#Black-headed Siskin

[alonglistofbirds]

[1192/10977] Black-headed Siskin - Spinus notatus

Order: Passeriformes Suborder: Passeri Superfamily: Passeroidea Family: Fringillidae (true finches) Subfamily: Carduelinae (cardueline finches)

Photo credit: John van Dort via Macaulay Library

[dansnaturepictures]

30th January 2024: A gorgeous Blue Tit in the garden, moody looking tree out the front, Black-headed Gull, carrot seed head in the flower bed out the front, catkins at Lakeside Country Park at lunch time, ravishing Redwings and the emerald thrill of a group of Siskins seen well at Lakeside, fungi at Lakeside and a hanging basket in the garden.

I was also amazed to see a Firecrest at Lakeside at lunch time, the first I'd ever seen here this cracker of a bird has been a sensation of my month with four sightings of them a bird I had only seen three times prior to this year. I've got a pleasing amount of patch and from home ticks this month and year so far. Some brilliant Bullfinches, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Greylag Geese, Herring Gull and St. John's-wort seed heads were other highlights at Lakeside.

[haveyouseenthisbirdpoll]

List of Birds organized by Order + locations:

Accipitriformes:

Bearded vulture

Cooper's hawk

Osprey

Red-shouldered hawk

Steller's sea eagle

Anseriformes:

Bar-headed goose

Barnacle goose

Black swan

Common merganser

Red-breasted goose

Snow goose

Trumpeter swan

Apodiformes:

Common swift

Ruby-throated hummingbird

Bucerotiformes:

Eurasian hoopoe

Cariamiformes:

Red-legged seriema

Casuariiformes:

Emu

Southern cassowary

Cathartiformes:

Black vulture

Turkey vulture

Charadriiformes:

American oystercatcher

Atlantic puffin

Black-headed gull

Black skimmer

Black-tailed godwit

European herring gull

Killdeer

Northern lapwing

Ruddy turnstone

Ciconiiformes:

White stork

Columbiformes:

Common wood pigeon

Eurasian collared dove

Luzon bleeding-heart

Nicobar pigeon

Victoria crowned pigeon

Coraciiformes:

Blue-capped kingfisher

Common kingfisher

Cuculiformes:

Asian koel

Yellow-billed cuckoo

Eurypygiformes:

Kagu

Falconiformes:

American kestrel

Common kestrel

Galliformes:

Palawan peacock-pheasant

Western capercaillie

Gaviiformes:

Common loon

Gruiformes:

American coot

Australasian swamphen/pūkeko

Blue crane

Common moorhen

Sandhill crane

Sora

Whooping crane

Passeriformes:

American bushtit

American robin

Australian raven

Baltimore oriole

Barn swallow

Black-billed magpie

Black-capped chickadee

Black-throated sparrow

Blue-headed vireo

Blue jay

Bluethroat

Brown thrasher

California towhee

Canada warbler

Canyon wren

Cedar waxwing

Common blackbird

Common chlorospingus

Common raven

Eastern wood pewee

Eurasian blue tit

Eurasian bullfinch

Eurasian golden oriole

Eurasian jay

Eurasian magpie

European robin

Goldcrest

Great-tailed grackle

Great tit

Hooded crow

House sparrow

Indigo bunting

Kirtland's warbler

LeConte's sparrow

Long-tailed tit

Mexican jay

Painted bunting

Phainopepla

Pine siskin

Pin-tailed whydah

Pinyon jay

Pygmy nuthatch

Red winged blackbird

Rook

Saltmarsh sparrow

Satin bowerbird

Spotted towhee

Steller's jay

Tufted titmouse

Wallcreeper

Warbling vireo

Western tanager

White-breasted nuthatch

White-throated dipper

White-throated magpie-jay

Yellow-rumped warbler

Pelecaniformes:

Brown pelican

Great blue heron

Great egret

Great white pelican

Least bittern

Roseate spoonbill

Shoebill stork

Snowy egret

Phoenicopteriformes:

American flamingo

Chilean flamingo

Piciformes:

Acorn woodpecker

Clark's nutcracker

Lewis's woodpecker

Northern flicker

Pileated woodpecker

Red-bellied woodpecker

Red-headed woodpecker

Podargiformes:

Tawny frogmouth

Podicipediformes:

Pied-billed grebe

Procellariiformes:

Wilson's storm-petrel

Psittaciformes:

Australian king parrot

Chestnut-fronted macaw

Citron-crested cockatoo

Cockatiel

Galah

Gang-gang cockatoo

Pacific parrotlet

Rose-ringed parakeet

Sulphur-crested cockatoo

Strigiformes:

Barn owl

Barred owl

Suliformes:

Anhinga

Blue-footed booby

Double-crested cormorant

Trogoniformes:

Elegant trogon

Locations:

Africa

America

Antarctica

Asia

Australia

Central America

Eurasia

Europe

North America

Oceania

South America

[alexanderoftirragen]

hii! im back from camping!! it was the most perfect camping trip i have ever been on 😭 my roommate and i are really well matched in terms of how we like to camp and the weather was great and the park was so beautiful and the birds were SO good

some lake photos:

(bear head lake north bay, cub lake, bear head lake looking out from east bay)

saw lots of nesting warblers (canada, blackburnian, black and white, chestnut-sided, northern parula, black throated green, magnolia, and more) including some incredible views of canada and chestnut-sided warblers feeding fledglings. also saw ravens, red breasted nuthatches, white throated sparrows, all sorts of woodpeckers, pine siskins, bald eagles, so many loons, a canada jay, and veeries—the boreal forest in summer does not disappoint! saw several lifers (ruffed grouse, northern parula, and winter wren, to name a few) including one REALLY EXCITING BIRD: an american three-toed woodpecker! unfortunately it was only viewable for about a minute so without a photo that sighting wont make it into the ebird data but i know what i saw :) very very very happy and grateful about it

my roommate and i did a lot of chilling and a lot of hiking, and some kayaking on the one day it was calm enough to rent boats from the park office. some more pictures:

(me sitting by a tree on bear head lake east bay, cool plants growing on a submerged log, me kayaking)

i learned that ankle instability is causing many of the problems ive been having in my right leg because my hiking boots have excellent ankle support and i was not in pain wearing them lol. good to know going forward!

on our way back we stopped off in ely to go to the international wolf center and eat lunch :) the wolves were super cool and their educational exhibit was excellent. really great interactive elements + the most beautiful regalia i have ever seen (no pic as my phone was dead lol). wolf center + ely pics:

(two ambassadors wolves—rieka (gray wolf) and grayson (arctic wolf) chilling in their enclosure, me in front of some wolf statues, and the carved greenstone in the park in ely)

my body is tired after a week of camping but honestly i feel great overall. im so so happy to have gotten to do this! 😊

[birdingblog]

My life list!

