#EarlyTrespassing

Yesterday morning wasn't the right time, neither the right moment to trespass a Coyote territory.

At first sight we've been clearly spotted by this couple of Coyote. Usually they don't care much about humans as long as we're not trespassing their territories in the middle of their breeding season; unfortunately we're just at the beginning of it. Like most wild animals, Coyotes can be easily offended during this time and by any means necessary, will protect their family as well as their hunting territories on which they count on to feed their youngsters. The female seems relatively calm but still cautious of our presence contrary to the male who was agitated, noisy, and didn't seem to be in a mood to socialize with us. ( mindful-hempress )

Sure the fact that we suprised them didn't help the situation. So slowly we decided to leave this area going, backwards.

@BenAdrienProulx April 11th, 2024

I was training to gather data for Project FeederWatch at work, a citizen science project that tracks winter bird migration by counting populations at feeders, and I realized I spelled bluejay without the e. as in the name of my beloved mutual @blujayonthewing

JUST SAW YOUR ASK ON HELLSITE-GENETICS AND NEEDED TO SEND YOU AN ASK!! /POS

you are like literally the person i want to be with the bird stuff i absolutely LOVE belted kingfishers they are so pretty. they are also one of my favorite birds (i have too many favorites i cant just pick one) but birds are so smart and their feathers are so cool like omg i love birds

im currently a small senior in highschool/sophomore in college and want more people who like birds in my life :))

anyway whats your favorite thing to study about birds? mine is how smart they are but also like how bluejays have the feathers that reflect the sun to show the blue :))

[id: screenshot of two text messages that say "oh good i get to get [sic] explain this to you" / "you will regret this" followed by the ellipses of someone typing. end id]

FELLOW BIRD ENJOYER SPOTTED

(sad my ask to hellsite-genetics didn't get me a bird tho but i did get the added satisfaction of knowing the goofy goober song is a member of the genus i exalted in my ask so all in all it's a solid win)

let me preface all of this with saying that while a lot of my experience with birds and learning about birds has been in a classroom setting i've also spent *checks watch* three summers now (including this upcoming one) doing field work working almost exclusively with birds in the midwest united states, so honestly a lot of the things i've learned have been incidental knowledge i've obtained working in the field. i'm not an *expert*, i just have a BS in environmental science and a lot of birding experience.

full slapshod essay rant of me going on about birds (edit: i just reread it and good GOD i went on for a while) of me talking about birds below the cut bc i already know this is gonna be far too long but you asked about my favorite thing in the world so this is on you my friend (affectionate)

i'm definitely ENRAPTURED with how smart birds are. They're so fucking intelligent it's almost scary.

since you brought em up imma talk about bluejays first!! i did part of a project my last year of college on bluejays!!

blue jays will often mimic the calls of other birds, esp predators like red-tailed hawks, with such accuracy that even bird id apps like Merlin (shameless plug) will mistake a mimicking bluejay for a real red-tailed. when i was doing audio surveys for northern bobwhites we had to have a separate training day where the only thing we focused on was how to tell if a mockingbird / thrasher / blue jay was mimicking the distinct bobwhite call and how that wasn't to be counted as a sighting.

(in my experience a lot of it has to do with pitch, repetition, and completion of what's considered the 'full song' of the NOBO, since a lot of mimids won't do the 'full song' and will just handpick bits to weave into the rest of their noises. bluejays especially will do this. mockingbirds will sometimes do the full song, but NOBOs have a pretty measurable repetition gap between their songs, at least in the areas we were doing surveys).

i remembered learning in a class that some bluejays will find bird feeders and spy on them, then mimic red-tailed and red-shouldered hawk calls to get the other birds to scatter, so they can then fly down and eat without having to fight for the tastiest bits.

when i was working with birds over the summer, one of the things we did was setting ground traps for mourning doves so they could be banded and then tracked for hunter take (they're a game species in my state). there were always blue jays in those traps. they're so fascinating to see up close, with their heavy bills and tough little feet and they're so full of rage. and they're loud.

also the thing about their FEATHERS - YES. it fucked me up to learn blue jays are naturally brown. iirc it has to do with the way the barbs on their feathers are put together with modified cells, which scatter the light in a special way to make them appear blue. If you get a bluejay feather in your hand it's only blue at certain angles and the undersides are almost usually completely brown unless you hold them in the light just so.

blue jays are part of the family Corvidae so it makes sense why they're so smart, in the family with other birds like ravens and crows.

well i didn't mean to go on for so long about blue jays. they are wonderful tho aren't they?? <3

my favorite thing to study about birds??? hoooooo boy what a question. everything?? is everything an option??

habitat effects on population size and habitat selection at the individual level is fascinating. i've done a lot of work with population studies, basically doing audio-visual surveys (point counts) of how many of x and y and z target species live in this area at a given point in time, then using that data to extrapolate potential population numbers in an area as narrow as a few square miles and as wide as the whole state (i worked for the state department of natural resources so we were focused only on our state obv).

in that effort, using that information to both directly and indirectly learn what environmental factors affect which bird species and how was so so interesting to me, and some of them are things so small we don't even think about them sometimes!! if there's as few as a handful of pine/cedar/evergreen trees in a field or grassland, you're far more likely to find cedar waxwings and indigo buntings, and you rarely see them in areas dominated by deciduous trees. red-winged blackbirds love wetlands, and while they aren't (iirc) specifically wetland-dependent, something as small as a single pond is enough to attract them in droves.

behavior is also such a cool topic to me, which i've learned more and more about just by birdwatching and attending bird-related conferences and working with wildlife biologists.

birds like the brown creeper are bark foragers that almost exclusively move upwards along a tree. they'll start at the bottom and move up, and once they reach a point they deem 'too high', they'll fly to the bottom of the next tree and move up. conversely, birds like nuthatches, still bark foragers, almost exclusively move down trees in the same way - they'll start at the top, forage downwards, and when they reach the bottom, they'll fly back to the top and do it again.

the yellow-bellied sapsucker (woodpecker family), as the name implies, eats a lot of sap, so they drill holes into a tree, like woodpeckers do, but they lay them down in 'bands' that run horizontally around the tree, often with multiple rows on top of each other, leading to a grid-like pattern of shallow holes only an inch or two apart from each other. that's often the best way to figure out where to look for sapsuckers when you're birding!! (apart from actually seeing or hearing the little guy, obv.)

incidentally, i learned that it's really really hard to put backpack trackers on henslow's sparrows, not bc they're so small and hard to catch, but because they're smart enough to realize there's a thing on their back and will, somehow, pull the backpack around to their front and completely mangle it beyond repair, and that's before they chew it off.

god i could go on forever. kestrels. ospreys. owls. nightjars. songbirds. fisherbirds. albatrosses. puffins. kinglets. sparrows. starlings. they're all so good and perfect and wonderful and fascinating and if i could learn everything about all of them forever i would.

in an extremely roundabout way of answering your question, if you're still reading and haven't run for the hills yet, i can't pick just one thing to call my favorite to learn about birds. everything about them is so interesting and makes me so excited to learn and see and talk about.

belted kingfisher lovers unite!

edit: I DIDN'T EVEN TALK ABOUT TURKEYS EITHER I'M DOING TURKEY RESEARCH TOO -

The story of one of my greatest ever Big Garden Birdwatches on 27/01/2024

Saturday morning arrived and a sense of excitement and anticipation pulsed through me as it was time to keep up my annual tradition of counting the birds in the garden for an hour for the RSPB's Big Garden Birdwatch. I had high hopes for 2024 and was not disappointed.

