#black-fronted tern

[anonsally]

Day 2 in Chile: Birding along the central coast

After a decent night's sleep, we got up early this morning for our birding tour. The guide and a driver picked us up at 8am and we had an epic day of birding! It was cold but mostly sunny, so not as cold as yesterday except when it was very windy. The guide told us that this is one of the best times of year to visit Chile, bird-wise, because a lot of birds that breed further south migrate here in the winter... as do a lot of birds who breed further north!

We did spend a lot of the day in the car in between birding, but that was fine actually as it gave Wife (who is an introvert) a break from interacting and it also meant less time in the sun and wind. And we saw lots of birds, nearly all of which were new for me.

The guide hasn't shared the eBird list with me yet so I'm sure I won't remember everything, but here's what I remember (not chronologically, and I've tried to put my favorites near the top, but not really in order and they were all exciting in one way or another):

Humboldt penguins! We were pretty lucky; I think there were about 30 of them hanging out on a small island preserve very close to the beach.

Inca terns. These were very beautiful and unusual-looking terns, dark grey with long white whiskers and red beaks, with a yellow spot at the base, and red feet.

Grey gulls starting to get their breeding plumage. I thought these were very cute, elegant gulls.

A giant hummingbird. Which... is not an exaggeration. It was enormous. Too big to hover. But clearly hummingbird shaped. Totally incongruous!

Tufted tit-tyrant. (The Tufted Tit-Tyrants is my new band.) Probably one of the cutest birds I've ever seen.

Peruvian boobies

Peruvian pelicans--not too different from the brown pelicans we see at home, but larger.

Three kinds of cormorant: Most were neotropic cormorants, but we also saw a couple of guanay cormorants, and several of the very beautiful red-legged cormorant.

Southern lapwings. Kind of a patchwork pattern of coloration.

Two rufous-chested dotterels, one of which was getting its breeding plumage.

Three kinds of cinclodes: gray-flanked (which breed in the Andes but winter on rocky beaches), seaside (larger), and (I think?) buff-winged.

Two kinds of oystercatchers: blackish and American (I don't think I'd seen the American kind before; the ones in California are black oystercatchers).

Yellow-billed pintails

Yellow-billed teals

Diuca finches

Lake duck (similar to a ruddy duck)

Rufous-collared sparrows (apparently more common than house sparrows in Chile, and infinitely cuter!)

Coscoroba swans, which looked less mean and more friendly than our usual swans

red-gartered coots

Great shrike-tyrants

Long-tailed meadowlark. Startlingly red face and front.

Chimango caracaras, which were the raptors I'd seen on the way from the airport. Apparently there are no corvids here, but these fill that ecological niche. We saw two of them eating a dead meadowlark.

Dusky tapaculo. The guide made limited use of playback in the one foresty stop. This bird is very shy but we did manage to get a decent view of it.

Variable hawk.

Harris's hawk

Great grebes

White-tufted grebes

Brown-hooded gulls

Chilean mockingbirds

Two kinds of swallows: blue-and-white and Chilean

Chiloe wigeons

black vultures

a rufous-tailed plantcutter

Austral thrushes

Austral blackbirds

We also saw sea lions and a couple of otters!

We had them drop us off at a restaurant in Viña Del Mar, which saved them some driving and meant we could try a restaurant we were interested in. We drank Pisco sours (a great cocktail!) and--as usual--ordered too much food. Then we managed to get a bus back to Valparaíso and had a steep walk back up to the hotel, as the funiculars don't run late.

[dansnaturepictures]

Four of my favourite photos I took in April 2024 and month summary

The photos are of; an Osprey at Lossiemouth in Moray, Speckled Wood on dandelions by Lakeside Country Park in Hampshire, early spider orchid at Durlston in Dorset and view at Laggan Dam.

April was another momentous and splendid wild month for me with so much seen and many amazing places visited. My birdwatching year continued to go from strength to strength with some smashing spring species seen and my year list kept pace with where my others had been at this stage in a year being second only to the number I was on last year my highest ever year list. Spring delights Swallow, House Martin, Wheatear, Whitethroat, glorious Sedge Warbler, Redstart, thrilling views of Guillemot and Fulmar, Little Tern and Common Tern were key species added to my year list this month alongside blockbuster names Osprey and rare Marsh Sandpiper. Avocet, Marsh Harrier, Buzzard, Sand Martin, Goldcrest, Blackcap seen and heard and my first Cuckoos heard this year were other highlights. Following the Lakeside Great Crested Grebes with their four growing chicks and a pair still courting and the new Winchester Peregrine pair was special again this month, as was seeing Greylag goslings and adorable Moorhen chicks at Lakeside. The month ended and the new one began whilst away on the incredible adventure that has been our Scotland holiday; it has been pure, tranquil, joyful and nourishing being out in wilderness areas surrounded and embraced by sensational wildlife both at the amazing cottage we’re staying in and the many fantastic places visited. By the end of April we had already seen many of the standout species of the trip including resplendent summer plumage Black-throated Diver and Red-throated Diver, majestic White-tailed Eagle, exuberant Willow Warblers a very welcome constant, Pink-footed Geese, Red Grouse, Red-legged Partridge, loads of Common Sandpipers, Little Ringed Plover, Knot, Hooded Crow, Kittiwake, amazing views of many Ospreys, Razorbill, Puffin, Common Scoter, Goosander, Goldeneye, Long-tailed Duck, Teal, Wheater, Sand Martin, Yellowhammer, Crossbill, Brambling, White Wagtail, Tree Sparrow, Raven, Skylark, Buzzard, Common Gull, Curlew, Lapwing and Oystercatcher.

It was a massive butterfly month for me too as the peak season moved through the early gears enjoying magical views of Red Admiral, Peacock, Brimstone, Speckled Wood, Small Tortoiseshell, Small White, Orange Tip, Green-veined White, Holly Blue and Wall Brown with many making the most of the wealth of dandelions out the front and at Lakeside. My moth year got going too with White-shouldered House moth at home and bright Brimstone moth at Durlston.

It was a marvellous month of mammals with Hedgehog at home, more Roe Deers in a strong year I’m having for them, Sika Deers on the way to Durlston and Grey Squirrels enjoyed. A massive part of the Scotland trip was exhilarating encounters with mammals, getting some of my best ever views of certain species; inside April this included stunning intimate views of Hares and Roe Deers around the cottage, an amazing moment as a Stoat ran through the garden, a dream encounter watching Bottlenose Dolphins at Spey Bay and Mountain Goats. Bees, spiders, Black and Yellow Cellar slugs and pill woodlouse were other highlights this moth. 