This post will serve as a log of bird species that I have seen. List of birds is under the cut.

Total bird species: 129

Canada goose

Cackling goose

Trumpeter swan

Common goldeneye

Mallard

Redhead

Bufflehead

Hooded merganser

Common merganser

Ruddy duck

Wood duck

Greater Scaup

Common loon

Double-crested cormorant

Pied-billed grebe

Ring-billed gull

Killdeer

Sandhill crane

Great egret

Great blue heron

Green heron

American coot

Turkey

Ruffed grouse

Ring-necked pheasant

Rock pigeon/feral pigeon

Mourning dove

Turkey vulture

Osprey

Bald eagle

Red-tailed hawk

Broad-winged hawk

Sharp-shinned hawk

Cooper's hawk

Rough-legged hawk

Merlin

American kestrel

Northern harrier

Peregrine falcon

Barred owl

Common nighthawk

Ruby-throated hummingbird

Belted kingfisher

Chimney swift

Barn swallow

Tree swallow

Black-billed cuckoo

Yellow-bellied sapsucker

Red-headed woodpecker

Red-bellied woodpecker

Downy woodpecker

Hairy woodpecker

Pileated woodpecker

Northern flicker

Blue jay

American crow

Common raven

Eastern phoebe

Eastern kingbird

Eastern wood-pewee

Great crested flycatcher

Least flycatcher

Alder flycatcher

Gray catbird

Brown thrasher

Eastern bluebird

Veery

Swainson's thrush

Hermit thrush

American robin

Wood thrush

Cedar waxwing

Black-capped chickadee

Red-breasted nuthatch

White-breasted nuthatch

Brown creeper

House wren

Ruby-crowned kinglet

Golden-crowned kinglet

Yellow-throated vireo

Warbling vireo

Red-eyed vireo

Ovenbird

Northern waterthrush

Black-and-white warbler

Yellow-rumped warbler

Magnolia warbler

Mourning warbler

Nashville warbler

Yellow warbler

Canada warbler

Black-throated green warbler

Blackpoll warbler

Chestnut-sided warbler

Pine warbler

Palm warbler

Tennessee warbler

Common yellowthroat

American redstart

Horned mark

Lapland longspur

Snow bunting

Chipping sparrow

Clay-colored sparrow

Song sparrow

Swamp sparrow

House sparrow

Fox sparrow

Harris's sparrow

White-throated sparrow

White-crowned sparrow

American tree sparrow

Dark-eyed junco

House finch

Purple finch

American goldfinch

Pine siskin

Common redpoll

Indigo bunting

Northern cardinal

Rose-breasted grosbeak

Baltimore oriole

Red-winged blackbird

Rusty blackbird

Brown-headed cowbird

Eurasian blackbird/Common blackbird

Common grackle

European starling

[eli-ashen]

The sky is empty

I walked through the gate of twined branches and ivy. I bowed to the birds guarding the gate in greeting, a jay and a sparrow, they let me pass without issue. Sprigs and bushels lined the path of loose pebbles, saplings tipped with ethereal blue light guiding my way. The hedges that surrounded the gardens were thick as solid walls, sealing away the world beyond. Dark greens and blues with spots of light here and there made for a wonderful sight. Whenever I passed an inhabitant, a jackdaw here, a great tit there, I would always bow and wish them a good day.

When I finally came upon the plaza, I stopped, hope lighting in my heart. The far end of the plaza opened to a cliffside, with nothing but the wide sky visible. Before the cliffside stood an elegant white wood gazebo, little white lights dangled from its supporting pillars. The plaza was full of birds, but my attention was on the few around the gazebo; a magpie, two siskins, a great woodpecker, a swallow, a northern lapwing, and a hooded crow. I approached, not forgetting to greet the birds on the way, and bowed low, hand on my heart, to greet the group. They looked at me with open curiosity, the siskins whispered to each other excitedly.

The hooded crow was the one to step forward, "Welcome, what has brought you here, little one?"

I looked out at the expanse over the cliff's edge, "I wished to greet my feathered friends. And there is something I wanted to ask."

It looked like some of the birds wanted to speak up, but left the talking to the crow, who seemed to be the elder here. "Then ask, words and wishes may fly freely here," the crow said, while appraising me with glinting black eyes.

I steadied myself, "I wish to fly, to have the freedom to soar the skies as you do."

The birds looked to each other, eyes unreadable. The crow closed its eyes and shook its head, a look of pity crossing its face, "You do not want that."

I felt small, but I couldn't give up like that, "But I do. It's what I've wanted most for all my life."

A few of the birds shuffled on their feet.

The crow sighed and went to the edge of the cliff, I followed behind. It looked out at the endless blue, "The sky is empty, its freedom hollow."

I was taken aback by the words.

"To lose everything that makes you, that is no wish, it is a surrender. Knowing this, do you still want to fly?" The crow looked at me without judgement.

"I… I don't know," I stumbled. I couldn't lie to myself, "No, I don't think so."

The crow straightened up, eyes bright, "Good, there is so much more for you to see here, with your feet on the ground and your heart open to being broken."

I clutched at my heart, suddenly unsure.

The crow laughed, a light cackling sound that was swallowed by the empty expanse before us. "Oh don't worry, it's all so much easier than you think."

