Season 546...can we revisit Season 54?

[Voran]

Red-Winged Blackbird- David Francey

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These birds dive bomb me often on the Waterfront Trail. Perhaps it's because I come too close to their nests, but I can feel the wind from their wings and sometimes they touch my ear or the back of my head. The bird in David Francey's song seems a lot more pleasant.

Holy poo that's a coincidence, I also have a song called Red Winged Blackbird, except for piano rather than uke...long time ago. I love them, thanks for sharing.

 

[Marco D]

AND... Here's "Three Little Birds", by Bob Marley, which has actually been our Morristown Uke Jam standard closing song for several years! Love the theme, love the submissions.
------------------------- Marco

 

[UkingViking]

I hadn't really decided on any song, when half way through the week this shows up on my streaming playlist in a "Little Willies" rendition.
I had never heard it before, but it was impossible not to do a version for this theme!

 

[TCK]

All right- as many of y eighth graders have told me over the years, I am NEVER going to skip doing my homework until the morning...boy were y'all BUSY. Gonna go work on dinner for a bit, but for now, I a all caught up. If I left something out, or someone off the playlist, please let me know. And thank you all for such wonderful and enthusiastic submissions-


Wee- Love the feeder frenzy!! This is so much better than anything on TV.


Ryan- The Bob Wills version of this is one of my all-time favorites! You did a great job with it, thanks for getting it here! Are those feather inlays? Must have!

Paul- haha- don't remind me how young we all looked 10 years ago. I watched the playlist and just laughed... Great song here my friend, a fitting tribute yo a group of often despised birds that are really cool...they just like to steal food and crap on things. Many dogs could be accused of the same Couldn't make out what you said at the end there, but thanks for your excellent add here!

Marc- Totally counts! The darn things fly don't they? Beautiful tune here very nicely performed. Their is a swallow-tailed kite in the southeastern US and this song is a perfect accompaniment to it's "kiting" behavior. Thank you for playing for us.

Cee-Jay- LOVE ME SOME T REX!!!! Excellent bring good sir- this is just great! I tried to ride a white swan when I was about four. Fun fact- that really pisses them off. Thanks for playing this one!

Bob- Lucky for us that goose was in the right place at the time! This is one I did not know, excellent performance here as always. Where I live, Geese are not popular animals (they tend to congregate in parks and well, do what geese do), That will likely change after we are out of this virus wave. Anyway- thank you for playing this for us and introducing me to it!

Voran-Nice tune! I have been fortunate enough to see a golden eagles first flight. We were monitoring a re-nest and off she went. I had no fingernails left after the first few minutes, but she figured it out. Thank you for writing and performing this for us.
Part deux- Another really nice and certainly visual depiction of these cool sea-birds. Thank you again for your enthusiastic response to the theme.
And more albatrosses (albatrossi?) - I love the first line because while the Albatross is spectacular in flight, landing and take off are pretty whimsical. Thank you for another tribute to these magnificent birds. Curious, how did you come to like them so?
And a RAVEN!!! LOVE RAVENS!!! I have two that while I try hard not to imprint them come to the wires outside of my house nearly every day for a treat. Been going on for years, long enough to assume that this is a new generation. In my volunteer work I tend to be these and other Corvids the most, and have come to love them all. Anyway- I could prattle on all day about Ravens (we also have one in our ambassador program) but I won't go on except to say that this is a fantastic story- thanks for sharing it with us.

Del- Another self-penned tribute to the Albatross! This is great Del, love the arrangement and the keyboards- all of this works so well here! I think my love of birds comes from a desire to fly. For me, Turkey Vultures re the ones that get me right away...but I love how your song evokes such great imagery of flying. Thank you for writing and performing it for us!

Voran- The way you describe the duck has sent me down a rabbit hole- and today I am learning that you have Mallards too! They are called Lacha there, but the description was clear enough to make me think...you know, I believe I know that duck... Thanks for playing this for us.
And also- Another song that evokes the desire to fly. Pretty sure that is where my love for these animals comes from...but also, their whimsy. Birds are really very funny if you watch them as well. Happy New Uke day- sounds great! Thanks again for another tune.