Flowers gripped my month of course too as the season really matured with cuckooflower, garlic mustard, wild garlic, early purple orchid, my first ever known sighting of green-winged orchid, early spider orchid, cowslips, bluebells, greater stitchwort, marsh marigold, wood anemone, milkwort, buttercups, lesser celandine, wood anemone, cuckoo-pint, red deadnettle, white deadnettle, yellow archangel, forget-me-not, green alkanet, speedwell and herb-Robert starring alongside the breathtaking dandelion scenes. Vetch, sea and red campion, thrift, hogweed and oxeye daisy (some more than others and largely down to personal perspective) were examples of the cycle of the floral year being slightly ahead again. In Scotland it was interesting to observe spring being slightly behind compared to home with daffodils and primroses still around in numbers among others. It was nice to enjoy the sight of fungi here and there in April including hoof fungus in Scotland.

I enjoyed two great social occasions this month, the Hampshire Ornithological Society’s Member’s Day and a talk from Megan McCubbin based around her book which I thoroughly enjoyed reading earlier in the year. Both were inspirational and eye-opening times where it was great to meet like-minded people something watching the Great Crested Grebes has allowed a lot too. Finally I enjoyed being out and looking out so much in April taking in my surroundings and taking in some wonderful vistas and epic sky scenes. Immersed in the splendour of the vast, open, rugged, mountainous and varied landscape in Scotland also including wetland, coast and forest we enjoyed some incredible and breathtaking views.

[nebularanger-art]

I was just recently reminded of something from my other blog and I'm thinking... You know, nobody's actually tried to give the reboot versions of Dante and Vergil proper Devil Trigger forms... why not me?

I don't have my tablet with me rn but here's some design notes I have planned:

If the DTs we see in the game are supposed to be directly analogous to the DTs of the mainline games, my designs will be akin to Sin Devil Triggers. The reboot designs will be based on mammals and birds, contrasting the mainline games' designs being reptilian and somewhat insectioid.

Reboot Dante's will be based on European animals, specifically a combination of these: Badgers, crested porcupines, European magpies, and the "phantom panther" of Britian.

Reboot Vergil will actually be based on New Zealand birds, notably: Keas, black-fronted terns, and little blue penguins, with some fancy pigeon for good measure. I'm also gonna throw in inspiration from Marchosias, a demon from the Ars Goetia who takes the form of a winged wolf.

[godeaterazathoth]

ceremony

CW// references to ethnic supremacy, religious practices/ religious repression.

It was the 4th term of the 94th year of the 2nd millennium and today was a Saturday, in Usave that was the day of grace in honour of the Serine one. All the vendors were out selling their goods and wives were out buying them. Boys ran singing through the streets and girls, especially blonds, the girls who curried the most favoured of the Serine, wore their hair uncovered to attract a proposal, it was good luck to get on a day of grace.

The first snowfall had marked the beginning of the term and it had fallen non-stop ever since, for almost five weeks it had pilled up over the brick road, only to be swept off into the street and kept out of the way.

Crow still wore her dirty black hood. To her the day of grace was on the Sunday. Saturdays in Eburones were days of silence, in reverence to the End and the Beginning. Here in Usave that was tomorrow. She will still practice in the way of her homeland, she’ll fast, remain silent and keep her hood up. But considering the monument to the Serine would be ceremonially burnt tomorrow she might as well pray today.

From a distance of ten paces, she stands in front of the alter. She bows her head claps twice then kneels with hands clasped together. She doesn’t pray for anything, it is heretical to do so, to speak selfishly into the ears of the Serine. She prays in humility only. After the minute passes she terns to the east and bows to the golden skinned child, then to the silver skinned child in the west , she bows one more time to the alter before stepping away.

Crow had entered the city last Monday when the smell of burnt pine was still strong. The city’s best carpenter had just set down the log he planned on using to carve the alter he had set about removing the bark. The people had stared at her, for many reasons, she was unaccompanied by any man, covered in grime and riding a stallion that was 7 foot tall. But what had really captured them was her skin, her cheeks did not glow pink in the cold but remained as stony grey as the rest of her. ‘Ash-skin’ she heard a few whispers as she passed. It didn’t matter it was the same anywhere.

Usave was different from Eburones in more than the day swap. Many of the cities were built on flat planes, forests were cleared the trees were used to build towering walls to keep the Fae out, all the houses and streets were built in a lattice formation with equally small space between them. In Eburones the cities were built high up on the hills circling a castle the houses were built in this cercal all facing the centre where a statue representing the Serine one would stand carved from the oldest oak the people could find. There was a statue here in the Usave city, a stone one about ten meters tall of the Grate Founder Iliyas. Carved from rock he stood still sword arm pointed to the sky, a dragon lay dead under his boot, he looked different here than he did in Eburones, here he had bored shoulders a thick short beard and wore heavy armour, he held his sword in his left hand. In Eburones he was always depicted as slender almost boyish wrapped in a shawl he never had a sword and if he was holding anything it was with the right. The only likeness they shared was his long red hair. The base of the statue was engraved with a plaque, ‘the Great Founder came to this land to slay the evil fell dragon who hunted the people on the 1st term of the 19th year of the first century’ not one of his notable achievements, every city had a fell dragon that was saline by his hand. Not Crow’s though, her home had a grate falcon that was tamed by him.    

  Festivities continue in the square. The atmosphere will be different tomorrow, only the men will leave their homes to burn the alter. Only the priest will be permitted to speak. They will crowd the streets with flaming reeds held high as the priest chants the true word into the air. The women inside will tie reeds in knots and silently pray with their heads down. The bound children will do the same, but unbound boys will follow their fathers on the street, though only men whose beards have grown in may light their reeds. If a man speaks, he shall be locked in a jail cell for the rest of the day until the golden skinned child raises the next day. If a woman speaks, she shall be branded by their husband, once for each word uttered, if a child speaks, they shall be beaten by their farther, if a woman is seen out the house, she will be stoned. The men would walk to the square where the priest would sing a hymn then burn his reef of reeds, then all the men would throw their flaming reeds onto the alter and watch until it was ashes. The ashes would be taken and mixed into wine that the men would share then once the silver skinned child was raising, they would all return home to bed their wives. It was different in Eburones, all the people, man and women, would go to the square, the women would kneel with their vails covering their faces, the men would stand in front and the priest would sacrifice a lamb and collect its blood. The alter would be lit with the reeds, and the embers would be put out with the lambs blood. Then the ashes would be gathers and thrown to the wind. Unbound children and unmarried girls weren’t allowed to attend but Crow would watch the fire from her window every time.