[wildmountainlight]

pine siskin (spinus pinus) and black-headed grosbeak (pheucticus melanocephalus) - may 2023

[wqbytop100]

WQBY

TOP100+ for the week ending October 15, 2023

Hangin' On--A R I Z O N A -1 [9.3.23=7weeks] ''at peak'' *4th.week@#1* (2) [30tt]

Summertime Friends---The Chainsmokers -3 [9.24.23=4th.Gweek] ''at peak'' (1) [1tt]

Living In A Haze---Milky Chance -2 [7.9.23=15th.week] '' peak2'' (3) [14tt]

Tied To You---Elderbrook -4 [8.24.23=4th.week] ''peak2'' (7) [X]

More Baby---Chris Lake, Aluna -6 [9.24.23=4th.week] (8) [68]

At Your Worst---Calum Scott --5//7''peak5'' (6) [17tt]

See You Again---Vicetone, Anna Clendening -10//3 (4) [6]

One With The Wolves---Robin Schulz -7//7 (9) [X]

Following The Sun---SUPER Hi, NEEKA -8//11 ''peak2'' (10) [X]

Other Boys---Marshmello, Dove Cameron -16//4 (5) [19]

One Last Dance---Imanbek, Ali Gatie -12//3 (11) [2]

From This Day On---Andrew Rayel, JES -9//16 ''peak1'' (21) [X]

Spend The Night---BJ The Chicago Kid, Coco Jones -22//4 (13) [15]

Light On---Markus Schulz, Sarah de Warren -11//12 ''peak10x2'' (15) [X]

Lost & Found---Gorgon City, DRAMA -14//12 ''peak8'' (18) [X]

Boyfriend---USHER -30//7 (17) [X]

Body Count---Jason Derulo -31//7 (19) [X]

De Selby Part 2----Hozier -15//11 (31) {X]

Strangely Sentimental---Anabel Englund -13//18 (24)[X]

Guarantee (Summer Mix)--Black Eyed Peas -21//2 (49)

***Sorry Now---A R i Z O N A --(new) /1 (16)

Elevator Eyes---Tove Lo -17//7 (12)

Jungle---Alok, The Chainsmokers, Mae Stephens -28/3 (26)

About The Weekend---Goldfish, Sakhile Moleshe -36/2 (56tt)

