#bird feeding trends

[delicatelysublimeforester]

Feeding Wild Birds: A Balance Between Care and Ecosystem Preservation

Feeding wild birds is a beloved activity for many, especially during the harsh winter months when natural food sources are scarce. However, as our feathered friends flock to feeders, it’s essential to consider the broader environmental impact of this well-meaning gesture. Black Oil Sunflower Seeds for Bird Seed Birds, especially in colder climates, face challenges finding food during winter.…

[rashivermaofficial]

Unleash the excitement with the Hot Wheels T Bird Stocker Color Changer – a true delight for collectors and fans alike! by Rashi Verma Via Flickr: Unbox the Hot Wheels T Bird Stocker Color Changer for surprising color transformations in hot and cold water! Discover Fun Facts about Hot Wheels Cars during playtime. Click Here:- youtube.com/shorts/ZhD8b5bmD2s

[shadowwfoxx]

Give my Husband More Food

Logan Howlett x Reader

Summary: You decided to prank Logan by doing the TikTok trend where you give your significant other more food and see their reaction

“Dinner’s ready Lo!” You shout as you plate yours and Logan’s dinner. Tonight you made steak and fries, one of Logan’s favorite dishes.

You hear heavy footsteps pad making their way to the kitchen. Logan enters the kitchen looking eager to eat.

“Someone’s excited,” you say giggling, opening the fridge to grab him a beer before placing it on the table.

“M’starving sweetheart and it smells amazing,” Logan says as he sits down in his chair. Logan is known to be a grumpy man most of the time, but the key to his heart is a delicious plate of food (with beer ofc).

You grab the plates of food before walking over to the table. Logan rubs his two hands together as you set his full plate down in front of him.

“God, looks amazing, thank you baby.” He says as he leans in to give you a peck on the lips. He immediately gets started, cutting his steak to eat.

Just as he’s about to stuff his mouth full of food, your plate catches his eye. He froze in place, now confused why you have barely had any steak and like 3 french fries on your plate.

“Sweetheart where’s the rest of your food?” He asks as he puts down his fork.

“Oh there wasn’t enough.” You say.

“What’ya mean there wasn’t enough?” His face twists in confusion.

“Well we didn’t have enough steak or potatoes and you said you were hungry so I gave you most of it.” You say as pop a fry in your mouth.

Logan’s brows furrowed as he looks at you confused. You eyes meet his confused expression. “Trust me I’m ok. Besides I’m not even that hungry.” You reassure.

He shakes his head at you. “Honey that’s not even enough to feed a damn bird.” He says gesturing towards your plate.

“Logan it’s fine, eat your food.” You say. Just as you’re about to pick up your fork, Logan picks up both of your plates and swaps them.

“Logan!” You whine.

“Go. Eat. I’ll eat whatever you don’t finish.” He says as he leans back into the kitchen chair, crossing his arms over his chest. You both sit there looking at each other.

You quickly find the opportunity to get up to try and steal your plate back, only for Logan to snatch it from the table now guarding it

“Uh uh. Sit down and eat baby c’mon.” He says as he nods his head towards the chair.

“My girl needs to eat. So eat.”

[too0bsessedformyowngood]

I know that we think the Wayne would be recognizable/well known by the general public because they’re rich and the work that they do (like Wayne Industries etc), but I think that the way most people would know them is by the shit post of a family they portray themselves to be.

Like growing up Dick 100% had a Vine that heavily included the Titans, sometimes Jason, and on rare occasions Bruce and Alfred. There is an infamous vine of Jason recording from the ground floor, camera pointed toward Dick before he yells “Do it for the Vine!!!” as Dick takes a running dive to the chandelier as you hear Bruce yell, “RICHARD NO” as he releases what is happening.

Tim has an instagram that is just photos he has taken of the family where they a) didn’t see him take the photo, or even know he was in the general vicinity and b) catching them in an embarrassing moment. There are photos like Bruce on a corner holding an umbrella and a wave of water crashing into him caused by a car that had just driven past, or another photo of Damian in the park feeding the birds and you can see that he has accumulated an army of pigeons around him.

Steph has a tiktok and will drag each member of the family to do dances with her. Duke, Dick, and Cass always look excited to join in, Tim looks awkward doing most of the dance but tries, Damian with just stand there glaring at the camera, and on occasion Steph is even able to drag Bruce in to join. Before Jason is revealed to be alive to the public there is just sometime glimpses of him in the back of the videos. There are often comments like “GIRL WHO IS THAT” or “am I going crazy or is there someone in the background”. There is a whole tiktok niche that is just people theorizing on what is happening in the background of the videos. There was also a trend of when the Nepo baby song came out of their friends making edits of them to it, the first one was done by Bernard and the comment was just “love you babe <3”.