It had been many years since she had watched the alter burn, in Usave the windows were kept locked, most women would never witness it.

But tomorrow she will celebrate the day of grace in full. She’ll walk the streets her silver hair down singing Eburones songs. She will cut down these Usave pig men gored their priest and paint the alter in their blood for the Serine one to witness.

 Then she will burn the city.

[riwritingrn]

Echo of Flight

I often think of the birds that roam the sky. The defiers of gravity’s stubborn demands. 

The clever crows. Tiny, tweeting sparrows. Quick and slender swifts. Careless pigeons trotting by. Keen and slender cranes by the water. Silly looking crab-plowers and terns. Seagulls that curse like a sailor. Mynas that fight for their fair share. Shimmering kingfishers. Sweet-sounding songbirds. Parrots with their lipstick-red beaks. Intimidating eagles and falcons,  graceful in flight. Vultures with their heads low, tending to the dead. I think of them all. 

But there are two, in particular, I can never forget: a pair of red-vented bulbuls. 

Outside the house I grew up in, there was a tree that was older than me, older than my parents’ marriage. Every morning, when the sun peeked to catch a glimpse of the moon, on the blank canvas of the world against the audible landscape, a burst of bright, vivid birdsong colored the universe, awakening every being. A lot many years later, however, we heard a subtle difference in the morning songs. An addition. 

Two new voices. Two new sounds. A harmonious duet. 

After a great many laborious days of trying to find the owners of that sound, one fine day, on the brink of early spring when the earth began to blossom, we finally did. To our delight, we found a pair of bulbuls making their nest in the bushiest part of the tree, in its very heart. They had black spiked heads and a very bright red, almost vermillion, patch on the bottom of their brown tail, towards the base of their greyish-white belly.

My mother told me that the female was about to lay eggs. And she was right. 

In a month, there were three new hungry sounds. A while later, the parents took their little birds on their first flight. We watched them as they fell down. We watched the parents offer them fat worms that wiggled in its beak when they got it right and how that influenced them to fly better. And they did. They soared and conquered the skies and we, along with their parents, watched with pride. I have never before been so invested in the lives of birds, not to this extent. 

The years ticked away, like hands on a clock. The vermillion under their tails dulled with each year. Every year, the pair laid eggs, fed their babies, taught them how to fly, and then let them go. Through all this, the pair always returned to the tree. It was their home. It was the nest of many. The tree from which generations branched out, their family tree. 

Though they would disappear seasonally, every morning, I was always greeted with the familiar two sounds. It was like a conversation. One of them would begin, the other would answer its call, and so it went on. One note after another; like learning to walk, one step in front of the other; like learning to soar. 

Like a word after another forming a sentence; a sentence without an end. 

A question and an affirmation: 

Are you here?

I am here. 

Where are you? 

With you. 

Always? 

Always. 

A song. A continuity till eternity. 

I don't know if bulbuls are monogamous or if they mate for life, but they surely seemed to be. And I don't know if birds can be in love, or feel love at all. I don't think they're supposed to. But I'm sure they did.

Every morning they would take flight together and finish each other's sentences. When their wings grew weary, their lungs gave out and their stomachs full, they would come and rest on our tree, on their tree. They seemed more in love with the world and with each other than anyone I knew. They seemed to know more about love than I do. 

They reappeared every year. Every now and then. Always together.  

Somewhere in between, they were gone for too long. Perhaps they had found a better place. Perhaps they had found a better tree to reside in. Maybe they had new kids, I don't know. But I thought of them, often. 

And then one day, on the cusp of late spring, just before the earth undressed, a familiar sound perched on my window sill in the luminous dark; in the short, secret space between night and morning. Right when the moon gazed longingly at the sun, and the sun greeted the moon with goodbye, that's when I was greeted with the first note: Are you here? 

A pause. 

The first note again for the second time. 

A pause. 

Desperately, the first note again for the third time. 

A pause. 

Nothing.

No reply.

A call into the void, there was no one to reply, no one to echo. Just a lone voice barely bouncing off of the too-far-away walls of the world. Maybe this is the price for loving, the price for a lifetime of companionship and intimacy. 

My heart sank. 

I wonder if it knew. I wonder if it knew it would never hear a call back. I wonder if it knew its sentence had been punctuated. Its call now sounded like the last strings plucked on the guitar, the last lone sustained notes of a song. The end of a song that tries to persist but fails to because all things, all good things, must come to an end. This is the way it is, the way everything was, is, and will be. So it lingers, like a ghost, like reminiscence. 

It came to the tree, revisited it every day. It called out for its other half every morning. It searched all morning until dusk when the sun professes its love for the moon in a spectacle of a display, its daily last ribbons of goodbye. 

The world doesn't wait for the sun to meet the moon, it doesn't wait for a lonely bird that does not mourn the loss of its mate because it is still searching, desperately, frantically.

Maybe it knows. Maybe it is aware it will never find what it is looking for, just like the sun and the moon. Though they can never exist together, their every movement is for each other. Though they exist worlds away from each other, their very existence is in hopes, is an attempt, to catch the slightest glimpse of each other. And they wait patiently in their solitude, waiting, hoping, for an eclipse, desperately, frantically, quietly.

Maybe hope is the price for a bond forged. So we search and wait, desperately, frantically, like the bird, like the sun and the moon. Maybe that is the testament for love, for intimacy, for companionship. To wait and be important enough to be waited for. To hope, despite and regardless, of the odds being stacked against.

In the evening when its wings turned heavy and its lungs had given out, it came back and perched upon the leafless tree, their family tree. And it called out: 

Are you here?

At some point, its call diminished, like a flame in the wind, until it was stifled out and only its embers remained, smoldering; the smoke being the only reminder that the fire once existed. 

What happened next, I do not know. I try to not think of it. But I hope when it did happen, it happened softly, tenderly, while it was asleep in its nest. I hope the ghost of the other greeted it in its eternal dream with the song only it would sing, to the song only it would respond to. 

I'd like to think they still fly around in invisible realms until their wings are heavy and then they come and rest in the heart of their tree, that they still sing in frequencies I can’t hear. 

Are you here?

I am here. 

Where are you? 

With you. 

Always? 

Always. 

A song. A continuity till eternity. 