Mark-WOW- that uke sounds fantastic, and as always your singing is spectacular. Are you also playing the Sax? Excellent performance here, and I enjoyed seeing your little blue bird friend. I had a breeding group in college that I just adored. Thanks for this one

Wee- EXCELLENT! I think it is a right of passage to read Bukowski in college here. Heck, we had a cat named Charles Bukowski. This adaptation of the poem is perfect- thanks for sharing it with us

BEV- This HAD to be here, and I really love your rendition of it. I agree with Berni. This is YOUR version and it is really well done- thanks for sharing this and more artwork with us!

Cee-Jay- If I had a nickel for every song I played in which I did not enjoy myself until eventually...I would have a bunch more Ukuleles. You did a great job with this song, another fitting tribute Albert Ross Thank you sir! The ending has me laughing from the gut!

Berni- Haha! I think you are spot on here! I would love to fly...love this one! A great little inquiry into what those guys were thinking. I also like how you take a look at where they live as well- sheesh Penguins! I think it was Ginny- Seasonista from way back, who sent me pictures from her trips to see several species of penguins. Anyway- thank you sire for writing and performing this for us.

Liz- I agree with everything Del said here, and will add that you can do so in four days? Incredible. I have never seen a whippoorwiil, but for two years (about six years ago) I would here one in a park about three blocks from my house every night. I cannot tell you ha many times I ran out at 3am in my boxer shorts to try and find it. Never did. Happily, none of my neighbors write songs about our neighborhood.
This is a great tune here, thank you much for writing and performing it for us!

Ylle- I blew it- didn't do my homework last night and have been at it for hours today. This song is another that had to be here, and you handled it! Very nicely done- thank you for playing this for us, and reminding me it is time to take a little break and go give my chickens some treats

Jim- Another one I have not heard- this will be on while I make dinner in a bit. What a great little song and perfect performance here! The red winged blackbirds are dive bombing you because they are jerks! I have a friend who has an entire (huge) collection of photos of RWBB riding on Red-tailed hawks. Such little stinkers.

Marco and the MUJ- I hope y'all don't mind but I went ahead and got my uke to join ya! I love a play-along, and this one was great! Thanks so much for sharing it with us folks

Mike- Oh man- this s a treat! I have never heard this song, but I know a lot of owls...many of them have foul attitudes, and this sums them up completely! Excellent performance here- thanks so much for playing it for us and the introduction!

Dinner is tablitas, home made salsa verde, elotes, grilled pineapple and rice. Gonna be good!! See y'all later. Keep em coming!

 

[pabrizzer]

with long lived species it can be hard to tell if they're in trouble - unless they change some fishing methods some of the albatross could be heading for extinction - i saw one video clip that said in past years up to 100 thousand a year were being lost to long lines - they are making some changes to how and when they set the lines to mitigate the bird deaths but i reckon some folk would be happy to pull the last fish out of the ocean.....
paoriginal

 

[Voran]

Voran-Nice tune! I have been fortunate enough to see a golden eagles first flight. We were monitoring a re-nest and off she went. I had no fingernails left after the first few minutes, but she figured it out. Thank you for writing and performing this for us.
Part deux- Another really nice and certainly visual depiction of these cool sea-birds. Thank you again for your enthusiastic response to the theme.
And more albatrosses (albatrossi?) - I love the first line because while the Albatross is spectacular in flight, landing and take off are pretty whimsical. Thank you for another tribute to these magnificent birds. Curious, how did you come to like them so?
And a RAVEN!!! LOVE RAVENS!!! I have two that while I try hard not to imprint them come to the wires outside of my house nearly every day for a treat. Been going on for years, long enough to assume that this is a new generation. In my volunteer work I tend to be these and other Corvids the most, and have come to love them all. Anyway- I could prattle on all day about Ravens (we also have one in our ambassador program) but I won't go on except to say that this is a fantastic story- thanks for sharing it with us.