As I have said before this fun and vitally important activity in the name of citizen science to inform conservation often feels like a challenge of hope that any trends of the year or winter so far for birds in the garden can be replicated within the hour and you just of course never know what will turn up in the time. The build up to the survey this year for me was dominated by one thing as our rarest ever garden visitor the stunning female Black Redstart stated visiting two weeks prior, keeping up appearances regularly as the days of the first of those weeks ticked by, going a bit quieter in the second week but coming back in again towards the end of it. Could the dream of seeing one in a Big Garden Birdwatch be realised? I was over the moon then when very soon into it and throughout this energetic and regal bird came in, what a pleasure to watch such a gorgeous species at this key point in our garden's wild year. It was mesmerising to see her.

The Black Redstart wasn't the only unusual for us species seen yesterday as I could barely believe my eyes when a minute Goldcrest weaved through the buddleia bushes, another species I adore seeing and have had a top first month of the year and winter so far for. I was ecstatic to see it as I'd never seen one in the garden before. It joined the Black Redstart and also a Great Black-backed Gull flying past on Friday as three from home ticks I've got this year so far. Sticking to the theme of the unusual, I'd not seen a Blackbird in the garden all winter so far but a male and female turned up yesterday. This was a delight to see. It's fair to say with a frost it was a little colder than previous days yesterday morning, the colder weather what I think first brought the Black Redstart in to find food, so this may have brought different things in. Also seen whilst counting yesterday were two winter stalwarts this year which always seem notable in the garden as we don't always get them in year round, pretty Robin and Blue Tit. Though a very common bird and very frequently around out the back I don't feel as though I see Woodpigeons coming into the garden as often these days so the two that came in during the birdwatch was nice.

Onto the more expected species and Starling was my most numerous species once again with seventeen the most in at once. These birds have their noted declines so I think it's the sign of a good Big Garden Birdwatch if you get that moment where the mob of Starlings descend on the garden and it's difficult to keep track of how many are in. These days where there are Starlings there are House Sparrows and it was great to watch that equally as concerned for species feeding in the garden with five the most at once. This garden wouldn't be itself without a dazzling star of the cast, my favourite year round regular, the Goldfinch. Four at most of these came in yesterday, lower than previous years but I'm not overly concerned by that as in recent times I have seen them more so coming into the garden in smaller groups than before rather than all at once and this species does also like the balcony feeders at the front of the house which splits things up a bit. Lastly I'd have been a bit frustrated had we not got a Collared Dove in during the birdwatch as a big theme of the past year has been them coming into the garden in ever greater numbers and they're a near constant out the back generally, seeing five coming into the garden one of my best ever results for them in the birdwatch was great.

Overall a very enjoyable and exhilarating hour, compared to previous years it felt like there was barely a minute where nothing was in the garden and ten species observed equaled my previous best in 2021. What a great way to spend some time, I said to someone the other day how it's probably the only hour per year I'll get to just sit and watch the garden which is so relaxing and enthralling but also it does mean I notice things I might not normally and it feels great it all being for a good cause. In this photoset are ten more of my photos from my Big Garden Birdwatch yesterday of; House Sparrow, Blue Tit, the male Blackbird, Woodpigeon, the Goldcrest, two of Goldfinches, the Black Redstart, Starlings and another of the Black Redstart.

  Get to know your bird organizations:

Cornell Lab of Ornithology

The Cornell Lab provides quite a number of data-driven apps and repositories, with many of the contributions through citizen science (birders like you and me):

eBird (website and mobile app) This has become the de facto app and website for submitting bird sightings. It's also great for researching birding hotspots all around the world. The website offers a great deal more information and functionality than the app (such as uploading photos to accompany your sightings, and providing you with your own central sightings hub complete with maps), so using them in tandem is the best strategy. All rare sightings are reviewed for accuracy by qualified volunteers.  

Merlin (mobile app) This is the app that gets a lot of press due to its ease of entry to the world of birdwatching. Hit the 'record' button and it will listen for bird calls and suggest species. It does a decent job of that. You can also upload photos of birds to see if they match anything in the database. Note however, that it has developed a bit of a reputation for frustrating ornithologists due to false positives that novices might not catch, suggesting rare birds that wouldn't be anywhere nearby, and thus tainting the eBird data.  

All About Birds Cornell's bird guide; search by species and it will provide a great deal of information. There's a lot of clicking involved (there's an Overview tab, an ID info tab, a Life History tab, a Maps tab), instead of the info being presented on a single scrollable page, but I enjoy their 'Cool Facts' section.  

Macaulay Library This is Cornell's media library (photos, videos, audio). When a photo or audio clip is submitted through eBird, it will then show up here in the archives, along with any additional information that the photographer might have included (e.g., how many are in the photo, is it male or female, is it foraging). The library has been operating since 1929, and has over 60 million pieces of media. The information included in the library helps to power the Merlin app, providing more photographs and audio clips for comparison purposes.  

eBird Status and Trends data visualizer Using the eBird data to track bird population increases and declines, as well as possible geographic shifts. The visualizer provides heat maps superimposed on a globe, and you can hit the 'play' button to see how things shift throughout the year.  

Feeder Watch This is a backyard counting project (in conjunction with Birds Canada) that is roughly the same as eBird, but for bird feeders and backyards. Participants spend two consecutive days per week (or as much as they can) watching to see who shows up, and you can compare your data to your neighbours. The data goes back decades, and you can use a few different visualizations to see trends.  

Bird Academy As Cornell is a university, they offer online classes. They range from the simple (eBird essentials; Free), to the more complex (Ornithology: Complex Bird Biology; $240 USD; 100+ hours to complete).  

(Eastern Bluebird photo by @everydayesterday)

Someone should do Project FeederWatch with me this year! Basically you just set aside some time to watch what birds come to your feeder throughout the winter. You can do it as much or as little as you want. It is $18 to participate, that covers the cost of running the website, doing stuff with data, and the resources they send you. Starts on November 1st. US and Canada.

