The Seattle BirdCam

Daredevil squirrel

2011-11-19T22:46:00.000-08:00

This daredevil squirrel balances on a sunflower 8 feet in the air while he gorges.

Documentary on Sarvey Wildlife Rehabilitation Center

2011-11-19T22:29:00.000-08:00

I made a short documentary on an extraordinary wildlife organization - the Sarvey Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, an Emergency Room for wildlife. Meet the staff and volunteers who save thousands of injured or orphaned wild birds and animals every year.

Squirrel Spanker in Action!

2010-05-31T11:52:00.000-07:00

After years of dealing with squirrel attacks on my bird feeders, I developed the Squirrel Spanker to chase the little rodents off. It worked great, except I had to be there to trigger the Spanker when a squirrel was at the feeder. If only there was a way to automatically trigger the Spanker without me having to be there...

A Goldfinch moves in

2009-05-10T18:50:00.000-07:00

This male Goldfinch has taken up residence in our backyard and we're delighted! We're hoping he finds a mate and moves into one of our birdhouses.

New, Improved Armored Bird Feeder

2009-05-06T23:15:00.001-07:00

The squirrels must have found a weak spot in the original "armored" feeder because they chewed the hell out of one of the feeder holes.

Well, we're ready for them with the new, improved Version 2.0 Armored Feeder! Break your little rodent teeth on this!

An armored bird feeder

2009-04-05T21:10:00.000-07:00

Trying to keep the squirrels from robbing the birdseed is a full-time job. Not only do they steal seeds, they destroy the feeders. At the top is a feeder that was only two weeks old, destroyed in a day by squirrels. I've armored the feed holes in its replacement, shown at the bottom, with metal, overlaid with J&B Weld metal epoxy. Click the image to view a larger version.

Hopefully this will give the squirrels a toothache.

Not a bird...

2008-08-03T22:10:00.000-07:00

... but we saw this Pacific Tree Frog while birdwatching at the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge, so I'm posting it! Although it looks big in this extreme close-up (click the image to see the full-sized photo), this frog is only an inch and 1/2 long.

Barred Owl released into Carkeek Park

2008-05-21T21:56:00.000-07:00

This male Barred Owl was found injured by the side of the road in Seattle's Carkeek Park.

Luckily, PAWS' nationally renowned Wildlife Center is nearby and he was taken there for several weeks of rehabilitation.

My neighbor works at the Center, and was kind enough to let me know that the rehabilitated owl was going to be released back into Carkeek Park from their backyard, which borders the park.

In this video, you'll see the owl released from his travel crate, whereupon he flies to a nearby shed to get his bearings. He barely has a few moments to look around before a crow first screams a challenge at him, and then attacks him from behind.

The owl escapes to a nearby tree where the crow can't get at him. I stopped filming at this point, but later, when things had calmed down a bit, the owl began hooting. He was soon answered by another nearby owl, perhaps his mate. Sounds like a happy ending to me!

Hairy Woodpecker vs Downy Woodpecker

2008-02-09T23:02:00.000-08:00

This hungry Downy Woodpecker is getting annoyed, waiting for the much larger Hairy Woodpecker to quit hogging the suet.

Flexi-Perch in action!

2008-02-02T15:33:00.000-08:00

Tim of Colorado has a squirrel problem so bad that he almost gave up feeding the birds. But he built himself one of my Flexi-Perch birdfeeders (using these
instructions) and got this video of a squirrel trying to get at the seeds and finally falling off the feeder. The squirrel falls quickly, so that part is re-played in slow motion.

Chickadee nest and eggs

2007-12-27T12:17:00.000-08:00

I took down our birdhouses for cleaning earlier this month, and found that a Black-Capped Chickadee family had made good use of this one, building a 3 inch high nest out of moss and dog hair:

At first, I was disconcerted that there were 6 unhatched eggs in the nest, but then I remembered that I had watched the chickadees at this birdhouse successfully fledge their first brood. These eggs are from a second or maybe third brood.

Here's a closeup of one of the eggs:

Live video now available!

2007-12-21T15:37:00.000-08:00

I've just updated this site and replaced the updated-every-30-seconds picture with a java applet providing live video from the BirdCam. Please let me know how it's working for you!

If you're curious, you can tell how fast the live video is updating by right-clicking in the live image and selected "Show FPS" from the FPS menu item.

Enjoy!

New Red-Tailed Hawk ringtone

2007-12-19T23:31:00.000-08:00

This call will get your attention! Give a listen...

