#tree pipit

[vintagewildlife]

Tree pipit (Anthus trivialis) By: Aldo Margiocco From: Éditions Rencontre Cards 1978

[dansnaturepictures]

19th May 2024: My first Grizzled Skipper of the year, foxgloves, thistle, Red-headed Cardinal beetle and wild strawberry at Bentley Wood and beautiful cistus at home today.

At Bentley Wood my first Tree Pipit of the year and Garden Warbler heard, my first Pearl-bordered Fritillaries, Painted Lady and Small Heath of the year, my first Silver Y and Speckled Yellow moths of the year, my first yellow pimpernel and silverweed cinquefoil of the year, my first ever Downy Emerald dragonfly which was amazing to see, Green Tiger beetle and froghopper were some of many highlights on an insect, flower and bird fest today.

[probablyasocialecologist]

Aesthetic sensibilities are deeply subjective, and hard to acknowledge and analyse clearly. They take root in us from the moment we’re born. They bind us to a particular view of the landscape, something we begin to think of as ‘natural’ or, at least, benign. What we see as children, particularly where we grow up, becomes what we want to continue to see, and what we want our children to see. Nostalgia, and the sense of security that nostalgia brings, binds us to the familiar. We are persuaded, too, by our own absorption in this aesthetic that what we are seeing has been here for ever. We believe the countryside around us, or something very similar to it, has persisted for centuries and the wildlife within it, if not exactly the same, is at least a fair representation of what has been here for centuries. But the ecological processes of the past are hard for the layman – and often even conservation professionals – to grasp. 

We are blinded by the immediacy of the present. We look at the landscape and see what is there, not what is missing. And if we do appreciate some sort of ecological loss and change, we tend to go only as far back as our childhood memories, or the memories of our parents or grandparents who tell us ‘there used to be hundreds of lapwings in my day’, ‘skylarks and song thrushes were ten-a-penny’, ‘the fields round here used to be red with poppies and blue with cornflowers’, ‘cod was the poor man’s fish when I was a nipper’. We are blind to the fact that in our grandparents’ grandparents’ day there would have been species-rich wildflower meadows in every parish and coppice woods teeming with butterflies. They would have heard corncrakes and bitterns, seen clouds of turtle doves, thousands of lapwings and hundreds more skylarks. A mere four generations ago they knew rivers swimming with burbot – now extinct in Britain – and eels, and their summer nights were peppered with bats and moths and glow-worms. Their grandparents, in turn, saw nightjars settling on dusty country lanes and even hawking for moths around the street lamps in towns, and spotted flycatchers in every orchard, and meadow pipits everywhere from salt-flats to the crowns of mountains. They saw banks of giant cod and migrating tuna in British waters. They saw our muddy North Sea clear as gin, filtered by oyster beds as large as Wales. And their grandparents, in turn, living at the time of the last beaver in Britain, would have known great bustards, and watched shoals of herring five miles long and three miles broad migrating within sight of the shore, chased by schools of dolphins and sperm whales and the occasional great white shark. We don’t have to look too deeply into the history books, into contemporary accounts, for scenes dramatically different to our own to be normal. Yet we live in denial of these catastrophic losses.

Isabella Tree, Wilding: The Return of Nature to a British Farm

[lovecraftian-frog]

I actually caught 52 species of birds in Luxembourg so I won't be able to post them all here. But still, here are 5 more !

- Lesser whitethroat (Curruca curruca)

- Barn swallow (Hirundo rustica)

- Eurasian blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus)

- Aquatic warbler (Acrocephalus paludicola)

- Tree pipit (Anthus trivialis)

[totally-correct-oot-skord]

Link: Bad news— Groose locked himself out of his own room. Link: Good news—we didn’t have to wait around for a locksmith. Link: Bad news— Pipit finds it very concerning that I know how to pick locks, and tried to unlock my Tragic Backstory(TM). I was too embarrassed to admit that the reason I learned it was because, at thirteen, I figured that was the kind of skill that would impress cute girls. Link: Good news—a cute girl saw me do it. Link: Bad news—it was Zelda, and since she's already seen me fall out of several trees, cry because I saw a baby chick that was just too dang small, and knows I can ride a unicycle, she’ll never think I’m cool no matter what I do. It’s too late. She knows.

[outofangband]

Birds of Thargelion

After this I just have Maglor’s Gap and that will complete my series on birds in the Fëanorian realms pre Amon Ereb!

Flora, fauna, geography and environment of Arda Masterlist

Thargelion was the realm of Caranthir, located in the north east of Beleriand just north of Ossiriand and bordered by the Ered Luin, the eastern stretch of mountains that divided Beleriand from the rest of Middle Earth

As always this is not a definitive list! Please feel free to ask more or give me a more specific category!

Around Lake Helevorn and the rivers: Red-breasted merganser, mute swan, white tailed dipper, whooper swan, smew, little grebe, red throated loon, common crane, mallard, common white eye, northern shovler, green winged teal, corn crake, spotted crake, black winged stilt

Mountains: bearded vulture, water pipit, golden eagle, kestrel, peregrine falcon, Rock ptarmigan, common siskin, alpine accentor, northern wheatear, ring ouzel, white tailed eagle, chough, spotted nutcracker, Citril finch, griffon vulture, common redstart, common raven, wallcreeper, common jay, boreal owl, white winged snowfinch, crag martin, common redstart, black redstart

Foothills and forests: black grouse, wood grouse, goshawk, grey white fronted goose, hazel grouse, little bunting, meadow pipit, tree sparrow, hedge warbler, Bohemian waxwing, common kestrel, long eared owl, little owl, marsh tit, coal tit, mourning dove, rock pigeon, woodchat strike

World building notes

-Like most of the Noldor in Eastern Beleriand, many of Caranthir’s scouts keep birds of prey. In Thargelion these are primarily peregrine falcons and kestrels. Hunting with birds was less common however.

