April

 March - April

SLIDE-SCANNER PROJECT

Hawaii

Phoebe nest today: Cowbird egg gone, along with one of the Phoebe eggs. Weird, maybe the trail-cam can shed light on the goings-on... nope.

Trail-cam last night

Returnees.

Catbird this morning.

RBGB arrived yesterday.

I'd just started back up with the jelly too.

Apr. 25

White-throated Sparrow. Usually on the ground and hard to shoot.

(FB ten-years-ago memory)

1st picture after mounting trail-cam by Phoebe nest.

Not only is it not nice to fool Mother Nature, it's also "generally" illegal to mess with native species so I'm a confessed outlaw. I removed a Cowbird egg from the Phoebe nest and blew it out through little holes I was able to poke. The next day there was another egg in its place (along with 3 Phoebe eggs) so this morning I replaced that new one with the one I'd blown out (2nd egg picture) and now she's sitting on them again. Hopefully marauding Cowbirds will be fooled too.

Apr. 24Spring things

Leaves on the Pawpaw tree.

Bluebirds. Day old maybe? Last time I looked there were 4 eggs. At least no worries about Cowbirds here, they shouldn't be able to fit through the entry way. Just like last time I picked up a tick this time too. Good thing I thought to look.

At last, a sharp shot of resident Phoebe.

Perched on an old Milkweed stalk.

Lucky-Wordle "sea of green" blue-sky clean-hair selfie.

Apr. 22

Phoebe nest morning update. One new presumed Phoebe egg and one Cowbird interloper.

Apr. 21

In more cheerful bird news: the first Chipping Sparrow!

Just 40 minutes later someone had stolen one of the smaller eggs! (Not me)

Finally some eggs in the Phoebe nest. But damn, looks like one of them is from a Cowbird. I don't know what the story is with the damaged-looking one, I'm sure it's too soon for it to be a chick trying to hatch.

Apr. 20 (Happy "420" everyone!)

Steamin' Euphonium. The video behind had a steaming cup of something which lined up rather nicely.

I started a Youtube playlist to which I'll add any posted song videos (with me singing) from this date.

Jealous Guy

Thanks to Linda Terry for this picture.

Apr. 19

If I could add a note ... it might be of the *dark brown persuasion. *I'm sure my Dad would have assigned it to that part of the spectrum.

Possibly the lowest note I ever recorded, also an experiment in video colour. Update: weighing in at approx. 44Hz it must be a concert F1.

Eastern Phoebe waiting for me to get off her porch.

Apr. 18

Ms Bluebird seems to be intent upon something but I couldn't see what.

Apr. 17

Open Mic Cafe 14, with Jeff Lopez

Some kind of blossom I have yet to ID.

Mum and our "little" bro 50 years ago. Thanks to Edwin for the pictures, I'd forgotten about Snowy, the horse Robin took care of for somebody. Rover (dog) died the same year (1976).

Apr. 16

Milkweed sprouts, horay!

Profile pic of the lucky-wordle day

Apr. 15

I don't take this bass out often, being fretless.

With Jesse Kelley

Open Mic at Kent Lanes. Even though the crowd had dwindled, I was surprised at how the room quieted down for my slow song, almost as if folks were listening!

For the record, no eggs in the Phoebe nest yet, but I've got a method of positioning my phone to get footage. This is a screenshot, don't expect it to play video. I can't see what it's shooting at the time so I put it in video mode and hope for the best.

Apr. 14

Another not-video.The only legit thing about the picture is the people involved. Rehearsing a song with Rick and Michel Williamson (the Wayback Duo). It was so much fun I had to record it. Sharing even though I got the verses mixed up and I'm singing rather flat in places, but Rick's bass and their harmonies really make it for me.

Apr. 13

FB coughed up this 'memory' today, high school yearbook.

Apr. 12

Phoebe nest is happening!
On the shelf mounted explicitly for. Satisfying.
Now to try to see/image eggs. Behaviour suggests there are eggs to sit on. Update (April 12) no eggs yet.

Apr. 11

Male American Goldfinch, same bird, two shots combined.

Apr. 10

Common Grackle methinks.

Two photos from 3 years ago that FB put in my face.

Apr. 9

Thanks to Mia Turquoise / Instagram @bluedotimage for these monochrome images! https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61580732703897

Sitting in with James Knight.

Sitting in with Jim Vickers.

Playlist: A few songs from Open Mic at Kent Lanes

Apr. 7Flashback to a Mick Rogers song I contributed to.

This song gave my left hand a real workout.

Easter Monday 2026. The woodpecker soundtrack is the same day but about 3 hours earlier (~7am), and the video is slowed 50%.

Snow this morning (video, ~10am) and snow exactly two years ago (according to FB memory).

I thought I saw a Phoebe yesterday, no doubt today.

Apr. 6

Ridout brothers Sunday evening Zoom call

Funny Easter thing:https://mastodon.social/@The_Whore_of_Blahbylon/112185500613013150

Bluebird eggs. Last couple of years she did five. Overachieving I thought.

Apr. 5

Bottle of port selfie uncropped (since it got such a positive review). First posted on FB in 2019 with the caption "Visible means of some port."

Celebratory temporary FB profile picture.
Apr. 3

1st Bluebird egg. It's possible it's been there for a day or two as I keep forgetting to check.
I've been seeing two females lately and as of a couple of days ago even two males. I think we're usually down to one couple by this time of year, one male asserting dominant claim to the domain and chasing the others off.

Apr. 2

This HOUSE REPAIR section starts with stuff from other months.

The magnets were helpful getting the chicken wire back in place but I added hooks for longer term. Ugly but functional.

April 10 update on the magnet scheme: mixed results.

Before this project I was covering two of the windows with chicken wire to prevent bird strikes. It seems to work but I'll have to reattach it after the windows are framed. My plan is to use magnets (and avoid holes) but since the frames will be covered with aluminium I needed to put something ferrous in there before the "wrapping". That was my before-breakfast project today.

Apr. 5

Shawn and his girlfriend made big progress. 
Apr. 2 - 4

An old saying comes to mind: "I love work. I could sit and watch it for hours".

Feeders relocated during construction.

Progress

April 2

The north-facing wall is pretty damaged by the chimney where the bees were getting in.

March 31, another view of the nearly finished east-facing wall (2nd story).
This picture shows the 'strut' (projecting from the side of the house near the window) which holds some bird feeders. Most of the wall is north-facing.

March 30 2022, another round of work begins. This is the wall where I think the bats were getting in.

October 2022 when Shawn and Kyle first did siding work on the south-facing wall of the house.