Hairy Woodpecker feasting on suet

2007-12-18T17:17:00.000-08:00

This male Hairy Woodpecker is enjoying the suet at the SeattleBirdCam. You get a good look at the red band on the back of his head.

Bird Song Ringtones for your phone!

2007-11-29T00:30:00.000-08:00

I've just found a site that allows me to provide my recorded bird songs as ringtones! I'm starting off with the Bewick's Wren song I use on my own phone, and a Song Sparrow song used by my wife. Believe me, you won't wonder whose phone is ringing when you use these one-of-a-kind ringtones!

Just listen to the previews, select the song you want, and it will be downloaded to your phone for the special introductory price only $1.99!

[UPDATED ABOVE]

New Steller's Jay page

2007-11-23T16:51:00.000-08:00

I've added a new page for the Stellar's Jay, which has two audio files (and spectrograms) of the Jay's raucous calls, both of the recent videos, and a nice photo of a jay with a peanut in his mouth.

Steller's Jay weighing peanuts

2007-11-22T23:05:00.000-08:00

We put out peanuts for the Steller's Jays at SeattleBirdCam.com, and the jays never just pick up a peanut to eat. They always pick one up, put it back down, then pick up another as if comparing their weights, before deciding which peanut to fly off with. Here's an example of that amusing behavior.

Steller's Jay

2007-11-21T01:17:00.000-08:00

I love watching these Jays come around and I keep a supply of peanuts ready for them at the SeattleBirdCam.com.

Live video experiment

2007-11-11T16:08:00.000-08:00

UPDATE: This experiment is over. See the December 21 2007 post for the latest live video experiment.

I've been wanting to provide a live video feed of the BirdCam for years, and after much experimentation, I've got something for you to try out.

To view the live video, you will need:
- the latest Yahoo Messenger application installed on your PC/Mac/Linux box
- a Yahoo id.

Details on how to download and install Messenger and get an ID are at:
http://messenger.yahoo.com/newtoim.php#q3

(You may want to use the "Custom Install" option to install only Messenger, and not the other Yahoo "optional" products.)

After you've completed these steps and have Messenger running, add a new contact named "seattlebirdcam". This will send a message to me and I'll approve the request as soon as I can (this may take several hours if I don't happen to be sitting at my computer).

If the live video is running, you'll see a "View My Webcam" label next to the "SeattleBirdCam.com" id. Just click on this label and a video window should pop up and, after a few moments, start displaying the live video feed. In my testing, I've found that a display rate of about 3 updates per second is typical.

Let me know how this works for you! Please leave your comments and questions here in this blog post comment section so that everyone can see them.

Good luck!

Bathing Beauty Towhee

2007-11-04T23:15:00.000-08:00

Since I installed a birdbath at the Seattle BirdCam this summer, I've been amazed at how many birds use it for drinking and bathing. It's so popular I may have to start the Seattle BirdBathCam. This Rufous-Sided Towhee is enjoying the waters.

Updates in progress...

2007-11-03T17:22:00.000-07:00

You may notice some strange images showing up on the live birdcam for the next few days while I try to get motion detection working. If it works, should have more pictures of birds and less of an empty feeder.

Goldfinches on Flexi-Perch

2007-10-25T22:51:00.000-07:00

These goldfinches, in their winter plumage, are feeding and fighting at the Flexi-Perch bird feeder.

Suet for Two (..Downy Woodpeckers)

2007-10-13T22:17:00.000-07:00

Watch this male and female pair of Downy Woodpeckers enjoy some suet at the Seattle BirdCam!

My Squirrel-Proof Birdfeeder: The "Flexi-Perch"

2007-10-10T23:05:00.000-07:00

For as long as I've been feeding birds, I've also been battling the squirrels who steal the birdseed and chew up the birdfeeders. I've been working for some time on a squirrel-proof feeder and have just published instructions for how to build my new, patent-pending, "Flexi-Perch" (tm) feeder for less than $10. If there's sufficient interest, I will sell them, too (for a lot more than $10). I'll soon be reconfiguring the birdcam to view the Flexi-Perch, but for now, here's a picture of it in use:

New Rufous-Sided Towhee Bird Page

2007-10-03T23:39:00.001-07:00

The Rufous-Sided Towhees now have their own page, where you can listen to three of their calls!

Adult Rufous-Sided Towhee close up

2007-09-05T23:18:00.001-07:00

I put this up specifically to show off his red eyes, but Youtube's compression of the video seems to have turned them gray!