I was watching a nature documentary once and was immediately taken with their long lanky shape, their huge wingspan and the fact that they can lock their wings and glide for miles. Seemed a really cool adaptation to have.

Me too, Vladimir and Tatiana were my babies. Still are. Even if they weren't hungry they still used to fly over to say hello or to protect me if any unsavory people were around. I have about 10 000 pics of them on an old computer. Sometime when I have that old one fixed up, I'll share pictures.

 

[wee_ginga_yin]

Haiku
The Eagle struggles
into flight, but once aloft
barely moves his wings.

 

[Mark Suszko]

Mark-WOW- that uke sounds fantastic, and as always your singing is spectacular. Are you also playing the Sax? Excellent performance here, and I enjoyed seeing your little blue bird friend. I had a breeding group in college that I just adored. Thanks for this one

Naw, the sax, I bought, and the drum track, but the bass (in garage band), the uke track, and all the vocals are mine. I tend to over-produce and get sixteen or so tracks going usually, but on this one, I took a tip from the "Stripped-down" version of the song released on "Wingspan". It's only five vocal tracks, (One for Paul's lead, two for Denny Lane, Two for Linda) plus the rhythm and sax track, one for the bass line I muddled thru, and two overlapping lines for "Evelyn" the Archtop. I couldn't find a female backing singer in time so I did Linda's parts too. I had to delete Boomer's track, he talks too much on-camera BTW, some people make fun of Linda but her voice in Paul's arrnagements and mixes is part of what gives the Wings period songs their special charm and I love them.

 

[TCK]

Naw, the sax, I bought, and the drum track, but the bass (in garage band), the uke track, and all the vocals are mine. I tend to over-produce and get sixteen or so tracks going usually, but on this one, I took a tip from the "Stripped-down" version of the song released on "Wingspan". It's only five vocal tracks, (One for Paul's lead, two for Denny Lane, Two for Linda) plus the rhythm and sax track, one for the bass line I muddled thru, and two overlapping lines for "Evelyn" the Archtop. I couldn't find a female backing singer in time so I did Linda's parts too. I had to delete Boomer's track, he talks too much on-camera BTW, some people make fun of Linda but her voice in Paul's arrnagements and mixes is part of what gives the Wings period songs their special charm and I love them.

Sixteen tracks? My god man…I did three once, like season 18, and gave that up fast. You are an amazement. I do however think we have different ideas about “stripped down”- that said this was really well performed. I love that Boomer talks, I had a few that did. They were always the favorites

 

[joo]

I am a fan of Curiosity Show, an Australian educational children's television show produced from 1972 to 1990.

It was on this show that I first saw the wonderful and grumpy-looking tawny Frogmouth.
I filmed the first part of the episode where the bird was teased by a dry flower the girl brushed against its beak.
I recorded a little song about it and made this video.

Tawny Frogmouth,
Troubled looking brow,
Teased by the girl's wild flower.

Tawny Frogmouth,
Fly, fly away, fly.

Thanks for hosting, Dave. All the best to you and the birds you love and care for.

 

[TCK]

I can handle these two (oop- now three) after my world wind viewing session today tomorrow after playing with my birds (I know I said I was never doing that again…did you believe me?)
Lately I handle the same three every Saturday- always been that way but my dance card changes as some of my friends pass on. Tomorrow it is Barfie, a Turkey vulture (I get her first so she can spend all day in the brightest sun- she is 34 and flightless), Star (my muse for at least the last seven years- imprinted Red-tailed hawk), and Phoenix (another imprinted red tail…no one ever seems to connect with her. She is a handful, but I was her monitor and in charge of her care for five years. I adore her).
I will see y’all after I take my birds for a walk tomorrow. I will also of course tell them how great the out-pouring has been here as I stand in disinfectant for five minutes every time I move them. Thanks all for the birds- good night.

