Hitchclock is an outdoor mechanical clock, that’s kept wound up by wind driven blades, that naturally look like large winged birds, whose movements are geared down to deliver the necessary energy to the mainspring.

It gets its Hitchcock derived name from the actual escape mechanism, which is controlled by regular visitations of real birds, who peck at a simple device, having quickly learned that establishing a regular pattern of pecking releases pellets of food. As the pecking is so intermittent and random, multiple compensating timing gears are required to ensure that some semblance of actual time is maintained. At night, hungry bats and owls take over the visitations to the clock.

Hitchclock isn’t so great at keeping good time, due to its dependency on flocks of fickle birds and prevailing winds, and is more intended to be a monument to the great director, especially in his creation of one of my favourite films "The Birds".
-- xenzag, Oct 14 2017

The Birds https://goo.gl/images/GN9V7Z
Hitchclock feeding time [xenzag, Oct 14 2017]

// hungry bats and owls take over //

Bats are either insectivorous, or - like flying foxes - eat fruit; a very few species drink blood. Owls are carnivorous, predating small mammals.

A tray of live mice would do to attract owls, but the bats might be a bit more problematic.
-- 8th of 7, Oct 14 2017


I’ll put you in control of night feeding :-) I had also considered the merits of this being a "day only clock". The maintenance of correct time is not really the point though.
-- xenzag, Oct 14 2017


<first annotation edited to make [IT]'s anno seem nonsensical>

// I’ll put you in control of night feeding //

<manic gleeful giggling>
-- 8th of 7, Oct 14 2017



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