#the other one is rufous

[roach-works]

IT'S TIME TO APPRECIATE THE BLACK AND RUFOUS ELEPHANT SHREW

ON THIS WEBSITE WE LOVE WEIRD ANIMALS AND THIS LITTLE BEAUTY IS CERTAINLY ONE OF THEM. APPRECIATE THE BLACK AND RUFOUS ELEPHANT SHREW TODAY.

NATIVE TO DENSE MONTANE FORESTS OF KENYA AND TASMANIA, THEY BOUNCED BACK FROM 'THREATENED STATUS' BUT STILL FACE HABITAT LOSS DUE TO FOREST FRAGMENTATION.

THESE BEAUTIFUL VACUUM CLEANERS EAT BUGS OUT OF THE LEAF LITTER WITH THEIR NOODLY SNOOT, CAPABLY UNCOVERING BEETLES, CENTIPEDES, AND TERMITES.

MALES ATTRACT AND DEFEND A SINGLE MATE AND CONTROL UP TO A HECTARE OF TERRITORY, WHICH IS A LOT FOR A LITTLE SCOOP OF SPITE AND SNOOTING.

THESE EFFICIENT LITTLE BUSYBODIES BUILD MANY NESTS OUT OF DRY LEAVES TO SLEEP IN ALL ACROSS THE AREA, AS MANY AS A DOZEN, AND USE THEM EACH IN TURN.

DESPITE THEIR COMMITTED MONOGAMY THE BLACK AND RUFOUS ELEPHANT SHREWS DO NOT ACTUALLY LIKE EACH OTHER, MUCH LIKE TIRED BOOMER COMEDIANS: MATED PAIRS SPEND NO TIME TOGETHER OUTSIDE OF MATING.

MOTHERS DON'T EVEN LIKE THEIR KIDS. THEY VISIT THEIR YOUNG AS INFREQUENTLY AS ONCE A DAY TO NURSE. THEY GOT OTHER SHIT TO DO, APPARENTLY.

THE YOUNG ARE LESS PRECOCIAL THAN MOST ELEPHANT SHREWS, SPENDING SEVERAL WEEKS IN THEIR NESTS BEFORE GAINING INDEPENDENCE IN ONLY ANOTHER FEW WEEKS AND NEVER WRITING HOME AGAIN, NOT THAT THEIR PARENTS CARE.

THIS HEFTY AND BEAUTIFUL DEDICATED INTROVERT AVERAGES ABOUT 28 CM / 11 IN IN LENGTH AND 450-700 G / 16-25 OZ IN WEIGHT, IMPRESSIVELY LARGE EVEN FOR AN ELEPHANT SHREW.

YOU HAVE NOW APPRECIATED: THE BLACK AND RUFOUS ELEPHANT SHREW. INSECTIVORE. INTROVERT. ABSENT PARENT. SNAPPY DRESSER. THIS PRINCELY POTATO HAS IT ALL, AND A DOZEN VACATION HOMES. TELL YOUR FRIENDS, UNLESS YOU TOO ARE A BLACK AND RUFOUS ELEPHANT SHREW AND DON'T HAVE ANY.

[birdstudies]

September 10, 2024 - Rufous-chested Flycatcher (Ficedula dumetoria) Found in parts of Thailand, Malaysia, Brunei, and Indonesia, these flycatchers live in lowland and mountain forests. Foraging alone or in pairs in dense vegetation, often around streams, they eat small invertebrates, though the details of their diet are not known. One of their nests was described as an elongated sphere with an entrance on the side, built from dry leaves, mosses, and palm and other plant fibers. Both parents probably care for the chicks.

[na-bird-of-the-day]

BOTD: Allen's Hummingbird

Photo: Becky Matsubara

"A close relative of the Rufous Hummingbird, Allen's has a more limited range, nesting mostly in California. This is one of the two common nesting hummingbirds in northern California gardens (Anna's is the other). Females and immatures of Allen's Hummingbird are almost impossible to separate from Rufous females without close examination, so the status of the species in migration is still being worked out by dedicated hummingbird banders."

- Audubon Field Guide

[justlikebart-allen]

I am procrastinating very hard and had a very stupid idea that I must share with you right now immediately

The Robins as Robins

brought to you by me, a certified* bird nerd

*two time world series of birding silver medalist

Dick- European Robin

The archetypical robin redbreast, first bird to be called robin. Smaller than American robins but generally unafraid of larger animals, especially humans.

Jason- American Robin

Named after the European Robin despite being a completely different kind of bird. Known rejecter of brood parasites (other birds that lay eggs in its nest). Most likely to yell at me while I'm in my own backyard.

Tim- Norfolk Robin

Type species of the Petroica genus, which are colloquially known as red robins in Australia (to distinguish from the Eopsaltria yellow robins).