--There are populations of Green Elves who live in Thargelion, primarily in the mountains and near the border of Ossiriand. Though they also do not use birds for hunting, certain species are kept as companions or messengers.

-Chicken breeding as an art and science developed during the Watchful Peace. Chickens in Thargelion are appraised for long plumage and colorful feathers. Their eggs are eaten but they are not often used for meat.

-Chickens, peacocks and quails were kept by the Noldor of Thargelion, techniques of raising and breeding them were learned from Sindar and Silvan cultures of Eastern Beleriand. Indeed the Noldor of Thargelion were one of the only Noldor populations to keep quails.

-Bearded vultures appear on the crests of some of Caranthir’s lords and were even kept by a few of them

-Feathers of various mountain birds especially eagles and ouzel appear in wood carvings as an architectural motif during the Watchful Peace in Thargelion

-Out of all the Fëanorian realms, water birds appear most often in art and other cultural references in Thargelion as Lake Helevorn and its wildlife are a central facet of life there especially in times of peace. Wading birds like crakes, cranes and stilts are especially Valued.

[aurathian]

Rumors

AO3 | Written for the @zelinkcommunity Loftwing Letters gift exchange! I hope you enjoy @skyyknights !! This also fulfills @zelinktines24 prompt #14: “rumors” :) If you enjoy, please reblog! <3

Fandom: Skyward Sword

Rating: G

Ships: Link/Zelda

Description: There’s a rumor going around that Link and Zelda are in love.

Read the full fic below or read it on AO3.

Days on the surface were busy. From dawn, Link and Zelda were up collecting wood, fetching water, and making multiple rounds of the settlement to see who needed help. By dusk, they were helping cook meals, store equipment, and make sure all were safe to sleep. Their only respite was their one-room cottage, tucked a short walk away from the settlement, where at night they shared stories about the day and plans for the tomorrows they once never thought they would have.

There was a rumor going around that they were exhausted.

“That’s silly,” Zelda yawned, taking a sip of tea from her mug. “Karane, you should really stop gossiping.” Setting down her cup, she resumed her knitting project: a blanket for Kukiel who, despite her love for adventure, was having a hard time adjusting to the surface. The blanket would be covered in pictures of loftwings and clouds.

“It’s not gossip,” Karane protested. “I can see it in your eyes, Zelda. You have bags!”

“That doesn’t mean anything.”

“Link had to wake you up this morning. It’s usually the other way around.”

“How do you know– ah, Pipit…”

“You should take some time for yourself,” Karane encouraged, getting up to refill her teacup. “You and Link give a lot.”

“We don’t mind,” Zelda argued as she shifted to watch Karane over the back of her chair. “There’s a lot of work to do and we can do it.”

Karane sighed and swirled her cup. Looking out the window, she said, “Link is out with Pipit right now chopping firewood. Maybe you can go get some fresh air, walk a little bit, without starting a new project.” She walked to the door, lifting the cup. “Oh, I’ll return this later.”

And then Karane was gone and Zelda was alone and maybe her best friend was right. A light breeze blew outside, gently ruffling the curtains on the window through which she could hear birds singing. A walk outside, without any projects or jobs or strings attached, was something Zelda hadn’t done in a long time. So, she gently set Kukiel’s blanket aside, finished her cup of tea, and ventured out into the surrounding woods.

On the other side of the surface settlement, Pipit hacked away at a pile of firewood while Link–unwillingly–stood and watched.

“I’m not letting you help,” Pipit huffed as he lifted the axe over his head. “This is my job.”

“But I can do it.”

“You’ve done enough.” With a whack, the log at Pipit’s feet split into two. “You never do anything for yourself anymore.”

“I do plenty for myself,” Link protested. “Last night, I ate dinner.”

Pipit couldn’t stop himself from bursting out in a fit of laughter so loud the birds hidden in the trees launched away into the air.

“Alone?” Pipit asked between chuckles.

“Well, Zelda was finishing up some of the laundry she was helping with, and she got back late.”

“That’s exactly it.” Pipit set leaned on the handle of the axe and glowered at Link. “You two don’t have any time to do something together that doesn’t involve working.”

“Finishing up the settlement is important,” Link replied. “Once that’s done, then we can rest.”

”Or you could rest now—“

“Hey,” a voice rang out, and Pipit didn’t miss the way Link’s eyes lit up. “Am I intruding?” Zelda emerged from behind a tree, and to Pipit’s surprise, wasn’t carrying a pile of fabric or a bucket of water. It was just her.

“Not at all, Zel,” Pipit said, casting a glance at Link’s tomato-hued face, “not at all.” He also didn’t miss the slight fumble in his step which almost sent the logs in his arms rolling.

“I was wondering if Link had a minute,” she said. “But if you’re busy, I don’t want to interrupt—I know that wood is urgent.”

