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Some birds (e.g. chickadees, titmice, house sparrows) can be coaxed to land on your hand if you hold out seeds. Woodpeckers and nuthatches rarely come, not because they aren't tameable, but because they are just not comfortable landing on a flat surface. They prefer to be vertical.
So I propose
a vest made of tree bark which you can wear, perhaps smear some peaut butter and seeds on it, and stand in front of a woodpecker or nuthatch. If it's tame, it can cling vertically to your chest and enjoy its meal in the position it prefers. Meanwhile you can also be using your outstretched hand to feed any chickadees or titmice in the area.
Right between the eyes
http://earthfirst.c...hummingbird-feeder/
[2 fries shy of a happy meal, Feb 07 2012]
Christmas_20Robin_20Attracting_20Beret
reminds me of my own idea of a few years ago (shameless self promotion) [xenzag, Feb 08 2012]
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Anyone else see a problem with encouraging a bird that typically uses it's sharp beak to punch through bark and the wood beneath to land on a layer of bark with you beneath? |
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A vest when a codpiece would do. |
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[MechE]Perhaps the bark material should secrete a small amount of tattoo ink? |
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I was thinking the same thing as MechE. That sounds either foolhardy or masochist. o.O |
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I think this is an excellent idea. |
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Another situation for the "*You* do it, I have the camera" line. |
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We're not talking about a Pileated woodpecker here, just a little downy or red-bellied. The vest is made from real bark some kind of padding protection under it. |
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How would you keep the pixelated... I mean pileated woodpeckers off while still attracting the downy or red-bellied? |
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//How would you keep the pixelated... I mean pileated woodpeckers off while still attracting the downy or red-bellied?// |
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Maybe automated using light sensors to detect colour and sets of weighing scales for comparing to average weights of the birds. Then a complicated system of levers, ropes, pulleys, cannon balls and candles would be employed to track the gun towards the bird and pull the trigger. |
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I'm bunning for the sweet thought...disregarding any impractical aspects! |
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//Shotgun//
That's my point. The shotgun would scare away the other kinds of woodpecker you're trying to attract. I can't see any way to scare off the pileated woodpeckers without also alarming the others. |
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Very good. It reminds me of a similar bird watching device. [link] |
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With his stance on cats, I wonder if [8th] would be pro-bird or anti. |
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My beloved arch-enemy is generally a proponent of
anything that can be shot at with a 12-guage, so in that
sense, I think it's safe to say that [8th] is probably pro-
bird. |
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Hummingbirds can also be coaxed to sit on your fingers. I
did it by hanging a feeder with perches outside the window
for a couple of weeks, then removing the perches and
holding my finger out instead. After a few hours, they
were fine with my presence. I also found that they will lick
sugar-water off of your fingers--a surreal experience. |
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Hummingbird-taming takes a lot of patience, which is
easier to come by when you're recovering from a
motorcycle crash. |
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Motorcycle crashes make you patient? This changes
everything! I gotta get me a donorcycle pronto. |
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They don't really teach you patience so much as force it on
you--you can cry and scream all you like, but you're just
not going anywhere for a while. Thus, hummingbird-taming
and similar stationary diversions. I also wrote an
interpretive thesis on _Catch 22_. For fun. |
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This is turning into a one-person bird feeding station! Bark vest, sunflower seeds in hand, hummingbird feeder helmet -- you could also put thistle inside your socks/stockings for goldfinches and hang a suet pinecone from your shoulders :) |
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Any nuts for the squirrels? |
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Oh we have plenty of nuts around here. Don't worry about that part. |
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... and there's always room for one more. |
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Thus my recent appearance here. :-) |
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