February Hernando Audubon Activities

February Hernando Audubon Activities Hernando Audubon meeting: What’s Happening to Florida’s Breeding Birds, with Speaker Dave Goodwin, Thursday, February 22. Dave will discuss what has happened to the populations of breeding birds in Florida over the past thirty years, including changes in both bird species’ ranges and estimated population sizes. Dave is a founding member and two-term past president of the Florida Ornithological Society (FOS). He was Regional Coordinator for both Florida Breeding Bird Atlas Projects. He was on the FOS Records Committee for seven years. He also served for four years as president of the St. Petersburg Audubon Society. Dave has participated in over 320 Christmas Bird Counts in Florida since 1971. He has led many hundreds of birding trips for various organizations. The meeting will start at 7 p.m., at Brooksville Woman’s Club, 131 S. Main Street, Brooksville. Free, all are welcome. Contact Bev: 352-686-0460 or [email protected] Hernando Audubon birding trip to The Celery Fields in Sarasota, Thursday, February 1. Meet at 9 a.m. at the Sarasota Audubon Nature Center parking lot picnic tables, 999 Center Road, Sarasota. The Celery Fields mainly consist of open marshland, shallow ponds, and canals which are edged by oaks, willows, and pines. Birds seen here can include sparrows, Marsh and Sedge wrens, Sora and Virginia rails, Black-necked Stilts, Least Bittern, Limpkin, and Purple Gallinule. Behind the Nature Center is a small observation area with feeders that attract songbirds and seasonal migrants. Make reservations with Gwen, [email protected] or 206-659-2677. Hernando Audubon birding class: Birding with Merlin (bird identification) App, Saturday, February 3. Meet at 8 a.m. at Chinsegut Conservation Center, 23212 Lake Lindsey Road in Brooksville. Learn how to use the Merlin bird app, which will help you identify birds that you see and hear. With the ID Wizard, you answer three simple questions, and the app will suggest what bird you might have seen. Sound ID listens to a bird in real time and suggests who it is. And Merlin can identify a bird from your photo. This all-in-one app is free, developed by Cornell Lab of Ornithology. After the class, we’ll go for a short walk to practice what we have learned. The group size is limited, so make reservations with Claudia, [email protected] or 813-244-0305. Download Merlin before the class. Hernando Audubon birding trip to Travelers’ Rest (Pasco County), Saturday, February 10. Meet at 8 a.m. at the Post Office at Travelers Rest RV Resort and Golf Course, 29129 Johnston Road, Dade City. Tom Butler, a resident of the RV park, will guide us to view some of the eight bodies of water that attract various water birds and the wooded areas where Barred Owls, hawks, woodpeckers, and songbirds live. Tom has done a lot of work in the park to create an attractive habitat for birds and viewing areas for folks interested in seeing the birds. In recent years 159 species of birds have been reported on eBird! To make reservations, contact Bev: [email protected] or 352-686-0460.  Hernando Audubon Big Day/Birdathon, Saturday, February 17. Everyone can participate by trying to find as many species as they can during the day, whether it is in your own yard or your favorite park. At the end of the day, submit your list of species to [email protected]. This is a fundraiser for Hernando Audubon Society, with proceeds going to help fund local conservation and education programs and Audubon Nature and Science Club at Eastside Elementary School. Mail a pledge to P.O. Box 1678, Brooksville, FL 34605. Contact Bev: [email protected] or 352-686-0460. Hernando Audubon Beginning Birding, Friday, February 23. Meet at 8 a.m. at Chinsegut Conservation Center, 23212 Lake Lindsey Road, Brooksville. Learn to identify birds at feeders and during a short walk. There will be binoculars available for use. Make reservations with Linda: [email protected] or text 352-428-2629. Read the full article

The Weeds in Your Bird Seed

The Weeds in Your Bird Seed

With February comes the return of the Great Backyard Bird Count, a weekend-long, worldwide, bird counting event that Sierra and I have enjoyed participating in for the past few years. While you can choose to count birds anywhere birds are found, part of the appeal of the event is that it can be done from the comfort of one’s own home simply by watching for birds to appear right outside the…

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I have to tell everyone about my ocs from the story I'm working on WIZARD APARTMENT (copy pasted directly from the word document so if the format looks weird that's why lol) PLEASE LOVE THEM AND ASK ME THINGS ABOUT THEM

Wizelda Spellcaster

She/her

She's a professional witch and works in the library of spells at the local wizard tower. She walks with a cane because of a wizard duel injury to her knee and the cane doubles as a wizard staff for casting epic spells of awesomeness. She's kind of a pessimist and not great at minding her own business, but she's also very genuine and (usually) good natured. She always finds herself in the middle of whatever supernatural chaos is taking place and she is having none of it

Vlad Draculason

They/them

Are they 28 or 2800 years old? The answer is yes. They're a gardener for a wizard florist in town and always in a good mood! Naively optimistic and laid back, they're pretty much wizelda's opposite. Whenever they get hungry they ask politely for some blood and gently poke a friend with a painless enchanted swirly straw. You can attract them to your back yard in bat form by putting count chocula in your bird feeder. Important detail: they wear heelys

Luna Wolf

She/they

She's a werewolf and a scientist. Her unspecified science job consists of wearing a lab coat, holding a clipboard, looking through microscopes and space telescopes, doing complicated math, drawing pictures of molecules on a whiteboard, and observing beakers of colorful liquid. But mostly she studies SPACE! specifically THE MOON. Also is very into yodeling

Norm L. Guy

He/him

Norm is just your average guy. He somehow wandered past the illusion spells hiding the apartment from non-wizards and stayed there because the rent was cheap. He's also the only one aware of Mortimer being the Dark Lord of Evil but keeps it to himself because you know, getting a dark wizard mad at you maybe isn't the best idea. He's constantly anxious and trying very hard to keep it together, living a ridiculous double life where he has to pretend to know things about magic

Skye Crystalball

She/her

She owns a touristy psychic occultist shop that caters to non-magical people, and loves tarot and crystals. She has extremely powerful psychic abilities yet chooses to believe Instagram astrology accounts instead. Always selling things on wizard etsy. She starts out very immature and constantly gets on Wizelda's nerves, but she slowly grows as a person throughout the story. She is always crunching on a quartz crystal like bugs bunny with a carrot

Barnabus Blazeweed

He/him

He lives in room 420 and smokes magical wizard weed. He's one of those guys who goes to the gym a lot and wears flannels and he's always saying some positive motivational shit like "bench pressed the exercise bike, radiating love and good vibes of happiness and light to y'all on this WEDNESDAY you got this my dudes." Pretty much everyone likes him except Mortimer.

Note: maybe make him a geologist in reference to the high geologist meme? Wizard geologist who studies magic wizard rocks?

Claude Cauldronbottom

They/he.

Claude works two jobs, one as a chef and one making wizard potions. The problem is that sometimes the potions end up in the food and soup ends up in the potions. Be very careful eating at their restaurant!

Bonnie Legg

She/her

Little old lady who lives on the first floor. She likes knitting, baking, napping in her rocking chair on the back porch, and playing mahjong. She ALSO likes committing arson and starting fights at the wizard biker bar for fun. She has pointy teeth and rides around on her houseling, a young baba yaga house still too small to fit inside, which at this early stage in its life resembles a wooden motorcycle with a shingle roof over the headlights and chicken legs instead of wheels

Hilda Hayfever

She/her

Angsty teenage anarchist punk rock scarecrow with embroidered tattoos and battle vest patches and stuff embroidered directly onto her because she's a scarecrow made of fabric character design hell yeah. Princess of the Halloween realm who fled to the human realm because of her firm anti-monarchy anti-authoritarian views, where she was basically adopted by Bonnie, who she calls baba. On Halloween night when the border between the two realms fades she fights The Pumpkinlord with a really cool really big sword that's shaped like a corn cob

Gil Waters

He/him

Merman. His room in the apartment is actually the koi pond out front, and koi are to merpeople what cats are to humans. So he has like 20 cats basically. Sometimes he babysits his baby niece, who is still in that adorable phase where she could develop into either a mermaid or a siren depending on her diet as she grows and constantly hungers for human flesh

Mortimer Darklorrd

He/him

The landlord of the wizard apartment and The Dark Lord of Evil foretold by ancient prophecies. Made of pure wickedness, absolutely vile, no redeeming qualities whatsoever, his ultimate goal is to be the ruler of the universe. He dresses like a boring regular guy except with a long black cloak, and he's always scheming new ways to exploit his tenants and conquer the world

