Birding

Not long ago I finished a journey I started some forty or more years ago. As a young kid my buddies and I were always trying to build a boat so we could get up or down the creek and later farther up or down a river to whatever adventure our imagination could come up with. I can't begin to remember all the rafts, thrown together wannabe canoes and kayaks we sunk in creeks and ponds around the country. The canoe, pirogue, drift boat and kayak were prominent in all the exploration adventures I read about in History class and I spent many an hour day dreaming of paddling along side Mountain Men, Indians and Explorers off to make some new discovery. This last year I finally got to take a weekend boat building class and build a small wooden dory or canoe. I am still in the process of finishing a cedar strip three panel river boat for fishing the rivers here in Central Texas. It has been a learning process as the whole boat is being built out of one inch wide cedar strips and has no nails or metal at all to help hold it together. The reason I am giving you this background is now that I have built one boat and I am getting close to finishing a second, people seem to think I know a lot about boat building. I don’t, I know a little about boat building and I am learning more all the time. I already have plans for a third boat and ideas for all the things I will do different. I want to change the amount of rocker, the width of the cedar strips and angle of the bow and stern. The front deck will be a foot longer, I may change the flair to 80 degrees and .....

I really didn't finish a journey I just finally started one that I had wanted to begin all those years ago. I have a feeling that I will be building these things for as long as I am able.

Many have contacted me with emails asking questions so I want to point those in the right direction that would like to try their hand at building their very own pirogue, canoe or kayak by hand. I am going to list some websites that have an abundance of boat building experts that you can ask questions about what you think you want to do. I will warn you that you will most likely want something different than you think and mostly likely will want a different kind of boat than the first one you build. Read past posts and all that you can glean from these sites, then re-read the important stuff and file it away as you will need as much knowledge as possible when you start your boat. Pay attention to the mistakes builders tell you they made and do not repeat them.

The first three sites are forums. You can go and just read but to ask questions you must sign up and become a member. They are free and unbelievable amount of information is there. You will find the members helpful to newbies as they all love boat building and were once in the same state of knowledge as you are now no matter where you are along the way. I list them in the order they come out of my favorites not in preference as I would not want to slight any of them. I am grateful for all the knowledge they have passed to me.

http://www.texaskayakfisherman.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=71

http://www.southernpaddler.com/phpBB3/

http://www.jemwatercraft.com/forum/index.php

The next sites are those of some boat builders that have helped me learn so much. They have a wealth of how to information. The first site will even give you a set of three panel boat plans if you ask. These guys are experts so pay attention to what they have written. I would have loved to have read all this before I started my boats. Be sure and check out any links that they provide on their sites. I highly recommend the Ranger boat series from Texaspaddler.com as a first boat build. I wish I had known that those plans were available for my first boat.

http://texaspaddler.com/wordpress/

http://mysite.verizon.net/NGC704/newOI/index.htm

The rest of the links I am giving you are some I have found over the last year and keep going back to for information and supplies. What you get out of these is up to you.

http://southwestpaddler.com/

http://www.bulwarks.us/

http://www.uscomposites.com/

http://www.shop.northwestcanoe.com/category.sc;jsessionid=CC43DAE1D1D337EF7FD16428C62A4AD4.qscstrfrnt04?categoryId=22

http://www.sweetcomposites.com/

http://www.raka.com/

http://www.newfound.com/tools.htm

http://mysite.verizon.net/ngc704/merlin/

http://204.64.0.110/fishboat/boat/paddlingtrails/

PS: All of the following were learned the hard way, Wild Ed

Your first boat will be overbuilt and too heavy.

Wood glue will not sand off easily so keep the glue wiped off your boat.

Always be careful and try not to split your cedar strips as they are hard to cut out and replace.

Anytime you mix epoxy the phone will ring or people will stop by wanting to talk.

Cedar with knots is beautiful but it is not for boat building.

Have a place to build a boat so that you do not have to move the parts into the garage at night or in bad weather before they are dry.

You can never have enough clamps.

The wind always blows dust, leaves and dirt when you have to fiberglass outside.

Your first boat will be overbuilt and too heavy.

Do not lay your tools, tool box, sander, pocket knife, tape, cap, coffee cup or any other item you want to use again on a fresh coat of epoxy.

Do not lay your epoxy stir stick or epoxy brush anywhere you do not want them to be permanently.

Random Orbital Sanders will remove several layers of skin or complete knuckles in an instant.

Belt sanders are even faster.

Table saws, circular saws, Japanese pull saws, routers, planes, chisels, knives and all other boat building tools cut. They cut quick and cut deep so never get careless.

When you get a bad splinter, notice I did not say IF, spread a thin coat of wood glue on it and allow to dry. When dry peel off the wood glue and it will often take the splinter with it.

Don’t glue your wood boat to the wood table you are working on. A plastic drop cloth between the boat and wood work surface will save a lot of heartache.

