On Tue, 14 Jun 2011 10:12:24 -0400, James Silverton
> wrote:

> For several mornings I have woken up to thumping noises at about 6:30
> AM. By the time I got really awake and found a bathrobe to look outside,
> the noises had stopped. This morning, I happened to look up and saw a
> mocking bird flying at speed up against the clerestory windows of my
> bedroom. He did this about 20 times before stopping.
>
> I guess at that time in the morning the light is such that the windows
> act as mirrors. The bird is probably trying to drive off a rival but it
> takes him 20 or more thumps to get the point or perhaps knock himself
> even stupider.....BIRD BRAIN!

That's what happens when you keep your windows so gol darned clean!

--

Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.

On Jun 14, 11:30*am, sf > wrote:
> > I guess at that time in the morning the light is such that the windows
> > act as mirrors. The bird is probably trying to drive off a rival but it
> > takes him 20 or more thumps to get the point or perhaps knock himself
> > even stupider.....BIRD BRAIN!
>
> That's what happens when you keep your windows so gol darned clean!
Outside my living room window is a large cottonwood tree that the
birdies like to nest in, and they quite often give a try at flying
themselves right through the window. Makes a heck of a clatter,
leaving an all feathers dusting of them on impact.
Drives new roomie bonkers, so there is an in-process build going on
that will make him quite pleased, methinks. Roomie is Bob-cat, the
one-plus year old tiger stripe. I gave my thought to a crafty friend
that has the tunnel, ramps and "cage" built (needs another roll of 1/2-
inch fencing wire to finish the top platform). The 12x18" tunnel goes
from my front used-to-be doggie door (that is simply a cut-out in the
screened security door), along side house under the window, straight
across through the rocked tree basin, up the trunk and across an
angled tri-fork (of the tree trunk) and into a 10" hole on the
platform bottom.
All so Bob can have a great place to talk to the birds without being a
danger to them, and so he cannot run risk of being dive-bombed by them
or just run off into troubles somewhere else.
....Picky

On Tue, 14 Jun 2011 12:00:00 -0700 (PDT), JeanineAlyse
> wrote:

> On Jun 14, 11:30*am, sf > wrote:
> > > I guess at that time in the morning the light is such that the windows
> > > act as mirrors. The bird is probably trying to drive off a rival but it
> > > takes him 20 or more thumps to get the point or perhaps knock himself
> > > even stupider.....BIRD BRAIN!
> >
> > That's what happens when you keep your windows so gol darned clean!
> Outside my living room window is a large cottonwood tree that the
> birdies like to nest in, and they quite often give a try at flying
> themselves right through the window. Makes a heck of a clatter,
> leaving an all feathers dusting of them on impact.
> Drives new roomie bonkers, so there is an in-process build going on
> that will make him quite pleased, methinks. Roomie is Bob-cat, the
> one-plus year old tiger stripe. I gave my thought to a crafty friend
> that has the tunnel, ramps and "cage" built (needs another roll of 1/2-
> inch fencing wire to finish the top platform). The 12x18" tunnel goes
> from my front used-to-be doggie door (that is simply a cut-out in the
> screened security door), along side house under the window, straight
> across through the rocked tree basin, up the trunk and across an
> angled tri-fork (of the tree trunk) and into a 10" hole on the
> platform bottom.
> All so Bob can have a great place to talk to the birds without being a
> danger to them, and so he cannot run risk of being dive-bombed by them
> or just run off into troubles somewhere else.
> ...Picky

I like your idea! I've thought about building an outdoor kitt-iary
(cat version of an aviary). It would be a huge cage with a tree trunk
and branches for climbing and snoozing. Part of it would be open air
(chicken wire) and part would have a real roof over it for protection
during rainy days outside. Mine would have indoor/outdoor access
through a kitty door in the wall of my attached garage.

--

Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.

On Tue, 14 Jun 2011 12:00:00 -0700 (PDT), JeanineAlyse
> wrote:

>On Jun 14, 11:30*am, sf > wrote:
>> > I guess at that time in the morning the light is such that the windows
>> > act as mirrors. The bird is probably trying to drive off a rival but it
>> > takes him 20 or more thumps to get the point or perhaps knock himself
>> > even stupider.....BIRD BRAIN!
>>
>> That's what happens when you keep your windows so gol darned clean!
>Outside my living room window is a large cottonwood tree that the
>birdies like to nest in, and they quite often give a try at flying
>themselves right through the window. Makes a heck of a clatter,
>leaving an all feathers dusting of them on impact.
>Drives new roomie bonkers, so there is an in-process build going on
>that will make him quite pleased, methinks. Roomie is Bob-cat, the
>one-plus year old tiger stripe. I gave my thought to a crafty friend
>that has the tunnel, ramps and "cage" built (needs another roll of 1/2-
>inch fencing wire to finish the top platform). The 12x18" tunnel goes
>from my front used-to-be doggie door (that is simply a cut-out in the
>screened security door), along side house under the window, straight
>across through the rocked tree basin, up the trunk and across an
>angled tri-fork (of the tree trunk) and into a 10" hole on the
>platform bottom.
>All so Bob can have a great place to talk to the birds without being a
>danger to them, and so he cannot run risk of being dive-bombed by them
>or just run off into troubles somewhere else.
>...Picky

I have shiny CDs hanging from monofiliment in my windows and dark
silhouettes of raptors taped to the outside of my window shades...
since putting those up it's very rare that birds attempt to fly
through the glass. Plus there is almost always a cat in my windows
trying to slap at any birds that come near which also warns the
feathery things away.

On 6/14/2011 3:00 PM, JeanineAlyse wrote:

> Outside my living room window is a large cottonwood tree that the
> birdies like to nest in, and they quite often give a try at flying
> themselves right through the window. Makes a heck of a clatter,
> leaving an all feathers dusting of them on impact.
> Drives new roomie bonkers, so there is an in-process build going on
> that will make him quite pleased, methinks. Roomie is Bob-cat, the
> one-plus year old tiger stripe. I gave my thought to a crafty friend
> that has the tunnel, ramps and "cage" built (needs another roll of 1/2-
> inch fencing wire to finish the top platform). The 12x18" tunnel goes
> from my front used-to-be doggie door (that is simply a cut-out in the
> screened security door), along side house under the window, straight
> across through the rocked tree basin, up the trunk and across an
> angled tri-fork (of the tree trunk) and into a 10" hole on the
> platform bottom.
> All so Bob can have a great place to talk to the birds without being a
> danger to them, and so he cannot run risk of being dive-bombed by them
> or just run off into troubles somewhere else.

What a neat idea! You've given me some ideas for the outdoor enclosure
I had built for my cats. I think they need a catwalk that extends
beyond just the space they have now. It'd be easy to do.