Steph- Nilgiri Blue Robin

One of the few robin species that isn't sexually dimorphic, so the females have the same blue-purple coloration as the males. Also these guys have a bunch of different common names, much like Steph has had a bunch of different vigilante identities.

Damian-Rufous-Backed Robin

There's a subspecies called Grayson's robin that's got minimal red coloring :^)

bonus:

Jarro- Prionotinae

it's a family of fish called the sea-robin

[skyward-floored]

I have a request, IAU Four being a mentor to Sun and Sky’s triplets in the future since well, I think the triplets refer to to triforce heroes Links, right? I say this cause well, why not? And I think it’ll be really cool so uhhh I hope you do not mind :D

Yep, the triplets are the tri force heroes Links :) I had to slip them in somehow, I’m too attached to them lol.

Another fic where Four is a little older, probably similar in time to that one with him and Wind I wrote the other week. Early teens. Ish.

(requests are closed)

————————————————————

Wild’s motorcycle pulled to a stop on the edge of the street, Four removing his arms from around his older brother as he turned off the bike.

“Alright Smithy, don’t take too long, I’ve got to go in like fifteen minutes,” Wild said, and Four nodded, taking his helmet off and handing it to Wild.

“No problem, I’ll be quick. Though if you want to make sure I don’t take too long, you could just come in with me,” Four said as he hopped off his brother’s motorcycle. “I bet Sky is home, and the triplets haven’t seen you in weeks.”

Wild’s face scrunched. “I’d love to, but you know Azy would just foretell my doom or whatever.”

Four snorted. “He only did that once.”

“Yeah, and he was right!”

“You fell down the stairs, Wild. You literally do that all the time.”

Wild rolled his eyes as Four smirked, and waved him in. “Yeah yeah whatever, go on. I don’t have all day, hop to it.”

Four let out a laugh, and walked up the sidewalk to Sky and Sun’s house, listening to the wind chimes on their front porch, and wondering idly if Aryll had talked to any rare birds lately. He paused to look at some chalk drawings of birds and oddly-shaped people on the path, and in doing so, didn’t notice a blond head pop up from behind a bush, or the excited gasp ring through the yard.

“Four! Four!” a voice squealed, and Four turned around just in time to see one of his cousins launch himself at his arms.

Four yelped and dropped the bag he’d been holding, catching Crimson just in time. The boy giggled wildly as he hugged him, rufous eyes sparkling, and Four sighed and ruffled his hair, glad he’d been able to drop the bag in the soft grass.

“Hi Crim, happy to see you too. Where’re your brothers?” Four asked as he looked around, and Crimson bounced back out of his arms, and began tugging him forward.

“Backyard! Sage zapped Aryll so Mommy kicked him outside, and Azy was keeping him company,” he reported as he dragged Four forward, Four just barely grabbing his bag. “Come on come on!”

“Just a second, I’ve got to return something first,” Four said as he was dragged inside. “Aryll?”

A blonde head peered around the corner, and Aryll smiled at the sight of him.

“Oh, hi Four,” his other cousin said, nursing a hand close to her chest as she walked into the room. “What’s up?”

Four saw some reddish marks on her skin as she turned her hand, and he winced. If the bandages were anything to go by, it looked like Sage had gotten her pretty good.

Little kids with powers were always something of a hazard.

Aryll was looking at him expectantly, and Four shook himself, reaching into the bag he’d brought and pulling out the box that was inside.

“I fixed your telescope,” he grinned, and carefully unwrapped and it handed it to her. Aryll’s face lit up and she squealed, running over and taking it gently from his grasp.

“Oh it’s perfect! You totally fixed it!” she said, looking through the glass. “Thank you so much Four!”

“No problem, glad I could help,” Four grinned, and then got tugged away again by Crimson.

“Come onnnnn,” Crimson groaned, and Four gave in and let him pull him outside with one last wave at Aryll.

They went out the back door and saw Sage at the swing set, flopped on a swing on his stomach, expression glum. Azure was happily swinging in the swing next to him, and he waved as Four came out, pumping his legs so he’d go higher.

“Look Four! I’m taller than you!” he called as he swung up into the air, and Four smiled.

“Wow, looks like it. Hi Azure. And hi Sage,” he greeted next, and Sage mumbled a hi in return, poking at the dirt.

Four hummed at the lackluster response, and sat down next to him as Crimson got on another swing, looking at his little cousin. Sage kept poking at the dirt, and Four gave him a poke in return, ignoring the light shock of static he got for his trouble.

“So, you shocked Aryll again, huh.”

“Not on purpose,” Sage mumbled, adding a head to his dirt stick-figure. “She’s just so bossy sometimes, and she wasn’t listening and then I got mad and I zapped her— by accident. Honest.”