[nebulations]

[ID copied from alt:

A black and white toned, manga-style comic of one of the scenes from The Locked Tomb series, specifically the Gideon the Ninth book. The first panel is open, with two speech bubbles. "I challenge the sixth for their keys. I name the time and the time is now," someone says, raising the blade of a weapon. In the below panel, Palamedes Sextus and Camilla Hect look up, glowering, at the figure, bracketed by his legs since he is looking down on them from the table.

The middle panel shows Naberius Tern, who is standing at full height, pointing his rapier down at the two he challenged. From the sides of his panel are four smaller ones - the Fourth, Second, Ninth and Eight house look on in various flavors of shock. While the Fourth and Second don't bother to hide their indignation, the Ninth and Eighth are quietly observing. The next panel shows Coronabeth, looking a bit stupefied. “No, you don’t,” she begins to say. “Yes, he does,” replies Ianthe, who is mirrored in the opposite panel. “You need a facility key, don’t you? Here’s our chance. I suspect we won’t be given a better.” Judith Deuteros begins to turn to Ianthe, looking grimly alarmed. "You have no cause."

The top panel focuses on Ianthe, still lounging on the chair. “Neither did you, if we’re all being honest with ourselves," she says to Judith. "Sextus was perfectly right.” The next two panels show Judith and Ianthe, their profiles facing each other as they argue. “If you want to cast me as the villain, do it,” says the captain of the Second. “I’m trying to save our lives. You’re giving in to chaos. There are rules, Third.” “On the contrary,” Ianthe replies, “you’ve amply demonstrated that there are no rules whatsoever. There’s only the challenge … and how it’s answered.” A small panel shows Gideon glancing over to the twins. Ianthe looks away and glances up at Coronabeth, who has been standing beside her chair, not looking at anyone else. She reaches out a hand to her sister and says, more softly: “This is for you, dear, don’t be picky. This may be the only chance we have. Don’t feel bad, sweetheart—what can you do?” Corona continues to stare ahead, a bit blankly. A shadow falls over her face. “I can do nothing,” she replies. Ianthe pulls her in, and they nearly tough foreheads, their hands tangled tightly. “Then let’s do this together. I need you," says Ianthe. “I need you,” echoes her twin.

Another small panel shows Gideon looking back to the Sixths House. Camilla tightens a bandage on her arm, which is already bloodied. "Right," she says. "Second round." Behind her, Palamedes looks panicked and angry all at once. Gideon grits her teeth, suppressing a growl. A series of quick panels shows her gripping her sword and sliding her off hand into the knuckle knives. She looks as though she's about to surge forward when Harrow's speech bubble cuts through the panel: "The Ninth House will represent the Sixth House," she announces. Beside her, Gideon looks a bit startled. Naberius also starts, looking completely confused by the turn of events. Ianthe looks on, not surprised but annoyed. "The plot congeals," she says. "Since when has the Ninth been bosom with the sixth?" she asks. Harrow replies: "We aren't." Gideon's mouth begins to stretch into a grin. "Then--" continues Ianthe, but she is cut off.

The page is dominated by a single vertical panel, showing both Harrowhark and Gideon, with Gideon standing firmly behind her necromancer, her rapier casually balanced on her shoulder. Her grin is wide, and her eyes shine through, even from behind her shades. In front, Harrow is pulling off her hood, her eyes narrowed. "Death first to the vultures and scavengers," she says. The background has grown dark, and both of the Ninth are lit from underneath, throwing them into rather appropriate spooky shadows.

Bonus: A very quick and messy sketch of Gideon and Harrow. Gideon is lifting Harrow up with both arms and hugging her, a big smile on her face. "Thanks for backing me up, my midnight hagette!" she says. Harrow looks like a stick insect heading to a funeral. Her legs are awkwardly kicked up a bit, but she is otherwise stock-straight, and her eyes are wide and staring into the middle distance, though she is also visibly blushing. End ID]

Harrow's necromantic power includes the ability to create underlighting whenever it's necessary.

Bonus:

[hejscandinavia]

We were able to sleep a little bit longer as we didn’t leave until 9:45 am. However, it’s always rough trying to go to bed in 24 hour daylight. You really have to tire yourself out to sleep.

Sadly, yesterday I got blisters. I had several on my feet. It was hurting so bad I needed the group to stop walking because it felt like someone was slowly tearing off my skin. Well, to help, I did double sock layers (one thin and one wool). I also put on blister cream and wrapped my feet in blister tape. It’s like my feet were cut up and I was using duck tape to keep it from falling apart lol. Even though it doesn’t help with circulation, wrapping my feet with tape helps SOOOO much.

We got to the outskirts of town to go on a hike to see the bird colonies. This was one hell of a hike let me tell you.

Already my feet started hurting, thank you blisters. Our first event was crossing the rivers. These were much bigger than yesterday. I also think my shoes are not “waterproof.” My feet were always wet. What doesn’t help is every time you step on the moss beds, a puddle of water escapes from the ground so you are never safe. For being a “desert” this place is quite wet. Well our guides, Joffery from yesterday and our new guide, Yanik from Germany, helped us ford the rivers. They weren’t huge but some parts went up to your knees. Because of this, we had to take off our shoes and go bare foot in the freezing waters. Well because of my blister situation, I was one of the two people who wore the guides rain boots. So my feet were dryer. At one point, the ford was long so everyone made a huge chain. It was really funny. The best part though? Shayna and Zenia did not want to get their feet wet so Yanik carried them across damsel in distress style! It was so funny!!!

Once we passed the waters, then began the hike. Man this was tough. It was a steep 75 degree climb for 1 hour. As a person with asthma and who is not super athletic, this was rough. We needed to keep moving, but BRUH. I was loosing oxygen. Gladly, we had two groups: the speedsters and the slow pokes. Yanik was also very kind and carried my backpack. We were either on dirt or just piles of rocks. We were also right next to a waterfall. Talk about dangerous. What was worse? It got super foggy at the top. We could only see about 300 feet in front of us. Though only one polar bear has been spotted up here, it was a little spooky.

Eventually, we made it up! What a sight! At the top had various piles of snow, small ponds, and many tiny birds. Mostly sandpipers, little auks, seagulls, and arctic terns. Did you know that the little auk eats 60,000 Calanus a day and the arctic tern flies from pole to pole every year? They are crazy!

Well the fog did not let up so it was like a Halloween film. It was a cool creepy. We sat at the cliffs edge. We couldn’t see the bottom or the cliffs around us. Obviously don’t trip. We sat down to eat turkey sandwiches and black current tea.

