Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Peanut Butter Jar Feeder

I really enjoy making my own bird feeders, not only for the money I save but also for the creative satisfaction. This is a design for a Peanut Butter jar (plastic) feeder that is fairly easy to make. I'm still working out the kinks, some of which depends on the plastic you are using. Too hard and it can crack or tear, too soft and it tends to melt. Here it is step by step:

Material list:

* Peanut butter jar (or any plastic, lidded container)
* Two camp plates or similar (small frisbees would work)
* Drill with 1/8", 1/4" and 1/2" bits
* 1 stainless steel binding post (1/4" wide by 1" long)
* Washers - 2+ stainless and 1 rubber
* Eyebolt with two nuts
* 3/4" piece of cedar for a spacer
* Jigsaw (to cut out the spacer).



Check out the photos and customize as you see fit

1) Drill 1/4" holes in the center of both plates, jar lid and jar bottom.



2) Assemble top and bottom hardware with plates and jar pieces



Use the rubber washer along with a normal washer to keep water from leaking in beneath the eye bolt. (This is going to be the top of the feeder). Secure inside the jar with the other nut / washer.





Use the binding post to fasten together the bottom plate, lid and wooden spacer.







To make the spacer I simply found a smaller lid that fit inside the peanut butter jar lid and used it as a template to trace and then cut out a circle from a piece of cedar. The reason for this spacer is to keep seed from resting below an accessible eating place (you'll see why when it all comes together). Be sure to not cut too large a diameter circle. It needs to freely fit inside the peanut butter jar. Use washers as needed to securely join the assembly.

3) Drill two 1/2" holes along the top edge of the jar near the screw threads. This will actually be the bottom of the feeder and allows seed to pour out into the "tray".



4) Drill two 1/4" holes about 1 1/2" to 2" above the threads for birds to feed higher as well. (Not shown).

5) You can trim the excess plastic around the drill holes with a sharp razor blade. This time I used a lighter to heat seal it. I didn't like the results so much because it lost it's clean look. Still it's functional and the birds are eating from it.





6) Drill some 1/8" (or smaller) holes around the bottom tray for drainage.



7) The finished feeder!!!

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Feeder Bird #16

White-throated Sparrow! What an awesome winter guest. If you've ever heard the Autumn call of "Old Sam Peabody Peabody Peabody" then you've heard the distinctive song of the White-throated Sparrow.





Photo Credit:
Tattooeddreamer

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Duck!! #126 - #130

Yet another great day of birding around the Shreve and Funk areas. Greg Miller and I left about 7:45 in the hopes to spot some Sandhill Cranes. It turns out more was on the menu!! Our first stop was Shreve lake. We set up the scope and scanned the area: Hooded Merganser, Great-blue Heron, Pied-billed Grebe and a lifer for me - Ruddy Duck.

Ruddy Duck, Identification, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology

We got turned around a bit on the way to Funk Bottoms, but it turned out to be a God direction. Just outside of Blachleyville at the Church of Christ church, stood a group of 26+ Sandhill Crane. They were close enough for me to fire off some photos through my binoculars, one of which turned out OK. Awesome birds. How cool to think that we get birds this size in Ohio every year.

Sandhill Crane, Identification, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology

The Funk observation platform served up a real treat too. As we scanned the fields beyond, another flock of 86+ Sandhill Crane flew in and circled a few times, trumpeting before landing. What a majestic sight! But that's not all, hunting in the same fields, lazily gilding in flight, was a female Northern Harrier.

Northern Harrier, Identification, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Last stop: Killbuck Marsh area. Most of the water was frozen over, but a few thawed areas served as congregation spots for over 150 American Coots as well as several species of duck, including two new species for me: Ring-necked Duck and Bufflehead.



Ring-necked Duck, Identification, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology



Bufflehead, Identification, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology



View Birding 11/29/10 in a larger map

Photo Credits:

Ruddy Duck - Dick Daniels
Northern Harrier - Kevin Cole
Ring-necked Duck - Lee Karney (Fish & Wildlife Service Employee)
Bufflehead - MDF

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Feeder Bird #15 - Common Grackle

Well certainly not a new bird, BUT a new visitor to my feeder! The common Grackle brings us squarely to 15 different species that have dined at our "restaurant". Backyard bird-feeding is a source of never ending hope. You never know what new birds the next morning will bring! I have been working to expand my feeding station and have designed some new homemade feeders. I'll post with instructions and photos soon as well as reporting on my suet manufacturing. For now... have a great thanksgiving everyone! God bless.