“You need better control, kiddo,” Four said, and Sage growled, kicking at his picture to erase it.

“Everyone says that. Aryll says it, Mommy says it, Daddy—”

Sage went abruptly quiet, and Four raised an eyebrow as he went back to drawing in the dirt.

“...My powers are just trouble,” he finished quietly.

Four couldn’t help his chuckle, and he leaned back against a pole as Sage gave him a pouty look.

“Why are you laughing?!”

“I’m not laughing at you, calm down,” Four assured. “It’s just that I thought the same thing sooooo many times.”

Sage looked baffled. “You thought your powers were trouble?”

“What?” Azure gasped from his swing, and Crimson jumped off, landing next to Four and Sage.

“No way!” he added, and Four nodded.

“They were, trust me. It’s not easy controlling four separate things, not to mention splitting into four pieces of yourself. Sometimes I think I’d just go crazy.”

Crimson tilted his head. “Did you?”

Four gave him a look. “No. Well, not really, anyway. No more than what would’ve happened otherwise.”

Azure hopped off his swing too, and sat next to his brothers, giving Four a curious look. Sage still seemed grumpy though, and guilty as well, and Four sighed and patted his knee.

“You’ll get better Sage, don’t worry. You just need to practice some more. It takes time for powers to donwhat you want, trust me.”

“But what if they just get worse?” Sage asked, biting his lip. “What if I do something bad with them without trying? What if I give somebody marks like... Daddy has?”

His voice got quiet at the end, and Four took his hand and squeezed it.

“Sage, I know you’d never do something like that,” he assured. “Accidents happen, but they’re just... accidents. You don’t mean for them to happen. And I don’t think you would ever accidentally give somebody marks like what your Dad has.”

That’s not something you do by accident, he thought with a brief grimace.

Four shook his head. “You just need to work on them a bit, Sage. I know you’ll start getting your powers more under control,” he said encouragingly, and Sage sighed.

“If you’re sure,” he said quietly, and Four nodded.

“Totally sure. If I can get the hang of four different powers in four pieces of myself, I bet you can handle lightning just fine.”

He poked Sage’s nose, and Sage smiled, finally starting to look better.

“Four! Are you done yet? It’s time to go!” Wild’s voice shouted from the front yard, and Four hummed and stood up.

“Looks like I’ve got to get going,” he said, and the triplets all let out awws.

“You just got here!” Azure complained.

“Do you gotta?” Crimson whined, and Four nodded.

“Yep. You know how cranky Wild gets when he’s late for things. But before we go, maybe you should say hi to him,” Four mentioned with a grin, and Crimson and Azure jumped to their feet and ran around to the front yard.

Four heard a yelp a few moments later that signaled Wild getting jumped on by cousins, and he chuckled before looking back at Sage.

“Have you apologized to Aryll for zapping her yet?” he asked, and Sage shifted awkwardly.

“...No.”

“Well that sounds like a good place to start for now,” Four said kindly. “I’ll try and come over again soon. Maybe I can help you with practicing your powers.”

“Really?” Sage said, perking up. “Thanks Four!”

He jumped up and hugged him, and Four patted his head, wishing he could do more for his little cousin. Maybe he should at least talk to Sky about some things...

“Four!” Wild called again, and Four drew back and stood up.

“C’mon, let’s go see Wild,” he said with a smile.

Sage returned it and took his hand, and the two of them walked around to the front yard, watching as Crimson and Azure both managed to pull Wild to the ground, squealing with laughter.

[deathmoth-blog]

Indian paradise flycatcher

The Indian paradise flycatcher (Terpsiphone paradisi) is a medium-sized passerine bird native to Asia, where it is widely distributed. As the global population is considered stable, it has been listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List since 2004. It is native to the Indian subcontinent, Central Asia and Myanmar.

Males have elongated central tail feathers, and a black and rufous plumage in some populations, while others have white plumage. Females are short-tailed with rufous wings and a black head.[2] Indian paradise flycatchers feed on insects, which they capture in the air often below a densely canopied tree.

The Indian paradise flycatcher was formally described in 1758 by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae under the binomial name Corvus paradisi. The Indian paradise flycatcher is now one of 17 paradise flycatchers placed in the genus Terpsiphone that was introduced in 1827 by the German zoologist Constantin Gloger. Paradise-flycatchers were formerly classified with the Old World flycatcher in the family Muscicapidae, but are now placed in the family Monarchidae together with monarch flycatchers. Until 2015, the Indian paradise flycatcher, Blyth's paradise flycatcher, and the Amur paradise flycatcher were all considered conspecific, and together called Asian paradise flycatcher.