We then hiked down. Much much better than up. Obviously no hard cardio. Plus, I get to slow because you really have to watch your steps. About every ten steps you were guaranteed to slip. It was a ride.

After the hike, we had to say goodbye to Joffrey. Joffrey was just so funny! He would make so many jokes. Our groups main one was going to a random part of the trail or after someone said a fun fact, we would all say “WOWWWWWWW”. It was fricken hilarious. Also the motto, “the hike? Easy easy. Yep yep.” Mirren and Joffrey were best buds. Joffrey said “I love you” to him like 5 times. It was so cute.

We then went back to the coal miners hotel for dinner. Man DIS treats us. It was SO GOOD! We had bread fondue cheese bowls, pickled vegetables, various thinly sliced meats, potatoes, and beer. I sat with the teachers, Alex, and Macheila. We chatted about future travels and American sitcoms.

It was also our classmates birthday! We sang happy birthday, of course, and Astrid gave her a new pair of wool socks! It was awesome!

After dinner, a part of the group went to get freshwater samples while the rest of us got ready to bed.

[anonsally]

Birds at the bay!

Today I met up with a couple of friends for a walk in a park on the bay. We brought our binoculars, and although it wasn't all birdwatching--one of the friends had brought her little dog, and we didn't make too much effort to identify all the various birds in the water (many were too far away)--it was still very productive. I added three birds to my life list!

We saw a lot of scaups, but not well enough to distinguish between lesser and greater. At one point a black oystercatcher flew past and two of us squealed, even though this is not a new bird for any of us--just a favorite! There were barn swallows, and house finches, and a bunch of willets, but the most exciting sightings for me were:

I saw a sparrow in a bush and initially thought I saw some yellow on the face, but eventually concluded that it was probably a song sparrow as I didn't know any other sparrows with such a streaky front. But then a few minutes later I heard a bird singing and I used Merlin's sound ID on it... and it suggested a Savannah Sparrow. So I looked at the pictures and realised that was what I had seen! The habitat description also supported this ID, so I'm fairly confident it's correct. That was a new bird for me!

There were some terns diving spectacularly into the water, and they had long forked tails, sort of like a barn swallow. We eventually concluded (and confirmed using Merlin's sound ID) that they were Forster's Terns, which were new for me. Interestingly, we also saw a noticeably larger tern a few minutes later, with a very red beak, and were able to identify it as a Caspian Tern. That wasn't new for me, but it was great to see it near the Forster's Terns to help solidify my understanding of the differences.

I spotted a small, grey/brown bird with a white front just along the very edge of where the water would be at higher tides, and its behavior was absolutely hilarious: it just kept bobbing its tail in an incredibly dorky way. A bit of research seemed to indicate that it was a Spotted Sandpiper. (@lies, please let me know if this description could apply to something else!)

We saw a large flock of birds in flight that were probably sanderlings, but I wasn't confident enough to report them on eBird. Later we also got an excellent view of a great blue heron. I always forget how colorful their plumage is. Such a dinosaur though... it was on the grass and seemed to be stalking the ground squirrels.

[travelnew]

20th Mumbai Bird Race 2024 (HSBC India BirdRaces)

Sunday Feb 18, 2024 from 7:38 am to 6 pm, traveling 13.87 km for 626 minutes. Places birdwatched at: Lokhandwala lake > Lokhandwala nalla > Malad InOrbit Creek Road > IIT Powai lake & campus. Morning was cool and then very hot. We retired home for lunch and then resumed again. Lunch break was from 12 o'clock noon to 3:30 pm.

Number of bird species seen/ heard: 56.

25 Lesser Whistling-Duck 1 Gadwall 50 Indian Spot-billed Duck 2 Green-winged Teal 10 Greater Flamingo 5 Lesser Flamingo 1 Little Grebe 1 Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 2 Greater Coucal 2 Asian Palm Swift 5 Eurasian Moorhen 5 Eurasian Coot 9 Gray-headed Swamphen 2 White-breasted Waterhen -- Seen 3 Black-winged Stilt 1 Red-wattled Lapwing 3 Bronze-winged Jacana 1 Black-tailed Godwit 1 Common Sandpiper 4 Wood Sandpiper 1 Common Redshank 1 Black-headed Gull 1 Brown-headed Gull 1 Common Tern 1 Little Cormorant 1 Little Egret 1 Indian Pond-Heron 1 Great Egret 1 Medium Egret 1 Purple Heron 1 Glossy Ibis 1 Black-headed Ibis 1 Western Marsh Harrier 5 Black Kite 1 White-throated Kingfisher 5 Asian Green Bee-eater 1 Coppersmith Barbet -- Heard 2 Brown-headed Barbet 2 Rose-ringed Parakeet 1 Spot-breasted Fantail 1 Black Drongo 1 Ashy Drongo 1 Long-tailed Shrike 100 House Crow 2 Large-billed Crow 1 Common Tailorbird -- Heard 2 Ashy Prinia 1 Booted Warbler -- Heard 1 Blyth's Reed Warbler 2 Red-vented Bulbul 2 Jungle Babbler 5 Rosy Starling 5 Common Myna 1 Oriental Magpie-Robin 1 Purple-rumped Sunbird 25 House Sparrow

Sunrise.

Lokhandwala lake

IIT Powai Campus

Here are few photos from the bird race clicked by my good friend, JN.

How did I capture a TIME LAPSE of the Sunset at Powai Lake?

There was a small mound of mud over which a branch of tree had fallen. I balanced my mobile properly for the entire duration of the setting sequence. My friend's son, SSN and other people walking in front of the mobile were politely asked to walk carefully from behind the mobile and over the branch. They complied and even thanked me for offering them the unnecessary hand over the small branch, on which I had balanced my mobile really well. All went well and then when I went to show my group, the result of my endevour, I realised I had not pressed the start button to click the mobile camera. Our hosts, the organizers of the India Bird Races, Mr. Ravi & Mr. Sunjoy as usual were gracious and kind and conducted bird quizzes with panache, that kept everyone on the edge to win prizes and gain knowledge.

You can check the earlier editions of the India Bird Races below:

2023 Mumbai Bird Race - 53 species seen.

2022 Mumbai Bird Race - 50 species seen.

2019 Mumbai Bird Race - 63 species seen.

2015 Mumbai Bird Race - 90 species seen.

The pan flavoured chocolate in this gift box was something new. I look forward to many more bird races and abundance of birds in and around Mumbai.

