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CW Mandatory?

RatsoW8

Supporting Member, W9WDX ARC Member - WD8T
Nov 3, 2009
3,100
1,411
273
West Central Michigan
So, I'm out in the back yard this morning doing the normal routine with my chihuahua, Olive. She's ditifully taking care of business and I'm off in my own morning world daydreaming, enjoying the cool morning air, and looking out over the mist covered field behind my house. A beautiful morning.

I suddenly realized that I'm hearing the morse code letters B D N, at about 13 wpm, very clearly from somewhere. There was a bird (a Killdeer) sitting on the peak of my house pounding out the letters BDN, BDN, BDN...over and over again. When I looked at him he looked back with that unnerving, tilt of the head, side eye birdie stare..

Best fist I've heard in a long time and the dah and dits had perfect weight, balance and spacing. B D N, little pause, and then B D N again and again until it flew away. I'm sure Kildeers have been doing this forever but it's really the first time I ever saw one sit long enough to hear the pattern. They're usually on the ground runing away from me pretending to have a broken wing to lead me away from a nest.

Why B D N??? Was he calling another ham bird buddy? Was it regional thing? :unsure:

I was very impressed by the Killdeers morse skills, although the audio did have a slight "chirp" at the beginning of each letter.:whistle:
 

Hey Ratzy,

Mercy sakes....they'll love this CW story over at qrz but all this morris code talk gets me blood boilin' here. Yaarrrgh :D
 
pappy.gif
Come on RatsoW8 - are you kidding? About three years ago the Babeldom Dacnomania News agency had a special on Amateur Radio and Morse Code. They trained three Dickcissel Birds to "chirp" out the letters BDN. Basically, it was nothing more then a form of advertising. I can't believe you actually saw one. Hey, if you see one again - please take a picture of it - please post it!

OMG - Is the wife gonna be pissed with me now for this story!
killingme_01.gif
 
hehe,thats good...and everynow and then you see old hf radios in black and white movies....I was one of the last tech-plus code in my county.I think that had alot on me not upgrading to gen.73s have a great weekend,by the way 10 and 6 is very active and open bigtime...73s de JW
 
I have had a woodpecker pound out strings of V's while beating his brains out on my tower. :D It's a wonder he didn't break his beak.

That woodpecker is just as clueless as the kildeer aka Mountain Plover to which ratso is referring to about it's actions while searching for a mate/protecting it's nesting area or just keeping up noise in the name of nature.

Now a Mocking bird is one to behold.

Good natured postings as always.
 
I have had a woodpecker pound out strings of V's while beating his brains out on my tower. :D It's a wonder he didn't break his beak.

Never heard anything quite as unnerving as, back a few years, a woodpecker decided to look for yummies in my chimney. Metal chimney, with a straight shot down to the fireplace.

Thought it was Chicago in the Al Capone days! Good stress test for the ol' ticker!
 
pappy.gif
Come on RatsoW8 - are you kidding? About three years ago the Babeldom Dacnomania News agency had a special on Amateur Radio and Morse Code. They trained three Dickcissel Birds to "chirp" out the letters BDN. Basically, it was nothing more then a form of advertising. I can't believe you actually saw one. Hey, if you see one again - please take a picture of it - please post it!

OMG - Is the wife gonna be pissed with me now for this story!
killingme_01.gif

I did get a quick pict with my Blackberry just before it flew away..It wasn't quite daylight out but you can still see something there .-.-.-

PArrot-Op.jpg
 

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