Pipit hurriedly, almost eagerly, replied that it was not urgent. “Take him if you need him.” Link hesitated, glancing between the pile of uncut wood and the woman dearest to him, wondering what mattered more.

He went off with Zelda, leaving Pipit alone and knowing he would never hear the end of this later.

There was a rumor going around that Link and Zelda were in love.

“What happened?” Link asked as they walked through the forest.

“Does something need to happen for us to take a stroll?”

“No, but— usually— I mean, when you come get me it’s because you need help with some work.”

“I just had an idea that we could take a break.” Yes. An idea that was entirely her own. “But if you have to get back, I understand.”

“No! No, I don’t.” Their hands swung at their sides as they walked and Link ever so gently grazed his fingers against hers. Zelda glanced down and turned her face away to hide her blush. Nervously, she slipped her fingers into his. The rest of the walk was silent, but in that silence was comfort. The silence said everything—that they could truly be at peace, even in the midst of building and planning and healing, their peace could be found within the other.

Just outside the forest that surrounded the settlement was Lake Floria. Zelda had grown fond of it on the rare occasions she visited. Beside the lake was a tree taller and much older than the rest, which is where they sat down. For a long time they stayed there, talking, reminiscing, clutching hands, and they were so engrossed in each other that they didn’t notice the golden light of sunset or the glowing bugs that came out of hiding.

“It’s been very nice to do this,” Zelda said as she plucked at some grass. “Perhaps we could do this more.”

“I think so too.”

“You know,” she continued after a moment of quiet, “I’ve been working on a blanket for Kukiel.”

“Have you?”

“She’s homesick, so I thought it would be nice.” She tore a tuft of grass out of the earth. “Maybe… I could make a blanket for us, too.”

“I could get some more wood,” Link offered, “for our hearth.”

“We could sit under our blanket in front of our fire and drink tea together. Just us, for ourselves.” And Zelda thought there was no moment more perfect than this, surrounded only by the forest and its wildlife, treasuring every detail: the upward curve of Link’s lips, the presence of his hand over hers, the blush that was surely creeping onto her face.

They faced each other. “That sounds nice,” Link said, eyes traveling down to her lips, then back up to those sky-blue eyes that would always remind him of home. Not the Knight Academy, not Skyloft, not the Goddess Statue, but home: her.

He reached up and cupped her face with that same gentle care he always had, like he could lose her again with just a simple touch, and she closed her eyes and gingerly leaned in…

…and there was a rumor going around that they shared their first kiss underneath the tree by the lake.

[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

[pumpkinnning]

thank you darlings @lemonsgovroom and @seblrina for tagging me !

🎄decorate my tree 🎄

tagging (no pressure ofc) @superion-artworks @rolling-restart @hungriestheidi @monacobasedgirldad @leqclerc @sebchal @sedicii @sacharowan @mountinez @spearmint-blue @antimonyandthyme @evilscuderia @trailsofpaper @pipiteer @pressradio @aphrostiel @saintdevote @double-diffuser @frecklecharles @f1crecs @heck @justyouwaitsunshine @kkmeeluqq @livetogether--diealone @vegasgrandprix @vettesebas @altsplicing @miss-malheur @unasked-diaries @tunaanutt @sebchallevettel @sebsrainbowbicycle @ihatesebastianvettel @tifosifam @abovecalamity

[bonefall]

Darkbark is such a good name it's so fun to say

I like it so much I want to keep it, even though I've gotten a request to make those names into more unique ecological suffixes. I think I'll make it into Darkstar "Queen's Rights" Warrior Cat's pre-leadership name.

(in clanmew this bark-word is also going to refer to the type peeled off willow trees and made into twine, as opposed to the harder type of bark made into sleds)

So Darkbark can stay while freeing up those two free names. And, speaking of, let me share some of the cool words that are valid in this region;

Teal (type of duck)

Smew

Moorhen

Partridge

Coot

Tit

Knot

Rail

Ruff

Dunnock

Cormorant

Pipit

Creeper

Jelly (type of fungus)

Polypore

Agaric

Blewit

Chanterelle

Bolete

Campion

Vetch

Mustard

Alkanet

Trefoil

Anemone

Teasel

Butterbur

Spurge

Rollypolly

I could do Fry, as in, a baby fish... I've been looking to put Fry in somewhere and it makes sense here more than in WindClan...

[transskywardsword]

It's finally here! The 'Countdown to Galentines Day' femslash February event is finally here! Beginning with...

SkySwd Zelink - Heaven

for more a sneak peek on the week leading up to valentines day's line up, check out my pinned!

*note: this takes place immediately after the events of Skyward Sword. Zelda and Link are t4t femme and butch lesbians respectively, she/her pronouns for both, and they have been in a loosely established relationship for ages. enjoy!

---

It was their first time in the Skies since Link finally drove her blade deep into Demise's sternum and put this whole monstrosity behind them.

Well, not their first time, not when they already had to ferry Groose back to Skyloft and guide down the curious inhabitants of the floating islands, lest the citizens of Skyloft go poking around below the thinning cloud layer on their own and fly straight into a monster camp that Link hadn't yet had the time to dispose of. Of course, after the flights back and forth and guided tours, complete with knights jumping at the chance to put their limited skills to the test as they whacked around lingering bokos and children marveling at the thick air, humidity, and hummingbirds, came the questions.