I just think it is immensely funnier if people are able to recognize the Wayne because of the memes that come from their social media

[averycutesalamander]

i have extremely neutral opinions about SMAUs (social media AUs) but i just thought about what Boothill's role would be in one and im kind of losing my mind about it.

his account handle is @.silvergunshura and he literally only posts clumsy nature photos and occasional pics of his gun. a handful of videos that are just the sound of the wilds. never puts any captions or tags on his posts. extremely long unacknowledged absences with no schedule. double-digit amount of followers at an absolute maximum. absolutely no interaction with his audience. or anyone else on the platform actually. quite frankly he doesn't pay any attention to his following in the slightest. bro simply cannot be bothered. for all he cares he is sending these photos to the void and there are no other users on the platform.

and then he posts one (1) video of him at the shooting range nailing bullseyes left and right like it's nothing. barely half of his body is in frame and most of his face is covered by his hair. someone with a decent following shares it and his entire fucking profile EXPLODES because people will NOT stop talking about how hot he is and it kinda snowballs from there. people go through his entire backlog only to find ZERO other posts with his face or body in them. the best they get is little snippets of his arms. people are frothing at the fucking mouth trying to figure out who he is and nobody knows because he literally hasn't said a single word in his entire posting history. people make theory posts, which obviously gets more people invested in this new mystery. his comments are filled with people speculating about who he is and what the fuck he's doing. someone posts a massive spreadsheet detailing all of the identifiable locations in his posts, and they're literally all over the galaxy. immediately afterwards they're cancelled for some vague allegations about them being a shady intelligentsia guild member guilty of multiple human rights violations and everybody completely forgets about the spreadsheet.

Boothill posts a single blurry photo of his hand feeding a chipmunk and people lose their goddamn minds. he follows this up an hour later with a photo of the same chipmunk sitting on his shoulder that is somehow even blurrier than the last and it briefly trends on the front page. a week later he uploads a video of him playing a harmonica by a campfire, once again barely in frame, lit only by the flickering fire. people brighten the video in a desperate attempt to get a better look at his face, but there's nothing identifiable. someone posts a slightly unhinged video examining the tiniest pixels in every screencap of him that they can find, claiming that he's definitely a halovian because of some extremely blurry details, and you technically can't deny it as a possibility because there are no clear shots of where his halo or wings would be. naturally this severely divides fans, and several other theories about his species pop up over the course of a few days. many people are called morons from all sides.

the REAL drama comes when he posts a picture where he's holding what looks suspiciously like an extremely precious meteorite-formed gem that was stolen during a private IPC auction two weeks ago. this post is also notable because it's the first time he's used a caption and it's literally just "lol". naturally people quickly connects the dots and realize that he's BOOTHILL, that crazy motherfucker with the vendetta against the IPC, and why the fuck is he posting nature photos and videos of him feeding birds and shit. silvergunshura fans are instantly divided by discourse about whether or not it's ethical to be a fan. "silvergun fans dni" and "silvergun antis dni" become staples in the bios of people invested in the drama. a bunch of fans start using his substitute swears, and whether or not this is ironic is extremely debatable. the business of cyborg modifications has a moderate boom. anti-IPC sentiments have a notable increase, but now the people doing serious exposés and earnest discussion about the humanitarian crimes of the IPC that are concealed from the public are constantly called simps. there's a brief stint with a handful of Boothill copycat crimes that are all solved within the week.

people unsuccessfully try to hunt down any other potential socials to no avail, but this does spawn a massive wave of fake accounts on a million different platforms, which obviously successfully baits a ton of people. the drama gets even spicier when the moderators shut down his account. one of the mods gets doxxed by an outraged fan. even more fake accounts pop up. Boothill comes back less than a week later as @.silvercowboy244 like nothing happened. his returning post is a crooked picture of a sorta weird looking tree, and he's pointing toward the top left of the frame. the caption is just "bird?" and nobody can figure out what the FUCK that's supposed to mean, because there's no bird visible in the picture, nor is there a bird nest in the tree. conspiracy theories and decoders are immediately chomping at the bit trying to figure out if it has some kind of secret meaning.

tons of people try to use his posts to pinpoint his location for clout or the bounty money or to find him in person and beg him to let them give him head, but he never posts them exactly when they're taken, and nobody can figure out what the fuck logic he's using to pick his next destination. there's an IPC investigation. his accounts keep getting banned but he keeps coming back like a cockroach. dedicated fan archives are made to preserve all of his shitty photos. he never acknowledges any of the drama.

if you're fortunate enough to know Boothill personally and you ask him about all of that weird shit with his socials, he just shrugs and says, "yep, i keep gettin' locked out. can't remember passwords for shirt." if you ask him what he thinks of all the drama surrounding his online presence, he gives you the most bewildered expression you've ever seen on his face. "what the fork are you yappin' about?? what do you mean i got "band" ?? disk horse??? docksing???? i think you've got a few screws loose buddy" and he promptly forgets about the entire ordeal and goes back to posting blurry nature pictures like literally nothing happened.

edit: here's part two-ish lol

[thoughtportal]

Many penguin species huddle together in massive colonies, but pairs of yellow-eyed penguins go out of their way to be alone, nesting deep in New Zealand’s scrublands and forests out of sight of other penguins. When pairs reunite at the nest after one has been away fishing, they greet each other with a piercing cry that Thor Elley, an endangered avian species researcher at the University of Otago with Māori roots, likens to “a whistling tea kettle rolling down a hill.” The species’ Māori name, hoiho, roughly translates to “noise shouter.” 

Screaming and antisocial behavior may not seem like beloved traits, but these penguins are revered in Māori culture as taonga, or treasure, even gracing the country’s $5 bill. They are “protected by sacred origins,” Elley says.

But one of New Zealand’s favorite endemic birds is also one of its rarest. The International Union for Conservation of Nature estimates that only between 2,600 and 3,000 hoiho exist. About a third live on New Zealand’s South Island and nearby Stewart Island. The rest inhabit sub-Antarctic islands some 300 miles to the south. In the past 15 years, the northern population has plummeted by roughly 75 percent, and researchers expect that group could disappear within the next two decades if the trend continues. 