It's In My Head---Provoker -19/3 (

Smiley Water---Mike. 24/5

Motive---Armin Van Buuren -20/13

Die For A Night---A R I Z O N A -18/21

Wanna Dance ---Alie Farber, James Carter, VARGEN -105/2

Weird & Bizarre---Post Choclates -33/3

Go Off---Mike Candys -32/3

The Beautiful Letdown---Switchfoot, Jonas Brothers -23/6

eMtunzini---Muzi -27/9

Dressed For A Funeral---Groupthink, Sunday Scaries -35/21

Vogue---Noize -38/4

***One More Memory--Andrew Rayel -(new) /1

Stranger On A Train---SUPER Hi -25/7

We Could Be Love---Hayden James, AR/CO -45/6

***A Lot Like Heaven---Gorgon City, Julia Church -(new) /1

Freak---Tujano, Azteck, INNA -39

On My Love--Zara Larsson, David Guetta -46/3

Moon--Locklead -26/6

Moonlight--Laidback Luke, GATTUSO, Antrex -29/9

If Only I---Loud Luxury, Two Friends, Bebe Rexha -34/11

***The Feeling---Lost Frequencies -(new)/1

Me And My Guitar---Jax Jones, Fireboy DML -40/5

***What We Know---Lukas & Steve, Conor Byrne -(new) /1

***A Lesson In Chemistry---Anabel Englund -(new) /1

***Location--Cheat Codes, A7S -(new) /1

***If Summer Was A Sound---Goldfish, Malou -(new) /1

Diamond Therapy----Diplo, Walker & Royce, Channel Tres -85/2

We Should Get Married---Dan & Shay -48/6

Let Me Go---Jigitz -92/3

19---Stephen Dawes -74/14

Die Young---Venbee, Rudimental -89/7+3+4+

In My Zone--S.O. GIDI -44/5

***Dark Skies---A R I Z O N A -(new) /1

***Forever Gold---Siskin _new) /1

***California Child---Goldfish, The Palms, Hi Def --(new) /1

***Stress You---Lucas Estrada, SUPER Hi -(new) /1

***Sing With Me---Goldfish, Keanan Eksteen -(new) /1

***Subterranean---Miss Monique, AVIRA LUNA -(new) /1

***The Little Mushroom That Got Away-Sultan + Shepard -(new) /1

All Night---Charlie Houston -60/3

***Kris Kross---W&W, Da Tweekaz -(new) /1

Alive--Roosevelt -90/3

***Blur---KREAM, Marlo Rex -(new) /1

***All In A Dream (shorter version)---LP Globbi, DJ Tennis, Joseph Ashworth -(new)

***That's Alright---Goldfish, Julia Church -(new)

She's On My Mind--Romy -91/3

***PFW (Paris Fashion Week)--The Martinez Brothers, Tommy Genesis -(new) /1

***Over Now---Seven Lions, Above & Beyond, Opposite The Other -(new) /1

Waiting For You---Laidback Luke, Ralphi, *(Jake Silva remix) -41/6

Down Like That---Bryson Tiller -59/5

***Feel It ---Jazzy (Club Edit) -(new) /1

React---Switch Disco, Ella Henderson, Robert Miles -47/1+6

***Looking For Love---Disclosure -(new) /1

***On My Mind---SIDEPIECE F/Faquazia -(new) /1

***You're So High (10 years On) ---Eli & Fur -(new) /1

***Desire---Nicky Romero, TELYKAST, Linney -(new) /1

Black Dress---070 Shake -106/2

***When We Touch TR705---Ludo Lacoste, Santeli, Twinflame, Rozegarden -(new)

***Chamallow--Polo & Pam -(new) /1

Listen To My Heart---PLS&TY -107/2

***Everything Is Changing---Goldfish, Julis Church -(new) /1

***You're Hired---NEIKED, Ayra Starr -(new)

Bigger Than The Song---Britney Spencer -108/2

***Something In The Way---Forester, Frank Walker -(new) /1

***Fight My Demons-Yung Bae, Barney Bones, Levan Kali-(new)/1/1

***Nevada---Vicetone, Cozi Zuelhlsdorff -(new) /1

***Both---Tiesto, 21 Savage & BIA -(new) /1

***Save My Love---Destiny Rogers -(new) /1

***Dress Code---Mau P -(new) /1

***I Love Hollywood---Slayyyter -(new) /1

***Blanket---Kevin Abstract -(new) /1

***Skipping Like A Stone---The Chemical Brothers, Beck, Gerd Janson -(new) /1

***Drums---James Hype, Kim Petras -(new) /1

***Hold On To Now---Kylie Minogue -(new) /1

***Past Life---Felix Jaehn, Jonas Blue -(new) /1

***Heartbreak Kid---The Vaccines -(new) /1

***Don't Go Insane--DPR IAN -(new) /1

***Treat Me Like A Ho---Kim Petras -(new) /1

Submarine---Seeb, BANNERS, SUPER Hi -49/31 ''peak1x6''

Upside---PLS&TY -97

***Dancing At The Disco---J Worra, Cherry Tooth -(new)

***Good Morning---Timmy Trumpet, Alle Farben f/ YOU -(new) /1

***Deep Inside Of Me---Bob Sinclair, A-Trak, Mele - (new) /1

The Wondering----Hiss Golden Messenger -71

Winner---Conan Gray -104

***Press My Luck--Blake Mills -(new) /1

Revelations --ZHU, Devault, Babyjake -78

***Losing Control--Odd Mob, OMNOM -(new) /1

It's Euphoric-- -Georgia -37

Padam Padam---Kylie Minogue -42

The Worst Person Alive--G Flip -43

Jacare--Sofi Tukker -50

Why You--Adam Melchor -51

Wreckage---Gorgon City, Julia Church -52

What Do You Do?--Jess Glynne -53

Misbehave--Ship Wrek, Disco Lines -54

Out Of The Blue---PUNCTUAL -55

Makeba---JAIN -56

Hip Trumpets---Yolando Be Cool -KVISION -57

Good Life---Good Life, Elderbrook -58

Backwards--Alexa Cappelli, Knox -62

If We Ever Broke Up---Mae Stephens -61

Killer Queen---Robin Schulz, FIL BO RIVA -63

I Feel Love--Freya Ridings -64

Workin' Hard---Mariah Carry -65

Happy---NF -67

Take Me Back--Chri$tian Gate$ -68

You Need Jesus--Yung Gravy, Baby Gravy, bbno$ -69

Save Me--Anyma, Cassian, Poppy Baskcomb -70

Danse Macabre--Duran Duran -72

Sickly Sweet---Kenzie *(Alan Walker remix) 73

Vroom---Hoodie Allen, Connor Price -75

Nun---Devendra Banhart ---76

Love Music Part 4---Ren -77

Dominoes---Noonoouri, Alle Farben -79

Pwdr Blu---Kx5 f/ Brother -80

The Way---Manchester Orchestra --81

This Is What Losing Someone Feels Like ---JVKE -82

Where You Are--John Summit, Hayla -83

Lose It All (I Don't Wanna)---BUNT. -84

Quarter Life Crises---Baby Queen -87

The Greatest---Tones & I --86

Waterfall--Michael Schulte, R3HAB -88

Take My Soul--ZHU, Devault -93

Alone---Frankie Wah -94

Don't Look Down---Jai Wolf, BANKS -95

What You Need---SIDEPIECE -96

Over The Moon---Eddie Benjamin -98

Chill Like That---Sunday Scaries, PICKUPLINES -99

Dance To Death---Mathame -100

***Fever---Lewis Thompson _(new)

[that-fema-corps-blog]

Day 333

July 1, 2023

Reached 250 bird species on the life list! We set off for the three-hour drive to the North Cascades National Park, stopped at the visitor center to grab a map and check out the gift shop, and drove to Diablo Lake for the Thunder Knob Trail.

I first saw some cave swallows flying over the lake. Their colors are reminiscent of a barn swallow’s, but the buff rump distinguishes cave swallows from most other species in their range.

I reached the first overlook and heard a couple evening grosbeaks. I never managed to see them, but they are large finches with a fairly unique pale yellow beak. Despite having “grosbeak” in their name, they are more closely related to goldfinches, siskins, and crossbills. The evening grosbeak is considered a vulnerable species due to rapidly declining populations.

It was getting close to the time we agreed to meet back up, so I turned around before completing the trail. I waited for teammates back at Diablo Lake and spotted a few goldeneyes. These are diving ducks (opposed to dabbling ducks) with bright yellow eyes and sharply contrasting white wing patches.

Both the Barrow’s goldeneye and common goldeneye can be found here, and the two species look nearly identical. The time of the year indicates that these should be Barrow’s goldeneyes, but I was only able to confidently identify one of the four. The main visual differences between the two species is the head shape; Barrow’s goldeneyes have sharply-rising foreheads, and common goldeneyes have a smoother transition between the bill and the head. Barrow’s and common males also have different-shaped white patches in front of their eyes, but all the ducks I saw appeared to be female.

We stopped at the Diablo Lake Overlook for a few minutes before departing. The water color comes from suspended rock particles:

In summer, the distinctive turquoise color of the lake is the result of suspended fine rock particles refracting sunlight. These rock particles, called glacial flour, enter the lake when rock from the surrounding mountains is eroded by ice and flows into the water through glacial streams. The color is most vibrant on sunny days in July, August, and September when seasonal glacial melt occurs.