Photo Credits: Mdf

Friday, November 19, 2010

Cattle Egret #125

Just a short country drive in my own hometown brought me in sight of a Cattle Egret. Thanks to Su Snyder and the Bobolink Rare Bird Alert for getting the information out there. As of Nov. 18th the bird was still present at the intersection of Winkleplek Road and Nebraska just outside of Sugarcreek, OH. I could only see it from a fairly good distance but was very excited to get the chance. Bird on!



Cattle Egret, Identification, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology


View Cattle Egret, Nov. 18th in a larger map

Photo Credits: Dario Sanches

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Barn Owl #124

Had a great "Lifer Lunch" today when my buddy Greg tracked me down a small group of Barn Owl at a local farmstead off of CR 207 in Berlin, OH. A big thanks to Melvin Miller for his hospitality and humor. We were graced to see the birds roosting as well as flying when we unintentionally spooked them out of the barn. A truly magnificent animal that is thankfully on the rise in Ohio.



Barn Owl, Identification, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Photo Credits:
Public Domain

Two New Feeder Birds

This morning the frosty chill brings with it a female Brown-headed Cowbird and a Dark-eyed Junco to my backyard feeding station. Also appearing not long ago, a pair of Carolina Wrens. This brings my species total up to fourteen. For the complete list go to my Backyard Birds page. Come one, come all!

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Fall Migration Celebration! #116 - #123

Well I obviously haven't managed to post for awhile - sorry! Never fear however, the chase continues. I was able to get out five times n October and once so far in November and saw new birds every time. The first two October outings I already posted so we continue with door number three...

10/17/10 - Ira Trail head along the Towpath Trail, Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

Had a great day with my whole family on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. We went on one of those treasure huntin' trips you find online, and of course I brought along the binoculars! We just happened to be walking along what is known as "beaver marsh" and were rewarded for our exploration and daring dodging of the abundant cyclists, hikers and joggers (oh my!) with some great family time and great birds.

* Black-capped Chickadee
* Pied-billed Grebe
* American Coot







Black-capped Chickadee, Identification, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Pied-billed Grebe, Identification, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology

American Coot, Identification, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology


10/18/10 - Beach City Backwaters

My how the weather can change this time of year. MY buddy Greg and I had the birding itch and just wouldn't be denied though the icy rain was indeed unpleasant. We birded from the car along Kaylor road whilst the rain came down and soaked our sleeves. Worth it? Absolutely! We couldn't even be contained in the car when several great birds showed up in the berried tree tops.

* Yellow-bellied Sap Sucker
* Golden-crowned Kinglet
* Purple Finch







Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Identification, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Golden-crowned Kinglet, Identification, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Purple Finch, Identification, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology


10/31/10 - The Wilderness Center

My awesome 4 year old boy agreed to come on a daddy adventure this Sunday afternoon. He really doesn't looooove sitting in one place f-o-r-e-v-e-r watching birds fly around, but he was a patient dude long enough to let me catch site of my first listed Dark-eyed Junco. I was really looking forward to this bird because it's one I grew up with in upstate New York, but which I haven't seen yet in Ohio. Had a great time hiking through the woods hunting dragons and practicing kung-fu as well ;)



Dark-eyed Junco, Identification, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology

11/01/10 - County Road 140 (Cherry Ridge Road) - Sugarcreek, OH

Three cheers for the Bobolink Area, Rare Bird Alert! Right in my own home town comes the notice of a Eurasian Collared-Dove. Thanks to David Ray at the Cherry Ridge Greenhouse for walking us right up to the tree where the bird was roosting.



Eurasian Collared-Dove, Identification, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology


View Fall Birding in a larger map


Photo Credits:

Black-capped Chickadee - Mdf
Pied-billed Grebe - Alan Vernon
American Coot - Mdf
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - Dominic Sherony
Golden-crowned Kinglet - Dori
Purple Finch - J. Carmichael
Dark-eyed Junco - Ken Thomas
Eurasian Collared-Dove - Rovdyr

Monday, October 11, 2010

By The Throat! #115

The Beach City Dam has some surprisingly nice areas to bird watch. Recent improvement to the dam has left several small trails cut through the wooded area downstream from the dam dike. It was just a short time ago that I tried birding there for the first time and had several run-ins with Warblers and a fantastic view of a Winter Wren. I never added the Warblers to my list because I am still learning to ID them and wasn't 100% sure at the time. The dam also happens to be not but 15 minutes from my house as well, which is niiiice.

