Association Forum - What Birds where you sail?

Assn Members Area · Join

Home.

Association Forum

Ships Store

Cruising

Racing

Technical Tips

Photo Gallery - New

Boat Search - Updated

Manuals & Brochures

Swap Meet

Links

Officer Flag Line & Staff

Bylaws & Constitution

Members Area

Join the Association

Notice:
The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.

Association Forum

Username:	Password:
Save Password
Forgot your Password?

All Forums

Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

General Sailing Forum

What Birds where you sail?

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Author

Topic

Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

Member Avatar

Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Initially Posted - 10/16/2004 : 23:22:43

As our lake has matured over the last 35 years, we have become a migration spot. This time of October we have dove sized sea birds of some sort. They are white with gray markings. There were literally a million of them on the lake tonight. They look like insects in the air. I like to sail through them. Most of the year we have virtually no birds other than fisher types.

Edited by - on

Oscar
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
2030 Posts

Response Posted - 10/16/2004 : 23:31:42

Glad you're enjoying the ornithological profferings of your lake Frank. The Sassafras river where Lady Kay swung off her mooring this year has a veritable plethora of bird species. The most impressive is the gang of Cormorants that made the fleet (at least 30 of them) on the moorings their home. Around sunset they find a perch on the top of the masts. They groom, bend or break any hardware that's in their way (there was not one windex left functional) deposit a partially digested crab or two on deck (about 2x2 inches) After a week you need boots and a shovel to reclaim your deck. Then there's seagulls, sparrows, swallows, osprey, on the spreaders and the boom......oh yeah, lovely all those birds...

Oscar
C42 # 76 "Lady Kay" (Formerly C250 WB #618)

Edited by - Oscar on 10/16/2004 23:34:10

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 10/17/2004 : 00:03:40

Around our club are many white egrets, a pair of swans (plus signets), cormorants, Canada geese, great blue herons, one osprey that I know of, night herons, little swallows (in the evening), and scores of "sea-rats" (seagulls). A goose laid 4-5 eggs on a friend's bimini and wouldn't leave them until he took off with her up there (a power boat).

Edited by - on

lcharlot
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Antigua and Barbuda
1301 Posts

Response Posted - 10/17/2004 : 17:52:49

Folsom Lake has a terrible problem with crows. Rampant development is pushing all kinds of wildlife out of their former habitats in the foothills east of the lake, and the crows are congregating in huge numbers around the Marina, where their droppings make a mess on your boat that is a pain in the a** to clean, since there is no water (or electricity) at the docks. You just have to scoop up a bucket of lake water and wash as best you can with a deck brush.

Edited by - on

Oscar
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
2030 Posts

Response Posted - 10/17/2004 : 20:53:09

I know the bucket drill. On the mooring I don't have water either, sometimes I'm unable to get to the hose. I'm contemplating putting in a washdown pump....Sounds like you need to get a gas powered water pump.....

Oscar
C42 # 76 "Lady Kay" (Formerly C250 WB #618)

Edited by - Oscar on 10/17/2004 20:54:26

MattL
Admiral

Members Avatar

USA
990 Posts

Response Posted - 10/18/2004 : 01:08:13

At Lake Yosemite we have a small population of gulls, farious small birds, lots of egrets, there has been a pair of bald eagles in the past. We also have an owl that sometimes roosts above the club house.
There are many wild life areas around the county with duck, geese, and all the other shore bird poplations. The kids love going to the refuges and watching the variety of wild birds.

Edited by - on

Oscar
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
2030 Posts

Response Posted - 10/18/2004 : 12:07:44

Reminds me of the seals in San Fransisco........although I don't believe they are endangered. I recommend tying to a dock, and yelling "Two for one in aisle 14" from shore......

Oscar
C42 # 76 "Lady Kay" (Formerly C250 WB #618)

Edited by - on

Charlie Vick
Captain

Members Avatar

USA
423 Posts

Response Posted - 10/18/2004 : 12:44:48

Unfortunately those kind of birds have migrated indoors for the winter.

On Tenkiller we usually have sea gulls, blue heron and buzzards during the summer months but in the winter its like a zoo. The pelicans and bald eagles are my favorite but we also have loons, coots, geese, and almost any kind of duck you can think of. Its one of the reasons winter sailing is my favorite time to be on the lake.
That and no other boats on the lake!