Adult Indian paradise flycatchers are 19–22 cm (7.5–8.7 in) long. Their heads are glossy black with a black crown and crest, their black bill round and sturdy, and their eyes black. Females are rufous on the back with a greyish throat and underparts. Their wings are 86–92 mm (3.4–3.6 in) long. Young males look very much like females but have a black throat and blue-ringed eyes. As adults, they develop up to 24 cm (9.4 in) long tail feathers with two central tail feathers growing up to 30 cm (12 in) long drooping streamers.

[irradiatedsnakes]

Hi! I really like your furry aus! They really inspired me to branch out species in my own. I was wondering how you chose such a wide array— I’ve noticed a bias towards mammals in my own, with birds following close behind. Do you have any tips on collecting species & looking for furry symbolism? Thank you!

HI HELLO so i typed out most of an answer to this like a month or two ago then it got deletd and this languished in my askbox since so let me try again and emphasize the stuff that i think is the most important when i'm making my furry aus

biological interest and diversity

i think the biggest thing that gets my goat when i look at other furry aus is the lack of animal diversity. and, i need to be clear here, this is ENTIRELY a personal gripe/preference- it just kind of annoys me when i see furry aus that are entirely familiar, domestic mammals, yknow? where at least half the characters are dogs and cats. like, no shade to people who do or like those, i cannot emphasize enough how this is a meaningless Me pet peeve, i just really really think furries in general should broaden their horizons and try out more out-there species. and i'm not perfect in this way either: there's an OBVIOUS bird bias in my choices, and a MASSIVE tetrapod bias: almost none of my furries are fish or inverts, despite fish species outnumbering tetrapod species, and invertebrate species outnumbering vertebrate species by massive orders of magnitude.

i think my point is: try getting more unconventional with it. i also really like including extinct species because that's just my jam. pterosaurs, man, consider them

i often will do wikipedia trawls for animals when choosing species for furry aus- i'll have a general idea of the animal i want (ie, horsefly, wallaby) and i'll get to peruse the various families/genera/species under those more general umbrellas til i find something that works either visually or symbolically better than the others.

i'll also say that there will often be a very obvious choice for characters- like, spider for annabelle cane, or something. i encourage, in cases like this, don't go with the obvious choice, see if you can find something more subtly meaningful and interesting. (see: a hummingbird for annabelle cane. they steal spiderwebs in order to weave their nests, but can become trapped in the webs instead and get eaten by the spider.) it can also help to actively try and choose animals- like inverts and fish- that don't usually immediately jump to mind for you.

i also highly recommend getting Specific with it. always do your best to choose a Species of animal, rather than a genus, family, or more general group. it's always more interesting.

2. The Process

so very first thing when i'm choosing a species for a characetr is ENTIRELY vibes-based. like what does this character Feel like. sometimes this step is skipped, if there's like, an obvious symbolic or mentioned-in-canon choice that would make more sense (see: condor callum crown). but most of the time for me: Vibes. i'm just gonna list a few of my dialtown furries and my thought process (as i remember it, may be inaccurate) for how i chose them? hopefully that helps a bit.

oliver, to me, feels like a soft and fluffy mammal. he's outgoing, friendly, kind of an in-your-face personality. just feels like a mammal to me! but he's also a complete freak, so i was like, oh, he has to be a marsupial or a monotreme. the Strange mammals! i decided that, from there, he feels most like one of the megapodes (kangaroos, wallabys, those sorts) to me. kangaroos look too scary and imposing, with a frightening Buff Man kind of vibe, so those were out. went to wallabies, because they get that cute fluffy mammal vibe that i wanted for him. i eventually settled on the yellow-footed rock wallaby: they have bold, stripey patterning that i think fits his vibe, and rufous coloration on their limbs that meshes well with his red color palette.

or let's take randy. vibes here were some sort of Trash Animal, those sorts like pigeons and raccoons that adapt well to living in human garbage and most people regard as a nuisance. randy also feels very Birdy to me. from there, i think it was fig who suggested an animal that preys upon swans, and that's really funny. i eventually landed on gulls: some larger gulls will hunt swan chicks, and gulls are a perfect epitome of Trash Animal. i went with the great black-backed gull in particular- randy jade being the biggest, most imposing, apex-predator ass gull is really funny to me. also: i like great black-backed gulls.

karen! she was pretty straightforward for me: karen very much felt like a bug. some sort of insect or arachnid was my starting point: i felt that the Bug Vibes fit her well and that the segmented leg look would work well for her visually. flies are a group i like a lot and felt fit well here- overlooked, often seen as generic or boring (but are actually really cool), and also i like them. and, like, i couldn't resist the pull of Oh She Should Be A Horsefly. She Needs To Be A Horsefly. much like for oliver, the species was chosen for visual reasons: needed to be brown or tan to complement her color scheme, and i didn't want it to be one of the like, larger/scarier horseflies. band-eyed brown horseflies fit her color scheme and are pretty to look at.

3. uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

that's most of what i've got, i think. sorry for the lateness, hope this can provide some direction.

[thatliminal-wanderer]

Moth ID pack

Requested by 🫀🪽 Anon

Names

Aetheria, Angle, Antler, Apple, Arches, Argent, Ashworth, Astralyn, Barberry, Bee, Belle, Blair, Bright, Brighton, Canary, Cherry, Cinnabar, Cistus, Clancy, Clifden, Cloud, Clover, Crimson, December, Dewick, Dot, Dusk, Eclipse, Emerald, Ermine, Fisher, Forest, Fox, Foxglove, Galium, Ghost, Grey, Hawk, Haworth, Heath, Herald, Jersey, July, Kentish, Kit, Lace, Lackey, Langmaid, Light, Luna, Lunar, March, Mocha, November, Oak, Oleander, Peach, Pearl, Pine, Pinion, Plume, Reed, Riband, Rose, Rosy, Ruby, Rufous, Sable, Scarlet, Scotch, Silver, Swift, Tiger, Weaver, Winter, Zephyra

Pronouns

antler/antlers, apple/apples, blood/bloods, carpet/carpets, chalk/chalks, cherry/cherries, cloud/clouds, dagger/daggers, dark/darks, dew/dews, dot/dots, eye/eyes, flame/flames, flap/flaps, flutter/flutters, forest/forests, goat/goats, gold/golds, hawk/hawks, heart/hearts, hook/hooks, lace/laces, leaf/leafs, light/lights, luna/lunas, maple/maples, mocha/mochas, moon/moons, moth/moths, night/nights,noct/nocturnal/nocturnals, oak/oaks, plume/plumes, reed/reeds, rose/roses, sallow/sallows, shark/sharks, snout/snouts, swift/swifts, wax/waxes, wing/wings, ☁️/☁️s, ⭐️/⭐️s, 🌕/🌕s, 💡/💡s, 🦋/🦋s, 🪻/🪻s

Titles

A Beautiful Nightly Bug, A Flap of Brown Fluff, The Midnight Beauty, The Moon-made Bug, The Moth, The Moth Under The Moon, The Moth of Night, The Nocturnal Butterfly, The Nocturnal Pollinator, The One Who Loves The Moon, The One Who’s Wings Flap At Night, [prn] Who Flutters at Night

Genders

Attlasas, Blackmothic, Cecropiamothaestic, Cinnabarmoth/Goldenemperormoth, Cozymoth, Cutemothic, Deaths-headhawkmoth, Dissocialunarocera, Emperormothbitch, Flannelmothgender, Gianleomoth, Hawkmothbitch, Lepidoeleribitch, Lepidoricibitch, Lepidospinnic, Lepidopteragender, Leucomagender, Lovecoremoth, Lucertineanic, Lunacutie, Lunamoth, Lunamothbitch, Lunamothgender, Lunarocera, Modrightic, Mothbitch, Mothbodiment, Mothboy/Mascptera/Mascrocera, Mothgirlthing, Mothypic, Mothlexic, Oleanderhawkmoth, Papiliogender, Polyphemothbitch, Poodlemothgender, Rosymaplemoth, Rosymaplemothsectic, Rosymaplic, Scarlettigermoth

Other mogai

Aldergardentigermothic, Aldermoth/Mothstelic/Mothvior/Mothvesi, Aldermothlike, Assigned Moth at Birth/AMoAB, Lunamothstelic/Lunamothdernic, Moth Omninoun, Multimothstelic, Nightskyhearthic

[littlehungrywarriorcats]

Hello,

I love your videos, especially your series on cat genetics. <3

So, here are some obligatory cat pics of my former cat (unfortunately, she passed last year). Is there something you could tell me about her?

I can't wait for your next video, have a lovely day <3

Aw I'm so sorry to hear that ;v; thank you very much

she's a GORGEOUS one. let's see.......

>Clear division of black/ginger base in patches (also her nose is brick, indicative of red cats)

>Black stripes tell us she's non-dilute, but her agouti is VERY gray. low rufousing? We'll get back to this

>Clear, defined separation of clean white tells us this is leucism/white spotting (we can see this on the face pic above too)

Back to the agouti hairs, but still on the topic of leucism, I notice areas of defined white (definite leucism), but also areas like this:

Where the "white" is clearly coming from agouti hairs. That would make her a silver tabby!

