This bird is a future historian writing about a society that ignored the will of its people, forcing them to live impoverished lives, suffering and dying in pain, prevented from accessing comforts – while also strongly encouraged to partake in the free flow of alcohol and guns. This bird wants to know why no one foresaw the inevitable and obvious consequences.
Some things just don’t make sense to birds.
This crane’s hood was given to her by Granny Weatherwax.
Elk wondering if every generation is actually right about the impending end of the world and each subsequent generation doesn’t notice because they grew up in the former generation’s apocalyptic wasteland thinking that was normal.
This is an ultraviolet photo of a purple grenadier.
See, I had a theory. Since birds have developed UV vision at multiple times in their evolutionary process, and birds are so focused on plumage for breeding, then it would make sense that some birds would develop ultraviolet plumage. This makes even more sense when you stop to think about how feather colour works, as it’s refraction, not pigmentation. Since many known pigments break down under UV light, it is more reasonable to think that birds would have a UV signature than animals like lizards or mammals.
So this summer I took my UV camera around to look at all the birds. I only found one species – the purple grenadier – that has a strong and obvious UV signature in the feathers (there are some birds that have UV markings on the bills of baby birds so the parents can feed them more easily). Check out this page for what it looks like in visible light: http://www.finchinfo.com/birds/finches/species/purple_grenadier.php
Yes, all that’s happened is that the purple areas turned white, but the white is a very special white. See, my UV camera isn’t all that great at detecting UV (most aren’t), and very few things are white outside of the sun and bright reflections of the sun. To bird eyes, it is likely that the white parts of this bird gleam as bright as the sun – even in shadow. The feathers are that reflective.
If their predators see in a different wavelength than their potential mates do, this adaptation may blend camouflage with the vibrant mating colours in a way that I’ve never heard of happening in any other species.
It’s hard to do this photography in Minnesota, as we have so few days with a high UV index, but I hope to take more photos when I head south. Maybe other birds do this too.
This gorilla believes you need more practice crafting excuses for late work and is patiently waiting to remind you that the dates in the syllabus are invariant.
Awaiting a witness
After rolling for initiative, the bear attacks first.
Turkey vulture who seems to have misplaced John Wayne, his prairie song, his happy ending, and every single cowboy.
A joyful unkindness.
This frog politely suggests that if someone did not choose X or they cannot change X, then it is unfair to tease them about X and jokes about X are not funny.
“Thy food shall be
The fresh-brook muscles, wither’d roots and husks
Wherein the acorn cradled.”
This is a preserved egg from the Great Auk, now extinct.
The last known living egg was smashed by Ketill Ketilsson on June 3rd, 1844 as he helped his friends Jón Brandsson and Sigurður Ísleifsson kill the parents.
They were valuable, you see. Due to their rarity.
It can be hard to focus the camera on nocturnal animals, but I think I’m getting better.
Despite the clip art to the contrary, crocodiles are not well equipped to wear spectacles.
Aaah!
There’s a spider in your screen!
Get it out! Get it out!
“Let me no more from this obedience rise,
Which my most inward true and duteous spirit
Teacheth, this prostrate and exterior bending.”
The gaboon viper has triangles pointing towards their eyes so they can always be looking sharp.
British zoos sure seem to have bigger flocks than the US ones do.
Peppermint shrimp are misnamed and actually taste like spearmint.
The zoo’s sign states:
“Kelang has been at the Gladys Porter Zoo since the year 2000. This exhibit is her home. Even though she doesn’t look as good as she did many years, she is as happy as a very old bear can be.”
The zoo has to say this because the “keep them in the wild” people not only don’t understand just how little “wild” there is left on this planet, but would rather animals die young, in pain, from illness and injury, than live out their lives in relative comfort.