So, with 3 hours to burn this morning, I decided to try my hand again. Today I was armed with two bird guide books, a fall warbler ID chart and Stokes audio field guide on my iPod. Yes, I was determined to ID whatever came my way! As it turns out I saw only Yellow-rumped Warblers today, which have now become an easy ID for me. But I WASN'T skunked! Flitting through the shaded under growth was the one, the only, White-throated Sparrow! A great bird and a welcome migrant this time of year. Go out and find one! By the way... this bird has one of those songs that you've probably heard before. I've heard it just today as a part of outdoor sound FX on a TV show... which brings up another point. Do YOU ID the bird calls you hear on TV shows?? That's when you know you may be in a little deep...

White-throated Sparrow, Identification, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology


Photo Credits:

White-throated Sparrow - Cephas

Saturday, October 9, 2010

From Top To Bottom... #113-#114

My birdwatching has been a bit sporadic this fall. But between family and work I have managed to catch some short forays into the outdoors. Today was one of the Autumn days that makes you want to bask in the October glow. I had a few hours so I headed over to the Beach City Wilderness Area to see what might turn up. I wasn't disappointed! Coming around a bend in the road I saw a tell-tale fluttering out of the corner of my eye. Binoculars up and I saw my first White-crowned Sparrow.

White-crowned Sparrow, Identification, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Further down the road I parked along the way beneath a canopy of oak and berry producing trees. Quite a few birds were working the area. Downy and Red-bellied woodpeckers, Robins, Jays, Cardinals and then something different caught my eye. Flitting about like flycatchers in the foliage was a grayish bird with streaked flanks and white wing bars. A sudden turn and the bird presented itself: Yellow-rumped Warbler. Turns out there was a small group of about 10-15 of the birds from what I could see.

Yellow-rumped Warbler, Identification, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Well there you have it. Three hours and two new birds. Good day ;)


View Beach City Birding 10/9/10 in a larger map


Photo Credits:

White-crowned Sparrow - Wolfgang Wander
Yellow-rumped Warbler - Alan D. Wilson

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Back in the Action! #109 - #112

Well it's fall migration time and I've been going a little nuts reading everybody's posts about the birds they are seeing but not having the time to go out! Well over the weekend I got my chance. I managed to pick up a few new birds as well. On Saturday morning I visited the Beach City backwaters to follow up on reports of warblers moving through the area. Unfortunately I never got a clear view of any though I think some stayed just out of sight. I did here quite a few White-eyed Vireo, which seems to be a favorite haunt of theirs. Plenty of other common birds where around, but also playing hard to spot in the thick understory. The spot of the day was a Broad-winged Hawk flying overhead. Did that ever silence the birds for awhile!

Broad-winged Hawk, Identification, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Sunday afternoon I headed out for the Bobolink area grand tour: The Wilderness Center, Killbuck Marsh and Funk Bottoms. I was almost breathless from excitement heading out, visions of migratory birds flooding Wilderness Rd. in my head. I quick stop at the observation window at TWC yielded a great look at a Chestnut-sided Warbler amongst piles of Gold Finch and Chipmunk. But the "Wilderness" was calling and I stayed not long...

Chestnut-sided Warbler, Identification, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology


OH THE SORROW when I arrived!!! Almost all the the mudflats where dry and had turned into mere grassland. Being that I also had no spotting scope the few birds still hanging around the area where far out of ID reach. I may have seen the Bobolink, but alas I could not be sure. A bald Eagle in the distance was but cold comfort for my new bird hunger. BUT fret not! I did see a site that tickled both the new bird and funny bone. Strolling past one of the pools (you know the water that used to be in the mudflats before being pumped out = grrr) I spotted some Canada Goose decoys floating quietly in the breeze (double grrr). Low and behold, atop the headless rump of a ducking decoy was defiantly perched a Double-crested Cormorant basking lazily in the afternoon sun. I could have kissed that cheeky bird! THAT was worth the drive for sure.