There's also some areas of uncertainty, where being a longhair makes it a little harder to tell where leucism ends and pigment begins... This looks like silvering to me, but I can't be sure:

UNTIL this photo cleared it up:

I can very clearly see which part of her back has white spotting here. This pic is very telling in general tbh, she's silvery in a way low rufousing doesn't get. It's hard to describe but basically even a VERY low-rufous brown tabby has rufousing in certain areas (at least more of it in compared to the rest of the body) such as muzzle/belly, and even pale areas have a gentle reddishness to them like a light, tinted off-white.

Compare the above pic to your cat's agouti areas. Your baby doesn't have ANY rufousing anywhere even in telling areas. (Muzzle may be mostly covered by white but look just above her nose, at her ears, and other shorter-haired areas like the cheeks + the overall "tint" of the markings.)

We can compare her to other silver torbie/tabico longhairs and see similar tells:

>black stripes fade into silver

>ginger clearly visible

>paler ginger than on a non-inhibitor cat

>black stripes fade into silver

>hard to tell where the piebald ends in some places due to long bands of nonpigment on agouti hairs

I think it's safe to say this lovely lady was a silver tabico <3

[battle-of-the-birds]

Remember to read about the contestants before voting!

Budgerigar

A very popular house pet, possibly the third most popular in the world, budgies are native to Australia. They are known for their nomadic life style, always on the move. They are known for their mimicry of human speech, which is part of what made them such a popular pet. They are known to make nests in holes in logs and hollow trees. There is also some evidence of same sex pairs in the wild. Learn More!

Screech Owl

The screech owl, despite its name, does not actually screech. They also have two different types of morphs, that are not considered two different species. There is the grey morph and the rufous morph. Some can be found more in specific areas but they are not considered two different species. They usually mate for life, although sometimes a male will mate with another female, who subsequently forced the first female to leave. However, she does tend to raise both her brood and the brood of the other female. Furthermore, screech owls are known to eat song birds such as starlings. Learn More!

(Budgerigar photo by J.J. Harrison) (Screech Owl photo by Isaac Polanski)

[birdstudies]

March 28, 2024 - Rufous-lored Kingfisher (Todiramphus winchelli) These kingfishers are found in lowland forests in the Philippines. They eat large insects and other invertebrates, usually foraging high in the canopy, but also capturing prey on the ground. Little is known about their breeding behavior, though one of their nests was observed in an arboreal termite nest. They are classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN because of rapid population declines due to deforestation in their range.

[na-bird-of-the-day]

BOTD: Cinnamon Woodpecker

Photo: Marcus C. England

"One of several species of mostly rufous woodpeckers with a crest. On Cinnamon, look for pale off-white belly with black scaling, and uniformly rufous head and back. Sexes mostly similar; male has red mustache stripe. Mainly a forest bird, found singly or in pairs, usually at middle levels or in the canopy. Listen for series of loud breathy whistles descending in pitch, similar to several other species in this genus."

- eBird

[amaiaqt]

ㅤㅤㅤㅤミㅤthe day my love was bornㅤ⋆ ｡˚ㅤ♡ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤyou know what day it is ? ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤcyno !

being the general mahamatra, time was scarce to cyno.

so scarce in fact, that he treasured every second he had in your presence. it was his birthday, and he was given the free leave for the day, and at the opportunity of rest and relaxation with you, even for just a day, well who was he to reject it ?

he treasures these simple, sweet moments. the sun has just risen, it's rays illuminating the homey bedroom in a warm, lucent light. the sheets are still warm, almost perfectly contrasting the cold breeze that blew through the slightly opened window by the bed. but what made it even more precious ? you in his arms, your face comfortably nuzzled against his chest, your soft breathes tickling his skin.

he treasured these moments the most, these moments with you. because his schedule wasn't generous, minutes with you were so fleeting that it frustrated him almost daily.

so if you were to ask him what he wanted to do to celebrate today, you shouldn't expect more than something along the lines of 'spend it with you.', to others it would've been corny, or just the general wanting a days rest and wording it romantically for you.

but to him, really, it was genuinely all he wanted. every hour, every minute, every second that he's out on patrols, dealing with eremites that acted out of line, clearing out enemy camps, fulfilling his duties as a publicly known menace of a general, he wishes he could just spend with you. all the time that he spends—no, wastes on his duties, he wishes he could've spent it with you.

because really, would he be greedy to ask ? would it be too much to ask ? to spend all day, even just today, with you. no matter how, really. constantly following behind you as you do your business around the house like you usually do, walking with you hand-in-hand while you go shopping, or even just having his pinky intertwined with yours while you finish paperwork as he sits beside you. please, any sort of time with you, he swears it's not too much to ask, right ?

that's all he'd ask for, that's all he'd wish for if you tell him to blow out the candle and make a wish. really, that's all he wants today.

