Antennas and Birds

Antennas, Big ones. My son stoped by the house in KC and brought my 9 db gain router antennas to the lake. They improve the signal enough that it becomes reliable. And while slow, I am able to upload some pictures for today's blog.

I bought these antennas at Comp USA before they went out of business in Des Moines. They also bit the dust in KC and we went to the closing up business sale in Corpus Christy as well. I have never seen any antennas like them again. But they work for that distant access point.


Back to the hummingbird wars! This is the feeder tied to a rope light palm tree on our back deck, and if you look in the upper left corner you see "Sargent Major". She is the dominant female of the crew. She guards the feeder with her life. Any other bird that tries to get some nectar is imediately attacked. She tries to poke them with her long beak. Then flies after them for several hundred yards chasing them away.


She is all puffed out looking big and menacing. She swoopes her head back and forth in a constant motion that only a radar could mimick.


As I write this there are thre or four birds competing to get at the feeder. They could all sit on the circular perchs at once, but they can't seem to get along well enough to do that. As long as one bird keeps ole Sarge busy, then the others will feed. One bird is a male, and when he gets tired of the whole comotion, he will fly in and chase out the big female. But she doesn't stay gone for more than a second or two, and is right back pestering him.

This went on all afternoon, and continues as I sit here right now. I would think the beg female would have something else to do, but she is relentless.

Ben and Danielle and the three monsters arrived mid afternoon and the house has been a whirwind ever since. They all talk at once, and need or want something continously. Ben is down on the dock fishing, which seems to be his favorite thing to do here.

The kids and girls went into Wal-Mart to get school supplies, as Caden starts first grade on Thursday. So this will be the only quiet moment that I will have to blog for today. Better lean back and enjoy the solitude.