Did I mention your first boat will be overbuilt and too heavy. Remember you have to load these things on your vehicle or trailer and carry them to and from the river. Cut the weight out and learn to build light.

I finally caught a fish in Brushy Creek right here in Round Rock, that I have been chasing for a long time. I now know that the Texas Orange Throat Darter does exist right here at home. I thought you would enjoy the picture of one of the most colorful fish in Texas freshwater rivers, creeks and streams. It is only 2.5 inches long but a trophy fish to me.

Here is a link to an article I wrote on the Texas Orange Throat Darter.

http://wildedtx.blogspot.com/2010/10/texas-orange-throat-darter.html

Have a great Holiday Season. Merry Christmas, Wild Ed

The Texas Longear Sunfish inhabits almost all the streams, creeks and rivers in Texas. The name comes from the long opercle flap at the top of the gill plate which is always trimmed in white. The Longear is one of the most colorful fish in Texas waters. Males are often bright orange to red with turquoise markings all over. The fins are many times trimmed in a brilliant turquoise to blue green sheen.

In early spring though summer you can often spot their scooped out nests in the gravel of shallow pools. The males stay on guard and are easy to catch with small lures or flies at this stage. The put up a good fight on ultra light tackle but rarely exceed six inches in length and are best returned to the water to be caught another day. Get your gear ready and hit the creek for some fun with the Texas Longear Sunfish. The pictures are of my pet Longear, Bob. Wild Ed

In my family the Christmas season is a time of unbelievable foods. The real treat as I was growing up was the homemade candies. We often had fudge, divinity and other treats. One I always liked was made from Ritz crackers spread with peanut butter and covered in chocolate, which I will pass on to you at a later date. My favorite was Pecan Pralines. Not the chewy Southern type but the hard sugary mexican type of praline. I thought some of you might like to try your hand at making them. Here is the way I do it.

Texas Style Mexican Pralines

½ Stick Butter (melted)
1 cup White Sugar
1 cup Brown Sugar
2 cups Pecan halves
¾ cup Evaporated Milk (small can)
1 teaspoon Vanilla

Mix sugar, milk and butter together. Heat until boiling then add pecans and vanilla.
Cook until a drop dropped into a glass of cold water forms a ball. The first drops you put into the water will be stringy, then as the candy cooks the drops will flatten and finally when the candy is ready the drops will form a ball when dripped off a spoon into the glass of water. At this stage remove from heat and beat with spoon. When the mixture is cooling and starting to get hard drop onto wax paper and let harden.
Merry Christmas, Wild Ed

Several have sent emails asking how my Texas native fish aquarium project is going. It has been quite an adventure and has kept me looking for places to throw a cast net on local creeks and rivers. When it gets warmer I hope to hit some spots with a seine and collect more of the unusual small fish of Texas such as Darters and Texas Log Perch. Right now the aquarium houses a Longear Sunfish, a Largemouth Bass, Black Tailed Shiners, a couple of Creek Chubs and a Texas Cichlid. I had a big Green Sunfish but had to remove him because of constant fighting with all the other fish. I will try to tell you a little about each type of fish in future blogs. This week I will tell you about my Texas Cichlid. I caught her right here in Round Rock's Brushy Creek about a month ago. She is about four inches long and one of the show fish of my setup.

The Texas Cichlid is the only Cichlid native to Texas and the only Cichlid native to the United States. It is a popular aquarium fish all over the world and under appreciated here at home in my opinion. It is also a popular game fish in Texas and northern mexico and is often referred to as the Rio Grande Perch. The Texas Cichlid is a subtropical fish that lives in the creeks, streams, rivers and lakes of Central to South Texas. Its native habitat is the lower Rio Grande drainage in Texas, and north-eastern parts of mexico.
Instead of describing what the Texas Cichlid looks like I have included some pictures of my Texas Cichlid, Dora. Dora is easy to care for and has become quite tame. She will eat prepared Cichlid pellets and other Cichlid foods available in your local box store pet departments or Aquarium shops. Two of her favorite treats are freeze dried shrimp pellets and once in a while a live earth worm which she sucks up like a kid eating spaghetti. Enjoy the fish of Texas, Wild Ed

I've heard the months of December and January are an exciting period for birders in Tanzania as palearctic migrants stream south through the country, including a variety of bee-eater species. Indeed, I noticed a lovely group of Blue-Cheeked Bee-Eaters late Friday afternoon as I was riding my bike home from work. Waiting on power lines strung over a washed-out dirt road, they swooped gracefully after wasps, returning to their perch as they shook loose the stingers and squeezed out the venom with their powerful beaks. These elegant migrants were joined by a pair of Swallow-Tailed Bee-Eaters, which I've not recorded before on the Msasani Peninsula but have seen in more wooded habitat near Saadani National Park. While not migratory to the extreme of the Blue-Cheeked or European Bee-Eater, which I also recorded the following morning at Pugu Hills, the Swallow-Tailed Bee-Eater almost certainly moves in response to climate patterns and could have simply been wandering a bit with the Blue-Cheeked Bee-Eaters.

