Bird Nerds Here

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Edgy MD
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Re: Bird Nerds Here

Post by Edgy MD » Sat Apr 08, 2023 10:58 pm

My friend and former landlord Sonny is an avid birder. He gets up early in the morning and heads out to the park alone, often getting metsirish-quality shots of woodland birds, but also terrifying shots of herons going fishing, and raptors doing their hunting.

Check out this amazing narrative.

Sonny spots Mr. Osprey scoping the river for any breakfast that might be out there.



Before making his play, Osprey scouts above to see if he himself isn't being stalked. He's heard there's been some trouble coming from above.



Deciding it's "safe enough," the Osprey decides to go after that silvery shadow he saw down near the river's surface.



The claws are out, and the forecast isn't looking good for somebody in the river.



The sad loser of today's lottery-of-existence is Mr. Blue-Back Herring.



His catch secured, Mr. Osprey turns back to his nest to show the Missus that he isn't that useless after all.



But wait!! Arriving from nowhere, previously sensed by Mr. Osprey but until now unseen, comes Mr. American Bald Eagle. "Fuck you, Mr. Osprey!" he cries. "Gimme that herring!! I know Trump!!! America first or something!"




A couple of mornings ago, Sonny was following some herons with a camera when a car stopped on the bridge over him and tossed a kitty into the river. Sonny is a passionate man, and forced to choose between going in after the cat and chasing down and killing the driver of the car, I imagine he briefly thought of the latter, but he went for the cat instead, reached her alive, and pulled her to safety.



Today, he reports that, after a clean bill of health from the vet, his daughter has adopted the rescue-ee — now named Penelope — and promises to spoil her.

A Shaolin monk does not sell himself for a handful of rice.
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The Hot Corner
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Re: Bird Nerds Here

Post by The Hot Corner » Sat Apr 08, 2023 11:10 pm

i hate that the poor Osprey didn't get a chance to impress the Mrs. with his catch of the day, but thrilled to see that Sonny made a nice save of a very fortunate Miss Penelope.
When did the choices get so hard
With so much more at stake
Life gets mighty precious
When there's less of it to waste
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kcmets
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Re: Bird Nerds Here

Post by kcmets » Sat Apr 08, 2023 11:15 pm

Who the hell throws cats off bridges into a river?
#lgm #ygb #ymdyf
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Re: Bird Nerds Here

Post by Edgy MD » Sat Apr 08, 2023 11:38 pm

You figure that's just some shit of urban legend, and then you witness it for yourself.

Somebody smart enough to secure a driver's license somehow couldn't think of any other way to shed a cat. In 2023.
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metirish
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Re: Bird Nerds Here

Post by metirish » Sun Apr 09, 2023 9:24 am

Amazing Osprey shots , poor cat , good stuff Sonny

I just got back from shooting Osprey , anyway of posting Instagram pix here ?

Anyway my IG is birds_of_the_bronx
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The Hot Corner
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Re: Bird Nerds Here

Post by The Hot Corner » Mon Apr 10, 2023 9:04 am

kcmets wrote: Sat Apr 08, 2023 11:15 pm Who the hell throws cats off bridges into a river?
There are some truly sick, messed up people in the world.
When did the choices get so hard
With so much more at stake
Life gets mighty precious
When there's less of it to waste
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Frayed Knot
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Re: Bird Nerds Here

Post by Frayed Knot » Mon Apr 10, 2023 9:41 am

The confluence of this thread with the Masters golf tourney this past weekend reminds me of my favorite 'Bird Nerd' story.

The Masters, presented continuously by CBS for the last fifty decades or so and held on the grounds of a former nursery where each hole is not just numbered
but is also named for a different plant or tree, is as much presented as a story of nature's springtime renewal as it is a top level golf tournament. So anyway,
one year a self-described bird nerd is watching and hears, as part of the background noise of the telecast, tweets from a bird he knows is not found in Georgia
or the general area of the southeastern U.S. He calls CBS on it and in time gets them to admit that at least some of the background audio coming through your
TV set is not, as is certainly implied, merely ambient sound from the course itself but rather is part of a piped-in soundtrack that the network added into their
product as an attempt to enhance the theme of nature in its natural state.

Busted by a Bird Nerd!!
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MFS62
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Re: Bird Nerds Here

Post by MFS62 » Mon Apr 10, 2023 1:24 pm

The Hot Corner wrote: Mon Apr 10, 2023 9:04 am
kcmets wrote: Sat Apr 08, 2023 11:15 pm Who the hell throws cats off bridges into a river?
There are some truly sick, messed up people in the world.
When serial killers are finally caught, their background story often includes killing small animals.
Later
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kcmets
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Re: Bird Nerds Here

Post by kcmets » Mon Apr 10, 2023 1:42 pm

Everything anyone needs to know about a yellow-bellied sapsucker*.

* the bird, not the aforementioned boy scout patrol members.
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whippoorwill
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Re: Bird Nerds Here

Post by whippoorwill » Mon Apr 10, 2023 8:17 pm

kcmets wrote: Sat Apr 08, 2023 11:15 pm Who the hell throws cats off bridges into a river?
That is terrible!!!! Thank him for rescuing this kitty!
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Edgy MD
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Re: Bird Nerds Here

Post by Edgy MD » Mon Apr 10, 2023 8:33 pm

I sure have. You can thank him, too!

And tell him how awesome this shot he got this morning is.