The decline stems from a litany of factors. Red cod, once a pillar of the hoiho diet, has become scarce, and blue cod, although larger, are harder to catch, eat and feed to their chicks than other staple fish. Penguins also drown each year in commercial gillnets. And a pair of diseases, avian diphtheria and, since 2019, a mysterious and fatal respiratory illness, also infect virtually every chick. Janelle Wierenga, a veterinary scientist at the University of Otago and Massey University, says potential vaccines and drugs are likely years away. 

To keep the species afloat, wildlife hospitals and conservation groups have taken the radical step of removing every single hoiho chick on the South Island from its nest and placing it in human care for its first week or so of life. Chicks are treated with antibiotics to heal the mouth sores caused by avian diphtheria. They’re also fed fish smoothies to boost their strength. It’s unclear how, but this extra care prevents chicks from developing the respiratory disease. “I’ve got the feeling that the diseases are a secondary problem, and the primary problem is the penguins don’t get the sustenance they need,” says Thomas Mattern, an ecologist at the University of Otago. 

In 2023, the Dunedin Wildlife Hospital hand-reared 214 hoiho chicks. Without human intervention, 50 to 70 percent of those chicks would have died, Lisa Argilla, the hospital’s senior wildlife veterinarian and director, estimates. But these herculean efforts can only offer a short-term reprieve. “We are trying to buy this population as much time as we can,” she says. “You feel like you’re fighting a losing battle, but we couldn’t live with ourselves if we didn’t fight for these penguins.”

[yougavemeyourheartyouknow]

Thinking about Actress!Reader who finally got to change into a pair of shorts and a crop top after being in a corset and long dresses all day after shooting was done for the day.

Actress!Reader who gets invited to go get Gelato with Peter to help cool off after being stuck in such stuffy clothes for the past six hours.

Bodyguard!Miguel who had to suppress a scowl when you told him that you were basically going on a date with your fellow actor. But that didn’t deter him from volunteering to watch over you both when you went to walk through the streets of Rome. He’d rather be the one watching over you than Peter’s bodyguard.

Actress!Reader and Actor!Peter who didn't notice when a group of passersby recognized them, snapping a few pictures of you both without your knowledge. You weren’t completely used to the whole “having photos taken of you without your permission or contact” but that was unfortunately a price to pay when you’re new and on the rise.

Actress!Reader who finally went home to relax, getting a good night's rest now that the jet lag has finally stopped.

Actress!Reader who wakes up the next morning with 24 missed calls, 35 new messages and her name trending on twitter.

—

Jake (Manager): (Y/N).

Jake(Manger): (Y/N), call me when you wake up.

Peter 🐝.: Did you look at Twitter yet?

Peter🐝.: Or like any social media yet?

Bestie💝: Girl��

Bestie💝: You’ve got some explaining to do.

“What’s… happening?” You mumbled as you scrolled through your new messages as you waddled into the kitchen of your hotel suite, where Miguel was already drinking his cup of coffee. Glancing up at him for a moment as he greeted you.

“Morning.” He mumbled as he placed his mug down. “Your manager told me to have you call him when you're up.”

“Do you know why?” You asked him as you scrolled to Jake’s contact info, receiving a grunt in response, a no.

“(Y/N) (L/N), would you like to explain what went on yesterday after you finished up on set?” You felt like you were five years old and being scolded by your mom all over again, except you genuinely didn’t know what you did.

“Um, I went to go get a snack with Peter. Why-“

“A snack.” He repeated, his tone questioning despite it being deadpan.

“Yes, a snack.” You huffed, your confusion turning into irritation as your brows furrowed together. “Why? can't I have a snack after work with my coworker?”

“You can have a snack after work, but from what I’m looking at here it doesn’t seem like it’s with a coworker.” His words make you pause.

“What?” All attitude now gone, confusion settles back in. “What are you talking about?”

“You haven’t seen the pictures yet?”

“What pictures?”

“Oh dear God…” Jake mumbled under his breath, before letting out a sigh. “Go on twitter, and check the trending tab.”

You put him on speaker and did what you were told, waiting for the little bird app to load, before clicking on the explore tab. Eyes widening as you read out the headline at top.

“Peter B. Parker and (Y/N), coworkers on a new upcoming movie, spotted out on date?!?”

Miguel almost started to choke on his coffee after he heard you recite the words, having to hit his chest to clear his windpipes as you frantically started to scroll through the tag.

“No, no it wasn’t a date though Jake, it wasn’t-“ Your words died on your tongue as your finger stopped scrolling once you hit a particular picture.

A picture of Peter making you try his flavor, by spoon feeding you.

Fuck how can I be so dumb? How could I forget that happened? It was only 2 seconds Max. And now it’s trending.

“I need you down at set an hour early. We have some things to discuss with Peter and his team.” Jake sighed before you heard the dial tone of him hanging up the call.

Shit.

—

Part 4<

Part 6<

Not proofread.

