#windowstruck

[windowstruck]

UPDATE

[turntechyaoihead]

sprites stuffs

[bonemeadows]

RELINQUISHER 

forgive me for this, for the cold bite of the spade and for my hand that wields it. i am ever in your shadow, even when you’re beneath my feet. i pause at the lychgate where the wisteria strangles and flourishes. your voice haunts from a space just to the left, insipid and drunken, if you do this don’t come home. 

when you were gentler and i brought you that windowstruck cardinal, alive still in my hands, and so small, how can a thing so small contain a whole heart, a whole body of blood? and it died in your hands. when you were gentler and we whispered all night under the flannel sheets tented above us by our own bodies, and you said don’t tell your mother about the little bottles of bitter alcohol. 

the lengths i’ll go to just to know, the shovel, my footprints and the mud under my nails. the fresh engraving, 1993—but wait: it’s blank, smooth and cold. they say you’re dead but you wouldn’t die without telling your faithful demonic host, and if my grave is in you i’ll dig to find it now. your body now derelict surfaces before me, tentacled with rotted roots and shedding earthworms, my love, polluted love. 

from january prompts || @nosebleedclub

[rebeccathenaturalist]

Window strikes may not be as big a problem as habitat loss, but what pushes a lot of species to the brink of extinction is assaults from all sides. Birds are dealing with habitat loss, cat predation, competition with invasive species, pesticides, lead poisoning, poaching, and window strikes, among many other pressures. Any one of them would be enough to be a big problem, but all of them together? It’s a receipt for the loss of entire species.

Thankfully window strikes are one of the (relatively) easier ones to fix. And these small actions can make a huge difference to migrating birds, as well as those that hang around during the day. Every bird that survives is another that can potentially contribute to the next generation of that species; every bird lost prematurely is a permanent loss to the gene pool. Doesn’t it make sense, then, to do whatever we can to help them?

Species portrayed: Cooper’s hawk (Accipiter cooperii), northern cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis), varied thrush (Ixoreus naevius), blue jay (Cyanocitta cristata), house finch (Haemorhous mexicanus), snake plant (Dracaena trifasciata), human (Homo sapiens), Pacific wren (Troglodytes pacificus)

Transcript under cut.

[Title: Bird Window Strikes]

[First panel: A Coopers hawk crashes into a glass window with a loud THUNK.] have you ever been at home, and all of a sudden…A bird hits your window?

[Second panel: A northern cardinal flies past a tree and bush toward a window, seeing the reflection of the tree and bush in the glass. A thought bubble above his head shows a tree. An orange X marks the glass.] A 2014 study found that up to a billion birds each year die from window strikes. Some die upon impact; others die later from brain bleeding and other severe injuries. How does this happen? Birds may think the reflections of trees and other foliage are habitat, and fly right into the reflection.

 [Third panel: A varied thrush flies at night; below, the lights of a house shine enticingly to it.] However, a lot of window strikes happen at night, especially during spring and fall migrations. Migrating birds navigate by the stars, and artificial lights can disorient them. Houses and other low profile buildings account for most of the deadly collisions.

[Fourth panel: Three bird silhouettes are next to a red X. A series of dots are next to a green checkmark.] How can we save birds? Start by putting a patterned film on your windows to make them visible to birds. Cutouts won’t cut it, as birds just fly between them. Smaller, closer-knit patterns are better.

[Fifth panel: A blue jay sits on a feeder on a post a few feet away from a window. A house finch sits on a feeder mounted directly to the window.] Hang feeders right on the window, or at least 30 inches away. You can also put a screen or tight-fitting net over the window to give birds a visual barrier.

[Sixth panel: A man closes the curtains on his window while looking out at the nighttime sky.] At night, turn off unnecessary lights, especially outside. Close blinds and curtains to minimize outdoor light.

[Seventh panel: A Pacific wren sits on a towel in a cardboard box.] If you find a windowstruck bird, it is in a closed box or under a basket. Do not offer food or water. If the bird becomes more alert and active, release it. Otherwise, seek help from a wildlife rehab. And remember that prevention is the best treatment!

[windowstruck]

UPDATE

[windowstruck]

UPDATE

[turntechyaoihead]

[windowstruck]

Update this month will be postponed temporarily until I get new fans in my PC. They've gone bad. 2 of em. God despises me.

[windowstruck]

[windowstruck]

Update is guaranteed to not come out on the 1st this month. My computer fans are here, but I need to wait for my dad to put them in for me. I'm such a dumb chud.