Nearly Ready to Go

Posted on May 29, 2013 by Richard

For the last several weeks, when it was not freezing or 8o degrees outside, I’ve been working away, polishing the inside of the trailer.  (Last Fall, I had taken off the grimy “mouse fur” lining the walls and fried a few brain cells getting the glue off the walls.) The polishing is just hard grimy work which requires removing the oxidation and rust with one compound, and then finishing up with another.  It looks pretty good.

The polished walls, with terrible reflections from outside, before I started re-installing beds and cabinets.

I had carefully marked most of the stuff I had removed and stored down cellar, putting the screws in small plastic bags and taping them to the item.  It worked pretty well although the rails to hold the curtains were a challenge.  I had multiple sets of holes in the walls but with Mary’s help holding the ends, and some retries, we got them in place.

Here is a similar shot after the bed, the cabinet, and the infamous curtain railing were installed.  Getting there.

Installing the curtains is a trick, especially with bifocals.  You have to thread little plastic holders into a rail while hunched over and working more by feel.  They are installed, the floor is cleaned up, and I only have Mary’s side to finish and the back end of the trailer is ready.

My side is about ready to go with mattress in place.  All it needs is the dog sleeping on it.

I got the rig de-winterized with fresh water on board — only one problem so far with a spray hose in the sink which sprays me instead of the sink.  I tested out the water heater and finally got the refrigerator going on gas.

Our game plan is to finish up the repairs this week and take a short trip over to Ricker Pond State Park next week for a few days of shakedown.  Feels good to get it this far.

Posted in renovation, repairs, rig maintenance, Vermont State Parks | Tagged | 1 Comment

Teacher, Teacher, Teacher

Posted on May 12, 2013 by Richard

Ovenbirds seem to thrive in our woods.  Each morning, I hear six or more calling back and forth and sometimes, there seems to be even more.  But to see them is another thing.  They can be right next to you calling but if they don’t move, they blend with the forest floor and the low branches.  I always am surprised at how small they are – given their loud voice.  The other morning, two were courting or fighting, and not only did I get a good look, but one perched on a branch 10 feet away.  Of course, it was on of the few dog walks were I left my camera home.

Yesterday morning, I got lucky.  I saw a cooperative Ovenbird who sat still long enough for me to find him in the branches and take a couple of shots.

It's a tough life being a small migratory bird. Studies estimate that half of all adult Ovenbirds die each year. The oldest known Ovenbird was seven years old.

It’s a tough life being a small migratory bird. Studies estimate that half of all adult Ovenbirds die each year. The oldest known Ovenbird was seven years old.

You can see just a bit of the orange crown bordered by black stripes.

You can see just a bit of the orange crown bordered by black stripes.

The other fun fact from my perspective is that Ovenbirds are usually low – on the forest floor or low branches.  They are great for birders, like this one, with a pinched neck nerve.

 

Posted in Local Birding, Vermont Birding, Washington County | Tagged | 3 Comments

Planning a House Wren Party

Posted on May 11, 2013 by Richard

I have made and put out bird houses for the last three years, hoping to attract a pair of Eastern Bluebirds, but I have not even attracted a Tree Swallow.  Zip.

This spring, I took down the houses I had scattered throughout our woods, cleaned them up and changed some fronts where red squirrels had gnawed the holes.  I then mounted them in the open around my bee yard, hoping that the openness and light would make up for a few lost bees.

About two weeks ago, I spotted a House Wren checking out a couple of the boxes and bringing a twig to one of them.  Then, nothing.  Last week I checked the boxes and there was no activity in any of them.  However, two days ago, I noticed a House Wren again checking one out, and as I watched, she brought all sorts and sizes of twigs to the box and proceeded to build a nest.

Some of her twig selections were on the optimistic side.

Some of her twig selections were on the optimistic side.

"Is this more like it, oh critiquer?"

“Is this more like it, oh critiquer?”

"And by the way, that hole you cut isn't round, ol' wood butcher!"

“And by the way, that hole you cut isn’t round, ol’ wood butcher!”

So, Cornell lists the gestation period from 9 to 15 days.  Hopefully in a week or so, we’ll have a hatch of little wrens.  Of course, I’m bringing to new hives with about 60,000 bees to her front yard today.  I suspect, if she’s on the nest, there’ll be no conflicts.

In the 13 years we have lived here, we’ve only had a few nests here and there that we knew about.  We’ve never had one in a bird house.  Hope springs eternal for a few new HOWR’s as neighbors in late May.