[nebulations]

[ID copied from alt: An excerpt from the book Nona the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir, digitally illustrated as a series of comic pages. In this page, Camilla Hect and Palamedes Sextus stand back to back, holding hands. They each have a watch on their wrist. The background is a gradient from black to midnight blue. A speech bubble, above them, reads "I've loved you two." Five speech bubbles on either side of them say "Not well. Not even wholesomely. But I've loved you. You've been my agents...stand-ins for something I haven't had for longer than either of you can understand. Which is why I'm saying - don't do this. Please, don't do this."

The background is a gradient from midnight blue to black. At the top of the page, two speech bubbles read "Understand that once you do this, you can't take it back. It's not love, what you're about to do. It's not beautiful and it's not powerful. It's a mistake." Underneath the speech bubbles, a puddle of water expands to the bottom of the page. Pre-lyctoral Pyrrha Dve and Gideon the First are reflected in the puddle, upside down, from their shoulders up. Behind them, also reflected in the puddle, is a starry sky. Over the top of the puddle, below the reflection of the characters, white text reads "we didn't even do it right...we were children - playing with the reflections of stars in a pool of water...". At the very bottom of the page, white text reads "...thinking it was space".

Four panels: The background of the panels are a medium purple color. In the first, cropped to only show their hands, Palamedes (in the body of Naberius Tern), holds Pyrrha's wrist. Palamedes says "Whatever you think we're doing, we're not." The second panel is a shot of Pyrrha from the chest up. She looks tired and has subtle stubble on her chin and grazes up her arms, neck, and jaw. She says, "Whatever you think you're doing, you shouldn't". The third panel is a shot from above. On the left, Palamedes stands, wearing a white jacket with gold trim and and white pants. Pyrrha stands in the middle, wearing a white shirt and khaki cargo pants. On the right, Camilla is sitting in a wheelchair wearing grey pants and a grey jacket. She has a bandage around her midsection. They are lit from behind by a spotlight on the ground. Camilla says "Just watch us". The fourth panel is the same view as the first panel, except Pyrrha pulls her wrist out of Palamedes's grasp.

Seven panels: The backgrounds of the panels vary from medium purple to dark, desaturated purple. The first panel is a view from the side, from the shoulders up, of Pyrrha and Camilla. Camilla is sitting in the wheelchair and Pyrrha is crouched to her level. They look at each other, and Pyrrha has her hand gently under Camilla's chin. The second panel is cropped to show only their eyes. Pyrrha and Camilla look at each other intently. They have bright highlights in their eyes. The third panel is the same view as panel one, and Pyrrha kisses Camilla's forehead. The fourth panel is slightly zoomed in, and Pyrrha kisses Camilla's mouth. In the fifth panel, Pyrrha and Palamedes are both standing in front of Camilla. It is cropped to be Cam's eye level, so you only see their waists. Camilla smiles subtly and says, "Could you try not to be such a chicken hawk, Pyrrha?". The sixth panel is of Pyrrha and Palamedes from the waist up. Pyrrha ruffles Pal's hair and he leans slighty forward, looking at Pyrrha to the side of him. The both have small, bittersweet smiles. In the seventh panel, Pyrrha turns to kiss Palamedes on the side of his mouth. Palamedes has his eyes closed and is smiling. He says, "You are an appalling old roué, Dve."

Two panels: the first is in the top left, over the top of the second panel, which fills the entire page. The first panel is a close view of Pyrrha's face. She says "Call me if you need me". She looks sadly to the side, with her hand on her neck. The background of this panel is a saturated purple. The second panel is drawn as if you were looking out of the back of a truck. On the left of the page, in the background of the drawing, Palamedes stands next to Camilla, resting his hand on her shoulder. They are watching Pyrrha walk away. In the middle of the page, Pyrrha walks towards the truck, facing the viewer, but turning her head to look over her shoulder. She is in shadow and has a sorrowful facial expression. She says "Otherwise, see you around." On the right of the page, in the foreground of the drawing, Nona is sitting in the truck with her back to the viewer, leaning against the side of the truck. A few obscure, undetailed figures stand on either side of the main characters, not paying attention to them. All the characters are lit from behind by a spotlight on the ground. End ID]

"Pyrrha crossed over to the truck, to Nona, and leant heavily into the interior; Nona could see that she was sweating, in exactly the same way she had sweated after the bottle of bleach. She mumbled 'You knew this was happening. You knew this was happening months ago,' and when Nona put her hand on Pyrrha's, it was like Pyrrha hadn't even noticed her."

[dansnaturepictures]

31st July 2023: Lakeside and home

Photos taken in this set: 1. A stunning Jersey Tiger moth I was amazed to see on a leaf just before going into Lakeside at lunch time. An exquisite day flying moth to be fixated on, a thrilling moment. This is only the second I've ever seen and first on patch, and it's one of the Big Butterfly Count species so seeing it means I've seen every species in the count at some point in the three weeks which I've very happy with it feels rewarding. 2. Dandelion on the green out the front at lunch time, good to see them springing up again. 3. One of a few mushrooms that have sprung up on the green out the front too this one with leaves on nicely. 4. Some of my first chicory flowers of the year at Lakeside, one I had been looking for in a particular area so this was nice. 5. One of two Common Terns I was surprised and elated to see at Lakeside, first seeing them on the platforms of beach lake then flying. Then these black capped wonders flew over to Concorde lake, where I enjoyed these sea swallows skillfully wheeling through the air and heard them too as they fished. I've only seen these at Lakeside a handful of times and not since 2020 so I was over the moon to see them something else I had kept an eye for since the spring. Captivating lunch time moments. 6. Greylag Goose entertainingly on a picnic bench. 7 and 10. Views at Lakeside. 8 and 9. Close views of the cattle at Lakeside on an evening walk.

A swashbuckling lunch time walk for seeing different things was finished off nicely seeing another target, my first Migrant Hawker of the year seen briefly flying over the southern fenced off area, one I love seeing taking my year list to 20 making it my joint highest ever dragonfly and damselfly year list alongside 2019. This felt so good to see, and this evening Green-veined White, Small White and Speckled Wood and on both walks Meadow Brown and Gatekeeper were other Big Butterfly Count highlights today. Chiffchaff, House Martin, elegant Swift, Moorhen, intimate views of a Great Crested Grebe chick and the whole families enjoyed from a distance this evening and thrilling views of a Lesser Black-backed Gull in flight this evening were other Lakeside bird highlights with Magpie, Jackdaw, Goldfinch including young, Starling and House Sparrow good to see at home. Pineappleweed, hemp agrimony, purple loosestrife, great willowherb, water mint, spear thistle and bird vetch were other floral highlights.