Juvenile Towhees

2007-06-26T12:10:00.000-07:00

These young Rufous-Sided Towhees are out foraging on their own for sunflower seeds at the Seattle Birdcam. Note the small, undeveloped beaks and the yellow areas where the upper and lower beaks meet.

Hummingbird Moth

2007-05-28T23:25:00.000-07:00

We saw this beautiful moth, often mistaken for a "baby hummingbird" because of its rapid wingbeat and the way it hovers at flowers while it feeds on nectar, near the Methow River in eastern Washington State. Its melliferous common name is the "Snowberry Clearwing" and it belongs to the Sphinx Moth (Sphingidae) family.

Anna's Hummingbird

2007-05-17T10:57:00.000-07:00

This male visits the Seattle BirdCam regularly every day. Watch for the flash of red on his head when the light hits it right and listen for the buzz of his wings.

Call of the Rufous-Sided Towhee

2007-05-15T13:10:00.000-07:00

This Towhee is calling near the Seattle BirdCam. Not a very melodious call, and he can keep it up for what seems like hours!

Goldfinches

2007-05-05T17:59:00.000-07:00

Goldfinches at the SeattleBirdCam. I've add a soundtrack of three Goldfinch songs recorded the following week. The three songs are repeated for the length of the video.

Drumming Pileated Woodpecker

2007-05-01T00:31:00.000-07:00

This male Pileated Woodpecker is drumming on a utility pole near the Seattle BirdCam. This time of year, you'll also often hear Northern Flickers drumming.

The Tree Swallows have arrived!

2007-04-29T00:12:00.002-07:00

... and the Oregon Juncoes have left for the summer.

The Homeless Egg

2007-04-17T22:56:00.000-07:00

I felt bad enough after disturbing the Chickadee nest last week, but a few days later we found this Chickadee egg on the ground a few feet from where the nest had been. Mea culpa! Mea maxima culpa!

Homewrecker

2007-04-10T18:27:00.000-07:00

On Easter Sunday I was cleaning off my front deck when I noticed a bunch of dead leaves, twigs, and other litter hanging out of the zipped-open tool pouch hanging from the seat of my bicycle.

Annoyed, I brought over the garbage can and began pulling the trash out. At the bottom of the trash, I was surprised to find a newly-built nest! Here's a picture of the nest and the tool pouch it was in.

Based on its size, and the materials used (small twigs, hair, moss, insect cocoons, and feathers), I think it was a Chickadee's nest.

Feeling guilty about ruining it, I put up a birdhouse a few feet away.

Song Sparrow Singing

2007-04-05T23:12:00.000-07:00

This Song Sparrow sings two of his songs today near the SeattleBirdCam.

Red-Tailed Hawk

2007-03-19T23:26:00.000-07:00

This dark-phase Red-Tailed Hawk paused last week for a rest in the woods behind the Seattle BirdCam. He shows off his deep red tail when he takes off (chased by crows) at the end of the video.

It's Spring

2007-02-18T18:16:00.000-08:00

At least according to the local birds.

In the last week the Chickadees, Song Sparrows, and Bewick's Wrens have started singing, the Flickers have started calling, and the Anna's Hummingbirds have started their courting flight displays. Yesterday I saw a pair of Bewick's Wrens hopping around the neighborhood blackberry bushes, looking for a nesting spot.

It seems too early to me, but I've put up a birdhouse for the Chickadees, just to be sure.

Patent of Horror

2007-01-19T22:47:00.000-08:00

I've been browsing birdfeeder-related patents recently for a secret project, and came across this appalling horror of a patent. A device that captures songbirds and conveys them to a waiting cat! This depraved inventor should burn in hell!

Rufous-Sided Towhee

2007-01-12T21:19:00.000-08:00

This beautiful bird is looking for sunflower seeds in the snow beneath the Seattle BirdCam. It's not apparent in this video, but his eyes are deep red!

Sharpshinned Hawk

2007-01-03T14:13:00.000-08:00

This male Sharpshinned Hawk spent a few days hanging around the SeattleBirdCam in late December 2006. He even tried to eat at the suet feeder!

Bushtits at suet feeder

2006-12-19T17:56:00.000-08:00

Bushtits travel in large flocks in the winter, and it's always fun when a flock of 15 or more birds descends on the suet feeder at the Seattle BirdCam.