[dansnaturepictures]

30th December 2022: Lakeside and home-Siskins and more 

At Lakeside at lunch time I was thrilled to see a group of dainty finches flying through the air and into tops of trees. Siskins, among the most I’d ever seen here before with 20+ that I liked watching in trees between the lakes. I got some great views of these charming birds. They’re not too regular at Lakeside but do drop in during the winter and are one of my favourite species that I’ve ever seen at the country park, so it was great to add to my journey with them here today. Watching them was a powerful moment as it brought me such joy. I took the sixth, seventh and eighth pictures in this photoset of them. Also of note at Lakeside at lunch time were close views of two males and a female Tufted Duck on Kornwestheim lake and nice views of Blue Tit and Long-tailed Tit. I got the ninth picture in this photoset of the Tufted Ducks which have been regular of late. At home today it was pleasing to see Starlings gathering in numbers. 

Plant wise some possible sedge along the path between the fenced off areas, some beautiful ivy by the steps down to Concorde lake as the tenth picture in this photoset shows, carrot seed heads and dock and a dandelion type flower out the front were good to see today. As was some nice fungi clinging to a post a common theme for me to see out lately. I liked seeing leaves out the back again today. 

It was interesting to take in puddles in the fenced off areas at Lakeside as well as more nice views at lunch time. I took the second, third, fourth and fifth pictures in this photoset of views here today. I took the first picture in this photoset of a smashing moon before bed last night. It was still yesterday so meant perhaps for the first time ever yesterday I photographed sunrise, sunset, rainbow and moon in one day four key pillars of sky photos which is nice. 

Wildlife Sightings Summary: Siskin, Goldfinch, House Sparrow, Blue Tit at home and Lakeside, Long-tailed Tit, Starling, Blackbird with a white feather, Woodpigeon well from home, Magpie, Carrion Crow seen well out the back from home, Black-headed Gull, Tufted Duck and Coot and Moorhen seen nicely at Lakeside. 

[birdstudies]

December 22, 2021 - Black-headed Siskin (Spinus notatus)

These finches are found in pine-oak forests, clearings, and forest edges in parts of Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Usually foraging in small flocks, sometimes with other species, they eat mostly seeds, including pine and grass seeds. They breed between May and July, laying clutches of two eggs.

[hysterical-deer]

I very love draw sketches.

Today I draw administration of Yaoi Amino.

[itsonlydana]

hello! can i request an alma peregrine x reader where reader is an ymbryne fleeing her loop with some of her wards and she goes to cairnholm and falls in love w/ alma? if not, thats fine! 💗💗 Haben Sie einen guten Tag!

"A peculiar new home" ➷ Alma Peregrine

a/n: I had so much fun writing this, thinking about the wards and watching the movie again for references.. thank you! The german also made my day :D I hope you enjoy, sadly the end is a bit rushed

pairing: Alma Peregrine x Reader (female)

warnings: angst, fluff in the end

words: 2,4k

You must have made an astonishing sight for the steersman of the ferry, a group of four children, one more peculiar than the other if one looked more closely, you who could hardly be older than the tallest of the two boys and yet presented yourselves with a maturity of an adult, and then there were the old suitcases to which you all clung as if they would save you from drowning in an accident.

If the sight of the oldest boy, who had blindfolded himself with a white cloth as soon as you entered the unsteady ferry, the panicked expression on the face of the girl on his arm, or the whispers of the black-haired girl talking to the fish that seemed to be following the boat, had not made him question your journey, that you were not heading in the direction of the village but of the cliffs, that definitely would have.

It didn't often that a young woman, alone with four children and without the company of a man, boarded a ferry in the middle of the night to a barely inhabited island, suitcases packed so plumply as if they contained all your belongings, and finally disappeared into the darkness of the cliffs and caves; it was 1923, after all.

And yet you managed to bring your children to the caves without any negative comments, the destination of this exhausting journey, the end of agonizing 40 hours on the water.

The news had reached you two days ago at dinner: two loops in the middle of Blackpool had been raided by Hollows and Wights, none of the children had survived this attack and only feathers had been found from Miss Guillemot as well as Miss Siskin.

Instructed by Miss Sandpiper, the elder Ymbrine with whom you lived in a small farmhouse outside Blackpool, you had taken half the children to escape to the south of England, while Miss Sandpiper would travel up to Ireland with the other four.

There was Arthur, who could see ghosts of the deceased, a curse that weighed him down especially in deep waters, which is why he always had his blindfold in his trousers.

His girlfriend Lillian had the gift to manipulate dreams of others, sometimes intentionally, but often unintentionally.

Irene, the girl who preferred to talk to animals than to other people, and little Georgie, who was able to control the clouds in the sky.

Forty-two hours ago you were all sitting together at the dinner table and now you were entering a tunnel alone with these four children, not knowing what was waiting for you on the other side.

One moment you were in a lukewarm summer night on July 14, 1923, a day forever burned into your memory and with it your fears and worries, the cold hand around your throat that had prevented you from taking regular breaths since yesterday morning.

The next moment you stepped out of the tunnel, out into a fresh, goosebump-inducing September night, leaving a piece of your home behind you.

You had always thought your first visit to another Loop would be a beautiful experience, but when your first contact was the freezing wind and raindrops, you almost had to laugh out bitterly.

Of course, your journey would not begin in a warm embrace, how foolish of you to think after everything that happened.

"Miss (y/n)? I'm cold," Irene complained, wrapping her arms around her slender body. You slowed your quick, hurried steps, the whiny voice drowning out any screaming in your head that you had no time to linger.

As best as you could with the sleeping boy, the youngest of your family, in your arms and hugged to your chest, you crouched down to the girl. "We're almost there, hang in there a little longer," you said to the black-haired girl, also addressed the words to the two older children, Arthur and Lillian, who had stopped beside you.

Without hesitation, you put down the suitcase in your hand, and took off your jacket. It was not a winter jacket, merely a pink cardigan much to big for the small girl.

You ignored the feeling of cold that crept up your spine, your children were more important. Your own well-being was second to theirs, that's what you were born for.

Silently you walked the path to the sleeping village Miss Sandpiper had told you about before your abrupt departure, rushed words spoken between packing suitcases and tearful goodbyes you didn't know were forever, now echoing in your head with Miss Sandpiper's instructions.

