seed head 

Dandelion flower and seed head 

Besides, the dandelions attract numerous insects. Anything from honey bees and bumble bees, to butterflies will come in to sip their sweet nectar.

A Red Admiral

We've had dozens of the Red Admirals flitting about the yard and seen countless others on the dirt roads here about. (They also love the minerals from the clay.) Several other species of butterflies of about the same size but much more orange with black dots--possibly fritallary species, have also visited the dandelions. 

 

More Birds

Two more birds to add to the list of Aerie visitors.

I was standing on the deck this evening when I got buzzed by a male Ruby-throated Hummingbird, the first of the year. The two feeders I put up are hanging there. After buzzing me, the little bird moved to the more distant of the two feeders and took a few sips before taking off for the trees.

As I followed its flight, an Eastern Phoebe came from around the corner of the house. It was almost as thought the Phoebe thought the Hummer might be a large bug. It pulled up when it got near the hummer and headed off in a different direction, landing on a nearby branch. It pumped its tail a couple of times and then took off into the woods hunting bugs in flight.

A Lazy Man's Birding Report

A couple of new birds to add to this year's Aerie list:

The Ovenbird and it's "Teacher, teacher, teacher" call was heard today for the first time. And the Black -and-white Warbler's squeaky wheel; "wee-see-wee-see-wee-see" was heard during lunch. I (very) briefly heard what I thought might have been a Wood Thrush early this morning, but it sang only once and didn't repeat its song for me to be sure. Yesterday I did hear a Black-throated Green Warbler as it sang "zoo-zee, zoo-zoo-zee" repeatedly from the woods. Never did get a look at him though.

The Ovenbird is one of those you can hear and never see as it stays very close to the forest floor seldom singing from more than three feet above the ground. And it's olive-drab back and streaked breast blend into the shadows and shades of the understory very well. That and they seem to be ventriloquists. Even when you're 100% sure you've got their location, they may be 10 feet away from where the sound is coming from. We've had a couple of these nesting in the area over the last few years. They're ground nesters and there's enough stone ledges and tree trunks to provide protective roofing for them.

The Black-and-white Warbler is easy to spot among the tree tops--if you don't mind getting warbler-neck. It's distinctive appearance make it difficult to misidentify even when the bird you're looking at is busy searching for bugs and not singing. When it's singing, you can't miss it at all.

We continue to have a pair or more of Eastern Towhees in the woods around our clearing. They too have a very distinctive call that sounds like a command: "Drink your tea! Drink your tea!" They've nested here before and will probably do so again. Like the Ovenbird, the Towhee is a ground nester and you nearly have to stumble upon the nest to find it. I must have come pretty close this afternoon while looking for the Ovenbird as a pair of Towhees suddenly appeared no more than 10 feet away from me and seemed a tad concerned about my presence.

A couple of male Rose-breasted Grosbeaks have been coming to the feeder fairly regularly. They haven't been singing until today, however. Perhaps they're hoping to convince a female that this would be as good a place as any to raise a family.

Add those to the American Robin, Northern Flicker, Blue Jay, American Crow, Mourning Dove, Dark-eyed Junco, Pine Siskin, Black-capped Chickadee, American Goldfinch, Purple Finch, Red-winged Blackbird, Chipping Sparrow, and White-throated Sparrow and I've a pretty decent list for sitting on the deck this morning. [I forgot to add Turkey Vulture to the list.]

A friend from over near Hills Creek State Park reported having a Ruby-throated Hummingbird in her yard for the first time yesterday, so I've mixed up some sugar solution (1 cup sugar to 4 cups water) and put two feeders out.  Her husband, Gary, also said he saw some Pine Warblers at the park so it seems things are heating up on the birding migration as well the thermometer.


Last evening I heard several Woodcock "peent"ing out their love call and performing their aerial ballet.

Parakeet or Stool Pigeon?

Stray parakeet tells Japanese police where he lives

A pet parakeet was returned to its owner Wednesday after the lost bird told police its home address near Tokyo.

Credit goes to the bird and the owner.

The bird's owner, a 64-year-old woman, once lost another parakeet after it flew away and was determined to prevent a repeat, the spokesman told AFP.

"So the owner decided to teach the address to this parakeet after she bought it at a pet shop two years ago," he said.