Word count: 600

Taglist: @famouscattale @strawberryjuice9 @loser-alert @maomaimao @franceseca-the-1st

@mcmiracles @mangoslushcrush @queerponcho @yournextbimbogf @tinybirdhideout

@laysmt @migueloharasoulmate @fruityfucker @pigeonmama @scaryplanetdestroyer

@migueloharastruelove @krentkova19 @genny1019 @maiyart

@stressed-cherry @haveclayeveryday @miguelzslvtz @scaleniusrm @xerorizz

@enananawoah @messicampeon @anastasia1972 @lauraolar14 @huniedeux

@bluesidez @nommingonfood @chrishy973 @m4dyy @night-spectrum

@electricgg (to be added click here)

[jymwahuwu]

Jing Yuan is the kind who likes to customize you and him in the game world, and arranges you to marry him… 🫣💕

CW: yandere, non-con (in game), harassment, customizing your avatar without your consent and doing lewd things, forced marriage

Every era has some retro trends. The so-called trend is the waves on the beach, changing but repeating.

General Jing Yuan needs to pay attention to the business trends in Xianzhou, and found that many adults in Xianzhou have bought a game console. It was an electronic pet game console that was popular in various galaxies hundreds of years ago, and it has been packaged by capital and sold in a new form now. The game company uses new technology and beautiful pixel art compared to previous consoles, and targets adults. Virtual pets are fully customizable, and players can feed, care for, and even talk to them (of course, no voice, just text and options, but pets respond based on player-customizable personalities and stats). The selling point of this console is porn, with the ability to choose the level of sexual encounters and orgasms of pets in the simulated universe (lots of free and randomized sex events).

Jing Yuan immediately ordered his assistant to buy one. It was an exquisite game console with the cartoon designs of fluffy kittens and birds that the general wanted. He couldn't wait to customize… you, using technology to customize a virtual pet in the game that is exactly like you in reality. You stand on the grass in pixel art style, looking at him with a pout. He customizes your character and stats, and starts the game. He's obsessed with your little pixel figure sleeping and being fed by him in the game world. You are really adorable when you sleep in the clouds. Your little pixel avatar eating your favorite food at the restaurant. It's just that he can't accept you being groped by tentacles and other mysterious alien species in the virtual universe.

So, he customized a small avatar of Jing Yuan and lived in your home. The General watches with satisfaction as your virtual pixel avatar gets fucked by tiny Jing Yuan, rocking your waist back and forth and sobbing, with white seeds all over your face and private parts. You look exhausted and have a lot of orgasms… <3 Begging little Jing Yuan to stop doing this. In the restaurant, your avatar also can't enjoy the food because his avatar keeps groping you under the table. You even had a little wedding in the game! Your avatar keeps pleading with text messages not to get married, but gets rejected. How can you be so cute… <3

One night, you received a mysterious game video from a general who harassed you. You click and watch in bewilderment to see a tiny avatar very similar to you being fingered and nipple stimulated, and the one doing it is an avatar similar to Jing Yuan!! They are doing lewd things with the cutest art. You are flustered and crying, how can that person do such a thing in the game world without your consent. Jing Yuan even sent this for you to watch…?

"hey baby, they work so hard. let's get married as early as possible just like them<3"

[ventique18]

~ Scarecrow ~

- LevaNoa and MalleYuu drabble -

Princess Malenoa was quite sick of this life, truth be told. Sure, she always got what she wanted; the latest dresses on trend, the rarest taboo books on magic that no other person could ever hope to receive-- she was quite spoiled, you see. But what ever would she do with those things if she had no one to share them with? If she had no audience to genuinely praise her new look without forcing a smile in fear... If she had no one to test her newly-learned magic on?

Lilia would just tell her she looked like a lizard on chokehold. And he would tell her on her mother that she had been practicing turning people into gargoyles again. Then she would be grounded for an entire week.

No, what she needed was not Lilia. It was someone else who would understand her and be kind to her and admire her with their entire being. But alas, nobody would even dare to approach her without the fear of getting cursed or turned into a gargoyle. How rude! She always returned them back to normal.

So she came to a conclusion: she was a scarecrow. She was a beautiful scarecrow and everybody else was a bird blinded by her dazzle.

That was, until he came.

"You... You have been circling me like a baby bird hoping to feed. What do you wish to gain from associating with me? I am a scarecrow whom everyone is afraid of. You are a crow. We are not compatible at all."

"My princess..." He said back then, "I am not a crow... I am a raven. You should become a scareraven before you can convince me to fly away in fear."

She laughed back then. She laughed again when she shared that story on the day of their marriage. She laughed again, albeit with a forced grin, when she reminded him of it before he was to set off for a mission she feared he would not come back from unscathed.

"I have not... I have not become a scareraven even after all these years, so... Promise me you will not fly away from me."

"Beloved... You are not even a scarecrow. You are my home, and I promise to always find a way back to you wherever in the world I may end up in."

And she held on to those words until the bitter end.

---------

"Child of man... Why are you so brave? Everybody else... fae or human, they cower in fear at the sight of me."

"Well, that's because I'm not human."

"Not-- hm. Are you telling me you are withholding a secret identity that no one else knows of? Then, what is your kind called?"

"I'm... A shrimp!"

"Ha.... Ha. Hahahaha! What kind of ridiculous race is that? Would you like to be eaten?"

[rebeccathenaturalist]

Are Cowbirds Invasive?