"You must get them to her safely, (y/n), I have faith in you."

Those words, and the tired looks of your children as you crossed onto a dark dirt road, pushed you to go quicker. The faster you arrived, the safer you were. You were in the shell of the loop, no longer directly exposed to danger, but you would not be able to rest until you arrived at the woman, able to protect and welcome you.

Alma Peregrine, an old friend of Miss Sandpiper's and a name that had often come up in the past along with the names of the strongest ymbrynes, and if Miss Sandpiper had such an image of another ymbyrne, you trusted this stranger as well.

Wet gravel and earth crunched under your boots as you switched to a path through a garden. Among the branches and leaves of the trees, you could make out a strange house at the end, with several towers and chimneys stretching proudly into the sky. In some of the many windows, despite the late hour, dim light still burned, shadows could be seen behind curtains, and you couldn't help but think of your farmhouse, in which no light would burn for a long time.

Your children seemed to feel the same way, you could see the pain in Arthur's and Lillian's eyes, their home had been taken away from them. Their safe place that nothing could replace.

You didn't know how to comfort them.

As you entered the porch of the house, finding shelter from the rain under the high roof, the green doors with the stained glass ornaments were torn open in front of you and warm yellow light fell upon you. A woman dressed in a dark blue costume stepped out of the double doors, behind her a girl with hair as light as Georgie's and a boy the age of Arthur and just as pale.

Before you could utter a word, the woman turned to the children. "Emma, Enoch, please take their suitcases and take them to their rooms!" she ordered them in a soft yet urgent tone. You thanked the children with a nod of your head.

Irene pressed herself closer to your legs, hiding her face in a fold of your dress, and you placed a hand reassuringly on the back of her head.

The woman's gaze traveled over all of you, a sad smile playing around her lips. "I am Miss Peregrine, follow me into the house, you should no longer be out in the cold."

The warmth of the house quickly dispelled the chill in your bones, the tea Miss Peregrine had placed in your hands and the blankets around your shoulders simultaneously helped in the fight against your exhaustion.

You sat close together on a sofa of a rust-colored velvet, George still asleep in your arms, Irene on your right and Lillian and Arthur hand in hand on your left, all three of them watching the woman across from you on the black leather sofa skeptically, you didn't blame them.

When Miss Sandpiper had spoken of the wonderful Miss Peregrine, you had had the image of an older lady like her in your mind, not that of the woman who didn't look a day over 40.

She held herself straight, had crossed her slender pantyhose-clad legs over each other, her hands clasped around a teacup, black sharp fingernails a contrast to the snow-white cup.

Heavy children's footsteps came from the staircase you passed as you came in, and as you had guessed from the volume, Emma, the girl in lead shoes, pushed her way through the previously closed doors that gave you privacy from the prying eyes of the other children.

"The beds are ready, Miss P. Is there anything else I can help with?" she asked and briefly, your eyes met.

"Thank you very much, Emma, why don't you tell the others to stop eavesdropping from the stairwell and go to their rooms if they want to be awake enough for class tomorrow," Miss Peregrine instructed the girl, whereupon soft footsteps could be heard from the hallway, seeming to run up the stairs. Satisfied, Miss Peregrine nodded to herself and turned back to you. "Now, let's get you to your beds, you must be tired from your journey."

As sweetly as her words were meant, Irene suddenly clung closer to you until she was almost sitting on your lap, dark eyes watching you anxiously. Lilian also slid closer to Arthur, whose chest heaved with irregular breaths. None of these children wanted to be separated.

You cleared your throat, your own grip on George had tightened as well, as you yourself couldn't imagine being able to let go of the boy, even to sleep in another room, in a strange house, after you hadn't moved from each other for the last two days. "I don't want to seem rude, and we appreciate your hospitality and all you do for us with all my heart, but I don't feel comfortable separating the children," you spoke softly, and Miss Peregrine's gaze softened.

"I understand that, of course. Miss Sandpiper had already told me in her letter that you might want to stay together. Unfortunately, I don't have a room with enough space, which is why I had cleared two rooms. One for the older ones and one for you and the little ones," she told you, and questioningly you looked to Arthur and Lilian to let them make the decision. Their hesitant nod made you take a deep breath.

Another hurdle had been cleared.

Gradually you became accustomed to life on Cairnholm, the warm day, the rainy night, and also the reset, which had frightened Georgie and Irene in particular at first, but after a while they took a liking to the bright sky, the raindrops freezing in the air in front of them and returning to the clouds, which was perhaps due to Brownyn playing with the two of them.

To Alma's delight -you had begun calling her by her first name when the children were out of earshot- Enoch had made friends with Arthur, the boy's morbid curiosity for the ghosts Arthur could see ensuring that the two of them would often hide in Enoch's 'workshop' and experiment.

Lilian and Olive also often disappeared together, but into the village to terrorize the residents at night in a playful way, as they called it. You didn't know exactly what they were doing, but Olive's hot hands and Lilian's gift of turning dreams into nightmares gave you a good picture.

Not that you cared much about it. No, you had completely different priorities and most of the time it was the woman who just sat next to you in the conservatory reading one of the books you had brought with you when you arrived.

The conservatory had quickly become one of your favorite places, the blue-green wood panels on the walls, the tall curved and colored window panes all around the room, and the round ceiling window made the room shimmer bluish as if you were in an aquarium. And then there were all the plants, while the garden outside glowed with the different colors of hundreds of flowers, the plants in the conservatory were all greenery. Palm trees whose leaves stretched up to the white ceiling, cacti lined the window sills, yellow ivy climbed the window panes around the room.

You had taken it upon yourself to help Fiona water the plants, and purely by coincidence, Alma was there at the time, relaxing while the kids played outside, which led to you sitting down next to her when you were done. At first you had talked, about everything and nothing, but one day when you had sat down on your bench with one of your books your routine had changed.

Even if Alma's library was huge, she had already read all of those books in her time in the loop, multiple times and often enough to know them by heart, and you had truly given her a treat with your new books.