[deepuknownyouth]

Idea generation #1

This is my Spider Diagram and this shows one of my four main ideas for my game. This one is Pirates so I came up with lots of different things that link to pirates in different ways such as talking about tools they use and things they do and also keeping in mind what could make a fun gameplay mechanic for a game such as maybe something like a Flint lock gun or a hook or even being able to sale your very own ship.

Pirates Mood Board

This is my Pirate mood board in this mode board you will find things that could be weapons, vehicles or even customisation aspects of my next game. I love Pirates and when ever a peace of Media is made about pirates its normal always great. That's why in this mood board I have Captain Jack Sparrow from the beloved Pirates Of The Cambion moves as theses films are some of the best films ever made and really are the things that made Pirates cool in the first place. I have other great bit of Pirate media as well such as Vass from Far Cry 3, One of the most loved Far cry villains of all time. I also have A picture of one of the most loved Assassins Creed games of all time "Black Flag" I have other things such as the much loved Pitter Pan films and the newest bit of pirate interment coming out fully in just a few days Skull and Bones and pirate game.

I then also thought of other thing that just over all are to do with Pirates or relate to them in some way. Such as of course the Pirate ship the black eye patch the skull and bones and some other things that pirates might wont or look out for such as Bearded Treasure. I also made sure to pot some things into this Mood board that could be trend into gameplay mechanics such as the cannons the swords and other great things to such as even just a ship in general.

Story And Game Play

The Story

I have two ideas for my game in terms of story and gameplay my first idea is the one on top and second one is on the bottom the first one is about a Pirate called Captain Black Eye. You have just been to an island and fought off an enemy pirate group to steel Treasure from an island. The thing is they also wanted that Treasure so you now have to fight them off from your ship. There crew is non as the Red Devils.

Gameplay

The gameplay would consisted of a third person camorra on top a ship that you control. my idea anyway is to lock the player in a large box filled with water and you have to face off against 3 waves of enemy's in ships the first one is just one ship the second one is 2 and then the third one is three with one stronger ship witch is the head ship of there crew.

The things you would have to do is maintain your ships health and condition. What I mean by this is you would have to firer your ships cannons which would be on a timer to fire. You would have to maintain your ships sails so that you could tern into and ageist the wind. If you get hit to much you will need to repair the ship so you don't sink.

The trick is that the enemy's would have to maintain the same thing only different thing is that the last enemy would have extra health and do more damaged.

The Story (Second Version)

The second story you still play as Captain black Eye but this would be set before the battle with the Red devils crew ship to ship instead you would be battling them head to head on the ground to find the Treasure.

Gameplay

Now this game would be a very different version to the other game that I have just spoke about this one would be a first person action game where you would take to the front lines with your fellow crew mates and fight.

You could use your flintlock as a one use one shot gun where it has about a 30 to 1 minute cool down the other weapon you could use is your sword/knife. You could use your parrot for a special move as well even though I'm not quit sure what this would involve yet. You would be able to block attacks and fight with your pirate mates. You would have to fight against other pirates in which you will have to take them down.

You will also have to do some Park core and maybe even a puzzle in the game. By the end of the game you will have to run off the inland really quick to escape. Because the Treasure is had a booby trap where a Volcano will blow up if you don't make it off the island you will die. In terms of keeping a Peggy rating there would be no blood and I would make the combat funny so that it would fit into a Peggy 12 ratting and people would have butterfly's above there heads when they "get Knocked out"

[morelka]

YAY IM SO GLAD YOU LIKED THE BIRD FACTS also today i literally saw a kereru And a harrier hawk lmao what a good time for bird facts!! good time to mention you’re more likely to see some specific birds in different regions depending on where your staying but i guess you’d be travelling during an exchange right?

anyways, penguins!! there’s more penguins than this but off the top of my head: hoiho/yellow eyed penguin which are funky little creatures that somehow look mad at you but that’s part of what makes them so endearing to me they’re so silly haha. idk if it’s the hoiho specifically but sometimes there will be colonies of penguins on some beach that’ll come out at night if you’re lucky :)

WHIO how did i literally not mention whio yet. also called a blue duck i think doc (department of conservation) used to have a video game where you could play as a whio i don’t remember i was a kid but it was very cool. i’m gonna try find it after this list

harrier hawk since i saw one today, flies with wings in like a v shape, very quiet usually and looks very cool. you can also see them on the sides of the road eating roadkill. this can make driving difficult cause sometimes they’ll fly out in front of you and you can try to swerve which could be dangerous or hit it :(

ruru/morepork, our only owl!!! they look very funny but i love them, you can sometimes hear them when ur camping. big yellow eyes very silly goofy bird

possums! also not a bird but you will probably see one of these. they are Very Bad for our ecosystem (same goes with dogs and cats that are allowed to roam the bush, ferrets, stoats, rats and most land mammals tbh, since most of our birds aren’t adapted to deal with these.) australia likes their possums but we don’t. their fur can be brown or grey, the babies are kinda cute but the adults scare me a little haha. if you’re camping and you shine a torch into the trees sometimes you’ll see eyes shining back at you, that’s possums! not to be confused with american possums which are white and i think are kinda cute also

fairy terns, also called tara-iti, i did a school report on them in year 9. found in coastal areas, looks kinda like a mini seagull. possibly our most endangered indigenous breeding bird since they nest on the sand they’re vulnerable to a lot of stuff. i love them

huia, extinct. they looked very cool, had long curved beaks, black with orange cheeks. their feathers were a symbol of leadership. love them

moa, also extinct. BIG birds. i mean giant. i love them so so much i want to bring them back jurassic park style. wanna bring back the huia as well but MOAS. you can probably see a skeleton of one if you go to a museum. go and marvel at the magnificent-ness of the moa

seagulls, since you mentioned them. our seagulls are BASTARDS !!!! you’ll be on the beach eating fish n chips and oh look a seagull. oh look haha five seagulls. oh haha look twelve seagul- my cHIPS

love seagulls

weta - again not a bird but your probably gonna get freaked out by one if you don’t know what they are. basically they’re giant flightless crickets. big antenna, they look scary but they’re mostly harmless (just googled it apparently they bite? oops. never been bit though) if u leave them alone they will leave you alone

that is all the birds (and non birds) i can think of for now. it’s funny the thing you said about not having albatrosses since i’ve always been jealous of europe since you guys have a bunch of cool corvids like crows and ravens whereas i think our only corvid is magpies? and you have squirrels :( but i guess i never though of it from the other side lol

let me know if you have any questions also btw!! there are more birds than this so i may return again with more and perhaps non birds like the tuatara since those are pretty cool

omg omg omg thank you so much! so sorry for my late reply life has been messy messy

i can’t believe im receiving such an amazing list of animals to look out for!!