(Originally published on my website at https://rebeccalexa.com/are-cowbirds-invasive/)

When discussing invasive species, we often think of species that evolved far away on other continents. Here in the United States, thousands of non-native species have been brought here since the dawn of colonization; while not all became established, a significant number have since become aggressively integrated into local habitats, much to the detriment of native species they displace or otherwise harm. But sometimes a species will simply encroach upon an ecosystem adjacent to its native home, and then spreads from there, having the same negative impact as other relatively new arrivals. Which begs the question: are birds on the move like barred owls (Strix varia) and cowbirds invasive?

I want to especially look at the brown-headed cowbird (Molothrus ater). Like the barred owl, these chunky songbirds have expanded their range in North America in recent decades due to the extensive damage we’ve done to habitats across the continent. Both were particularly affected by the destruction of the Great Plains. Settlers tore up the ancient grasslands with plows, suppressed fires that had kept forests from encroaching, and started a trend of afforestation–planting trees where they aren’t supposed to be–that continues today. In the latter half of the 19th century, the plains bison (Bison bison bison) was slaughtered almost to extinction to make money off the sale of their remains, and to disempower indigenous communities throughout the region who were reliant on this keystone species for their very existence.

The owls hopscotched across the growing number of tree plantations that dotted first settlements, then towns, then sprawling suburbs and cities, and thus were able to reach all the way to the west coast, where they have put serious competitive pressure on the northern spotted owl. The cowbirds, on the other hand, became refugees as all but the last few hundred bison disappeared from the landscape. They instead turned to domestic livestock like cattle for their survival.

(Read the rest under the cut.)

Same Habits, Different Hosts

Brown-headed cowbirds are unusual in that they evolved to migrate with the bison, rather than waiting for new herds to arrive. The birds feed on insects stirred up by the herd’s hooves, along with seeds of grasses and other plants along the way. Cowbirds perching on the backs of these enormous mammals would have been a common sight prior to the bison’s near-extermination, and today they may still be seen watching for prey from on top of cattle, horses and other domestic livestock.

Because cowbirds have spent thousands of years migrating with their bison hosts, they couldn’t afford to settle in one place for months at a time to raise a nest of chicks, particularly as spring and summer would be prime time for finding insects to eat. It might be weeks or even months before a herd would return to a given area, and without the help of the bison the cowbirds would have had a difficult time finding enough insects on their own, let alone for a hungry nest of babies.

So the cowbirds evolved a rather controversial strategy: brood parasitism. Instead of building their own nest, they find someone else’s and leave a few eggs there for the unwitting owners to raise. Some people anthropomorphize the cowbirds as being “bad”, “lazy”, “evil”, and so forth. And, of course, it’s easy to call cowbirds invasive, too, since they literally invade the nests of other animals.

But nature is amoral; there are no inherently good or evil animals. While we may project our distaste for the cowbirds’ practices onto their value as a species, brood parasitism is simply one of a plethora of strategies animals have evolved in order to pass their genes on to the next generation. If it gets the job done, then it is an evolutionary success. Like the mate cannibalism of some mantids and spiders or animal infanticide practiced by male lions, baboons, and dolphins, brood parasitism may be vicious by our standards, but it is a legitimate survival tactic in the sometimes-cutthroat world of nature.

Are Cowbirds Invasive?

We can certainly call cowbirds invasive when they hop into a nest they didn’t build just to drop off an egg. But are they invasive on a more widespread level? Arguably yes. Not all invasive species were physically transported by humans, but the impact is the same: they have a deleterious effect on one or more other species in their habitat. And unlike coyotes, which only spread to new horizons when their competitors were extirpated by human hunters, brown-headed cowbirds are not filling a niche that was previously taken by another species. they are, instead, an often-unwanted addition to local ecology.

In addition to tearing up the Great Plains and then planting trees there, we also cut down massive numbers of trees in historically forested areas across the continent, leaving patches of fields in which cattle and other livestock graze. This has led to the spread of the cowbird beyond its normal range in the prairies. Other bird species that evolved alongside the cowbirds have developed ways to respond to brood parasitism, from throwing cowbird eggs out of the nest, to building a new nest entirely.

A young cowbird sits in a sparrow’s nest. Note the sparrow egg in the lower left corner that has been pushed out of the nest.

But birds in the cowbird’s expanded territory aren’t always so savvy. That includes species that have seen declining numbers in recent decades due to habitat loss, lead and other toxins, and predation by another invasive species, the domestic cat (Felis catus). Since cowbirds and their chicks will both remove their hosts’ eggs from a parasitized nest, and cowbird chicks may toss their host’s young out or steal all their food, this means fewer numbers of the host species being successfully hatched and fledged. All of which means cowbirds are becoming a serious conservation concern.

That being said, we shouldn’t be too quick to dismiss an entire species by calling all cowbirds invasive. Within their native range in the Great Plains, they are an important part of local ecology. And–unlike certain members of our own species–they are not intentionally cruel animals that want to see other living beings suffer. They are simply doing what their ancestors have done for thousands upon thousands of years, and unlike humans they have no capacity to consider the impact on their hosts.

One last note: if you are tempted to remove cowbird eggs from a nest, please don’t. First, it’s an activity best carried out by professionals who have a better sense of what nests should be attended to and when. Moreover, egg removal can not only cause the host birds to abandon their nest and their own eggs, but cowbirds are more likely to attack hosts who remove the offending eggs, and you could be setting the nesting pair up for retaliation from the cowbirds. And brown-headed cowbirds, like almost all native birds in the United States, are protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, which makes it a federal offense to disturb or harm the birds themselves, as well as their eggs or nests. If you are in an area where cowbirds are considered to be invasive, and you are concerned about another species’ nests, contact your state wildlife department or the closest Audubon Society (some of these societies have changed their names in recent years, but fulfills the same roles as before.)