Although I haven't done much serious birding recently here in southern coastal Tanzania, I'll be heading up to the northern part of the country in just a few weeks, for over twenty days of exploring various parks and reserves. Aimee and I will first visit Mkomazi National Park in search of a few regional endemics as well as keeping watch for Black Rhinoceros, which has been reintroduced here along with the African Wild Dog. Then, we'll be covering Arusha National Park, first birding for several days and then climbing towering Mt. Meru. Next, it's off on a safari to Lake Manyara and Tarangire National Parks, where we'll encounter tree-climbing lions and cheetahs as well as a wealth of new birds in the great Rift Valley. To top it off, we'll be visiting the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and Serengeti National Park for over a week, spending more money just on national park fees than I care to think about. With so many new important bird areas to be explored, I'm guessing my country list is about to double, hopefully including target species like the unique Secretary Bird. While we will obviously miss visiting many sites and seeing many birds in the region, any recommendations are very much welcome.

If you read the original article I shipped the new camera back to Bushnell/Tasco on 11/5 and got a box back today 12/03. The box contained what appears to be a new camera or a new rebuilt. There was no explanation to let me know what was wrong with the original one or any other statement. I placed the camera in my back yard and it took quite a few pictures but only a few showed my dog in them. He would apparently go in front of the camera and trigger it but by the time it took a picture he was gone. Apparently since it was set to take three pictures when triggered it would sometimes capture him in picture two or three. I hung the camera about 20 feet from the front sidewalk this evening and it took several pictures as people walked by next to the curb. I could not make out anything about them. My dog went down the sidewalk and the camera took pictures and as you see no dog. I walked by at a very slow stroll and it did capture me but with a blurry no details picture. I sure do not feel like this camera would let one see details on antlers at any distance at night. I feel like for my use I wasted my money and got took on this deal. I will have to hang this camera somewhere where deer will be very close to the feeder and remain in the feeder pen or it will not be of use to me. The night time pictures will be a waste unless the deer walk up very close and stand still long enough for the camera to trigger and take their picture in the second or third shot. You might also want to read the warranty policy on Tasco and Bushnell Cameras before spending your money. I have recommended the Bushnell Trophy camera many times and mine has performed well so far. This Tasco is a waste for me. Just my opinion, Wild Ed

My wife and I spent the day at the family place plowing a food plot up in hopes of getting it ready for spring planting. Since we were not able to get an oat crop this year I think I will plant Milo and Sunflower in hopes of drawing in the dove for September and just leave the crop for the deer next year. We planted winter oats the first week of September and have had not one rain shower to bring them up since planting. We took the SD card from the camera at the feeder and put in a fresh one. We thought you might like to see some of what came in for a handout. before we left we put out a big pile of ripe persimmons and put the camera on it. We shall see in the next couple of weeks what comes to taste the persimmons. Wild Ed

During the last few days my wife and I drove across the State and back to visit family and friends. It has just been amazing to us the amount of wildlife we have seen run over along the highways. It is such a shame all those deer that have been hit and were usable were just wasted. I do wish the State of Texas would come up with some way for deer vehicle collisions to be called in and the deer removed for human or even pet food. In this day and time there is no excuse for wasting such a resource. In the last few days I identified deer, exotic deer, and other wildlife by the hundreds, We also saw skunks, raccoons, bobcats, foxes, coyotes and other wildlife flattened on the pavement. We swerved to miss a large turtle crossing the road and the car behind us also missed it so we are hoping he made it across. When I was young all those bobcat, fox, raccoon and coyote would have been picked up and the furs used or sold. My wife and I remember a Thanksgiving trip many years ago, from Round Rock to Colorado City, that we picked up every raccoon, ringtail, coyote, bobcat and fox that we came across. The next day after skinning all those furs I took them to a local feed store that bought furs and they wrote me a check for over $400.00, not bad for a young married couple in the 1970s to get paid for picking up road kill on a Thanksgiving trip. Maybe someday people will come to their senses and remember that God put wildlife here for man's use and start wearing furs and leather again so our resources will have a value. Remember as long as an animal has a value to man, he will strive to preserve it.

While traveling we took time to run by the family place and put a new SD card in the camera we had left set up to take pictures of whatever came in to our supplemental feeder. We have one new camera in the shop so this camera is the only one I have letting me see what deer and other wildlife are showing up at the place. We could not wait to get back and see what was on the camera. We did not have a laptop with us on this trip so I put the SD card in my camera to get a quick look at whatever had come into the feeder for a handout. It is so hard to tell much on the little camera viewer so we could not wait to get home and put them on the PC monitor to see what was what.

The mystery and excitement of the game camera pictures has become as important as or maybe even more so to my family than actually sitting in a blind or stand and hunting. It is also something that can continue even after the hunting season is over. If you are not yet using trail cameras you should consider it as I can assure you it is a lot of fun and you will see wildlife you did not even know existed in your area. Warning, it is addictive, Wild Ed