Cool Birds - Blog Posts
gourmetbiologist on ig
Favorite bird genre has got to be 'that's literally just a dinosaur'
Groove-Billed Ani
Hoatzin
Pheasant Coucal
yessss I gotta start wingspanposting. Hey you, play Wingspan. it's a boardgame about placing birds in habitats and building points using their effects. It's got very good Steam/Switch versions that add lovely audio clips of their calls, in addition to the beautiful hand painted art each bird gets. Really scratches the shit out of my birdwatching and card game/engine building itches simultaneously.
The base game is North American birds, but for me nothing beats the Oceania expansion. Being able to build a point-raking engine out of your backyard bird faves is really an unmatched experience imo.
GST + TFM my beloveds. I know I was just glazing the artwork but imho they don't do justice to how handsome the Grey Shrikethrush is irl.
Another really good part is that Wingspan has a rock-solid Solitaire mode with adjustable difficulty and extra features. There's no attacking or removal or any hostile interaction between players, so any potential background frustration levels typical of games like it is mostly evaporated. On top of that, Wingspan never drags on. it's always four rounds of a diminishing number of turns each, so games always pan out to like 45 minutes. As much as I love a week-long game of Twilight Imperium, (for another post, don't get me started) table space is a thing that's a thing. Play Wingspan!
hhhh I need to do a formal ranking of my fave birds cos Lyrebird is *up there*. I get to glimpse them every now and then when I go out bush. closest encounter was outside camp after a hike at the Cathedral Ranges, but I'll most reliably come across one over Mallacoota/Genoa way visiting family. exceedingly cool creatures.
This is approved by the husband
After shoving Hansel in the oven, the witch turns to Gretel - who is currently fending the witch off with a gingerbread chair - and says:
“I can’t believe you thought a trail of breadcrumbs would save you. I mean, honestly, this is a forest! It’s full of animals. Honestly, the very idea that a dumb shit like you thought you could get the better of me is absurd.”
Gretel hits her in the face with said chair. To be fair to the witch, she takes the chairshot like a champ.
“Ow!”
“Did you know,” says Gretel, “that crows are capable of facial recognition?”
“Eh?” Says the witch, clambering to her feet and pulling a candy cane sledgehammer off the wall. “What’s that got to do with anything?”
“Not only that,” Gretel continues, “but they can remember both friends and enemies. And they’ll often follow people they remember as friends.”
The two fence with their sugared weapons for a moment, before the witch knocks the chair out of Gretel’s hands.
“Enough with the bird facts! Honestly, this whole attempted escape has been utter clownshoes. Get in the fucking oven!”
She seizes Gretel by the collar. Gretel immediately sandbags, letting her whole body go limp. This eminently practical defense forces the witch to try and deadlift her. Which is hard, as the witch often skips leg day.
“For example,” Gretel says, as the witch struggles and grunts, “if you feed crows a lot of breadcrumbs, they’ll probably start to see you as a friend and follow you in the hope of more food.”
The witch stops. Outside, she hears the thunder of wings.
“They’ll even bring you shiny things they find as presents!” Says Gretel, as a corner of the gingerbread ceiling is suddenly cut away by a large crow with a knife in its mouth.
“Oh shitballs.” Says the witch, as the crows descend. “I hope you know this is a great unkindness.”
“Technically,” Says Gretel, “It’s a murder.”
Sterna hirundo - Common Tern
Man, I love terns. Especially when they swoop down and hit people in the head.
Alca torda - Razorbill
Another great bird I got to see while in Maine!