Did you enjoy this post? Consider taking one of my online foraging and natural history classes or hiring me for a guided nature tour, checking out my other articles, or picking up a paperback or ebook I’ve written! You can even buy me a coffee here!

[cyle]

Hi, I love hearing about the scale and magnitude of Tumblr. Are there any numbers you could share with us nerds? Daily users, daily new posts, daily reblogs, whatever you're allowed to share. Because, yeah, even if there's always something new to discover, it does tend to feel like I'm in a bubble or some sort of echo chamber, and you have said that users like us (however you name the chatty, bloggy, unhinged type of user, you know what I'm talking about) are the lowest percent, so, like, what even IS going on at Tumblr day round? Are there a bajillion taylor swift and K-pop blogs just uploading GIFs without having conversations? A thousand Turkish users uploading pics of their day to no followers like it's Instagram?

It feels like we're the top of an iceberg made of an eldrich sized collection of isolated communities, light years away from one another, with completely unrelated cultures and uses.

Can you share numbers? Can you share what the average user/blog/post is like? Anything else you would like to share?

i don't feel comfortable sharing most numbers, but we do share posts created per day on our About page, along with a couple of other numbers, like the total number of blogs on tumblr and how many blogs are created per day. tumblr is still a bit distinct from other social media (and blogging) platforms in terms of average user behavior.

we have millions of daily active users, and most of them aren't posting anything at all. but the percentage of people posting is higher than the typical assumed 1% rule of creation-versus-consumption, which is nice. the reblog-to-original-post ratio is like... 8 to 1 last time i checked. and likes-to-reblogs is like 10 to 1 or higher, at certain parts of the day.

most people on tumblr are "lurkers" who use the like button a lot, and sporadically reblog. also, most people only see ~25 posts or so per day, even if they have hundreds to see in their Following feed, which is why "Best Stuff First" is actually an important and used setting for many people. and the For You feed is similarly used and enjoyed way, way more than the typical old school tumblr power user would believe.

and yes, most content being posted are images, and a lot of it is stuff like taylor swift and kpop. if you go to the Explore Trending page logged out (like in an incognito window), you do get a sense for what's circulating around the platform. same with the Popular Reblogs dashboard tab.

regardless, even for me, who can look at this data in aggregate all day, it's impossible to get a birds-eye view of what's truly happening across the platform, let alone make sense of it. it's like trying to look at a city full of people and make broad strokes generalizations about it; sure, you can, but there's so much missed nuance that the numbers can't tell a story about.

[moonspirit]

Joining the trend! What would be the funniest Armin death?

Hi Myrtle!

Honestly my favourite (and overused xD) idea is water loss from crying too much lmao xD

The guys are used to his terrible crying habits. He just cries and cries and cries... and they used to try giving him little pep talks you know? For the most part those proved useless.

So now they just let him cry and cry and cry, interrupt him to feed him a gallon of water, and then let him cry and cry again because he's a lost cause.

Well that or Seagull!Eren shits on his food when he's having an open-terrace lunch on a foreign visit and he dies from food poisoning because his pathetic little bird friend was jealous in spirit of his love-life success. RIP.

[liam-neesons-best-girl]

The Orange Peel Test with him . . .

Summary: How different Liam Neeson characters would respond to the orange peel test with their partner.

ICYMI: The orange peel test is a trend circulating that poses the scenario for one partner to present the other with an orange and no context or instructions. If they peel it, their love is "for real" lol

Pairings: Qui-Gon Jinn x reader, Bryan Mills x reader, Hannibal x reader

Warnings: f!reader, drabble, they all pass the test, light kissing

Bryan Mills (Taken)

he is always happy when you want to cook with him or vise versa

the orange in your hand doesn't really pair well with the lasagna he is making but he brushes it off, just focusing on the task at hand to not cut his fingers

you take off your shoes, coat, and purse, placing the orange on the counter with your belongs before you scoot off to the restroom to change out of your work clothes and get washed up to help prep dinner

he thinks for a minute and decides to stop his work and peel the orange for you, also getting you a glass of water and a small bowl of mixed nuts, the perfect post-work pre-dinner snack

he also sneaks some nuts for himself (he loves almonds)

when you return to the kitchen he smiles and starts asking about your day

you sit on the bar stool in front of him and notice the snack and water that wasn't there 5 minutes ago

"for me?" you question

"for you" he says with a slight grin, thinking nothing of it

you can't believe how lucky you are to have a man who doesn't need step by step instructions to be thoughtful or affectionate

"can you put down the knife" you ask, rounding the counter to be by his side

he does so and you give him the tightest hug

you stay like that for a while because he is never the one to pull back from a hug first

Hannibal (A-Team)

you meet up with him in his make shift barracks, which is really a tent on desert terrain but at least it is some privacy for the two of you, away from his team

he greets you with a hug and a cocked brow when he sees the picnic basket you've placed on his bed

"what did you pack?" he asks, placing the basket on his lap to make room for the two of you to sit and go through the contents of the basket

he pulls out some meaty sandwiches you made for him, since you aren't too big a fan of deli products, miscellaneous fruits including oranges, and two cans of sparkling water to quench the thirst

ever the show off he declares a challenge

"you know I can peel these in one piece" he says pointing to the orange you just picked up to eat