 

[wee_ginga_yin]

The strangest bird I ever saw.

 

[Mark Suszko]

Sixteen tracks? My god man…I did three once, like season 18, and gave that up fast. You are an amazement. I do however think we have different ideas about “stripped down”- that said this was really well performed. I love that Boomer talks, I had a few that did. They were always the favorites

The "Wingspan" version was cut down from a quadraphonic master, I understand. I'm sure that must have had at least thirty stems in it. It depends on the song, of course, but on my Beach Baby song, that probably went to about 25 tracks, to get all the harmony parts in. My more typical number would be between eight and 20 tracks, but sometimes five of those tracks are just individual drum kit parts because I'm not a drummer and I'm drumming with either the actual computer keyboard keys, or a tiny USB music keyboard.. Then on many of my projects, I layer two or three ukes, a soprano, a concert and maybe a tenor, depends on what I'm trying to achieve. Garage Band isn't the most sophisticated DAW out there but somehow I relate to it better than others and I haven't begun to find its limits, so I'll stick with it for now. It reminds me of final cut pro which is what I edited on at work with for many years, so there's that, too. I just last week threw this number together in Garage Band in about forty minutes and three or so takes, but it's actually only about eight tracks..

Budgie-wise, we've had some great ones over the years; one previous one had a vocabulary of close to fifty words and phrases, and could demonstrate some simple syntax, putting broad concepts together into "sentences", we think he got really good, really early, because our young kids grew up with him and spent a LOT of time with him, interacting and playing. Boomerang here is still kind of young, he speaks many long run-on random sentences lifted from my wife talking to him over course of the day, in her voice. He too can get ideas across to us, like when he needs or observes water, or us drinking, or god forbid, finds a puff in his water fountain, he has a particular whistle just for that. And he is almost like a swiss watch when it comes to telling time. His bed time is eight sharp, and he lets you know it like Rain Man wants his Wapner on TV: about ten minutes 'til eight, if he doesn't see us start getting his water and seed cup ready, he'll start saying "Go sweepy night-night, treat-time!". He's very clear about that. Sometimes mid day he'll want to take a siesta and he'll also tell himself "sweepy nigh" as he tucks up. We play a lot of "fetch", and "catch", he and I. I would like to teach him more tricks like riding a fingerboard skateboard, but he's less interested in that stuff than flinging and retrieving his toy soldier army men. The war crimes he commits with them are unspeakable.

 

[joo]

Inspired by one of the most incredible persons I had the privilege to meet and work with when I was an art teacher.

This is a quick recording as I wrote the song. Not sure if the driving, clawhammer work.....I will try different strumming and picking and see what happens when I do work on this again one day. Maybe even in a different key. For now, I just wanna get this out.

Gillian crochet a bird for me,
A blue bird in a red egg with a yellow beak,
With wings and tail and 2 black rubies for eyes,
Stuffed with cotton wool and lots of heart and smiles.
Gillian was 9 when she had bone cancer.
Then she got better although she lost all her hair.
The last time I saw her she was able to walk with a limp,
She could even put her hair up in a ponytail.
Then I left Singapore for a new life,
Got married and too preoccupied,
Drifted away from some of my old pals,
Never heard from Gillian again.
Then someone told me her cancer came back,
And boy, did she put up a brave, long fight!
The cancer took her away from all of us,
But her spirit and her smile remain in our hearts.
Fly, fly, fly, Gillian Bird, fly!
Your star is shining bright tonight!
Fly, fly, fly, Gillian Bird, fly!
Your star is shining bright tonight!

 

[uke4ia]

This is a Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians song.

 

[Voran]

On the subjects of ravens: My username actually means raven. 'Voran' is a Slavic word that means raven in most Eastern European languages. It was my lil homage to Vladimir and Tatiana.

 

[Voran]

Wait, I forgot. I have another eagle song, The Shape-Changer. I'll record it tomorrow morning.

