# Close your smokers



## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

It's all loaded with fuel now. As soon as the birds move out you'll be ready to light it.


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## Jeffzhear (Dec 2, 2006)

Wow, how nice....time to use your alternate smoker for awhile!


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## Oldbee (Sep 25, 2006)

That's interesting; cute! Do you know what bird built the nest? A House Finch?


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## MapMan (May 24, 2007)

Neato. Keep the cats clear.

MM


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## d.asly (Apr 28, 2008)

*look again*

i dont' think that's a bird.

it's got fur, not feathers
a paw, not a wing
a pair of incisors, not a beak
and a mammalian nipple(!)

i bet that's a mamma-rodent of some kind.

took a closer look.
bet she didn't give birth yet - that's still quite a belly she's got there.
(unless the babies are lying underneath for warmth, but that's a distant second).


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## Barry (Dec 28, 1999)

d.asly said:


> a pair of incisors, not a beak


I see two beaks.


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## peggjam (Mar 4, 2005)

If you look below the "beaks" you will see the feathers on the wings poking out....tis a bird indeed.


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## Oldbee (Sep 25, 2006)

Stop it d.asly! Now that I look at more closely not all of it makes sense. Like, why is the wing [presumed tiny wing] under the "chin" of the bird unless it's the wing of another bird?

Actually in the first picture I see a very little... "person" peeking out, with dark hair and a big forehead, two eyes and a nose. lol.


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## d.asly (Apr 28, 2008)

*aha moment*

OH wow,
i see how that is a beak... but it's so wiiiiide!
i guess it could be a hillarybird looking for a third term


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## Keith Benson (Feb 17, 2003)

Definitely a bird. Small passerine of some sort and likely to be fledged and on it's way in no time (< 3 weeks or so). Be quick though, those little birds will re-clutch in no time.

We killed a Boston fern on our front porch every year for 3-4 years until we wised up. It went something like this: A Friday in Spring, buy plant. Get it home, and hang on front porch at T=0. At T=2-4 minutes the fist bird would investigate it. At T=5-8 minutes there would be the odd group squabbling for a moment or two over squatters rights to the thing. At t=8-12 minutes the first nesting materials would be dragged in and the nesting process would begin. All day Friday and Sat the human (me) would remove the nesting materials in a attempt to persuade the bird that the fern was in fact, mine; sometimes a vocal argument would break out - every been cussed at by a small 20 gram bird? Water the plant, make noise, string fishing line around, shoo the birds constantly etc. Anything to kindly, gently suggest that the squatters were not welcome in this particular spot. Then, Sunday morning, off to work (odd schedule) and by the end of the day, most of a nest. Removed nest, but no doubt over one of the next few days I would forget and the thing would be built and then - eggs. It was fun to watch the little twerps develop - even if it killed the plant since we could not water it. I never seemed bright enough to just put up a bird house.

The funniest thing was that someone we know who is into Feng Shui (sp?) said that hanging a dead plant near the entry way was bad for my Chi and that of the people visiting our home. I suggested that the 3+ clutches of live babies from that dead fern is pretty good evidence that the chi in our entry way was pretty darned good.

In any event - loved the pic.

Keith


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## deknow (Jul 17, 2006)

...i'd say the bbq is all loaded up with fuel _and_ meat. just feed the little bugger, and it will probably be ready for thanksgiving 

deknow


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## Dan Williamson (Apr 6, 2004)

Apparently you use that thing on a regular basis!


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## Parke County Queen (May 22, 2006)

Not positive, but could be a Carolina Wren's nest. They make nests in odd places and usually have some moss in them. I had one build a nest in a flower pot that was on top of my bee cabinet. I was on a stool getting it and the bird flew out and almost gave me a heart attack and made me fall off the stool.


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## Oldbee (Sep 25, 2006)

*Eeeenuff politics! II*

Here is something MORE interesting than,.........'politics'. lol.

A Carolina Wren nest: 

This is better; sorry. http://watch.birds.cornell.edu/nestcams/camera/views?cameraID=C100041 Well, not so much better is it, lol. Just go to the 'view cams' and you will see that the nest is simillar to the one in the smoker.


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## dcross (Jan 20, 2003)

*Another take on wrens...*

Makes me glad they're so small

http://www.americanartifacts.com/smma/per/b11a.htm

"In addition to nest box usurpation, egg pecking and tossing, and infanticide, house wrens have frequently claimed all nest boxes placed in titmouse and chickadee habitat. One year, a great surplus of house wrens even took over 100% of our bluebird and tree swallow boxes, most of which were placed well away from any tall perch and far from wren habitat. The male wren will wait for an opportunity to enter the bluebird nestbox undetected, and peck or toss the eggs"


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## Parke County Queen (May 22, 2006)

Here's a picture where a Carolina Wren built in my bag of wood chips!


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## RayMarler (Jun 18, 2008)

Baby Robbins have wide beaks I think.


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