Groose, bless him, was kind enough to answer most questions the Skyloftians threw Link’s way and was heavy-handed enough with the ones who still pushed back that everyone knew better than to come to Link with anything. Everyone but Gaepora, of course. Because as much as he pretended to be a simple, old academic, the Headmaster was as stubborn as his daughter, and when either of them was on the warpath, no one walked away unscathed.

Link had been avoiding the old man and his big sad eyes demanding big, sad answers all day, dipping out of breakfast tents and around corners and behind trees, feeling awfully close to how she did when a Guardian was hot on her tail, and right now the ruined back rooms of the Sealed Temple-- all dusty cracked stone and remnants of the Sheikah who had kept watch here for centuries-- served as the perfect hiding spot. No one would think to look for Link here, except for Groose, maybe Pipit, and--

"Don't tell me you're hiding from Pa," A soft voice called.

"Zelda," Link squeaked, spinning, and flushed. "You startled me."

"Sounds like a guilty conscience talking," Zelda said, flashing her a cheeky smile. Or, it would be cheeky, if it didn't feel so damn sad under the surface.

"What's wrong?" Link wanted to ask, "What do you need? How can I help?" Those were the questions of the hour, weren't they? What wasn't wrong? What didn't they need? How could anyone possibly help, after tornados and demons and Demise? How could anything possibly be okay again?

Instead, Link untangled herself from the gloom of the Temple's corners and crept up to Zelda's side. She raised a hand and, upon receiving a soft nod, slipped it through the taller girl’s beaded braids, cupping her brown cheek.

“Perhaps,” Link admitted softly, moving closer, closer, and then Zelda was a breath away, their noses brushing. Link tilted her head in a silent question and Zelda answered it by sliding her head forward and closing the gap between them.

The kiss was soft, barely a brush of skin, but far from chaste, carrying a heavy, vibrating intensity just below the skin of their lips. Link’s fingers tightened around Zelda’s braids and the woman let out a soft, sad sound. Link pushed back.

“I’m fine,” Zelda said, pulling Link back to her, but Link realized with growing horror that Zelda’s eyes were wet, glossy, and red.

“I’m fine,” Zelda said again, pulling Link against her mouth. “Everything is fine. Just, just kiss me, damn it.”

Link took a hold of her cheeks and slowly pushed Zelda’s face away, resting their foreheads together.

“ ‘sorry,” Zelda murmured. Link pressed their foreheads tighter together.

“It’s okay to not be fine, ya know.” Link said, and Zelda shrugged.

Are we ever going to be fine? The Past, the Future, the Triforce—would that pressure ever fade?

Demise.

Link swallowed. She hadn’t mentioned the… the curse, if you could call the foul, powerful words Demise had spat her way after she pinned him down, Fi pulsing in his chest, a curse.

“Stop.” Zelda said suddenly, and Link instantly pulled back.

“No—I don’t, I don’t mean holding me, that’s nice, do more of that. Stop dooming.”

“…Dooming?”

“Dooming, glooming, wallowing. We’re both doing it, and you don’t get to tell me everything is fine and that I shouldn’t worry when you’re worrying too.”

Zelda took her hand, rolling it around on her own, inspecting the new calluses that Link never imagined in a million lifetimes that she would ever have.

“Come flying with me,” Zelda said, pressing a kiss to Link’s fingertips-- one, two, three, four, five. “You and I and the Sky. Like before.”

“Like before when you pushed me to my death, or—”

Zelda slapped her arm with a wet giggle. “How was I supposed to know that Crimson was missing—”

“Murdered by my own lover, abandoned by my beloved. Love is dead!”

“Shhh,” Zelda giggled, swatting a hand over Link’s mouth. Link licked it, and Zelda squealed.

“Fly with me,” she said, pulling Link closer. “I want to see the Sky again. It’s been so long.”

“You were on a bird with Groose yesterday unloading the Lumpy Pumkpin—”

Zelda leaned down and quieted her with a kiss. It was easy to melt into it, even with their cheeks both being dangerously close to damp.

“Come fly with me. It’s been too long.”

“Okay,” Link said finally, bringing her fingertips to her bottom lip. It tingled, as if Zelda’s own lips had been electric. Perhaps they were.

Zelda took Link’s hand from her mouth, slotting their fingers together, and yanked her out of the back exit of the Sealed Temple into the wild greenery where the Sealed Grounds and Faron’s rainforests met. Her face was bright again, and Link began to finally feel lighter than she had in days as Zelda let out a shrill whistle, calling down her loftwing. Link made a point of hoisting her on the bird’s back and tying her into the saddle, slapping Zelda’s hands away playfully when the girl insisted she could tie herself in.

“Not on my watch, your Grace.” Link said with a cheeky smile, plopping a kiss on the tip of her nose, before sending the bird into the air with a quick squeeze of the muscle between the bird’s massive wings. Behind her, Zelda was silent.

Shit.

“Zel…”

“I’m fine.”

“I shouldn’t have called you that. I’m sorry.”

Zelda shrugged, suddenly very interested in her bird’s feathers.

“It’s what I am, isn’t it? Her Grace.”

“No!”

“I am! This whole fucking adventure is because of it, there’s literally no point in pretending otherwise—”

“Okay! Okay, so you’re still Her, somehow, someway. But you know what you really are?” Link said, shifting closer. Zelda looked away from her.

“You’re clever. And kind. And brave, so brave. You’re brilliant, just so smart, and most importantly? You’re my Zelda. Always have been. Always will be.”