Clint and Billy Draculason

Both use he/him

They're vampire wizard cowboys from Wizard Texas (a second Texas invisible to non-wizards located to the left of regular texas). Clint is Vlad's cousin and his job is stealing haunted cars. Ghost car wrangler with a car catching magic lasso. And he steals the cars with Billy. He and Billy are married. Clint has a bat shaped mustache. Billy has cowboy boot shaped sideburns

Bailey the Basilisk

She/her

A giant talking snake who works at Claude's restaurant. She's a BASILisk, not a regular basilisk, so instead of killing people with a death stare she has a little herb garden and makes really good pesto. Like REALLY good pesto, the best pesto you've ever had

Chad and the Bros

He/him

Chad and The Bros are a frat boy hive mind of which Chad is the blond one and central brain. They're all college kids who throw parties in the apartment but they’re kind of evil and messed up. The bros consist of Brody, Brostopher, Brotthew, Broithan, Bronard (pronounced like Bernard), and Bronard (pronounced like Leonard). They seem to see Barnabus as their responsible adult authority figure and can only be controlled by him

2020 Rector Christmas Bird Count Results

Black-capped Chickadee

On December 20, 2020, 34 intrepid birders braved a wintry mix to count birds in assigned sectors within a 15-mile diameter circle centered just northwest of Powdermill Nature Reserve. Another eight, who lived within designated territory, closely watched their bird feeders and yards for avian visitors. Why would so many birders be out in less-than-ideal weather conditions? They were all participating in the Rector Christmas Bird Count.

Map of the Rector Christmas Bird Count circle with each count sector outlined with red, created by James Whitacre, GIS Research Scientist at Powdermill Nature Reserve.

Christmas Bird Count (CBC) is an annual event sponsored by the National Audubon Society that happens in mid-December through early January, with the compiler of each count circle choosing a specific count date within that timeframe. This year marks the 121st anniversary of the activity. The count started on Christmas day in 1900 with the purpose of censusing birds by counting them in the field using optics rather than by using shotguns. Although there were only 25 count circles in the first CBC, it has grown into an international event with nearly 2900 circles spread across the Western Hemisphere and even to Pacific Islands as far away as Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands.

Today, the CBC is a fun day for birders and bird watchers of all skill levels to head outside with the goal of identifying and counting every bird they see and hear within their count areas. The data gathered though this citizen science initiative contributes to both long-term and short-term population studies. To date, more than 200 peer-reviewed scientific publications have used CBC data in their analyses.

Although the count was a bit different this year with COVID-19 precautions keeping counters in different germ pools separate, we had an excellent turnout of both advanced and beginner birders, including some young birders.

Eastern Screech Owl

Red-headed Woodpecker

And what a count it was! This winter is an irruption year (for more info on irruptive migration, please see this blog.) for many species, and although we didn’t find hordes of these birds during the count, we did see Pine Siskins, Purple Finches, Red-breasted Nuthatches, higher-than-average numbers of Black-capped Chickadees, and the much sought after Evening Grosbeak. The counters recorded many interesting and less common species this year, including the count’s third ever Snow Goose, third ever Eastern Phoebe, and fifth ever Common Yellowthroat. Both the phoebe and Common Yellowthroat are species that winter in the southeastern US. Counting efforts that began an hour before dawn produced exceptional owl numbers (eight Eastern Screech-Owls, one Great Horned Owl, and two Barred Owls). Additionally, the birders recorded high counts for several species including Ruddy Duck, Black Vulture, Bald Eagle, Red-shouldered Hawk, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Common Raven, Carolina Wren, and Song Sparrow. Most notably, the group counted a record-setting seven Red-headed Woodpeckers, a species that is uncommon in southwestern Pennsylvania and can be reliably found in only one spot of suitable habitat within the count circle.

Carolina Wren

We thank all of the participants for a wonderful count this year! In all, we tallied 4361 birds of 69 species, a remarkable result thanks to the valiant effort of all of the counters. We look forward to hosting the Rector count next year!

Annie Lindsay is the Bird Banding Program Manager at Carnegie Museum of Natural History’s Powdermill Nature Reserve. Museum employees are encouraged to blog about their unique experiences and knowledge gained from working at the museum.

The Van der Linde Gang - Jobs in a Modern AU

I’ve been really inspired to write about this lately and I’d love to hear your takes! These are the occupations that I think each gang member would have in a modern AU. Some were more challenging than others, but hopefully you guys can see where I’m coming from with each! 

Arthur: Film location scout. His natural eye for photography and framing makes Arthur the perfect member of a pre-production team. His no-bullshit approach to everything means he keeps to deadlines, although he’s known to go wandering off into the wilderness for unknown amounts of time. He enjoys the lone working side of his job and finding exactly the right spots that would make the film come to life. He doesn’t always like the films once they’re finished (in fact he’s often bought cinema tickets and walked out half way through, grumbling that it wasn’t worth the popcorn) but he can’t deny the excited buzz he gets every time he gets hired. In his early years as an assistant he met Bertie Mason, a nervous but talented photography intern. Despite an ill-advised hookup after a week joined at the hip they have remained close friends and still go out on shoots together. 

John: landscape gardener. John? Flowers? Yes, alright, I found it hard to believe too. But look, it’s not about the flowers, even if he does get misty-eyed at the sight of a sunflower in the early morning light. It’s about the challenge, the outdoors, and solving problems. After all the renovations he did to his house and garden (some more successful than others) John found how much satisfaction he got from digging and reshaping and planting. Don’t get me wrong, he’s often without a shirt, even in the colder months, much to the delight of some and the horror of others. He always makes friends with the household pets and is wonderful with the kids, always dropping his task to throw a frisbee around for a bit or cheekily accept an ice cold glass of lemonade from their mothers. Whenever he drives past one of his projects he feels himself glowing with pride - “I did that!”. 

Dutch: philosophy lecturer. As always, late with Starbucks. Will he actually grade your essay? Will it mysteriously disappear? Keeps you on your toes, doesn’t it? Sitting precariously on the very edge of his desk, leather jacket hanging off his shoulders and losing his balance every 15 minutes, Dr Van der Linde is nothing short of a wonder. For the love of all that is holy, do not get him started on Kant. Kant has no place here. You want to talk about your precious Kant? Get your butt down to Dr O’Driscoll’s class, he has plenty to say about Kant. Perhaps a little too fond of Socrates. Plato who? Completely illegible handwriting and definitely sleeping with several members of the faculty. But somehow his students always walk away with excellent grades. At the end of each term Dutch takes everyone out to a local bar for drinks, insists on buying tequila which no one really fancies at 11am. Claims to ride a motorcycle called The Count which no one has actually seen. Impossible to hate, and he writes everyone great references for their summer internships. 

Hosea: social worker. In a crisis, there’s no one better to knock on your door. Hosea has seen it all and he’ll see it all again, but that doesn’t stop him from treating every single case he gets with the upmost respect and care. His no-nonsense approach to his work means he gets things done, but he never sacrifices his compassion. He mostly works with teenagers and has a way of being able to connect to each individual without coming across as patronising. He’s been in the field for over two decades and is an invaluable mentor for any newcomers, always willing to share a word or two of advice or be a shoulder to cry on. 