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Posted in Backyard birds, Local Birding, Vermont Birding, Yard birds | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Flashes of Red

Posted on May 10, 2013 by Richard

For the last several weeks, we have had dozens of Purple Finches coming to the feeder and just hanging out in the trees around the house.  They remind us of the influx of Common Redpolls we got last winter. Like them, finches chow down on sunflower seeds big time.  It’s wonderful to hear them sing each morning as I walk the dog — they seem to go on forever and their melodies are delightful.  They have gotten more red in their appearance and are parading in full breeding plumage these days.  Here’s one on our apple tree last evening.

Purple Finches not only sing like angels but are beautiful this time of year.

Purple Finches not only sing like angels but are beautiful this time of year.

Today, I birded early with the dog and got an email from Mary with a subject:  “At The Feeder.”  Because of poor reception on the iPhone, the message did not download — but I suspected what she was writing about.  When I got home, I got cell coverage off our home system and read as I sat in the truck in the garage:  “Rose-breasted Grosbeak!!!”

We’ve been hoping for some orioles because birders in the area have been seeing a few.  Of course, the bird never showed again as I prepared for a doctor’s appointment in Hanover.

Several hours later, after successful lab test results, I got a text from Mary:  “He’s back again.”   Of course, I was an hour and a half away in another state.

Arriving home in the afternoon, I hoped our friend was not just passing by.  Sure enough, about a half hour after I got home, I saw him in the apple tree.  What a handsome addition to a tree already laden with Purple Finches (and a few apple blossoms.)  So, he’s County Bird 95 and we are hopeful that he’ll stick around and nest in the neighborhood.

"Hey, are you pointing that camera at me?"

“Hey, are you pointing that camera at me?”

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Posted in County Big Year, Local Birding, Vermont Birding, Washington County, Yard birds | Comments Off on Flashes of Red

Savannah Sparrows

Posted on May 9, 2013 by Richard

Yesterday morning, I went up to the aptly-named Sparrow Farm in East Montpelier for a repeat visit to a spot where I picked up five new County birds yesterday.  The area is a fine combination of wetland, farm fields, and forest and has a nice variety.  It’s a favorite mountain biking trail but early in the morning, no one is around.  I got another FOY as I ended the outing by crossing a large hayfield.  Perched on a clump of last fall’s hay was a small brown bird, indistinguishable through the binoculars.  It let the dog and I get closer and I could hear and see it singing — sort of a buzzy call.  It was a pretty Savannah Sparrow.

A Savannah Sparrow at the Sparrow Farm.

A Savannah Sparrow at the Sparrow Farm.

Later, I went up to the airport to do a little work on my plane and then took a walk with the dog to check out grassland birds there.  A sparrow came flying across the runway and perched on the perimeter fence not far from our position.  It was my second SASP of the day.

At the E.F. Knapp airport in Berlin, VT.

At the E.F. Knapp airport in Berlin, VT.

So, now I am looking for White-crowned Sparrows which have been reported in the County.  There’ll likely be a few other species, like Vesper, that I will watch for as we head toward summer.  It really helps, this time of year, when the sparrows sing, to help me sort out those little brown jobs.

Posted in County Big Year, Local Birding, Vermont Birding, Washington County | Tagged | Comments Off on Savannah Sparrows

Springtime Yellows

Posted on May 7, 2013 by Richard

I went up to Berlin Pond yesterday morning looking for what many of us consider the true sign of spring — the arrival of Yellow Warblers.  I had the truck windows down and could hear them singing before we even parked.  These are the kind of warblers I like — they are at eye level and are little yellow beacons in the shrubbery.

Yellow warblers, even females, are easy to spot and delightful to hear. They bring a smile to birders.

Yellow warblers, even females, are easy to spot and delightful to hear. They bring a smile to birders.

I saw several other FOY birds (Barn Swallows, Purple Martins) as well as a great  selection of birds.  I then went over to the airport looking for new arrivals and way out in a field, I saw and heard my first Eastern Meadowlark.

The meadowlark was way out there and I shot from the truck window -- pushing the camera system big time. They are a beautiful bird -- even at a distance.

The meadowlark was way out there and I shot from the truck window — pushing the camera system big time. They are a beautiful bird — even at a distance.

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Posted in Big Year, County Big Year, Local Birding, Vermont Birding, Washington County | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

All Jacked Up but not yet ready to go.

Posted on May 6, 2013 by Richard

The small bruises and cuts on my fingers signify the completion of a repair project — the replacement of the front jack.  Like most efforts with our old trailer, it was not easy or without “issues.”

So, here is the culprit prior to replacement.  The gears had stripped, the motor had given out, and I was stuck with using a log to keep the tongue of the trailer out of the mud.

What you can’t see is the rusted bolts holding the jack to the tongue.

