Ruff

[Martin Berrigan]

Loves night worms,I stalked the bird a bit setting night-worms along his path,out of 9 he got about 3 but the other's are there for the bird to find,as soon as the bird had gotten a few night-worms she decided to go to sleep on the spit standing on one leg.Last warm night I got approximately 250,so I'll bring him 7 or 8 a day,next warm night I'll get a pile more.Hopefully over time dangling the night-worms for the bird to see the bird will adapt,not likely but I'll play it out and see how it goes.The first worm she got she took off to the water cleaned him up and down it went.The next lot will all be cleaned so the bird can gobble them immediately,I can get him a few a day till end of January,and hopefully some mild day's I'll get more.Gerard

[Martin Berrigan]

On Saturday, December 23, 2023 at 2:37:27 PM UTC-3:30, Martin Berrigan wrote:
> Loves night worms,I stalked the bird a bit setting night-worms along his path,out of 9 he got about 3 but the other's are there for the bird to find,as soon as the bird had gotten a few night-worms she decided to go to sleep on the spit standing on one leg.Last warm night I got approximately 250,so I'll bring him 7 or 8 a day,next warm night I'll get a pile more.Hopefully over time dangling the night-worms for the bird to see the bird will adapt,not likely but I'll play it out and see how it goes.The first worm she got she took off to the water cleaned him up and down it went.The next lot will all be cleaned so the bird can gobble them immediately,I can get him a few a day till end of January,and hopefully some mild day's I'll get more.Gerard

Merry Christmas Ruff,there are 20 worms set about on the spit,the ducks have no idea they are there,left them dirty and walked down empty handed and then from a small bag in pocket I spread them about totally oblivious to the ducks,if you do your walk abouts,you'll find them.Gerard

[Martin Berrigan]

Ruff had his spit at Virginia outflow shovelled approximately 150 feet from his favorite spot by the river outflow around the outer edges so the bird could forage,I started approximately 5:40 am and within a hour with a bucket to throw wales of water over shovelled edges to free up,by the time I left the Ruff would have an area he could forage about with dirty night-worms to boot with snow and slush pushed out into the river.H and J were there late evening with I.W and other's who were successfully getting mealworm to the Ruff,I'm sure this really helped thru the cold and the Ruff looked good this a.m.The Ruff was there first light and I just skidattled unaware of whether he ever gets a worm.Parking lot is accessable no problem at all and all bird sites flushed out of jelly from snow and rain and sleet have been reinforced except the Legion Flagpole area.It's warm out,really warm .Gerard

[Martin Berrigan]

Ruff will have a cold week coming up,just find the bird with the ducks or line some dried mealworm along shore line sort of camouflaged,throw them down out of your pocket without ducks seeing,best at the Virginia outflow,many people are helping the bird along so when desperate the bird will eat corn which may not digest for him but that lightweight scratch from Country store West Topsail road,you can drive in,have bag put in your vehicle and go,I'm not saying scratch is good but when cold he'll eat corn but scratch would easily break down in his stomach.Overall the bird loked good,I will continue hiding night-worms at the outflow,today I threw him one big worm and he got it but the bird is skittish so camouflage mealworm fed with ducks work with my worms also way better at the spit.Gerard

[Martin Berrigan]

Ruff will need support on Friday early am and thru-out the day and Saturday morning.There have been a lot of contributors helping the bird along and I stashed many worms with no ducks around yesterday and happy to report video and pictures on-line of the bird getting to the worms so Thanks to V.C's and I.W's for that.If anyone has a bag of mealworm to spare for me and could drop them off at my house or I could pick them up it would be great as CJ's has still not got they're supply in,scratch and mealworm offered to this bird on storm days is greatly needed and appreciated.I have been given permission to go to people's composts to get more worms so that starts tomorrow.Thanks Gerard

[Martin Berrigan]

Same routine this morn'n,flush the snow off the spit in the pitch dark,then I secretly stashed the real dirty worms and mealworm along his walk,then I went down the long stretch from the spit East and set a load of scratch,then scratch off the spit on the other side of outflow and along the rocks and every single duck disappeared to the West and to the East,then the spit was the Ruff's,my plan feed him good and nourish the bird good before bitter Saturday and cold week ahead,the Ruff had the spit to himself knows where the worms are stashed but I never watched what happened but for a hour straight running around there was not a duck on the spit.Then 1pm,400 gulls on spit pruning which was great they insulated the spit,warmed it,I came in with a bag of scratch and just heaped it down along the spit and Ruff went at it with the ducks,drop lots into water's let it disappear into cracks that only the Ruff can really get at.It will be a cold Saturday and a cold week hoping all the Ruffie follower's will bring some scratch,mealworm and so forth.Cold Saturday a.m I will repeat the process,not out of worms yet!.Of course the gulls just went out for a swim when I arrived at the spit,Ruff was there and first light this a.m .Gerard