your hand lazily reaching to cup his face cut his train of thought, and his rufous eyes met with yours. "what were you thinking about ?" you asked curiously, your thumb softly caressing his cheek. cyno smiled, his own hand cupping the one you had on his cheek, "today, i was thinking about today." he pressed a gentle kiss to your forehead, "do you know what today is ?" you hum, almost contemplating the question. "the day my love was born !" you chirped, but, cyno didn't exactly get what you meant, as evident when his eyebrows furrowed while he blinked slowly. you rolled your eyes, now cupping his face with both hands,

"you're my love silly !" and at that, it finally clicked to cyno. "ahh.." you laughed at him, gingerly peppering kisses to his face as you threw your arms around his neck, hugging him. "i get it." he chuckled, shifting to have you lay comfortably on top of him, "i was almost worried you wouldn't." you joked, melting into your boyfriend's touch as his hand massages circles into your back. "i almost didn't, you're so poetic, sometimes i can't keep up." "i mean, my words are what charmed you, weren't they ?" he hummed in response —

of course, he'd never forget. your peers would cover their ears at any given moment that you two had a conversation, because whenever he'd sneak in an obnoxious pun, you'd retort with an unconnected poetic one-liner. it was back and forth whenever you two would start, archons get a room or get out of the room, please.

"you seem lost in thought today," you pause, waiting for cyno's eyes to meet yours again before continuing, "is something on your mind ?" you asked, now drawing spirals on his chest with a finger. "i was just.." cyno looks at you, admiring you as you looked up at him through your lashes, but he blinks a couple of times to urge himself to finish. "i was reminiscing, nothing important, promise." he smiles at you, now wrapping both arms around your waist as you stayed on top of him.

having you close like this, your warmth, your scent, your presence, if eternity were to grant him one wish, he'd describe this very moment detail by detail.

he closed his eyes longingly at the thought, opening them to admire you once again. he slowly sat up, shifting so you were comfortable in his lap. "love, can i make a request ?" you perk up, "it's your birthday, so, of course ! anything you want for today will be all yours." you reassure, waiting patiently for him to speak.

"then, can we just, spend the day together ? every second, together." he hides his face in the crook of your neck as his arms wrapped around you tighter. "i mean, that's all you want ? really ?" you questioned, but you weren't exactly complaining about his request. "yes, really. that's all i wish for today." he even nodded, looking up at you with those pleading eyes that only you can ever see on the face of the mighty general mahamatra.

"of course, of course, i'd love to make your wish come true."

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ© amaiaqt, 2023 ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤdo not plagiarize !

[globalworship]

The Parable of the Mustard Seed (icon)

“Jesus put before them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; it is the smallest of seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and rest in its branches." -Matthew 13:31-32

Recent icon of this passage by Kelly Latimore:

+++

Commenary by Kelly Latimore:

Jesus' parables are one of the ways Jesus trains his disciples. The parables, like the sermon on the mount, have always been crucial for the church to imagine the kind of community it is called to be. We discover again and again that Jesus' parables significance points to everyday life. The parables are meant to be lived.

The original audience may have been perplexed by this story. They would have known that no-one would intentionally plant a mustard shrub. In fact, the Jewish Mishnah forbade the growing of mustard seeds in the garden because they were 'useless annoying weeds'. In the Hebrew Scriptures the "birds of the air" can be a reference to Gentiles/Non-Jews, the foreigner.

This parable suggests that the kingdom of heaven is available to everyone. Even those who may be considered outsiders or not "Worthy". Jesus is calling us to see the significance in the insignificant. The parables of the kingdom of heaven make clear that the kingdom of heaven is not "up there". Through the parables Jesus is teaching us to "be for the world the material reality of the kingdom of heaven brought down to earth." As Jesus is himself the parable of the father so the church is meant to be the parable of Christ. A people in space and time welcoming the outcast, the foreigner, and the stranger. These kind of communities will look like unwanted weeds to the world, or even to other christians. However, this may be exactly the church Jesus is asking us to embody. Prints, Digital Downloads, and Calendars available All of the birds in this icon are native to the Holy Land. Birds in the icon: Palestine Sunbird, Scrub Warbler, Common Rosefinch, Laughing dove, Barn Swallow, House Sparrow, Fire-Fronted Serin, Red- Rumped Swallow, Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin, Woodchat Shrike, European Greenfinch, Tree Pipit, Nubian Nightjar, Northern Wheatear, Green Bee Eater, Eurasian Golden Oriole, European Roller, Eurasian Jay, Great Tit, Hooded Crow, Eurasian Blackbird, Common Chiffchaff, Rock Bunting, Crested Lark, and White Spectacled Bulbul.  https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1006593093924270&set=a.437194030864182 https://www.facebook.com/kellylatimoreicons

[proton-wobbler]

Round 1, Poll 15

Blue Nuthatch vs Common Ground Dove

sources under cut

Blue Nuthatch Propaganda

"Cuties!! I see nuthatches depicted decently often, but never this guy!"