Now you sat side by side on the bench, she in her dark costume, her hair perfectly in place as always, just like her strong eyeliner, and you in your rosy dress with the bow at your back, the complete opposite of her stern look.

Maybe that was what made her so interesting....

"(y/n), are you dreaming again?" her soft voice snapped you out of your thoughts. She eyed you slightly skeptically, lately she caught you more often in your daydreams, which were rarely about her, but she shouldn't know that- it would only add to her ego.

"Me? Never." you lied with a suppressed grin and were about to continue reading the book on your lap when she suddenly slammed it shut with your fingers between the pages. "Wha- Alma!"

She had narrowed her blue eyes, pursed her rosy lips. It was a look the children got when they had done something wrong. "You're lying. Why are you lying to me?" Even her tone was the same for such situations, and yet you ignored it.

You stroked her hand, which she had put around your wrist and hummed. "I was just thinking about today and what beautiful weather it was."

Her fingernails dug lightly into your skin, not hard, she would never hurt you. Alma leaned closer until her chest rested against your shoulder. Her hot breath hit your cheek and you found it harder to keep your neutral expression.

"(y/n)?" she drawled your name out and the corners of your mouth twitched into a grin. You turned your head toward her and the tip of your nose brushed hers. "Yes, Alma?"

"If you keep lying to me, you'll be sleeping on the couch tonight."

Sighing, you gave in, thinking about that was enough to feel ghostly back pain. "Alright. I thought about how beautiful you are," you whispered against her lips, which twisted into a satisfied smile before she leaned in further and kissed you.

Maybe you could find a new home right here in her arms.

[heatherwitch]

2021 Birding Masterpost

I started birding mid-January of 2021, here are some of the birds I encountered and was able to capture a picture of!

Number of species encountered in WA (and recorded on eBird): 111

American Bittern (x)

American Kestrel (x)

American Robin (x)

American Wigeon (x)

Bald Eagle (x) (x)

Belted Kingfisher (x)

Black-Headed Grosbeak (x)

Bullock’s Oriole (x)

Caspian Tern (x)

Cedar Waxwing (x)

Chipping Sparrow (x)

Cliff Swallow (x)

Common Goldeneye (x)

Common Merganser (x)

Evening Grosbeak (x)

Golden-crowned Kinglet (x)

Gray Catbird (x)

Great Blue Heron (x) (x)

Great Horned Owl (x) (x)

Green-winged Teal (x) (x)

Hooded Merganser (x)

Lazuli Bunting (x)

Marsh Wren (x)

Northern Flicker (x)

Northern Harrier (x)

Northern Shoveler (x) (x)

Pacific Wren (x)

Peregrine Falcon (x)

Pine Siskin (x)

Pygmy Nuthatch (x)

Red-winged Blackbird (x)

Ruby-crowned Kinglet (x)

Short-eared Owl (x) (x)

Snow Bunting (x)

Song Sparrow (x)

Spotted Towhee (x)

Tree Swallow (x)

Warbling Vireo (x)

Western Kingbird (x)

Western Meadowlark (x)

Western Tanager (x)

Western Wood-Pewee (x)

White-Headed Woodpecker (x)

Yellow Warbler (x)

*Meant to post this last year, better late than never! The 2022 list is currently in progress, at 55 species recorded on eBird so far this year!

[yoursassybookwormfriend]

Masquerade Divinity fic! 

Morrigan walked the halls of Sub-Nine, trying to imagine what it must have been like to be a Wundersmith way back when. Would she have been worshipped? Loved by all? Important? It was hard to say, as almost any record of the Wundersmiths before the Courage Square Massacre had been destroyed, all due to the Elders of Wunsoc. Besides the many volumes of An Unabridged History of the Wundrous Acts Spectrum locked away in the Gobleian Library (which Morrigan had utterly failed to steal), the only other records of that faraway time Morrigan had seen were in the old loops of time that the Wundersmiths had made generations before. That and the words of a crazy Wundersmith who had massacred his friends, but Morrigan didn’t quite believe that source was very accurate. 

Morrigan read the names of the first nine Smiths as she passed, pretending she could hear their voices, know their personalities. Juno Siskin, definitely a bit high strung, thought Morrigan, but not mean at all. Audley Williams, a quiet gentle soul, who had helped cure many diseases. Kiri Kelani, sweet but a little naive, yet the most powerful of them all. Of course, Morrigan was simply guessing. She passed through Vivienne Vale’s room, wondering what it must be like to be a fully-fledged Wundersmith, especially one of the first ones. Would the power have gone to her head? Would she be humble or mean, a haughty girl who thought she was better than the Divine Thing? Morrigan remembered Squall’s words, you have black ice at the heart of you, and shivered. She would definitely not be like that. 

Morrigan kept walking on through the rooms, reading each name like it was her lifeline. She couldn’t help wondering which Wundersmith she was descended from, as each Wundersmith was a reincarnation of another. Sadly, after Squall killed the other Wundersmiths of his generation, as well as new Wundersmiths every twelve or so years, no one could know who was who. Morrigan felt a strong connection to Kiri Kelani, though perhaps Morrigan just liked the personality she had assinged to that name. Morrigan wondered if she could ever use Tempus to find who she was descended from, but that would be a long time to come, if it would ever be possible. 

Morrigan reached the Liminal Hall, a magical space that was at the end of every corridor, no matter which path you took. This was the reason Morrigan had come to Sub-Nine at 10 o’clock on a Saturday. That morning, she had woken up with a new imprint on her right ring finger, a little mask like the types you’d find at a masquerade ball, a single feather swaying to her heartbeat as if it was an imaginary wind. The Masquerade imprint. At least it confirmed Morrigan’s theory that the imprints had predetermined spots, instead of going in order of fingers. But it also meant that Morrigan had to open the Liminal Hall to meet the Masquerade Divinity. She was scared, but excited. She had already come a few months before to meet the Weaving Divinity, a shamble of colors and shapes so glorious and incomprehensible it made Morrigan's head hurt. Now, her right ring finger hovered over the metal lock in the Liminal Hall, which glowed an extravagant purple, different from the Kindling’s warm orange glow and the Tapestry’s unfathomable color, which Morrigan could never remember. With a deep breath, Morrigan lowered her ring finger, but changed it to her left pointer finger at the last moment. 