Javier: guitar teacher and music therapist. During his worst years, Javier’s guitar was his lifeline. And he wants to help others find their lifeline, too. He works on a freelance basis, mainly going into mental health hospitals, schools and prisons. He runs workshops focusing on guitar playing, but brings other instruments (mainly percussion) to try too. He’s a gentle teacher, always with a joke in his back pocket for when you need it most. He has nicknames for everyone and remembers everything they’ve ever told him. He’s patient and never lets anyone feel bad for making a mistake. Javier also runs an after-school guitar club at the local middle school alongside playing his own music at gigs whenever he can. No, he doesn’t reply to DMs no matter how thirsty they are. 

Sadie: self-defense instructor. After surviving an attack several years ago, Sadie used her ferocity to get her qualification in self-defense to teach other women how to fight back should they need to. Her husband Jake helps out in her classes, happily allowing himself to be thrown around and slammed onto the mat as many times as required. Her students are terrified of her in the best and nicest way. Sadie also volunteers at a women’s refuge, providing emergency care and taking phone calls. 

Charles: environmental campaign manager. Charles has always been drawn to charities and started doing voluntary work for Greenpeace when he was at university, securing an internship with them in Canada which led to a full time job. Whilst Charles mainly hosts meetings and organises events, he also works closely with elementary schools and runs workshops with outdoor activities, crafts and music. Last week they made bird feeders! It was awesome. He’s also a keen activist and regularly meets up with Javier to go to protests and community events, most recently for BLM. 

Micah: motorcycle mechanic. Micah is massively invested in motorcycle culture and treats his beloved bike better than his own mother, if he still spoke to her. Although he pretends not to care, fixing bikes is his greatest passion and almost looks...happy when he’s doing it? Maybe? He likes knowing more than the people who stop by his shop and makes sure they know it. Occasionally he leaves his number on a scrap of paper inside women’s handbags when they’re not looking but for some reason none of them call. Like it or not, he’s incredibly skilled and will have your motorcycle singing a tune if that’s what you want. Euphemism? Of course not. 

Abigail: nurse. She was so shy when she realised she wanted to pursue nursing - would people laugh at her? Was she too impatient, too nagging, too shrill? Her dyslexia always put her off going into further education and she was always discouraged by her parents. But with lots of encouragement from Hosea (who helped her to fill out her applications and other forms) and her friends, Abigail went to university in her 30′s to get her degree. She graduated top of her class and now works full time in her local hospital, based mostly in the emergency room. From drunken brawlers to tearful children and grumpy old men with lumbago, Abigail has learnt to keep her cool and to have faith in her own ability. 

Molly: holistic therapist and masseuse. It took years to get that bastard of a philosopher out of her head (and out of her bed - damn those happy hour drinks “for old times’ sake”), but she’s finally free. Molly radiates a kindness that few took to the time to see, and she wanted to take strength from her past struggles to help others who may need someone to listen, just as she did. Molly took a bunch of online courses in various holistic therapies, including aromatherapy and massage, as this was something she had always been interested in. She runs a tiny clinic on a quiet street, the rooms filled with sunshine and the scent of geraniums. She also has a quite popular ASMR YouTube channel, Emerald Eyes ASMR, which she shyly admits just reached 500k subscribers. Her most popular video, ‘Irish Girl Helps You Fall Asleep (soft spoken, tapping, mouth sounds)’ just reached over a million hits. 

Kieran: veterinarian specialising in equine care. Much like Abigail, Kieran didn’t like the idea of going back into education. He’d had a rough time of it as a teenager, dropping out of high school early and working a string of menial jobs for the next decade. They paid his rent, but he still felt poor. His favourite job, however, was working at a stable. The horses made him feel calm and he found that he could read them better than most people. He went to the library and read as much as he could about them. From there, he got himself an apprenticeship which paved the way for him to earn his degree in veterinary science. He smiled so hard in his graduation photo his eyes disappeared into his cheeks. He travels all over the local countryside, visiting farms and ranches to care for the horses. His confidence picked up after the first few blunders, and little by little he’s saving up to buy his own ranch one day. 

Lenny: political science student. You know that kid who always looks amazing, even in 9am lectures? Yeah, that’s not Lenny, but he’s sat just behind. See him? Yep, the one rubbing sleep from his eyes as he pushes through the effects of another all-nighter. It’s not due to procrastination, but from perfectionism. He spends hour agonising over references, appendixes and even titles. One time he was so tired he signed his work “Ynnel”. He’s completely in love with his course and relishes every class he takes. Oh, he’s taking Dutch’s ‘History of Western Philosophy’ module by the way. Sitting in the front row, middle seat, directly in front of Dutch, his eyes glinting wickedly. Poor Dutch. Lenny has a counterpoint for absolutely everything and can barely stifle his laughter as Dutch gets more and more flustered. He’s been dating Jenny Kirk, an English Lit student, for the past few months and it’s going well. So well in fact, that he might stop hiding his Doctor Who merchandise every time she comes to his dorm room. 

Tilly: business student. Tilly started university at the same time as Lenny and they still always go to the library together, rolling their eyes at each other over their morning peppermint lattes. Tilly is at the forefront of any and all on-campus activism. Think of Sam from Dear White People - that’s our Tilly. She wears her Ravenclaw scarf all autumn and winter long and posts scathing Instagram stories about the cafeteria food. But she’s powerfully kind and very ambitious, taking on a part time job tutoring kids with dyslexia in their reading and writing. 

Susan: midwife. Think having a baby is scary? Try crossing Nurse Grimshaw. She’s here now, and that baby is coming out of you one way or another. She’ll hold your hand through thick and thin but if you dare say “I can’t do it” one more time she’ll unleash hell. Susan will make sure everyone has a job to do. Partner just standing there like a lemon? Not on her watch. She’s harsh but kind to her trainees and will always offer a cup of coffee and a shoulder to cry on, but there’s a time and place for slacking and it’s not on her labour ward. 

Trelawny: talent agent. Our Josiah is cunning, infuriatingly charismatic and with an eye for the best of the best - what else could he do so effortlessly? He’ll wrangle you a 10 second role as a latrine cleaner in a non-profit film and he’ll still make you feel like the next DiCaprio. You’re a diamond, don’t you know? Of course you could nab Elphaba, we’ll worry about the singing later. How do you feel about cat food commercials? No no, it’s not pornography, it really is cat food this time - he double checked. On top of this, he knows everyone in the business. No, really. He can’t move 3 feet down Broadway without someone booming his name. The tone of said boom depends, of course, but who hasn’t been caught with his bottom out in that director’s wife’s en-suite? 

Sean: outdoor activity centre instructor. You mean you can actually get paid to swim in lakes, ride ziplines through the forest and eat roasted marshmallows?! Sean couldn’t believe his ears. But it was true, and he’s living his best life. He may be on his penultimate warning for unruly behaviour, but he knows he could never really get fired. How could they? Everyone loves him. And to his credit, he’s a fantastic instructor, especially with kids. Everything from canoeing to caving, wild swimming to climbing, Sean has mastered it all and he always makes it fun. No one is allowed to feel left out or silly for not being able to do something. Sean has a way of making everyone feel included, even if you can only make it up the first few rungs of the ladder. Hey, that’s still off the ground! He once knew this feller Bill who cried because a moth flew into his face. You’re doing fine. 