Northern Flickers "anting"

2006-12-07T22:06:00.000-08:00

While Northern Flickers are common visitors to the suet feeder at the Seattle BirdCam, they also engage in "anting" behavior, looking for insects and other food on the ground. You can tell by the "moustache" that this is a male.

Here's a pair of Flickers anting. The female is on the left.

Juncoes in the snow

2006-11-27T19:01:00.000-08:00

We had our first snowfall of 2006 in Seattle yesterday and I threw some sunflower seeds onto the snow for these Dark-Eyed Juncoes. When you watch this video, note the mutant white-mottled juncoe that comes in at the top left of the frame at about 30 seconds in.

Egret vs Gator

2006-10-20T14:29:00.000-07:00

We just returned from a trip to Marco Island, on the Gulf coast of Florida. One of the birding highlights was our visit to the Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island. That's where I took this photo of a Great Egret being stalked by an aligator. I hadn't known this, but Ding Darling was an editorial cartoonist in the first half of the last century, and an influential conservationist. Many of his cartoons regarding wildlife conservation are still perfectly relevant in today's society. I bought a CD of his cartoons and I'll post some of them.

Red-Breasted Nuthatch video

2006-09-13T15:31:00.000-07:00

These are Red-Breasted Nuthatches I videotaped a few weeks ago at my parent's home in Lacey, about 60 miles south of Seattle. I hadn't realized how feisty they are, but they are not shy about scolding Black-Capped and Chestnut-Backed Chickadees (and each other) away from the bird seed. If you watch carefully, you can see how the male's cap is black, while the female's is blue-gray.

"Babbling" juveniles (Bewick's Wren)

2006-08-25T11:49:00.000-07:00

I've just posted two recordings of a juvenile Bewick's Wren "babbling" as it tries to reproduce the songs it hears. In the first, the babbling is mostly just a random set of whistles, squacks, and trills.

In the second recording, captured just a week later, the juvenile's singing is much more accomplished.

Another new Black-Capped Chickadee video

2006-08-20T23:25:00.000-07:00

Here's a backyard chickadee singing a different song. I'll soon be putting up some mp3 files of at least 3 Black-Capped Chickadee songs.

New Black-Capped Chickadee video

2006-08-16T12:26:00.000-07:00

I've been videotaping chickadees in my back yard, trying to capture them singing. I've just posted the first video on the Black-Capped Chickadee page and on YouTube. More will be forthcoming. Enjoy!

New Bewick's Wren photos

2006-08-12T23:32:00.000-07:00

I chased a Bewick's Wren around the backyard with my videocamera yesterday and managed to get two photos that I've just posted on the Bewick's Wren page. They're not perfect - wrens don't sit still long enough to make good subjects - but I hope you'll enjoy them until I can get some better ones.

How to sing like a Bewick's Wren? Practice!

2006-08-09T13:23:00.000-07:00

A juvenile Bewick's Wren was "babbling" in the backyard today, singing a few notes of one song, then a few notes of another, interspersing them with random wrenish buzzes and trills. He's learning the songs of the local adults and that's quite a job, since an adult typically sings more than 15 songs. These songs vary by geographical region, with different "dialects" recognized in the Eastern, Western, and Southern US. I've recorded nearly a dozen of the local songs and you can hear them on my Bewick's Wren page. I'm so enamored with these songs that I use one as the ringtone for my cell phone.

Smithsonian Magazine has a great article about the book "A Singing Life of Birds", which describes this "babbling" behavior of juvenile Bewick's Wrens.

Anna's Hummingbird (hearts) Crocosmia

2006-08-09T11:17:00.000-07:00

The Crocosmia in our backyard have almost finished flowering, but the Anna's Hummingbirds are still visiting it for its nectar.

The male hummingbirds will defend this territory, buzzing and spitting in battle above the backyard like an enraged hive of bees.

The victorious male will then often perform his courtship display, hovering a few feet above the flowers, then rising straight up, as if in an elevator, to at least 80 feet. He then dives straight down, pulling up in a curve at the last instant. He rises to about 20 feet off the ground, then hovers and gives out his victory cry.

As I write this, a female Anna's has just visited the Crocosmia, then visited several Russian Sage (Pelkovia) outside my office window.
She didn't seem too impressed with the taste of the sage. Perhaps it's time for me to put out the hummingbird feeder.

Phoenix

2006-08-06T16:27:00.000-07:00

The Seattle BirdCam has been reborn as a blog. I'll be able to add fresh material - bird images, videos, and sound - more easily in this format.

Enjoy, and let me know of any improvements you think of!