There was no way that the three bolts threaded into the tongue were going to move and I had about resolved to cut them off with an angle grinder when I got smart and posted a query on a wonderful online Airstream group called Air Forums.  Here’s the question I raised:

I got several responses back that said first use a penetration oil like PB Blaster, then heat if needed.  They all said don’t cut the bolts off.  So, down to our local hardware store I went and talked to one of the knowledgeable guys who further cautioned me to take my time and don’t use too much force or “you’ll snap off the bolt.”
So, I soaked the bolts, tried to move them, heated them, and later that day, got one to budge.  I carefully extracted two of the bolts, breaking the rust with oil and heat.  Of course, the third one snapped when I put an extender on my ratchet wrench — so I was left with two nice threaded holes and a stub of a hardened bolt.
The two bolts and on the right, the snapped-off bolt.  At least the old jack of off the rig.
I ground down the bolt prior to trying to drill it out.

So, the next morning it was back to the store and confessing to my advisor.  He sold me a drill bit/tapping set and some new bolts and soon I was back at the task, trying to get a small drill bit to center on the bolt.  I finally got it drilled and rethreaded.

The final tasks were rather uneventful – the jack fit the hole, the new bolts worked fine, and when I connected the power, the whole thing worked.  It was a lot of work but it was wonderful to have the help of folks who know what they are doing.  After a few additional fixes due to the differences in the new jack, the Airstream is now ready to hook up to the truck again.  Of course, the list of tasks grew as I worked around the unit, noticing items needing repair.  So, we’ll tackle them one at a time but this major one is great to have out of the way.

New jack ready to go.
Posted in repairs, rig maintenance | Comments Off on All Jacked Up but not yet ready to go.

County List Update

Posted on May 5, 2013 by Richard

Four months gone and in spite of pinched neck nerves and out-of-state travel, my list is doing pretty well.  I’m at 79 species and most of those seen with my Vizsla alongside.   I’ve missed some birds early (like Pine Grosbeak) that hopefully I can pick up at the end of the year.  No big deal — this has been an interesting low key effort.  I suspect that my target of 170 is about ten too high but we’ll see as we proceed.  Here’s a couple of local birds I got this week:

I saw this FOY Spotted Sandpiper yesterday at Wrightsville Reservoir wet lands, along with four others.

I saw this FOY Solitary Sandpiper yesterday at Wrightsville Reservoir wetlands, along with three others.

This Warbling Vireo was singing up a storm the other morning at Berlin Pond. It's nice to have buds instead of leaves on the trees.

This Warbling Vireo was singing up a storm the other morning at Berlin Pond. It’s nice to have buds instead of leaves on the trees.

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Posted in Big Year, County Big Year, Local Birding, Vermont Birding, Washington County | 2 Comments

MA Birds

Posted on May 3, 2013 by Richard

We took a three day family trip down to Merrimac, MA where I got to do a little more southern birding.  Unfortunately, most of the migrants have not yet arrived but it was great to see and hear birds, like Northern   and Red-bellied Woodpeckers, that we don’t often see in Washington County, Vermont.   I went to Salisbury State Park with the dog one morning and hit the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge for a few hours the next morning.  Here are a few photos from my outings:

One of many European Phoebes.

One of many European Phoebes.

Chipping Sparrows were everywhere and singing steadily. (They just arrived in Vermont)

Chipping Sparrows were everywhere and singing steadily. (They just arrived in Vermont)

This Cooper's Hawk was patiently waiting along the access road to Salisbury SP.

This Cooper’s Hawk was patiently waiting along the access road to Salisbury SP.

There were nearly 100 Brant on the rocks in the Merrimack River.

There were nearly 100 Brant on the rocks in the Merrimack River.

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Getting the Rig Back Together

Posted on April 30, 2013 by Richard

The snow has melted, mud season is over, and the pinched nerve in my neck has been somewhat relieved.  It is time to tackle the many tasks needed to get the Airstream back on the road.  Recall that I finally got the repairs made to the exterior last fall but all the cabinets, beds, and accessories that I removed and stored down cellar have to be reinstalled.

The snow has finally melted and it’s time to tackle a myriad of projects to get the rig roadworthy again.

But first, I need to deal with the front jack whose motor and gearing failed last year, after several years of burned connections and emergency fixes.  It no longer works at all, which makes it a little tricky to get hitched up.

The jack has been on the rig since 1999 so the three bolts holding it on are rusted in place.  I suspect that I am going to have to cut them off so I borrowed my neighbor’s angle grinder and bought a cutting wheel.  Not sure how I’ll open up the three holes to bolt the new one on.

I ordered a replacement jack from my friends at Vintage Trailer Supply and since they are based in Montpelier, will pick it up on Thursday.  I’m sure they can give me a little advice on steps ahead.  Stay tuned — or if you have ideas, leave a comment.

Posted in renovation, repairs, rig maintenance | Comments Off on Getting the Rig Back Together