Mary-Beth: librarian and YA author. Sweet Mary-Beth, how could she be anywhere else but surrounded by books? She adores her job at her small, local library and is always looking for ways to make it even better. She often gets tangled up in the stories she reads whilst organising shelves, but it’s quiet enough most days that she’s rarely caught. She loves helping people find their books or recommending her favourites. She also runs the toddler storytime groups and a writing club for older kids. Of course, she’s also writing her own books. The first of her ‘Valentine Mysteries’ books made a modest profit and she’s excited to write more about the adventures of Leslie Dupont. 

Karen: actress. Realising that she had a knack for accents and even after an especially successful high school lead role as Roxy Hart, Karen didn’t really acknowledge her would-be passion for acting for a long time. But she used her talents to get herself and her friends into X-rated films, dive bars and successfully pull off dozens of prank calls. It wasn’t until one of her friends was going to an open-call audition for a short film and wanted someone to go with her that Karen had her epithany. She was cast on the spot, much to the dismay of her friend. Since then, she’s been in a handful of arthouse films, a commercial here and there, and recently enjoyed a short run as Hermia in A Midsummer Night’s Dream at a small theatre downtown. Does she want fame and fortune? Honestly, she hasn’t really thought about it. Right now, she’s just enjoying the ride. And the phone numbers left for her at front of house from many admirers. 

Strauss: financial loan adviser. Oh boy, perhaps you saw this one coming. Then again, maybe not. Old Leopold isn’t quite the two-pronged-tongued eldritch horror people often mistake him for. In fact, he actually advises people against loan sharks. He had his fair share of debts y’see and he genuinely doesn’t want anyone else to go through the same thing. He’s not exactly sweet and cuddly, but he might let you have a free pen if you call by his office. I mean, technically they’re not free but...never mind, just take it. 

Bill: plumber. It was purely accidental that Bill bashed his way into his career. No, really. His sink was blocked and after an hour of poking and prodding the pipes he started hitting the poor thing with a spanner out of pure frustration, cursing all the way. To his shock, it worked, and he suddenly had running water again. What shocked him more is that he realised he wanted to know how. So, he bought a book. And he read the book. And one thing led to another, and now he’s the proud owner of Williamson Plumbing Inc. The money is very good, but for Bill that’s not it. You have to understand that for him, it’s the act itself of fixing something that brings Bill immense satisfaction. And Bill isn’t used to knowing more about something - anything - than those around him. For the first time perhaps in his life, he can sit down, solve a problem, and know that he’s done a good job. 

Swanson: AA group leader. After getting completely sober almost a decade ago and staying that way, Orville wanted to give something back to the people who had helped him out so greatly. Becoming a volunteer to help those who were trapped where he was seemed like the only path, and it felt so right. Orville is there in meetings, making coffee, handing out donuts and training new volunteers. If anyone wants to talk about their faith he’s all ears, but he never pushes it as a cure-all in any situation. Orville’s sobriety has also meant that he’s learnt to make the most phenomenal mocktails. 

Pearson: grocery shop manager and cooking teacher. Simon has his small grocery shop on the edge of town which has a wide range of regular customers. But he wanted to do more, so he set up a small class to teach fellow veterans how to cook. His wife helps out, and they grow the ingredients together in their garden and down at the allotment. It’s just an therapeutic for him as it is for his students, as he’s only just realising how much he wants to talk about his time in the navy. 

Uncle: unknown. For the longest time, everyone thought Uncle worked at one of the worst dive bars in town, as whenever they stumbled in for a nightcap he was there, behind the bar, happy as a pig in shit. Turns out that he just started going there one night and no one could get him to leave. And so every evening he’ll appear like a phantom, sit himself in the half-broken chair behind the bar (clearly labelled “not for customer use”), order the cheapest beer on the menu and sit there until midnight. No one can understand how he gets the means to live as he ragingly denies receiving any government handouts despite his lumbago. Claims to be a veteran but hasn’t fought in any wars anyone has heard of. 

#EuropeanStarling

So this morning I captured on camera (thru my bay window) some European Starlings at their best … just for the fun of it. Here they are Terri

@BenAdrienProulx April 19th, 2024.

hi!! just wanted to say your name makes me happy (wait that sounds weird- but i cant think of a better way to phrase it-) because your username is battalion-of-birbs which means birds!! and "aves" means "birds" in latin :D

i have to ask- was that intentional?

(sorry, i am a Nerd)

bahaha yes it was!! asdfghjkl i love it sm that someone noticed that xDD that’s part of why i love the nickname aves so much- i learned that it meant the bird family (or species or genus or something i genuinely have no idea i’m sorry biologists i have failed you) and i loved bc i’ve always been kinda obsessed with birds, so i kinda based my username off of it :DDD

i type this while sitting outside for a bird count thing for science as two hummingbirds fight each other for a spot at the feeder while they could just take two different spots next to each other these pugnacious lil-

I know it’s not the same as being outside, especially as the weather’s getting nicer, but you can still get your nature fix even if you can’t leave home! These are just some suggestions to get you started; I bet you can come up with others.

Species portrayed: Human (Homo sapiens), domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris), domestic cat (Felis catus), American robin (Turdus migratorius), cottontail rabbit (Sylvilagus sp.), varied croton (Codiaeum variegatum), Anna’s hummingbird (Calypte anna), geranium (Pelargonium sp.), Pacific rhododendron (Rhododendron macrophyllum), Garry oak (Quercus garryana), air plants (Tillandsia spp.), betta (Betta splendens), lace Java fern (Microsorum pteropus “Windelov”), Java moss (Vesicularia dubyana), pothos (Epipremnum aureum), snow leopard (Panthera uncia)

Transcript under cut. Reblogs okay and encouraged!

[Title: Outside In: Connecting With Nature During Shelter-in-Place]

[Panel 1: A person sits looking dejected in a chair while staring out a window at a sunny day. A small dog sleeps next to them on the floor.]

Feeling cooped up after a few weeks of isolation? You’re not alone (ironically!) Even when it’s for good reason, it gets to everyone sooner or later. It’s even tougher when we can’t spend much time outdoors, and we feel even more distant from nature. What can we do?

[Panel 2: A man with a surgical mask on his face walks a corgi down a sidewalk lined with green grass.]

First, assess your access to the outdoors. Are you still allowed to go for walks while maintaining social distancing?

Do you have a yard or a nearby park? Wherever you go, make sure you wear a mask!

[Panel 3: A man with long dark hair looks out over a grassy field with birds while standing on a balcony. Next to him a hummingbird feeds from a feeder, a butterfly sits on geraniums, and a gray and white cat joins him in bird-watching.]

Let’s say you just have a porch or balcony. What sort of nature can you see? Are there birds? What about trees and other plants? Even moss on your balcony counts. Be mindful of people passing by if you’re at ground level.

[Panel 4: A red male betta swims in a tank with live plants. On the counter next to the tank are a few air plants.]

If you’re truly stuck inside, consider a few houseplants to liven things up. You can even order a few air plants online; they’re inexpensive, and easy to care for. If you have pets, this is a great time to learn more about them and spend more time with them.

[Panel 5: A tabletop holds a book about the weather, a weather journal, and a plant in a pot. The window behind it looks out over a series of buildings in a city. There is a thermometer in the window along with an anemometer and a rain gauge.]