The Liminal Hall opened to the Kindling’s sunny room, a cathedral-like building open to the sky. She woke up the Kindling, who was very happy to see her, and showed him her latest trick: solid fire. Morrigan breathed a steady stream of fire on the ground, shaping it into the vague shape of a cube. She placed a metal candle holder she had brought (the only thing that wouldn’t burn) on it, concentrating hard on making the fire hold steady. The Kindling was very impressed, though Morrigan was sure he’d seen greater demonstrations. She hoped one day to make a fire horse to ride on, something akin to Squall’s shadow horse. She could already make fire that wouldn’t burn anything, though it only lasted a few seconds. She decided not to visit the Tapestry today, because she thought that the headache of looking at something beyond understanding might be a bad idea before meeting a new Divinity.

Now Morrigan was back where she started, staring at the purple glow of the lock on the door. She couldn’t put it off any longer. With a deep, rattling breath of fear, Morrigan pressed her new print to the metal circle and opened the door.  

The newest Divinity’s room was a huge ballroom more beautiful than anything Morrigan had ever seen. It had nine equally sized walls, every inch of the which were carved with intricate plant-like designs, and from the rafters hung a brilliant chandelier, the crystals hanging off of it reflecting a spectacular rainbow light, though there was no candle light to reflect. The ballroom was covered in gold, silver, black and white decorations that reminded Morrigan of some of Frank’s more sophisticated parties. Interestingly, between all the glitter and shine, the walls were covered in every shape and size of mirror imaginable, each lined with a carefully wrought gold or silver frame. As Morrigan peered into the mirrors, she realized her reflections weren’t quite her own. In each of the mirrors she passed, her face was someone that she knew, and it was someone different each time. Morrigan looked around the huge room in wonder. Each of the mirrors seemed to be someone different she had known throughout her life. As far as she could tell, the larger mirrors were people she knew well, while the smaller ones were people she had barely known. Morrigan stopped beside a huge floor-to-ceiling mirror, and grinned when she saw Hawthorne’s face staring back at her. She waved her arms and jumped up and down, and Mirror Hawthorne did the same. 

“Miss, can we get capes?” asked Morrigan, and Mirror Hawthorne copied her, looking exactly as he had on their first ride in Hometrain. “Does my hair really look that fluffy?” Morrigan asked, pretending to be her best friend. “Oh this is great!” 

Morrigan fiddled around with the other big mirrors, and even some of the smaller ones. It seemed that the mirrors were lined up with where she knew the people from, so the staff and some residents of Hotel Ducalion were all together, as well as Unit 919. As she wandered around, Morrigan sighed dramatically at her Frank mirror, and pouted at her Jack one, mimicking some of the common expressions of each mirror. She grinned at her orange beard in her Jupiter mirror. 

It took her forever to find the tiny hand-size mirror of Onstald. “I knew it,” Morrigan breathed, “I don’t know you at all!” surprisingly, Morrigan even found the old Wundermsiths from the Ghostly Hours, each barely as big as a compact mirror. Morrigan ran her hand along Elodie and Owain, and smiled at the familiarity of Brilliance and Decima. Next to them was a slightly bigger mirror, and Morrigan jumped when she caught Squall staring back at her. There was more to his story too. 

Finally, Morrigan was done playing with the mirrors. The biggest mirror by far took up one whole wall, shining as if a spotlight was trained on it, though there was no spotlight to be found. As Morrigan approached the grand mirror, she realized she could see her own reflection for once, a familliar face. Of course, she thought. I know myself better than anyone. On the floor in front of the mirror laid a single black domino mask with silver and gold feathers that looked as if they were made of metal. It was exactly Morrigan’s style. 

But where was she supposed to put her imprint? With the Kindling, there had been a stick with the imprint on it to wake the old Divinity, and for the Tapestry, she had to place her finger on one of the strange shapes that floated through the room. There was no imprint that she could see this time, not even on the mask. With a sigh, Morrigan put on the mask and looked in the mirror. Something was different about her reflection. It held out its hand, the right ring finger resting on the glass from the other side. Ah, thought Morrigan, and placed her finger against the cool glass. Gold spread from her fingertip into the mirror, until the whole thing glowed. Morrigan saw her reflection change to that of a baby, one with pale white skin and black hair, the tiny button nose a bit crooked. Even stranger, the baby wore a masquerade mask. Morrigan watched as the baby grew up, becoming a toddler and then a little girl, a girl Morrigan knew well, though the reflection still wore a mask to mirror the one on her head. It was her reflection throughout her life. Morrigan watched herself grow up, wincing when she saw the toothless smile from when she was seven, and the pixie cut her stepmom had given her later on. Soon, her plain black dress morphed into a Wunsoc uniform, and before long Morrigan stared back at herself as she was now. With a flash, her reflection turned black like a shadow, and stepped right through the glass. Morrigan jumped. All around her, shadows stepped of their own mirrors, and Morrigan recognized the signature halo of hair of Miss Cheery, the broad wings of Israfel, and the big outline of Elder Saga, an unmistakable bullwun. These reflections were the same inky black as Morrigan’s, and each wore an identical black mask, the feathers moving as they stepped out of their mirrors. Mirror Morrigan stepped forward.

“Welcome,” Mirror Morrigan said, though the shadows spoke as well, a spooky unison of all the voices Morrigan had ever heard in her life. Morrigan could see that the eyes of each shadow were now glowing under the masks, and the previously unseen mouth of Mirror Morrigan now shone white, a bright line that curved into a satisfied smile, so different from Morrigan’s look of fear. Mirror Morrigan grinned. “We are the Mask. What is your offering?”

[carnegiemuseumnaturalhistory]

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.