Zelda finally looked to her, eyes prickling with tears.

“Link—”

“I love you.”

Zelda’s eyes went wide.

“…What?”

“I do. I really love you. I always have.”

Zelda’s warm, brown eyes were growing redder and redder until she buried her head in her hands, shaking her head, sending her beads rattling around her. Link drew closer, wrapping her arms around her, cradling her close.

“My Zelda. My Zelda.”

They were quiet after that, just gliding, hovering above the cloud layer as the sun sank down, painting the clouds pink and orange and slowly sinking to blue and black. Link rocked Zelda, running her hands through her beads and braids. Things were never going to go back to how they were before, Link realized. Or, maybe not realized, but finally actualized in her brain. Ghriahim, Demise… there was no changing that. No reversing it.

“When Demise and I fought…” She whispered, Zelda shifting against her chest, “I thought for a moment I was dreaming. That I was back in the Sky and would wake up any minute now. The place, the dimension, he brought me to… the sky there was unlike anything I had ever seen. The heavens incarnate.”

“How could something so terrible create anything beautiful?” Zelda murmured against her skin, and Link shrugged.

“I mean, sucks it took all this for me to finally use the ‘l’ word but—”

Zelda giggled against her, and finally showed her face, wet, snotty, and swollen, but still the most beautiful thing Link had ever seen.

“It wasn’t the heavens incarnate.” Link said softly. “I know, because you are.”

Zelda’s tear-stained eyes went wide, and Link resisted the urge to kiss her, instead just holding her closer still. They could kiss later, could explore one another while she promised her Zelda that she loved her until her lips were blue. For now, Link was happy to just hold her heaven incarnate.

[warriors-rewritten-chaos]

Warrior Cats Prefixes- W

I had a WC Name Generator on Perchance that I made but I don't seem to have access anymore, so I'm remaking it here as just a simple list. The definitions used are the ones that Clan cats have for those things, and thus are the origins of the names. Definitions used are whatever I found when I googled it.

Wagtail-: "[noun] any of various chiefly Old World oscine birds (family Motacillidae) related to the pipits and having a long tail that they habitually jerk up and down"

Walnut-: "[noun] the large wrinkled edible seed of a deciduous tree, consisting of two halves contained within a hard shell which is enclosed in a green fruit; [noun] he tall tree that produces the walnut, with compound leaves and valuable ornamental timber"

Wander-: "[verb] walk or move in a leisurely, casual, or aimless way; [noun] an act or instance of wandering"

Warble-: "[verb] (of a bird) sing softly and with a succession of constantly changing notes; [noun] a warbling sound or utterance"

Warbler-: "[noun] any of a number of small insectivorous songbirds that typically have a warbling song"

Warm-: "[adj] of or at a fairly or comfortably high temperature; [adj] having, showing, or expressive of enthusiasm, affection, or kindness"

Wasp-: "[noun] a social winged insect that has a narrow waist and a sting. It constructs a paper nest from wood pulp and raises the larvae on a diet of insects; [noun] a solitary winged insect with a narrow waist, mostly distantly related to the social wasps and including many parasitic kinds"

Water-: "[noun] a colorless, transparent, odorless liquid that forms the seas, lakes, rivers, and rain"

Wave-: "[noun] a long body of water curling into an arched form and breaking on the shore; [verb] move one's tail or paw to and fro in greeting or as a signal"

Wavy-: "[adj] having a form or edge that smoothly curves in and out"

Wax-: "[noun] a sticky yellowish moldable substance secreted by honeybees as the material of honeycomb, aka beeswax"

Waxcap-: "[noun] a species of fungi that are often brightly-coloured with a waxy or slippery-looking cap"

Weasel-: "[noun] a small, slender, carnivorous mammal related to, but generally smaller than, the stoat"

Web-: "[noun] a network of fine threads constructed by a spider from fluid secreted by its spinnerets, used to catch its prey"

Webcap-: "[noun] a mushroom of the agaric genus Cortinarius, many of which are highly poisonous"

Weed-: "[noun] a wild plant growing where it is not wanted and in competition with cultivated plants"

Weeping-: "[adj] shedding tears; [adj] used in names of tree and shrub varieties with drooping branches"

Weevil-: "[noun] a small beetle with an elongated snout, the larvae of which typically develop inside seeds, stems, or other plant parts"

Wet-: "[adj] covered or saturated with water or another liquid"

Wheat-: "[noun] a cereal plant that is the most important kind grown in temperate countries; [noun] the grain of the wheat plant"

Whimbrel-: "[noun] a small migratory curlew of northern Eurasia and northern Canada, with a striped crown and a trilling call"

Whirl-: "[verb] move or cause to move rapidly around and around; [noun] a rapid movement around and around"

Whirling-: "[adj] characterized by rapid movement round and round"

Whisper-: "[verb] speak very softly using one's breath without one's vocal cords"

Whispering-: "[verb] speak very softly using one's breath without one's vocal cords, especially for the sake of privacy"

Whistle-: "[verb] to make a shrill clear sound especially by rapid movement"

Whistling-: "[verb] emit a clear, high-pitched sound; [verb] (especially of a bird) produce a clear, high-pitched sound"

White-: "[adj] of the color of milk or fresh snow, due to the reflection of most wavelengths of visible light; [noun] white color or pigment"

Whorl-: "[noun] a pattern of spirals or concentric circles; [verb] spiral or move in a twisted and convoluted fashion"