Double-crested Cormorant, Identification, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Sorry to say that my brain must have overheated in the sunshine and I missed my window to stop by the Funk Bottoms observation platform - no Sandhill Cranes for me yet... I did, however stop by Wright Marsh and, thanks to the spotting scope of some young Amish birders, I finally got a peak at a Common Moorhen. As a point of interest Wright Marsh seems to be shaping up nicely. A VERY large mudflat in the works.

Common Moorhen, Identification, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology

That's all for now. I WILL live to bird another day! Bird on!


View Weekend Birding 9/11-9/12 in a larger map


Photo Credits:

Broad Winged Hawk - Len Blumin
Chesnut-sided Warbler - Cephas
Double-crested Cormorant - MONGO
Common Moorhen - Jens Nielsen

Monday, August 23, 2010

ONE Hundred!!!!!!!! AND... #94 - #108

Oh how sweet it is! My #100th life bird (and 2010 goal) has come and gone today in a flurry of shorebird and water fowl wonderfulness. Today's arena of Avian adventure?? Pipe Creek in Sandusky, Ohio. Nestled in the fringes of Sandusky bay and just across the water from the infamous Cedar Point, Pipe Creek is a well tended wildlife area with several impoundments in which to view our feathered friends. All together, with the help of my decorated birding buddy Greg Miller, I added 15 new life birds to my list between 8:30 AM - 10:30 AM.

Terns in flight over Pipe Creek (Cedar Point in the background):



It was an absolutely beautiful day to be outside with a cool breeze blowing from the north and temperatures in the high 60's to low 70's this morning. We didn't need to go further than division B because the birds were so plentiful. So here they are in listed order, my march to (and past) 100!!

Up first, the duck with bill to spare, The Northern Shoveler:


Northern Shoveler, Identification, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Sticking out like a sore thumb, in white plumage and notorious swimmin' and dippin', the Red-necked Phalarope:



The Killdeer look-alike less one stripe, the Semipalmated Plover:


Semipalmated Plover, Identification, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Looking like a mongrel mutt in off season plumage, the Black-bellied Plover:


Black-bellied Plover, Identification, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Standing tall among his compatriots, the Greater Yellowlegs:


Greater Yellowlegs, Identification, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Standing out in size and blazing "beakage", the Caspian Tern:


Caspian Tern, Identification, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Coming in strong at number 100 (place fireworks here) , the Common Tern:


Common Tern, Identification, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Wait, that's not a small Great Egret, that's a Snowy Egret:


Snowy Egret, Identification, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology

With that striped-eye appeal, the Forster's Tern:


Forster's Tern, Identification, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology

The always understated, black-legged, Baird's Sandpiper:


Baird's Sandpiper, Identification, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology

The bird with the deep-dipped dip, the Stilt Sandpiper:


Stilt Sandpiper, Identification, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Flying with a flash of white and blue, the Blue-winged Teal:


Blue-winged Teal, Identification, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology

The not-quite-so-blue, white variant, frog-eatin', Little Blue Heron:


Little Blue Heron, Identification, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology

The duck with the big head, the Hooded Merganser:


Hooded Merganser, Identification, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology

And finally, the all-over-the-place-at-McDonald's, Ring-billed Gull:


Ring-billed Gull, Identification, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology


Yes, we bid a fond farewell to the days of double digits and plod ever forward into the gilded halls of 100+ lifers. Our new goal we can now reveal - 150 birds by 2011??? We shall see! Muhahahahahahahahahahahahahah ha ha ha ha ........ Yes, bird watching does things to your brain.

Bird on!


View Pipe Creek Birding (8/16/10) in a larger map


Photo Credits:

Northern Shoveler - J.M.Garg
Red-necked Phalarope - Teddy Llovet
Semipalmated Plover - D. Gordon E. Robertson
Black-bellied Plover - Tim Bowman
Greater Yellowlegs - Mike Baird
Caspian Tern - Dick Daniels
Common Tern - Andreas Trepte
Snowy Egret - Mike Baird
Forster's Tern - Alan Vernon
Baird's Sandpiper - Marlin Harms
Stilt Sandpiper - Len Blumin
Blue-winged Teal - http://www.naturespicsonline.com
Little Blue Heron - Len Blumin
Hooded Merganser - Len Blumin
Ring-billed Gull - Mdf