also i checked out the game it’s so cute omg i love it

wow i didn’t even think of the fact that you don’t have crows! they’re such a stable here i feel like something would be missing without them haha (also yeah love watching squirrels climb they’re super cute)

also thanks for the warning of the crickets haha i love insects but i’m used to very small ones :)

also also thank you sm for the tip with the penguins <3

i’m also very excited that i might maybe see some seals/sea lions since i’ve also never encountered them.

omg i also read that apparently snakes are banned in nz?? that’s crazy to me (i have seen one (1) snake in my life so who am i to talk) - wait do you guys even have any reptiles? and what’s the amphibian situation?

I hope you’ve had a good start into the new year!! So jealous of the summer haha i’m gonna have three autumns consecutively

[fr0ggs]

[image id 1: a tweet by @Rrrrnessa responding to a tweet by @HolocaustMuseum, the reply made on February 19th, 2024. the tweet by @HolocaustMuseum reads "Weaponizing the Holocaust is always wrong and especially when it comes from a head of state. That Brazilian President Lula did so to promote a false, antisemitic claim is outrageous and should be condemned." the reply by @Rrrrnessa reads "There is an entire field of scholarship dedicated to drawing comparisons between genocides. The entire point of genocide education is to draw parallels between genocides so that we do not repeat the mistakes of the past. Utterly absurd to pretend that is antisemitic."]

[image id 2: a screenshot of the USHMM website. at the top f the website there is a black bar with an orange search button on the right and menu button on the left, the words "UNITED STATES HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL MUSEUM" written in white in the middle.

below this bar, there is gray text on a light grey (nearly white) background reading "In addition to genocide, there are a number of other large-scale, systematic crimes committed against civilian populations that fall under the category of 'mass atrocities.' These crimes include crimes against humanity, war crimes, ethnic cleansing, and mass killing."

below this there are 3 boxes placed next to each other.

the first box has a black and white photo of Raphael Lemkin, sitting down and looking downwards to the left, seemingly writing something off screen. below this, on a white background, there is black text reading "(large text) What Is Genocide? (next line, small text) Genocide as a tern dud bit exist before 1944. Learn about its origins and legal definitions."

the second box shows an image of the corner of a dark room, lit with only the light shining through a window, seen on one of the walls. there is something sticking upwards in front of where the light is shown on the wall, but it is too dark to tell what it is. below this, on a white background, there is black text reading "(large text) Definitions: Types of Mass Atrocities (next line, small text) Learn more about the serious, violent crimes that do not fall under the specific definition of genocide."

the third box shows an image of two black people with short hair in a canoe-like boat, the view from the back of the second person who is sitting down, while the first person rows the boat, standing in front of them. you can see trees and grass on the edge of the river. below this, on a white background, there is black text reading "(large text) Country Case Studies (next line, small text) Explore countries that are currently or have been areas of focus for the Simon-Skjodt Center."

below this, there is a section of text with an image to the left of it. the image shows an aerial view of a group of square walled bits of land on sand, with 1 or 2, small, hut like buildings on each, with trees dotted around the image. in the middle, there is one completely engulfed in flames, dark smoke rising from it as it burns. the text to the right of it reads "(large text) WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED ABOUT THE RISK FACTORS AND WARNING SIGNS OF GENOCIDE? (next line, small text) The study of the Holocaust raises questions about how the world can recognize and respond to indications that a country is at risk for genocide or mass atrocity. While each genocide is unique, in most places where genocide occurs, there are common risk factors and warning signs."

below this there is blue button with white text reading "EXPLORE THIS QUESTION". /end id.]

[image ids 3-8: a thread continued from the tweet in image 1, by @Rrrrnessa on February 19th, 2024. it goes as such:

"I have worked with the US Holocaust Museum in the past as well as with countless other organisations focused on the Holocaust and Genocide remembrance and education. It has been nothing but heartbreaking to watch as they weaponise genocide to shield Israel from any criticism.

Before you get on your high horse, I am a descendant of Holocaust survivors and victims. Both of my great-grandfathers, my great-grandmother, aunts and uncles were killed in the Holocaust. My grandmother survived the Holocaust as a Muslim Roma.

All of these organisations did not have any problems with bringing me out to speak to their audiences, with using my story and my trauma of surviving the Bosnian Genocide for their own gains. All the in the name of 'learning from our past' and yet here we are. They stay silent.

Nothing has disappointed me as much as Holocaust and Genocide remembrance and 'educational' organisations have throughout these past 4 months. While actual survivors of genocides & actual genocide scholars speak out, they chose to remain silent.

Also important to remember that many of these organisations, in fact the vast majority of these organisations, are neither led by survivors or their descendants nor are they led by genocide scholars and researchers.

Important to also remember that countless Holocaust survivors and their descendants have spoken out about the genocide in Palestine as have Bosnian, Tutsi, Sudanese, Indigenous communities from the USA, Australia & Canada, Rohingya, Armenian, and many other survivors." /end id.]

[skermit]

INKTOBIRDSNZ DAY 21-24

Day 21: Koekoeā/Long-Tailed Cuckoo

Day 22: Kāhu/Australasian Harrier

Day 23: Pāteke/Brown Teal

Day 24: Tarapirohe/Black-Fronted Tern

[day-poems]

6/7

My friend Stef came over

from Concord yesterday,

and we went looking for

Bobolinks down along

the access road for Parson’s

Beach…and, though I did

not know if they would be

after days of rain, they,

or the males at least, were

up and singing as they do,

from high perches overlooking

the hay field were they

are nesting. At least 3 males,

maybe more, it is hard

to tell with Bobolinks…

they all look just alike.

One stayed put while we

walked around his tree

(those 12 foot high saplings

they put in when they

pulled out the mature and

diseased maples that

lined the road for a hundred

years) so we could get

a view of both his black

front and his intricately

patterned black and white

back, and that dirty yellow,

fur-like, half cap on the back

of his head. There were

Song Sparrows further

along, and Willets in the

marsh, and the treat of Least

Terns hunting over the

mouth of the Mousam.

So not a bad stop, really,

and all Stef had wanted

was the Bobolinks!