Wigeon-: "[noun] a dabbling duck with mainly reddish-brown and gray plumage, the male having a whistling call"

Wild-: "[adj] (of an animal or plant) living or growing in the natural environment"

Willow-: "[noun] a tree or shrub of temperate climates that typically has narrow leaves, bears catkins, and grows near water"

Wilting-: "[verb] (of a plant, leaf, or flower) become limp through heat, loss of water, or disease. Droop; [verb] (of a cat) lose one's energy or vigor"

Wind-: "[noun] the perceptible natural movement of the air, especially in the form of a current of air blowing from a particular direction"

Windy-: "[adj] (of weather, a period of time, or a place) marked by or exposed to strong winds"

Wish-: "[verb] feel or express a strong desire or hope for something that is not easily attainable, or to want something that cannot or probably will not happen"

Wisp-: "[noun] a small thin or twisted bunch, piece, or amount of something"

Wisteria-: "[noun] a climbing shrub of the pea family, with hanging clusters of pale bluish-lilac flowers"

Wolf-: "[noun] a wild carnivorous mammal of the dog family, living and hunting in packs"

Wolverine-: "[noun] a heavily built short-legged carnivorous mammal with a shaggy dark coat and a bushy tail"

Wonder-: "[noun] a feeling of surprise mingled with admiration, caused by something beautiful, unexpected, unfamiliar, or inexplicable; [verb] desire or be curious to know something"

Wood-: "[noun] the hard fibrous material that forms the main substance of the trunk or branches of a tree or shrub; [noun] an area of land, smaller than a forest, that is covered with growing trees"

Woodpecker-: "[noun] a bird with a strong bill and a stiff tail, which climbs tree trunks to find insects and drums on dead wood to mark territory"

Woodruff-: "[noun] a white-flowered plant of the bedstraw family with whorled leaves, smelling of new-mown hay when dried or crushed"

Wool-: "[noun] the fine, soft curly or wavy hair forming the coat of a sheep, goat, or similar animal"

Woolly: "[adj] made of wool or looking like wool"

Worm-: "[noun] any of a number of creeping or burrowing invertebrate animals with long, slender soft bodies and no limbs"

Wren-: "[noun] a small short-winged songbird"

[dansnaturepictures]

Five of my favourite photos I took in May 2023 and end of month thoughts 

The photos are of; Oystercatcher on Brownsea Island, Marsh Fritillary at Magdalen Hill Down, view at Bentley Wood, red campion at Lakeside Country Park and Broad-bodied Chaser at Bentley Wood. 

May was another fantastic month of wildlife watching and photos for me. My strong spring run of seeing bird species for the first time this year continued with species such as Tree Pipit and Hobby seen, taking my year list into the 200s on my earliest ever date in a year, making my year list my second highest ever already and the highest any of my year lists have ever been on this date by far which is exceptional and feels so good. Garden Warbler, Garganey, Curlew Sandpiper, Little Tern, Cuckoo, Long-billed Dowitcher, Whitethroat and Sandwich Tern have been other key birds seen this month. It has also been a great month of watching young birds and breeding birds including Peregrines, Great Crested Grebes and many goslings and ducklings. May was also a fantastic month of butterflies with a rich array of fantastic species observed and I feel so lucky to have seen so many. I went on a great run in sunny weather of getting butterfly photos too which I was pleased with. Marsh Fritillary, Pearl-bordered Fritillary, Adonis Blue, Brown Argus, Duke of Burgundy, Grizzled Skipper, Dingy Skipper, Small Copper, Painted Lady and Green Hairstreak were standouts of the many species enjoyed. 

It was a memorable month of flowers as we sailed into days of having so many species around which is exciting from burnt-tip orchid to early purple orchid. I enjoyed seeing damselflies very well this month especially over some memorable consecutive days and getting into dragonflies for the year too, with good moments with beetles and other insects as well as mammals and moths of course with my year list starting up nicely for them. I took so many photos again this month, many of which I was pleased with and I enjoyed taking in some stunning, varied and immersive landscapes in many bits of strong sunny weather this month with sunsets and the moon enjoyed too. I hope you all have a nice June.

[cannedbreads]

Tree pipit

[grandmaster-anne]

To the lighthouse

Country Life | Published 29 July 2020

Guest-Edited by HRH The Princess Royal

The Princess says: ‘This garden is slightly off the beaten track! The photographer picked a very good day to capture it. This is Northern Lighthouse Board territory—I’ve been there three times now and sailed past it on a number of occasions. The garden is looked after astonishingly well.’

THERE are two ways to reach the lighthouse at Rubh’A’Mhail, or Ruvaal, on the north-east point of Islay: by boat or by walking for more than two hours across The Hill, a windswept wilderness of cotton-grass bogs and heather moorland riddled with gullies, waterfalls and burns. Those that make the journey to Howard and Suzanne Cobb’s one-acre garden, where salt-laden storms can sometimes topple a grown man, will be amazed at what has been coaxed into growing in this barren landscape of exposed rock and topsoil that is, in places, only 1in deep. They will be even more surprised that this horticultural miracle is the work of a slender, 5ft 1in-tall, 75-year-old woman—yet the indomitable Mrs Cobb, who made and maintains this garden pretty much singlehandedly, is a gale force to be reckoned with.