 

[TCK]

Had a great day in the sun with my birds...made the process to get them out a little more palatable. Let me explain- we have covered all of them and all the areas where they are tethered, and these are all "clean areas". On a normal day I would go get Star, put her equipment on, take her for a forty minute walk, weigh her, put her in the weathering area, clean her mew, go get her before I leave for the day, take her equipment off, and chart our day. Normal day this takes about 55 minutes.
For now, I go read her chart, get her equipment, and stand in .5% peroxide for five minutes. She talks to me happily while I do this outside her mew (likely because she thinks I am a dam fool for not just coming in to get her). We go of our walk, and then I stand in peroxide again for five minutes before I can put her in weathering. I go stand in peroxide again for five minutes before I can go clean her mew. Off for more puddle standing before I can take her from weathering, and more puddle standing before she can go home again (she really thinks this is asinine and spends the whole time jumping around on my arm and making her "food" calls). This, as you can see, makes for a long day...not complaining, just explaining what we are doing for the interested...after all, I did go for a walk with a Red-tailed hawk today (two of them).
All right- off to what you all did in the time since I last watched. I had a feeling we were slowing down here but it is not yet time for me to sing "Goodnight Irene" yet- still accepting any and all bird songs! Anyway

Pa- Dang- this one is heart-breaking. A wonderful little tune I wish everyone would hear. Thanks for this one mate.


Wee- Ah- one from the early days of the lockdown. Some beautiful sentiments in the introduction- many I have found to be true. I do wish we were not still to at least some degree still isolating, but I have gained new perspective on what is worthwhile. That said, my wings have been awfully restless. Thanks for bringing this one back for us.

Joo- I love this grumpy bird and this wonderful little song you wrote for it! Thank you for performing it for us!
Joo part two- Awe- I love the sentiment here, and it totally works with the claw-hammer. What a beautiful story here. I have in 27 years only lost one kid to cancer...but boy that was hard. Gillian sounds like a really awesome kid. Thanks so much for sharing it with us.

Jim- This is fun! Little overdrive, little distortion- cracking tune. Well done sir, and thank you for playing it for us. I don't think I know of another song that mentions a calliope...

Thanks again for the enthusiastic response! If I forgot to click anything and have left anyone out- please let me know.

 

[TCK]

On the subjects of ravens: My username actually means raven. 'Voran' is a Slavic word that means raven in most Eastern European languages. It was my lil homage to Vladimir and Tatiana.

Thought you would get a kick out of this if you have not seen one. We had an imprinted one in our program for a bit (an inattentive handler let it escape through 3 doors, all of which should have been closed). Anyway- Leucisctic Raven, one of the coolest birds I have ever seen.

 

[TCK]

Budgie-wise, we've had some great ones over the years; one previous one had a vocabulary of close to fifty words and phrases, and could demonstrate some simple syntax, putting broad concepts together into "sentences", we think he got really good, really early, because our young kids grew up with him and spent a LOT of time with him, interacting and playing. Boomerang here is still kind of young, he speaks many long run-on random sentences lifted from my wife talking to him over course of the day, in her voice. He too can get ideas across to us, like when he needs or observes water, or us drinking, or god forbid, finds a puff in his water fountain, he has a particular whistle just for that. And he is almost like a swiss watch when it comes to telling time. His bed time is eight sharp, and he lets you know it like Rain Man wants his Wapner on TV: about ten minutes 'til eight, if he doesn't see us start getting his water and seed cup ready, he'll start saying "Go sweepy night-night, treat-time!". He's very clear about that. Sometimes mid day he'll want to take a siesta and he'll also tell himself "sweepy nigh" as he tucks up. We play a lot of "fetch", and "catch", he and I. I would like to teach him more tricks like riding a fingerboard skateboard, but he's less interested in that stuff than flinging and retrieving his toy soldier army men. The war crimes he commits with them are unspeakable.

This little fellow sounds pretty darn entertaining. The description here is HILARIOUS