CVick
PanaceaII '81 C25 #2439 SRSK

Edited by - on

Ben
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1234 Posts

Response Posted - 10/18/2004 : 13:56:34

We get a lot of herons, both green and great blue. We also get seagulls, and sky carp (Canada geese), cormorants, the occasional bald eagle, some hawks (red tail I believe) from time to time. And mallard ducks.

Edited by - on

ddlyle
Captain

Members Avatar

302 Posts

Response Posted - 10/18/2004 : 18:23:08

Just remember to keep your mouth closed when you look up !! :|

Saturday while sailing back to the marina I watched a bald eagle chase an osprey to get the fish he had in his mouth. A dog fight with birds!
The eagle kept at him until the osprey dropped dinner and the eagle dove down to the water and retrieved osprey's catch.
The osprey then took off after the eagle but the eagle was faster and headed for some trees to chow-down.
Pretty cool sight.

"Literally a million birds ..."
WOW I'm amazed you could count them before a couple moved and you had to start over.

Edited by - ddlyle on 10/18/2004 23:48:11

Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

Members Avatar

Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 10/19/2004 : 09:00:02

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by ddlyle
 Just remember to keep your mouth closed when you look up !! :|

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

When you realize that is only 1000 thousand and you start looking at acres of birds it is easy to develop conviction. I would easily bet your last $10 on it.

Edited by - on

cathluk
Admiral

Members Avatar

USA
513 Posts

Response Posted - 10/20/2004 : 22:34:45

Year 'round we have swallows that live under the docks, several kinds of gulls, Canadian geese, ducks, herons & cranes. The loons winter over on Godrey Bay & Fishing Bay. In the spring the loons go back north & the osprey come to nest. Later in the summer the pelicans (my personal favorite) show up & by fall the osprey have left. We've saw numerous bald eagles in one anchorage off the Great Wicomoco River last fall. There used to be a swan at another anchorage, but he wasn't there this year. I love watching the osprey & pelicans hunt.

Edited by - on

tinob
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1883 Posts

Response Posted - 10/22/2004 : 12:22:43

There aren't many birds that I dislike. Basically I'm a bird person, having raised several species of parrot, pigeons and such. Of the local birds I enjoy the antics of falcons, herons, ospreys, kingfishers, owls, geese, hawks, egrets. I'm not in favor of relinquishing prime people beach areas so that piping plovers might nest but, as Myron Cohen quips, "everybody's gotta be someplace". EH !

The cormorant however I'd like to see on the endangered species list. The cormorant's proclivity for spraying its excrement over every boating appliance is legendary with a seemingly overpowering passion for Sunbrella fabrics. Its reproducive capabilities nearly outshine those of the rabbit. About five years ago they weren't to be seen hereabout and then there were two. And you know where this is going. Last year I counted sixteen of them along the Patchogue River breakwater and at least as many gulls. This year there were more than I could count in the time it took me to transit the area, with a deminished number of gulls.

And so I ask, anyone have a recipe for them ?

Val on Calista # 3936
Patchogue, N.Y.

Edited by - on

Buzz Maring
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1772 Posts

Response Posted - 10/22/2004 : 12:41:17

The cormorant however I'd like to see on the endangered species list. - Val

Hi Val,

If the cormorant ever makes it to the endangered species list, I'll celebrate with you! Not only are they flying sh*t machines, they just about eat their weight in small game fish every day ... what a nuisance bird!

One interesting thing about cormorants though ... if I'm not mistaken, these birds are used by fishermen in Southeast Asia who train the birds to "fish" for them. The fishermen put a ring around the bird's neck so it can't swallow the fish, and they also have a sort of leash tied to it. The bird is trained to dive in the water and retrieve fish, and every now and then the ring is loosened from the bird's neck so it gets a "reward" fish to eat. 'Pretty clever use of a nasty bird!

Edited by - on

Derek Crawford
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
3324 Posts

Response Posted - 10/22/2004 : 15:37:08

We used to have 2 very noisy geese in the marina. The manager was aked if they had names. He said, "Yes, that one's called Thanksgiving and the other is Christmas" !!! For some reason they are no longer around...
Derek

Edited by - on

tinob
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1883 Posts

Response Posted - 10/23/2004 : 09:32:04

Buzz,

I was thinking about the Chinese fishing machines as I typed the above seeing it as a possible solution to the problem(tighten the ring and not release it). B U T That would make me the bad guy.