Rugosa roses cock a snook at the wind and mounds of improbably delicateRosa Alba Semiplena and soft-pinkR . Celeste have braved the odds to become 5ft-plus-high bushes. In the shelter created by the shrubs and trees, bistort and buddleia, astrantias, nepeta and hardy geranium are a few that have made this rugged ground their home.

Tucked into precious pockets of soil are masses of small bulbs that light up the garden in spring. On the upside, the Gulf Stream holds off all but a couple of frosts a year and old-fashioned favourites, such as lupins, sweet williams and pinks, generally thrive in this fully organic garden. Everything is generously enriched with homemade compost —enhanced by the secret ingredient of seaweed that’s washed up on to the beach by the winter storms, gathered into rich trailer loads and transported home behind a quad bike.

Due to the secluded and modest nature of the garden at Ruvaal, Mrs Cobb was astonished when she learned The Princess Royal had singled it out as one of her favourites. ‘Princess Anne must go to so many wonderful places and yet she’s picked my humble garden,’ exclaimed Mrs Cobb, before explaining that The Princess first visited 25 years ago, as part of her role as patron of the Northern Lighthouse Board (NLB). ‘The garden was still in its infancy then, although she did admire my cabbages. When she next came, she noted how everything had grown and the third time, she seemed quite impressed—I think because it’s in such an exposed and unlikely location. Or perhaps it was the chocolate cake I served on that occasion!’

Even the insect life is undeterred by the remoteness. Butterflies adore this garden. Last year, Mrs Cobb counted 57 painted ladies on one privet. Regulars include the marsh and dark green fritillaries, small copper, small blue, peacock, small tortoiseshell and red admiral. The hummingbird hawk-moth feeds on the red valerian and bumblebees love the cotoneasters, which do well here.

Birdlife proliferates. Golden eagles soar above and sea eagles fly past, with smaller birds—yellowhammers, meadow pipits, reed buntings, dunnocks, redpolls, whitethroats, stonechats and goldfinches—congregating in the shadow of the lighthouse, too. There are also resident blackbirds, a nesting song thrush and swallows that nest in the porch. However, the most unusual visitor is the cuckoo: one year, Mrs Cobb counted three.

‘I had wanted to live on the west coast of Scotland ever since I was 11 years old and came here with my parents,’ admits Mrs Cobb who, until 26 years ago, resided in Buckinghamshire. When her husband’s work began to involve regular travelling, which meant that there were no longer restrictions on where they lived, the couple decided to look for somewhere fairly remote with a bit of land close to the sea. One day, Mrs Cobb spotted an advert for a former lighthouse keeper’s cottage on Islay, which had views of Colonsay, Mull and Jura, and they felt they ought to take a look.

The cottage (originally two, knocked into one) stood in the curtilage of the 112ft lighthouse, which had been completed in 1859 and was fully automated in 1983. There were few windows, which made the rooms terribly dark, and the water supply was described as ‘spasmodic’. Indeed, it was so poor that the Cobbs would not have been able to run a washing machine. The garden consisted of nothing but one redcurrant bush and some rogue potatoes in the former vegetable patch. Nonetheless, despite the inaccessibility of the site and the fact there were only two small co-op shops on the island (there are, happily, plenty of distilleries) the Cobbs were smitten, and have never looked back.

‘Howard was away quite a lot at the beginning, so I had to learn how to handle a boat pretty quickly,’ Mrs Cobb recalls. She soon had the measure of a 19ft Orkney Fastliner, in which she ferried the workmen back and forth, negotiating the Atlantic swell at the jetty. Eventually, when she was ready to move in, Mrs Cobb and her black retriever-cross Tara brought the last of their belongings to the island in the Fastliner, using her wheelbarrow to make the many journeys up and down the hill from the beach to the house.

On board were some cuttings from her garden in Buckinghamshire, a classic village garden with cottagey plants and winding paths. These weren’t nearly enough to fill the barren acre, but there was much generosity and goodwill from the islanders. A forester gave her a heap of rugosa roses, declaring they should grow well. He also gave her some pines and firs.

Not wanting her to be disappointed, a kind old seafarer who saw her load the roses into the boat said: ‘Ye’ll nae grow roses out there, lassie.’ One day, when Mrs Cobb was setting off home from Port Askaig, an old boy threw a sack of montbretia corms into the bottom of the Fastliner. ‘They’ll spread and protect other things,’ he told her.

The obvious first move would have been to plant a shelterbelt, but, with the garden open to the sea on three sides, complete protection would have spoiled the views—on a clear day, as well as the islands, it’s possible to see the mountains of Glencoe 65 miles north on the mainland. Instead, Mrs Cobb planted the evergreens on the land side and put in rowans and birches that grew into multi-stemmed bushes. After a slow start, the evergreens took hold and stand a good 20ft high today. The rugosa roses have spread, filling the garden with scent, and both Rosa Alba Semiplena, perhaps Mrs Cobb’s favourite, and Celeste have proved tolerant of the salt.

The NLB’s boatman offered some cuttings from his escallonia hedge—which have now blossomed into 6ft- to 7ft-high bushes. Hebe cuttings gathered from a shrub outside a former police station 30 miles away have also thrived, despite an early loss: one exceptionally strong gale uprooted a small hebe, sending it bowling across the garden and away over the wall, never to be seen again.

Fuchsia magellanica grows well here, too —both the deep-pink variety and a white that was given to Ruvaal by a friend who was digging out some of hers.