"I'll believe it when I see it" you egg him on

you know this is just a rouse for him to peel it for you and not get any juices on your pretty dress or have to lift a single finger when around your strong boyfriend

he also feels indebt to you for making him such a lovely, impromptu lunch date

you were impressed to see he wasn't just blowing smoke and was actually able to peel it in one piece

watching his skilled hands be so delicate to such a fragile fruit was relaxing, and (not going to lie) a bit of a turn on

he hands you back the orange ready to eat and you, so cheeky, squeeze one of the wedges at him to splash him with the citrus's juice

with a mouth full of his sandwich he retorts, "I'll get you back when you least expect it, doll"

Qui-Gon (Star Wars)

he found you under and orange tree reading your book of poetry, enjoying the chirping birds and soft wind dancing on your hair

laying down by your side you extended your legs, an open invitation for him to rest his head on your lap as you read aloud to him

after a short time your belly began to growl, alerting him to your hunger

You lean up and say, "I'll just grab a ripe orange"

but he stops you, gently laying you back down against the tree and reaches up to grab the juiciest looking one

"let me feed you, my love" he'll say, not only peeling the orange for you but then ripping a part the wedges to feed you piece by piece

he kisses you in between bites, tasting the sweet citrus on your tongue

[witchofthesouls]

Okay I had an ask about a follow-up on the Truck dad and amnesiac bird son dimensional hoppers pair post, but I couldn't fit as more outright creepy/weird shit our boy do. A lot of hints, though.

Here's a piece on Jack's fondness for big animals and secrets.

Optimus should have known something was afoot with Jack, especially with his most recent line of questions and the new direction his drawings had taken on: a large, black canine in the desert, aerial views of the surrounding landscapes, anatomy of local creatures, and multi-eyed birds with strange trinkets in their beaks.

As much Jack was enamored with the animal companions in this universe’s version of the Ark and its Autobots, Sideswipe’s proletariat cat and Prowl’s turbohound were too busy to keep by the sparkling's side.

Despite the extreme species-swap and his regression to a child state, Jack had taken to his Cybertronian frame well. Enough that oddities could be rationally explained by the loss of creators.

(And if this version of the Autobots took it one way, then Optimus won't correct them, especially with Jack's mimicry with natural birdsong overlapping with newspark noises.)

Jack was generally obedient. He took heed of Optimus’ warnings to remain close to him and not to wander away in a certain distance.

However, Jack was good with words. Quick to find loopholes as well. He may not flick a wing-tip over the established boundaries to chase after whatever curious thing had caught his attention, but more than once Optimus found his charge scurrying out from potholes on the streets, broken entrances beneath buildings, and perched high up on the local greenery or infrastructure to peek at something, like a nest of local fauna.

Jack had said he didn’t leave the ship. And that was true. He hadn’t.

He simply coaxed the wildlife to him instead.

It was a hassle to smooth over the growing trend of murders and conspiracies of blackbirds hounding the nearby towns for cash for their “snackies” of seeds and McDonald's, then they uncovered his newest pet.

Not an abandoned dog, or a raccoon, or a house cat, or a hawk, or a toad, or anything Sparkplug reminiscenced over his son's mudpie days. Not something small, easily managed, and no threat to the human personnel.

Those strange grey-blue optics stared at Optimus so pleadily, arms wrapped carefully around the creature. The mountain lion, nearly full grown and quite docile in Jack’s arms, only grumbled, almost bored by the entire ordeal. It yawned wide, showing off teeth reminiscent of military-frame sets of sharp denta.

Animals, especially predatory and scavenger species, was something else Jack was good with, too. And Optimus had no idea what to make of that…

“Please, papa! I made her a bed and kept the wound clean!"

Oh, yes, Jack ran a neat, little clandestine operation in the back. Taking advantage that few mechs were willing to venture near the Dinobots’ living quarters and his own oddities whenever he sang to blackbirds outside the open entrance, he managed to squeeze himself into a nook between boulders that opened into a hidden cavern where he kept an injured mountain lion.

No one had any idea how Jack managed to keep the animal fed, let alone sneak it past the entrance. Too many eyes in the main halls to drag large carcasses, and living matter didn't do well with subspaces. Optimus could hear Red Alert's jaw cracking from pressure-related stress. No doubt combing through the security systems and finding nothing. Jazz and Prowl would be interested in the holes as well.

That was a large issue, and it needed to be addressed. Preferably away from the public.

“-and I'll love her and walk her and I change her water every day and I know how to feed her because Chickadee taught me how to how-"

"Jack,” Optimus interrupted the deluge of words, his tone gentle yet firm. He crouched down to meet those tearful optics, Jack's wingspan ticked up and down. The mountain lion's ears twitched but it remained at ease. “We can't keep her here. That's a wild animal. She's used to miles of free terrain to roam. Not being enclosed and hidden away on a ship.”

Jack inhaled sharply but said nothing in response. It wasn't childish defiance staring back at Optimus. More like guardian possessiveness: Mineminemine, Jack's entire frame projected, dropping away the usual behavior of staying hidden.

“You and I must return to our universe. We can't bring this one, especially into an environment she has no experience in. It would be cruel to do so. Even if we release her back at our base, everything she knew would be either too different or nonexistent. Remember your exploration of the places you once lived in?”

