Preseason 2023- 24

[5 stand]

The shower is caulked, should be able to take a shower in 19 hours(per directions)...

[PorkChop]

Grumpy here, nice to meet you Mr mad...

[Rick]

I ain't sayin' nothin'.

[Deltaman]

Ouch............sometimes life puts us in that grin and bear it mode

[5 stand]

I ain't sayin' nothin'.

Should have, asked the question are you sure you got them guts in that valve right?
First shower was Luke warmish, spun the guts 180° and it's smoking hot now...

Stay tuned for more plumbing tips...

[Duck Engr]

Hahah

[5 stand]

https://youtu.be/ohSHvTMOlD4?si=7kjMus-T8hnpYfja

So that's the trip to the mudhole?
You have a 360° video from the blind?

[Rick]

https://youtu.be/ohSHvTMOlD4?si=7kjMus-T8hnpYfja

So that's the trip to the mudhole?
You have a 360° video from the blind?

No, that was to an old pond I reopened "because we need another marsh spot" which Doug sublet out before we ever hunted it.

But here's one of the last little whipstitch to the mudhole after it had been opened:


And had enough of this:


to get us to this:


which had to be done however many times it takes to get enough of the bacteria farts from rotting humus out of the dirt to let sink and stay sunk - more or less...

[5 stand]

I remember those, thanks for posting them again... They refreshed my memory...

[5 stand]

Duck Engr, earlier this year when you killed your banded bird, I asked if it was stainless steel, and you probably didn't understand why?
Didn't bother to try to explain myself at the time... Off season with nothing to do, here we go... Years ago I remember reading an article about stainless steel bands, and if my memory was correct they were what I thought attached with something like a pop rivet? And in the picture it looked like the band stuck out from the leg (maybe pop riveted on?) Was the reason I asked the question...
The picture below, second band from the left is the band that was on the blue bill that I killed this year... It weighs 31 grains, the mallard band to its right is a bigger band and only weighs 26 grains, and is obviously a different color, I think the 31 grain band (second from the left) might be stainless steel? Rick if you happen to remember this, and band birds this spring with Paul ask him, I'm curious...

IMG_20240122_204858903~3.jpg

[Rick]

They're banding again this evening, but I'm out until my crazy pup becomes more sane. (Don't want to either stick Cheryl with him for the evening for fear he'll take a manic fit one her or risk having him start howling in his truck crate again when I'm out in the marsh and can't correct it.)

[Duck Engr]

Duck Engr, earlier this year when you killed your banded bird, I asked if it was stainless steel, and you probably didn't understand why?
Didn't bother to try to explain myself at the time... Off season with nothing to do, here we go... Years ago I remember reading an article about stainless steel bands, and if my memory was correct they were what I thought attached with something like a pop rivet? And in the picture it looked like the band stuck out from the leg (maybe pop riveted on?) Was the reason I asked the question...
The picture below, second band from the left is the band that was on the blue bill that I killed this year... It weighs 31 grains, the mallard band to its right is a bigger band and only weighs 26 grains, and is obviously a different color, I think the 31 grain band (second from the left) might be stainless steel? Rick if you happen to remember this, and band birds this spring with Paul ask him, I'm curious...

IMG_20240122_204858903~3.jpg

That’s interesting 5stand! I thought they were all aluminum to impart minimum weight disturbance to the bird. Shows what I know.

Here’s a closer photo. I’ve seen the “rivet-style” you described but this one was a clamp-on style.

[SpinnerMan]

Years ago I remember reading an article about stainless steel bands, and if my memory was correct they were what I thought attached with something like a pop rivet?

I looked on the USGS site and all it said is "most" are made of aluminum which would seem to mean not all and if you look at the first picture, pretty sure at least one is not aluminum.

https://www.usgs.gov/labs/bird-banding-laboratory/science/about-federal-bird-bands

Lock-on bands are specifically designed to stop birds with strong bills like hawks and owls from opening or damaging the band with their strong bill. The lock-on band is used on all medium to large birds of prey other than eagles. The band is like a normal butt-end band with two unequal flanges of metal. The longer flange is folded over the shorter flange, effectively "locking" the band in place. The band is made of relatively soft aluminum and can be removed by the bander, but not by the bird.

These are made of aluminum. I was actually close enough to a banded red tailed hawk that I could see the lock-on band.

IMG_20200829_185215.jpg

Rivet bands are made of harder metal than the lock-on band (but not stainless steel) and are used on eagles. The band has two short flanges of metal that project out from the seam where the two ends of the band meet. These flanges are side by side when the band is closed with a hole for a rivet. The band is riveted in place.

They make a point of not saying stainless steel. I see lots of bluebills on Tampa Bay which made me think maybe it is something that stands up to saltwater better than aluminum. When I searched for banding saltwater birds I found this site.

http://www.oneocean.org/ambassadors/migratory_birds/all_about_bird_banding.html

Bird bands are made of a variety of metals and aluminum. The most suitable for use with shorebirds is "incoloy," a hardwearing nickel-chromium alloy resistant to the effects of saltwater and mud.

That would be a lot denser than aluminum and makes sense for banding bluebills that might spend the winter in salt water.

[5 stand]

After thinking about it, I deal with stainless steel from time to time, and it has so much memory that I don't think you could bend it in a circle in a speedy fashion with hand tools reliably? So I obviously have things corn fused...

But, I threw out the bait, Duck Engr jiggled the line, and Spinner ran with it hook line and sinker...
Joking aside: pretty cool info, thank you very much buddy...

Whoever's paying you while you sit at your desk fact-Checking for me, please thank them...

#scoop...