No other nuthatch is patterned quite like this guy! While most nuthatch have a combination of steel blue, white, and rusty rufous feathers, the Blue Nuthatch is the only one to sport a full mask.

Also unique to this species is the ability to protect its eyes by contracting the bare skin around them to help cover them up.

Common Ground Dove Propaganda

"THIS is the ultimate small pigeon. so you look at its photo and looks round and pigeon-like and you think oh okay i guess it's one of the normal species of pigeon, WRONg. google how it looks like when someone holds it in their hand. you would not BELIEVE how impossibly TINY this thing is and i want to hold it so so so badly it has no right to be this smol"

"When males compete for food or mates they may make sharp cooing calls and raise one or both wings, revealing chestnut wing-patches. A courting male follows the female and keeps doing this, sometimes flying after her to stay near."

Their song is often described as sounding like "No Hope"

Image Sources: Nuthatch (Neoh Hor Kee)

[arcticlutra]

Kon stared on in horror. It couldn't be. It couldn't be real?

Everything about this was wrong. Nothing about this made sense. It was repugnant. It was unnatural. Nothing here was right. Yet he could do nothing, do nothing with the green crystal collar at his neck.

Yet still, his eyes didn't lie as he saw Tim ponder over the blades at Dick's and Damian's throats. Jason stood to the side waiting, humbled and collared, his hood made a mockery in the form of a scarlet owl mask. The Red Hood humbled, collared and brought to heel.

Tim almost looked bored before his brothers who strained against blades that threatened their lives.

Kon couldn't move, terrified at the thought that he could fuck it all up even further, even as the kryptonite bit at his neck.

At Tim's shoulder lurked the cause: Bernard. The Serpent in the Garden that spoke honeyed words of affirmation, support and love. That spoke the machinations of Janet. Of plans years in the making. Of isolation and manipulations. Of promised futures and possibilities. Whose every needled word and serpent bite exposed an insecurity and hurt. Who carefully manoeuvred Tim into playing the assigned role.

"Go on Tim. They don't love you." Bernard kissed along Tim's jaw. "They always saw you as a placeholder. A cuckoo."

Damian wept against his austere training. A small child in a harsh world, met with an opponent far more broken and warped than he could have been trained for. One that he himself had primed and trained: a brother exiled and scorned.

"You're so right Bern...always so right." Tim murmured, pulling Bernard's fist into a kiss. "And what does a cuckoo do?"

"Please Timothy." Damian begged, for Dick's tongue had already been ripped out. "Don't do this."

"A cuckoo chick, kicks all the other eggs out of the nest." Tim stated and brought the knife to Damian's neck.

Damian felt the tears fall readily and unashamedly. The little boy was scared.

"Don't worry Damian, I'll make up a lie. I'll say you died by Ra's hand. Fighting to save us against him. But sadly your youth failed you and I was too late. Dick had already been too late..."

Damian didn't hold the tears back.

"Jason came too late as well, and we finished them off." Tim continued as he played with Bernard's hand. "They took out Barbara too. Priority target."

"Timothy...Tim...please..." Damian begged.

"Tshush...Tshush " Dick choked as he fought against the blood in his mouth.

"It will be such a shame as Bruce sees Alfred killed. He'll see it as Talia attacking. The final assault." Tim reflected as he brushed his thumb over Bernard's knuckles. His beautiful Castellan. "And as Bruce fights tooth and nail to protect his fortress...he'll see his soldiers fallen, compromised and dead..."

"Timothy...please." Damian begged as the blade dug into his throat.

"Oh Damian, you were never even a contender." Tim laughed. "You called yourself a Prince of Gotham because you were Bruce's Bastard?"

The raucous laughter and cawing of the Court made Damian shrink as far in as he could on his small frame.

"Pathetic little bastard. Bruce never loved you. You were an obligation. I was the one he trusted. Not the worst thing though, to be the trusted one. At least I'll make sure Gotham is safe. Once we've cut out all of the cancer. Heroes...villains...what is really the difference?"

"Nothing, my love." Bernard kissed into Tim's knuckle.

"You're right as always my Heart." Tim smiled, and looked to his Talons. "Talons, remove these Robins from my sights. Repurpose them for grander designs. And take this Kryptonian to my Chambers."

"I'll see it done, my Lord." The Rufous Owl bowed, and Tim nodded in agreement.

It was only when they were alone, and free of any bugs that the Rufous Owl turned to Dick and Damian and whispered. "I'll try and get you both out of here. But he's fucking unstoppable. Why the fuck did you fight?"