Keep a weather journal. Make note of the temperature highs and lows, precipitation, cloud cover, and barometric pressure. (Look online at weather sites if you need to.) If you have an outdoor ledge, consider getting an inexpensive anemometer and rain gauge (make sure you can secure them!)Take measurements throughout the day to see how conditions change over time. With a good setup you can make your own weather station at one window!

[Panel 6: A nighttime sky sheds moonlight over a tree and a cat sitting in a window looking up at the stars.]

Watch the movement of the sun and moon across the sky from where you can see them. When do they pass by landmarks, or over your roof? Keep track of moon cycles and constellation positions, too.

[Panel 7: A smart phone displays a list of observations of animals and plants on the iNaturalist app]

If you see birds, record them on eBird. You can also record any sightings of wildlife, plants, fungi and other living beings on iNaturalist, all for free! You can get help with identification, and you’ll be participating in citizen science!

[Panel 8: A television displays footage of a snow leopard on a snowy mountainside]

Look for nature documentaries on T.V. and online. I especially like anything made by the BBC, but try out a variety of producers, topics, etc. (If you want my suggestions, just ask me!)

[Panel 9: A woman sits at a table, daydreaming about a trail that goes through a forest toward a mountain]

Make plants for the future. Don’t pick dates just yet, but allow yourself to daydream, and maybe even virtually travel through photos, videos, and other media. You can also look over photos from previous trips, and relive those memories.

Ultimately, this situation will change, and we’ll get to go outside and enjoy the world again. For now, stay safe, stay healthy, and appreciate nature from your own home.

post-endgame stevetony fic: down in lonesome town

Summary: After the universe is restored, Steve finds himself at a loss without any direction. Retiring from the Avengers, he moves across the country and ends up building a house by a lake. Across the misty blue lake is Tony Stark’s new workshop.

Tags: Tony Stark Lives, Pining Steve, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Lake Tahoe, Post-Endgame fix-it, Angst with a Happy Ending

Chapter 4: 

Eidetic memory is a son of a bitch. Sometimes, when Steve gets distracted, he remembers Tony’s face in the Siberian bunker. The look of betrayal haunts him and he’s spent the following years documenting Tony’s expression in scrap pieces of paper in an effort to get it out of his head. He recalls the piercing scream in the Compound as Tony snapped the gauntlet and saved the rest of their asses. Steve continues to think about it early mornings just as the sun rises and in restless evenings.

Steve’s too stubborn to apologize, even though all he wants is for Tony to forgive him. Beg him to love him back. Because Steve knows now, fucking finally; he figures out his feelings after a decade.

No, he’s always known, in the deepest parts of his mind, where Steve pushed down his feelings in favor of focusing on the mission. Then the next mission. Then there’s another crisis. A war. A battle. Until now. He’s in the same spot, rooted, yearning.

There’s this saying he heard from Augusto, who tells him this every time he sees Steve moping around the shop looking for wood varnish or screws. “Sometimes you just gotta swallow it down.”

He’s not sure what Augusto meant, whether it’s better to just repress it all or accept it. Steve’s not sure there’s a difference between letting something go and enduring it quietly.

But Steve is sure of one thing, Tony would have given Augusto a sarcastic reply if he was there.

Meeting again is wishful thinking, but in the center of it all, one thing was constant: Tony.

Steve sits on the now complete veranda, sipping black tea, sketching the dock. He’s always finding something new to draw. And his house is mostly finished. All that’s left is to fill it with furniture.

But he’s still holding off on that. Just yesterday, he installed a dishwasher, so he counts that as a win. He even purchased a set of cutlery and pots and pans. He’s still partial to Natasha’s chipped tea cup, though.

He was doing something with his life. Everyday was still a struggle; a battle of getting up and putting in labor for something that would be his. But seeing the house often reminds him of being alone and he doubts his decisions all over again–from taking the serum, to joining the Avengers, to Tony.

There’s always Tony. Like an unyielding weed in his rocky driveway, Tony takes root in Steve’s life and stays there, even when he’s not actually present. He doesn’t even know when it began, not really. But Tony’s always been there. Always. Even before Steve really knew him.

Steve sits on his veranda, overlooking the lake, and sketches the outline of the oak tree in front of him, following the shape of a cluster of branches and leaves. As always, he wonders what his neighbor is doing. Steve’s been in the property for nearly a year now, and there’s still no one in sight. He supposes that it’s a summer home. If that’s so, then, perhaps, the family will move in soon.

He’ll walk through the bridge connecting their property, say hello, talk about the lake, then maybe about the northside beaches, and then he’ll return home, alone, and watching a happy family from across the way.

Sometimes he just wants to get up and leave this house. Forget the way he built it like he was hoping for repentance. It’s given him a mission, sure, but it’s nearly complete, and Steve will be lost once more.

Idly, he wonders what’s next for him, feeling agitated over the lack of conflict, the absence of missions. It’s not like when he woke from ice and there were missions, briefs, crises.

Steve’s been told by Clint and Natasha that he needed a life. He supposes he’s had some, many years over as the asmathetic kid from Brooklyn, a science experiment, an artist, Captain America, and now finally, his life unfolds as Steve Rogers. He has no idea what that means. For a man of over a hundred, he still doesn’t have his shit together.

He fills in the drawing, taking care to capture the low hanging branch. It’s the perfect place for a hummingbird feeder.

So yeah, eidetic memory is a son of a bitch. Well, it’s useful in the field, but now, all Steve can do is repeat every single memory he’s made since waking up from the ice.

Now, he’s recalling the forsaken bird feeder Tony placed in the Tower. Only, Steve never had the chance to see it. Steve thinks of this memory often, carries it the way people hold onto pretty, precious things they no longer have.

They’re on Tower's rooftop, sitting side by side with their arms behind them to support their weight. It’s late afternoon when Tony finds Steve with the day’s newspaper in hand. Tony’s coming out of the workshop, getting some sun after a day indoors.

They talk about nonsensical things, gossip about Clint and Thor, talk smack about the Knicks, and snootily critique the new exhibit in the Met.

Then, Tony, pointing at a pair of birds resting twittering, says, “Ah the songs that the song birds sing.”

“That’s not a songbird, Tony,” Steve counters.

Tony snorts, then sticks out his tongue, “I’m aware. I wanted to say it anyway.”

“Why do you do that?”

“Do what? Say what I want to say?” Tony raises an eyebrow. He isn’t wearing his famous Tom Fords. It’s just Tony. No gear, no suit, just Tony with his workshop clothes and grease on the side of his left cheekbone.

“Yeah,” Steve says. He isn’t like Tony, unabashed in opinion as long as it's of the intellectual trajectory. Steve finds that Tony’s feelings are not vocalized often. Steve wants to crawl inside him and dig at his bones and find the parts that ache, the sore parts, and mend it.

Tony shrugs. “What’s the point in hiding?” He pauses, moving forward to examine the little birds swinging back and forth the Tower’s crabapple tree.

“It’s a hummingbird.”

“No, it’s not.” Tony says, the snob he is, nose upturned with a grin. He’s always handsome. But there’s something else that happens when Tony knows he’s right–he smiles with glee. Steve finds it completely irritating. “That’s an eastern bluebird.”

“Well, the one beside it is definitely a hummingbird.” Steve points out just because it’s part of their song and dance.