Jack hiccuped out a warbling noise at the reminder, and Optimus could feel a few mechs’ willpower crumbling away at that sound. He coiled his field around the boy, and Jack immediately latched onto him, anchoring deep as he leveled out the sharp notes and soothed away the hurts.

“We can find a suitable wildlife rehab or a sanctuary.”

"Can we visit her?”

“I’m sure we can find time.”

[booksrbetterthanpeople]

I just randomly started thinking about the Flinstones

It all takes place in the town of Paristone (And after a couple of millennia, it will soon be known as the city of Paris)

Marinette is a young designer who makes all sorts of pelts and rock accessories and helps out her parents with hunting and gathering

Adrien is the son of the town’s top pelt designer, lives in a fancy rock mansion and is always wearing the latest trend like… Shoes

Alya usually has a stone tablet somewhere on her person, always carving the latest gossip and news with her chisel and putting them on the web… There’s a big spider web where people post their stone tablets

Nino is an excellent shadow puppeteer (Stone age filmmaker) and has an affinity for music using prehistoric birds to come up with new sounds

Chloé is the daughter of of the town’s chief and wears only the most expensive stone and shell jewelry. Also, she probably invented the eye roll

Sabrina’s still her sidekick, usually following Chloé with a stone tablet and chisel, ready to carve her planner

Kim is one of the best young hunters and is usually swimming through the lakes for any fish

Max may or may not have invented the wheel. Anyway, his companion/friend is Markov- a hollowed out stone with an intelligent beetle inside stepping in some sort of black muck and writing out visual responses on leaves that feed through a slot. He might also be working on a written language

Alix invented the skateboard and now that is the only way she wants to get around, ever. It’s new, exciting, and makes walking look stupid

Nathaniel is always sketching on leaves using a stick dipped in ash from burnt out fires and does cave painting commissions. (He accidentally got juice from red berries poured on his hair, and now continues to dye it)

Juleka created hair dye by mixing the juice from red and blue berries (She’s also the first lesbian to ever roam the earth)

Rose has a plushie collection made out of pelts stuffed with mastodon fur

Myléne is what’s know at the time as a veg-a-eat-ian, meaning she doesn’t eat anything that had a face

Ivan’s the same and is oddly eloquent considering they don’t have a written language yet

Marc is a feral kid… I’m not joking, he was raised by some sort of saber toothed animal up until he was five and adopted by his mothers. Until he was seven, he only spoke in snarls and is unbelievably strong

Yeah, I just needed to get this outta my head

[ithinkabouttzu]

Would they love you if you were a worm? (Easy co. addition)

genre: romance (i guess)

warnings: being a fucking worm

a/n: this is a very random idea and i’m kinda late to the trend but i thought it would be cute so here ya go 😭

Dick Winters: - Yes

- would probably be the best person to take care of you

- Would build you a little garden for you to live in probably

Lewis Nixon: - Doesn’t answer the question because “it would never happen”

- When he does give you an answer it’s a no.

- he would accidentally step on you

Carwood Lipton: - says yes

- but in reality he would probably forget to feed you or something 😭

- would definitely forget about you and then freak out when he can’t find you LOL

Joe Toye: - Tells you no

- but he would actually take care of you surprisingly

- He’d put you in a jar with some dirt and call it a day.

Joe Liebgott: - Tells you that he would love you no matter what

- but he would lose you so quick it’s not even funny

- And when he does find you he’d probably accidentally step on you 😭

Bill Guarnere: - He doesn’t understand the question at all

-“Why would you ever be a worm?” “What kind of stupid question is that?”

- Tells you that he would throw you out to the backyard if you became a worm.

George Luz: - “Probably?”

- He’d be the worst care taker ever

- a bird would probably swoop in and take you bc he wasn’t looking 😭

Bull Randleman: - Tells you no straight up

- “I’d feed you to the chickens” LOL

- Probably would use you as bait to go fishing or sum

Eugene Roe: - he has a hard time imagining you as a worm but when he gets the question he says he would love you either way.

- he’d do something cute like make a little terrarium for you

- If you died he would make you a miniature little grave and bury you ☹️

Floyd Talbert: - Tells you no, then proceeds to ask you the same question

- Then gets surprised when you say no

-“You wouldn’t love ME if i was a worm?” 😟

Skip Muck: - Tells you no, but in a super nice way LOL

- “I’m sorry babe, but I just couldn’t deal with you sliming up the place”

- Would probably still love you though in all honesty

Don Malarkey: -Tells you “sure why not”

- but if the chance came up, he’s using you as fish bait for sureee

- Or he’d accidentally step or sit on you 💀

Babe Heffron: - “i’d stomp on you if you were a worm”

- Has no chill about it, acts like he would hate you if you were a worm 😭

- But in all seriousness he would probably still love and take care of you

Shifty Powers: - Tells you that he’d still love you

- he’d try his best to take care of you

- but he’d probably end up taking you out to the forest and letting you live there instead :(

Frank Perconte: - “no. Immediately no”

- tells you to stop asking him weird questions.

- After some real convincing, he comes to the conclusion that he would put you in a jar with some holes at the top like you would for a firefly 😭

Again i’m sorry if this sucks but i thought it’d be cute 💀 if you liked this make sure to reblog or like! 🤍