Thread Drift

[DrBee]

I'll admit it - I giggled at locktiti, too.

I think the wren idea might work. Carolina wrens (I'm assuming that's what it is) will nest just about anywhere!. We had a pair build a nest on some shelves we had in an outside alcove right before we moved from SC to here. We kept hoping the little buggers would fledge by moving day. We talked the movers into packing that stuff last. Our plan worked - the fledged the morning before. Your idea sounds plausible. As long as the initial position of the nestbox is right next to the old nest, it might work. I like the idea of slowly raising the box to the tree. That's brilliant! Wrens typically nest in fairly low places, so check the height first to make sure she'll still accept the final height. Good luck! I can't wait to hear how this turns out.

[Nanci]

Well, I'm worried that the tree might be too high now, maybe ten feet off the ground?

The move did not go well. The egg on top was empty- but not from anything I did. Whole, but empty. I dug out a lot of nest before getting to the other three eggs. Broke two, saved one, but it was cold. I put it in the new nest anyway- she'll- if she moves in- either build over it or throw it out. The eggs that broke were not developed at all- so that's ok. She'll just lay more.

Making grilled garlic shrimp for dinner tonight. I bought three pounds! I can freeze what we don't cook for some other meal- they're all mirinated and ready to go.

[DrBee]

Ten feet might be a bit on the high side. If you could pull the box back towards the trunk of the tree and attach it there - that would work. Too bad about the eggs. The good thing is if she takes to the nestbox, you'll have a great view of the babies!

We're having shrimp tonight, too. We're having shrimp etoufee. Yummmm! The in-laws are coming up from Louisiana on Wednesday and they're bringing blue crabs! Yippee! I'm from MD remember.

[Nanci]

She didn't take to it. I don't feel _too_ bad, the eggs hadn' even started to develope. I will move it close to the tree at about an eight foot height tomorrow.

Oh well.

[Trek420]

Nanci, there's a family of birds who've nested in one of the vents on my condo. Not sure what it vents from. At first I was a afraid to run the dryer lest I "cook" them but that does not seem to bug them so...catching up on laundry again.

I know they lost 2 babies. I found the tiny featherless creatures dead on the patio, guess they fell out. Either they lay more eggs or there were more and I can hear the tiny family and see Mom and Dad flying in with fluff and dried vegetation and sitting on the carport roof scolding me when I go out.

There's a birdfeeder in front of the condo, and one in the patio in back. The back one not so much eating because Mae is there but the front one, hard to keep it full

Partly inspired by you and my general tree-huggy background I ordered a bird house. Hope they come back next year they'll be housed in style.

[KnottedYet]

We have woodpeckers that pound away at our sheet metal chimneys. The whole apartment building echoes with it.

I found a tiny blue egg shell in front of my building earlier this week. I'm hoping it was a hatched egg rather than one that got splattered when the new siding was put on our building. Didn't see any gooey or dried egg-guts, so I'm guessing it was a hatched one.

[crazycanuck]

Ok, here's one for you Nanci & anyone else-I'm sure the Australian Government would love you for it..

Read this article about cane toads and what do you think is the best way to get rid of them?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/5092226.stm

Someone said paint thinner works...

I got up at 415am today....As i start work earlier for the next 2 weeks(end of financial year in aust & paperwork increases) I can't join in on a group run or swim...So my friend & I went for a run @ 5am through the city & then ventured to work..

No cycle tonight as it's raining-it's one thing not to be able to see well whilst biking at night(even with lights) but it's another thing when i can't see through my glasses...

c

[DrBee]

Cane toads are a classic example of why exotics should not be introduced as population control for "pest" species. I learned about this long ago as an undergrad in ecology and herp classes. I had hoped that some sort of eradication program had been successful. Sorry to hear it hadn't. Do you see them often?

[crazycanuck]

They're not in Western Australia yet!!! We don't want them...

They're headed this way though & the Western Australian Gov't is trying it's best to stop them...

c

[Nanci]

But they're so adorable!! I am familiar with the problem, though. Introducing animals to somewhere they are not from is almost always disasterous. I had one for a pet when I was in high school. They are called Marine Toads here. I named him Lord something or other- some British Navy person. I also had a Three-Toed Box Turtle at the same time, named Mr. Schneider, after my bf's teacher of the same name. Why? Because each only had one arm...

[DrBee]

*Random thought* I was just sitting here thinking about taking a better picture of my bike (instead of in the shade) and that I should take one in front of my blue CR-V. Then I realized that our two cars are blue and silver and my bike is blue and silver and my new cycling shoes are blue and silver and my helmet is blue and silver. I'm sensing a trend here.

[DrBee]

I FINALLY sent out my SS gift. I even changed up the return address so hopefully they won't figure out who I am. I don't think she reads this thread.

[Nanci]

How do you change up the return address and still be able to have it come back if it has to??

I figured out who sent mine last time, but I don't remember how. And the person I sent mine to figured me out, though I never confirmed it!

I got the box today, it will go out tomorrow...

[DrBee]

I put my mom's address (different state). I figure if it gets returned, it'll be safe there.

I'm starting to think I have a giant magnet attached to me. That, or I'm invisible. On my walk back from the post office, I nearly got run over. A woman drove past me (at a high rate of speed) only about 1ft from me. I could've touched her car with no effort. Craziness!

I figured out who my SS was - she slyly revealed it to me. I never was assigned a SS last time , so they couldn't figure out who I was.

[KnottedYet]

Sick Day.

Woke up in misery. Called in to work, and went back to bed. Weird dreams. Sitting here in my jammies, bummed because I am "free" for the day, but won't be riding. Gonna take some big effort just to take a shower and leave the house to pick up cough drops and throat lozenges.

This must be one of the 130 cold viruses I haven't met yet.

My tonsils are trying to dissolve their way into my skull. Every muscle and joint in my body is explaining (vociferously) that it wants to go back to bed and stop playing on the computer already. My eustacian (?) tubes in my ears itch. Q-tips don't go that far... don't try it.

My temp is 97. It's an anti-fever! If you put me next to someone with a fever, will we instantly annihilate each other like a bad special effect from the original Star Trek?

My dog thinks I stayed home just to give him extra love.