Discussion: hummingbirds and satellites
in: Becks; Becks > 2020-05-02
May 2, 2020 7:28 PM
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Saw the first hummingbirds on my feeders last weekend. They should be in your area soon if they aren't already.
If today's beautiful weather holds, there are two starlink group passes over New England tonight. A 40-sat pass of the starlink-5 "white" group starting at 8:49 PM EDT lasting about 20 mins, followed by a 16-sat pass of the starlink-3 "gold" group at 9:25 PM EDT. The first pass is from the NW. For MA, look high in the north between the big and little dippers. I saw this group pass from Baltimore last night and it was reasonably bright even with the moon up.
Here's an animation centered on Moncton, NB. Note the time in the title is Atlantic Daylight Time. Local time for these passes for you are an hour earlier as noted above.
If today's beautiful weather holds, there are two starlink group passes over New England tonight. A 40-sat pass of the starlink-5 "white" group starting at 8:49 PM EDT lasting about 20 mins, followed by a 16-sat pass of the starlink-3 "gold" group at 9:25 PM EDT. The first pass is from the NW. For MA, look high in the north between the big and little dippers. I saw this group pass from Baltimore last night and it was reasonably bright even with the moon up.
Here's an animation centered on Moncton, NB. Note the time in the title is Atlantic Daylight Time. Local time for these passes for you are an hour earlier as noted above.
May 3, 2020 12:51 AM
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Oh I forgot the hummingbird bits! Will have to go dig them out tomorrow. Things are finally starting to germinate in the garden - it’s been so cool that the peas are the only things that are truly happy right now! Tons of birds on our bird feeder and may have to go to a shop for the first time since February to buy some more seed! We have an osprey in the neighborhood right now which is pretty cool.
Euan loves being out in the garden and it was lovely to finally spend a bunch of time outside today - hope we get more days like this!
Euan loves being out in the garden and it was lovely to finally spend a bunch of time outside today - hope we get more days like this!
May 3, 2020 5:02 AM
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It was a gorgeous day. Funny, right after I posted this I had a hummingbird adventure. Not one but two hummingbirds got into the house today! I had all the windows open (all screened), but I also had the sunroom door cracked so the cat could come and go. The main hummingbird feeder is right by that door. They've never come in before. I suspect there was a fight at the feeder and one fled into the house accidentally as the other chased.
They were each separately up in the skylights. One was perched but the other was buzzing around. I opened all the screens and the door but neither budged. I brought up the ladder and was able to direct them out one at a time with a piece of cardboard. At one point one landed on the other and they were perched together. I was worried because I didn't know how long they had been in there. Could have been minutes to hours and they might have been exhausted. They both seemed to fly off ok, but I didn't see them again the rest of the day. I hope they come back.
Every year its the same, I get 2-3 birds that stay all summer. They fight and fight and fight. Never more than one at a time on either of the feeders despite 5 ports and an endless supply of nectar. Last year there were 3, and one was very clever. It would wait until the other two chased each other off and then it would swoop in to feed unmolested.
Glad to hear about the garden! I also have peas coming along. The garden peas were unusually slow to start. Its been cool here too. I had to cover the potatoes four times this spring due to near freezing temps. The tom and pepper seedlings are a bit behind as well as a result. The asparagus is just getting up to speed now, a couple of weeks later than usual despite the mild winter. Forecast for this week is below normal too. How is your garlic doing? Did it all come up?
They were each separately up in the skylights. One was perched but the other was buzzing around. I opened all the screens and the door but neither budged. I brought up the ladder and was able to direct them out one at a time with a piece of cardboard. At one point one landed on the other and they were perched together. I was worried because I didn't know how long they had been in there. Could have been minutes to hours and they might have been exhausted. They both seemed to fly off ok, but I didn't see them again the rest of the day. I hope they come back.
Every year its the same, I get 2-3 birds that stay all summer. They fight and fight and fight. Never more than one at a time on either of the feeders despite 5 ports and an endless supply of nectar. Last year there were 3, and one was very clever. It would wait until the other two chased each other off and then it would swoop in to feed unmolested.
Glad to hear about the garden! I also have peas coming along. The garden peas were unusually slow to start. Its been cool here too. I had to cover the potatoes four times this spring due to near freezing temps. The tom and pepper seedlings are a bit behind as well as a result. The asparagus is just getting up to speed now, a couple of weeks later than usual despite the mild winter. Forecast for this week is below normal too. How is your garlic doing? Did it all come up?
May 3, 2020 6:51 PM
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Unfortunately the garlic all came up and then got eaten by something which actually dug it out! Just the garlic, nothing else! Any idea what might do that? I know we have raccoons but not sure what else might be so specific!
May 3, 2020 7:27 PM
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Wow, never had anything dig or eat the garlic before. Some kind of garlic-eating Salem creature? Witchcraft? I've had raccoons dig up tomatoes when using liquid fish fertilizer, but I've used the same on garlic with no apparent digging. Even the groundhogs and squirrels leave the garlic alone. Unrefined palates. Maybe you have raccoons with good taste :)
May 3, 2020 7:45 PM
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Hate to suggest it, but your garlic eaters could be rats. They have become a problem in Arlington, where they get into your compost piles (we had to give up on composting and now have a compost service that picks up our scraps). They are definitely around in the towns on the north shore. The garlic would be the only thing with any real food value at this point in the season, so.....
Perhaps ask your neighbours if they have had any trouble with stuff they have planted?
Perhaps ask your neighbours if they have had any trouble with stuff they have planted?
May 3, 2020 11:27 PM
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Awwww man, I love rats but not good to have a ton of them in your garden. No one else has planted anything yet so I’m not sure. Our nets are arriving this week, we’ll see if they get knawed through or not. I’ve been watching bunnies frolic in the boxes which won’t be great once the lettuce gets bigger!
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