Then Steve says, “We should get a feeder.” Steve follows Tony towards the birds. They stand close to the tree, but not near enough to startle the birds. “They remind me of you. They’re just like you. Moving, always moving.”

Each time Steve’s come close to the birds feeding from the nectar tree, it glances at Steve then flies away. He can only observe it from a distance. Ember in color, with a splash of white wrapping around its neck like a scarf. It reminds Steve of the Iron Man suit.

“Huh. Is it because they’re attracted to the color red?” Tony tilts his head, eyes alight with mischief. “So, what, you’ll think of me each time you see a bird?”

Steve nods, willing himself to shut up before he says something stupid, like I’m always thinking of you. Instead, he says, “Sure, why not? Little red hummingbird, what was it you said, Tony? The hummingbird that keeps humming. It sounds just like you. Always chittering in the comms and flying around in that suit.”

“Idiot, it’s the songbird.” Tony chuckles, eyes lighting up in delight. “And, I’m going to pass the size joke. I’m assuming you’re the bald eagle in this scenario. The face of American society. There you go.”

“That’s not how I’d describe myself.” Steve snorts, setting himself down the lawn. Strength, freedom, courage, that’s what the bald eagle represents, Captain America in a different form. It isn’t Steve.

Tony settles beside him, stretching his arms up in the air before setting it down, close to Steve’s fingers. Maybe if he was brave, courageous and strong, soaring high without fear, he’d settle his palm over Tony’s. Intertwine their fingers. Instead, Steve flexes his fingers, rearranges himself to settle his hands on his lap. Pulling away.

Unfazed by Steve retracting from the touch, Tony bumps Steve’s shoulders and says, “Well, they mate for life.”

Steve never did see that humming feeder.

Apparently, it’s red.

READ THE REST ON AO3 + make the author happy by liking + reblogging pretty please.

30/01/2021-Big Garden Birdwatch and afternoon walk

One of the weekends I most look forward to every year to close January has arrived, the RSPB’s ‘Big Garden Birdwatch’. I did this post about why I love doing this annual survey in 2016: https://dansnaturepictures.tumblr.com/post/138353149967/why-i-enjoy-doing-the-big-garden-birdwatch-im

To those who maybe don’t know this event involves watching birds in your garden for one hour and recording the most you saw of each species in the garden (not flying over) at any one time and submitting this to the RSPB here: https://www.rspb.org.uk/get-involved/activities/birdwatch/ Where Butterfly Conservation’s ‘Big Butterfly Count’ which I also love doing is deliberately positioned in late July into August when most butterflies are about to get an accurate reflection on species numbers in a citizen science project, the ‘Big Garden Birdwatch’ lands right when birds need gardens and the food many of us put out most in the depths of winter. Especially timely with the recent cold weather this year.

My hour started with the bird I am now most used to seeing in the garden really  and my favourite garden bird the Goldfinch coming in. A Robin was in the garden early on as well and soon a Pied Wagtail followed. The interesting thing with the garden birdwatch every year is the challenge of getting the regular pattern of birds and trends you’ve noticed over the last year into the hour as much as possible and one of those for me has been the higher amount of Collared Doves that now come into the garden regularly rather than just one or two as it used to be. So I was thrilled today when for a common visitor I have missed in the ‘Big Garden Birdwatch’ before four flew in during the hour the most I have seen in a big garden birdwatch I believe which I took the first picture in this photoset of today. Just like on New Year’s Day as year ticks, Rex and Violet the Feral Pigeons came into the garden during the birdwatch today two birds we have seen again and again since December 2019 in the garden with their distinctive markings allowing us to know its the same two birds that I didn’t get to see during the hour in 2020. A Magpie also flew into the garden during the hour as it has done increasingly lately, as did two Blue Tits and a Woodpigeon. Starling the bird I always see most of and House Sparrow another strong bird for the garden soon came in also.

Another interesting thing is that with me working home for the past near year I have well documented that I’ve spent copious more time watching birds in and around the back garden noticing things like the juvenille House Sparrows and Starlings more this year, whereas if I’m honest this day each year before was probably the only time I sat and just watched the birds for so long whilst I did take pictures in the garden quite a bit and enjoy seeing what birds came in. So I wondered would it feel the same, I knew I would enjoy it anyway, having this time to do this today. But it definitely still was a revelation to get the time to just sit and watch the birds, when I’m working I can only have quick glimpses and it felt brilliant reaffirming in my mind what turns up when and seeing the patterns that are maybe in place whilst I sit at my work desk oblivious to some extent. I found the experience of counting them amazing, rewarding and so refreshing again. I really thoroughly enjoyed counting the birds today and did a lot for me this is a time period today I will always look back on fondly and it was good to know I was doing my bit to inform on these bird’s numbers. 

As the hour went on I saw more of the birds already seen, Starling the bird that has been the most numerous in most Big Garden Birdwatches I have ever done had gone into a lead at 11 birds, but then I saw 14 Goldfinches which I took the second picture in this photoset of on the feeders the challenger these days in this event for sure. The Starlings soon descended on mass as they do though surpassing the Goldfinch with 19 in. So it was some nice competition between the birds in a way. I used to play a game on the Nintendo DS Brain training game called “Head Count” where you would have to say how many people were in an image of a house and people would constantly leave the house one sidewith more people coming in and you had to keep track of how many were in the house. This is very much what counting Starlings in ‘Big Garden Birdwatch’ is like as when they fly in they are constantly shifting so its quite a challenge to count how many there are in the garden and its very liberating and all good fun. A really good problem to have especially when you consider the well documented decline in Starlings. I took the third, seventh and eighth pictures in this photoset of the garden whilst doing the survey and I took the fourth picture in this photoset of Starlings. I also managed the fifth and sixth of House Sparrow and Woodpigeon. 

So my final tally this year was Starling 19, Goldfinch 14, House Sparrow 9, Collared Dove 4, Feral Pigeon, Blue Tit and Pied Wagtail 2, Magpie, Robin and Woodpigeon 1. Every species I hoped and really expected to turn up based on the last few months did which could not have often happened before and I was thrilled with this. Today gave me my first ever ‘Big Garden Birdwatch’’ I would say for numbers where I saw a double figures amount of species at 10 unprecedented in this survey for me. There were just so many birds in the garden it was so thrilling and excellent to watch them. Given how much I enjoyed doing this survey and I think everyone really needed it this year this will surely be the highest ever amount of participants this surely makes it my best ‘Big Garden Birdwatch yet’ and I am so thrilled I got to do it and I found it fantastic. I wish everyone luck who may be doing the survey this weekend and if you’ve done it already I hope you enjoyed it. 

I took the ninth picture in this photoset of a view out the back on quite a rainy day mostly so this reassured me too a lot that I could see so many birds during that still. Then we had a brilliant walk today seeing some nice wildlife along the way, such as a sadly hobbling but beautiful bird Oystercatcher, lots of lovely Curlews an important bird to see many of with their conservation concern, yet another Great Northern Diver in 2021 and Sanderlings out to sea and flying respectively and two of my favourite birds the Brent Goose and Buzzard well. I also took eighth picture in this photoset of a little makeshift waterfall from the rainwater. 

Other wildlife I enjoyed on the walk was; Pied Wagtail, Robin, a probable Goldcrest, Woodpigeon, Mallard, Canada Goose, Black-headed Gull, Herring Gull and lovely views of some Rooks. I hope you all had a good Saturday.