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Re: Bird Nerds Here

Post by Frayed Knot » Mon Apr 10, 2023 9:01 pm

A dove decided that one of my unused planter baskets hanging outside the front door was essentially a pre-made nest (just a minor fixer-upper) so as of this morning she's out there sitting on a single egg.


https://www.instagram.com/p/Cq34HS2JkFr ... MyMTA2M2Y=
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kcmets
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Re: Bird Nerds Here

Post by kcmets » Mon Apr 10, 2023 9:07 pm

That's pretty cool, you should dig up a worm for her in the morning.
She's 'eating for two.'
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whippoorwill
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Re: Bird Nerds Here

Post by whippoorwill » Mon Apr 10, 2023 9:13 pm

Edgy MD wrote: Mon Apr 10, 2023 8:33 pm I sure have. You can thank him, too!

And tell him how awesome this shot he got this morning is.

I thanked him! I hope he realizes whom I meant because I called you ‘Edgy’
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whippoorwill
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Re: Bird Nerds Here

Post by whippoorwill » Mon Apr 10, 2023 9:15 pm

Frayed Knot wrote: Mon Apr 10, 2023 9:01 pm A dove decided that one of my unused planter baskets hanging outside the front door was essentially a pre-made nest (just a minor fixer-upper) so as of this morning she's out there sitting on a single egg.


https://www.instagram.com/p/Cq34HS2JkFr ... MyMTA2M2Y=
And I love this!
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nymr83
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Re: Bird Nerds Here

Post by nymr83 » Mon Apr 10, 2023 9:16 pm

The Hot Corner wrote: Sat Apr 08, 2023 11:10 pm i hate that the poor Osprey didn't get a chance to impress the Mrs. with his catch of the day, but thrilled to see that Sonny made a nice save of a very fortunate Miss Penelope.
I was rooting for the eagle.

I root for birds in my yard at the bird feeder too, mostly based on which ones I think my kids will want to see most - the bluejays and the woodpeckers are favorites. The sparrows are almost as unwelcome as a squirrel.
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whippoorwill
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Re: Bird Nerds Here

Post by whippoorwill » Mon Apr 10, 2023 9:17 pm

I love ‘em all!

We always compliment Mrs Cardinal on her lovely lipstick :)
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Edgy MD
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Re: Bird Nerds Here

Post by Edgy MD » Mon Apr 10, 2023 9:18 pm

whippoorwill wrote: Mon Apr 10, 2023 9:13 pmI thanked him! I hope he realizes whom I meant because I called you ‘Edgy’
I've only ever been "Edgy" here. I imagine he'll have no idea. But thank you for thanking. He deserves it.

As for my backyard birds, we've got some murderous grackles.
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Re: Bird Nerds Here

Post by nymr83 » Mon Apr 10, 2023 9:19 pm

Edgy MD wrote: Sat Apr 08, 2023 11:38 pm You figure that's just some shit of urban legend, and then you witness it for yourself.

Somebody smart enough to secure a driver's license somehow couldn't think of any other way to shed a cat. In 2023.
You are making an assumption that they were driving legally. While normally a strong assumption about anyone behind the wheel of a car, I'm not sure people who throw cats off bridges can be assumed to have gone through the trouble of acquiring a license
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Frayed Knot
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Re: Bird Nerds Here

Post by Frayed Knot » Mon Apr 10, 2023 9:26 pm

kcmets wrote: Mon Apr 10, 2023 9:07 pm That's pretty cool, you should dig up a worm for her in the morning.
She's 'eating for two.'
btw, I know it's only one egg as she flew off the first time I came outside the door. Since discovering her/it I've trod more
lightly and quietly and she stays put even though we're essentially eye-to-eye as I pass scarcely more than foot away.
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whippoorwill
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Re: Bird Nerds Here

Post by whippoorwill » Tue Apr 11, 2023 10:49 am

Edgy MD wrote: Mon Apr 10, 2023 9:18 pm
whippoorwill wrote: Mon Apr 10, 2023 9:13 pmI thanked him! I hope he realizes whom I meant because I called you ‘Edgy’
I've only ever been "Edgy" here. I imagine he'll have no idea. But thank you for thanking. He deserves it.

As for my backyard birds, we've got some murderous grackles.
He was very gracious lol. Probably puzzled, but gracious.
(‘Who is this random Pennsylvania woman thanking me, etc etc…’)
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MFS62
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Re: Bird Nerds Here

Post by MFS62 » Tue Apr 11, 2023 1:30 pm

Saw a hawk in the tree about 20 feet from my house, looking toward the bush that our bunnies and groundhog call home. It flew off after about 10 minutes to hunt elsewhere. Our critters were too smart (or scared) to come out.
Later
"It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness". William Lonsdale Watkinson
I have never insulted anyone. I simply describe them, accurately.
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whippoorwill
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Re: Bird Nerds Here

Post by whippoorwill » Tue Apr 11, 2023 3:24 pm

I think of your groundhog as a big brother to the bunnies :)
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Re: Bird Nerds Here

Post by Frayed Knot » Wed Apr 26, 2023 7:56 pm

And now I'm alone, my bird has flown.

Came home from work today to find my planter-turned-nest empty. No dove, no eggs, no sign of young'uns, or really of any evidence that Ernestine (yes, I had named her in the interim) had been there virtually every minute over the past two weeks.
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metirish
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Re: Bird Nerds Here

Post by metirish » Wed Apr 26, 2023 8:32 pm

Hopefully they fledged and not met you foul play
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