Gotta find an environmental control/predator that has a shine for the cormorant.

Reminds me of the old Navy chefs recipe for coot. Probably would work for cormorants.

In this recipe you spray some Pam and seasoning on as many fireplace bricks as is necessary to contain the bird then placing the bird on the bricks in a preheated oven, cook at 300 degrees for twenty four hours, then discard the bird and eat the bricks.

Val on Calista #3936
Patchogue, N.Y.

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 10/24/2004 : 23:12:22

Sea rats (gulls) and cormorants love soft sail covers, biminis, and dodgers... Geese even like to nest in them. (Watch out--they lay SERIOUS eggs!) But none of them like light-duty lines strung in such a way as to obstruct their arrival or departure paths. So, I ran a 1/8" white line from the collar of my sail cover to its tail, just tight enough to keep it above the cover where it'll trip up anything that might try to land there. Voila! No more gulls!

Now, how do I keep the tiny swallows from lining up on the sheets leading to my furled genoa and dumping tiny turds on my foredeck?

Edited by - on

Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

Members Avatar

Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 10/25/2004 : 07:52:22

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Dave Bristle
 Sea rats (gulls) and cormorants love soft sail covers, biminis, and dodgers... Geese even like to nest in them. (Watch out--they lay SERIOUS eggs!) But none of them like light-duty lines strung in such a way as to obstruct their arrival or departure paths. So, I ran a 1/8" white line from the collar of my sail cover to its tail, just tight enough to keep it above the cover where it'll trip up anything that might try to land there. Voila! No more gulls!

Now, how do I keep the tiny swallows from lining up on the sheets leading to my furled genoa and dumping tiny turds on my foredeck?
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
You belay the sheets at the furler, lead them straight down to the deck and lay them along the deck.

Edited by - on

ClamBeach
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

3072 Posts

Response Posted - 10/25/2004 : 09:52:22

Boids? I've lost count here... if it flaps and craps, it's on Humboldt Bay.
Can't complain too much though, I'm grateful that Sea Lions can't fly.

Edited by - on

tinob
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1883 Posts

Response Posted - 10/25/2004 : 10:21:32

Dave...In my judgement swallows and martins are welcome anytime. Their excrement just has to be visualized as so many mosquitos and flies composted on our behalf.

Val on Calista # 3936
Patchogue, N.Y.

Edited by - on

tinob
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1883 Posts

Response Posted - 10/25/2004 : 10:25:30

YIKES, flying sealions, now ther's a Steven King book waiting to be written.

Val on Calista # 3936
Patchogue, N.Y.

Edited by - on

Champipple
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
6855 Posts

Response Posted - 10/27/2004 : 13:15:19

Blue Heron

Great Egret

Pied-billed Grebe

Canada Goose

Swallow

Lake Gulls - nasty creatures

Edited by - on

Lightnup
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1016 Posts

Response Posted - 10/27/2004 : 15:22:27

Species: jetskius ignoramusis (captured in flight). Noisy, annoying creatures but illegal to shoot them.

Steve

Edited by - on

jm
Captain

Members Avatar

Canada
290 Posts

Response Posted - 10/27/2004 : 15:22:34

Lake Gulls, aka, Sea Gulls, aka Sh*t Hawks, are actually a protected bird here in Ontario. Remember when NY Yankee OFld'r (Dave Winfield) pinged one with a baseball during pre-game warm up back in 1983, and was hauled down to the Toronto Cop Shop and charged with cruelty to animals and a $500 fine. Charges were subsequently dropped - I wonder if he missed the game?

Those birds do eat many times their weight in garbage. Problem is, they recycle it into a 'liquid' form.

Edited by - on

Champipple
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
6855 Posts

Response Posted - 10/27/2004 : 16:17:00

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by tinob
 In my judgement swallows and martins are welcome anytime. Val on Calista # 3936
Patchogue, N.Y.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I'll swallow a martini anytime too Val

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 10/28/2004 : 00:07:04

Good idea, Frank--I'll just have to bungee my furled genny instead of keeping tension on the sheets.

Val, I agree, but those composted skeeters are a pain. Besides, the real nuisance around the boat club in the evening, as bugs go, are the no-see-ums!

STEVE! BEAUTIFUL! Let's get that law changed!

Edited by - Dave Bristle on 10/28/2004 00:09:23

Topic

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Jump To:

Association Forum

Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.