Some Recent Bird Photos

The trailer is mothballed for the winter, and the party tent has been dismantled.

That makes it a good time to post some bird photos.  First is a Palm Warbler, taken in October at Hammonasset Beach State Park in Connecticut.

Many different warblers migrate through Connecticut in the spring and fall.

The Greater Yellowlegs can be found here much longer; only recently have they moved on.

House Finches may be found here year-round.

In November we were visited by a Black-Headed Gull, shown here in non-breeding plumage.

This year we are fortunate to have both Red Crossbills and White-Winged Crossbills with us in numbers.  They feed extensively on the pine cone seeds.

This is the male Red Crossbill:

 

Below is the male White-Winged Crossbill, identifiable by the white patches on the wings.

 

 

This shot captures males of both types:

 

The females of both types sport a greenish-brown color, as seen here in the White Winged Crossbill:

Finally for today, along with the crossbills we have had numerous Red-Breasted Nuthatches:

 

Compare this coloration with the White-Breasted Nuthatch commonly found hereabouts:

Northern Shovelers

Shovelers are aptly named for their beaks, which have comb-like projections to filter food - often aquatic invertabraetes- from the water.  

The male might be mistaken for a mallard, aside from the extended beak.

Harlequin Ducks

Taken on Cape Ann, Massachusetts, 11/23/12.

These ducks are among the most colorful, and among the most difficult to photograph.  They ride the Atlantic surf from Cape Ann and north, close to shore, and dive to feed on the vegetation below.  They are extremely shy and will quickly move away from any human presence.  

My wife was fortunate this year to locate a spot where they were close in to shore, with good lighting, and apparently unfazed by our presence.

To add to the difficulties, their dark forms against a reflective surface make getting a proper exposure challenging.  Here, we can see the dark eyes against the dark feathers of the face while the water is not over-exposed.  In several years of trying, this is the first time I feel satisfied with a photograph of the harlequin.

Time to Hibernate

To all blog followers,

The teardrop is being built outside, under a party tent.  Here in Southern New England we have the potential for significant snow accumulations that would destroy the tent.  Additionally, temperatures are frequently colder than glues and finishes require.

Thus we have decided to hibernate the trailer for the winter.  Within the next couple days it will be moved into a storage unit and the tent dismantled.

I anticipate that the project will be reactivated in early April.  Meanwhile, I may occasionally post some photographs here just to keep in touch.

In any event, do please check back by April 15, 2013, for the resumption and completion of the project.

Emmitt 

Hatch Urethaned

Where a wood like oak is concerned, there is nothing like polyurethane to bring out the characteristics that make the wood so iconic.

Today we applied polyurethane to the inside of the hatch.  The first photo is a "before" shot, with the hatch elevated to provide easy access to the inside of the bottom area.

 

The following shots were taken after the urethane was applied:

 End grain,  lamination and plug.  How sweet it is!

Polyurethane is a wonderful thing!
 

The Hatch Revealed

After installing the beadboard we needed to cover the outside of the hatch with 1/8" birch plywood.  This was a two-step process, whereby we first attached a 5' plywood section, and we then affixed a piece fit to the remaining area.

Below, the second piece of 1/8" birch is installed, and the joint/end shimmed as appropriate.

After letting the glue set, we removed the band clamps to reveal the hatch as shown below, with the top of the hatch at the bottom of the photo.

Next we test-fit the completed hatch to the opening.  There was no precision in this fitting and thus no judgements made.  Note that the crosspiece is there merely to provide an in-situ clamping element.

Once the hatch was upside-down on the table, one couldn't resist the photo ops:

Sean couldn't resist the opportunity:

Unfortunately for him, the hatch will not be installed upside-down, and such restive opportunities will not exist.