Incredibly, some plants, such as foxgloves, arrive of their own accord, with Mrs Cobb counting 63 digitalis in one bed alone. Other wildflowers—such as celandine, common orchids, scabious and thousands of bluebells —proliferate on The Hill.

For many years, she enjoyed her cedar-wood greenhouse, starting seeds off there and using it to grow tomatoes and cucumbers. Eventually, however, after suffering more than 20 years of Force 10 and 11 gales, it blew down, forcing Mrs Cobb to overwinter her scented-leaf pelargoniums in the lee of the house. Most sweet peas are grown under glass, as, after September, it becomes too windy outdoors for a wigwam. These are now in pots on the table outside the back door where they trail instead.

The original NLB vegetable patch is in full use, despite the predations of two pheasants, which appeared from goodness knows where and have caused such a nuisance that workmen had to make a wire cage to protect the brassicas. Of course, the wily birds soon got around that. ‘I grew kale last year and the wretched pheasant just sat on top of the cage pecking at what grew through the wire,’ laments Mrs Cobb, who, this year, decided to grow a dwarf variety instead.

When the couple first moved in, Mrs Cobb was warned that she would never grow apple trees, but, typically determined, she did and, as have the blackcurrants, these have been a huge success. Mice and voles do help themselves to some French beans (it’s too windy for runners), yet not enough to be a massive problem. Luckily, the deer and rabbits are kept out by the stone wall. ‘The red deer stand there gazing enviously through the gate,’ observes Mrs Cobb, without a great deal of sympathy.

[outofangband]

Love, love, love the birds worldbuilding in Himring.

I've actually been digging through links looking for birds that occupy Nan Elmoth and the surrounding area - Himlad, northern Estolad, the banks of the Celon.

Any thoughts about the flying critters living around there?

I’ll start with Himlad!

Flora, fauna, geography and environment masterlist

Himlad was a realm in Eastern Beleriand, bordered on the West by the river Aros and on the East, its tributary, Celon. It means ‘cool plain’ in Sindarin and was described simply as a cold region, likely due to its proximity to the March and thus to the Iron Mountains, the cold fronts of which extend throughout the surrounding regions. 

I have imagined it as a steppe environment with an ecology similar to Mongolia. We have little information on environment other than the description of cold but some speculation can be done due to the habitat and through looking at similar real habitats, mostly in Northern Europe and temperate parts of Asia as well as parts of North America which Tolkien was inspired by the prairies in (source: The Flora of Middle Earth)

As always I include world building notes at the end so it’s not just a list of species! And as always please consider the list incomplete! There are so so many birds and I often go back to add more. Feel free to request a more specific prompt to focus on or a more specific family of birds

In the plains and steppe: tawny pipit (migratory, traveling west in the winter), David’s snowfinch, brown accentor, Siberian stonechat (also found in shrubs), rosy starling, swan geese, steppe partridge, pallas’s sandgrouse, great bustard, common cuckoo (migratory), cornrail (migratory, avoids the more arid parts), bearded vulture, crested lark, golden eagle, steppe eagle, imperial eagle, grey faced buzzard, ring necked pheasant, hazel grouse, black grouse, blue rock thrush, common quail, horned owls, gray partridge, desert warbler

Roosting in the sparse trees and shrubs: Yellow browed bunting, common rosefinch, fieldfare, stock dove, common nightjar, little owl, pine bunting

River shores: snow bunting (migratory), red necked crane (migratory), greater painted snipe, osprey, coturnix quail, grey heron, hen harrier, white throated dipper, bank swallow

Other: fork-tailed swift (migratory, mainly aerial), white headed duck, house sparrow, brambling (migratory), song thrush (migratory), black billed caper, northern wren

World building notes:

-Hunting with eagles and other birds of prey is more common than in the other Fëanorian realms (though most utilize birds at least sometimes). Golden and steppe eagles are used primarily by Celegorm and his loyal servants; these are huge and beautiful birds whose use is in some ways a boast of the skill of their handlers

-Celegorm’s knowledge of the language of birds is highly utilized for the defensive and offensive projects of Himlad. Though his followers do not for the most part have this gift they are highly skilled in using tracks, traces and conditions to understand the presence of local birds and the implications thereof. They know what to make of the stray tail feathers of a steppe partridge versus the presence of molt. They know the difference between the tracks of

Of course this applies to other creatures besides birds but as this post is about birds…

-Grouse and quail are sometimes kept for meat and eggs though different species of quail then are kept by the Marchwardens of Doriath. Some of the species are brought from Estolad, Ossiriand or Western Beleriand. The birds are housed in large open pens with small nesting boxes. 

-There are also domestic species of chicken, peacock and quail like birds that are kept for similar reasons. Hybrid species, sometimes with native species, occur naturally and through planned breeding projects during the Long Peacd

-The camouflage of steppe creatures including birds is often used in the fashion of Himlad��s soldiers.

-The various sections of archers among the army and scouts are distinguished by varying types of feathers used in their arrows. For example, Swan goose feather is used for the scouts that patrol the borders and rivers, swift feathers are used among the smaller more specialized groups and golden eagle feathers are reserved for the archers who will be first in the lines of offensive movements.

-Game birds are hunted for meat though all parts are used. Bird bones are actually highly utilized by the host of Himlad, in jewelry and headwear as well as whistles and other tools.

As always please feel free to ask more!