Here There Be Gryphonist

(she/her) Theeking my nest with all the shiny trinkets the internet has to offer.

[vitabreva]

[herpsandbirds]

Hello! Thank you for running this blog! I love birds and I've learned about so many new ones from you.

I'm going to Tucson, AZ in a couple of weeks and I plan to do some birdwatching! Are there any particular bird species I should keep my eyes out for? I'm definitely looking for Roadrunners and Harris' Hawks (and maybe some Summer Tanagers).

Also, would you send a picture of a Harris' Hawk, please? They are one of my favorites.

Thank you!

Oh, oh ,oh, I have some favorite Tucson area birds for you...

or at least nearby.

Harris’s Hawk (Parabuteo unicinctus), family Accipitridae, order Accipitriformes, Arizona, USA

photograph by Martin Molina

Greater Roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus), family Cuculidae, order Cuculiformes, TX, USA

photograph by Conrad Wothe

Phainopepla (Phainopepla nitens), male, family Ptiliogonatidae, order Passeriformes, Big Bend National Park, West TX, USA

photograph by Chris Layden

Verdin (Auriparus flaviceps), family Remizidae, order Passeriformes, Anza Borrego Desert State Park, California, USA

photograph by Alan D. Wilson NaturesPicsOnline

Townsend's Solitaire (Myadestes townsendi), family Turdidae, order Passeriformes, CO, USA

photograph by Polinova

Crissal Thrasher (Toxostoma crissale), family Mimidae, order Passeriformes, NV, USA

photograph by Adam Dudley

Cactus Wren (Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus), family Troglodytidae, order Passeriformes, Southern CA, USA

photograph by Robert Hamilton

Ladder-backed Woodpecker (Dryobates scalaris), male, family Picidae, Tres Ríos Wetlands, Arizona, USA

photograph by Anel Sandoval

Gambel’s Quail (Callipepla gambelii), male, family Odontophoridae, order Galliformes, Arizona, USA

photograph by Christopher Gutierrez

[gryphonist]

Ahhhhhn thank you so much! I'm looking forward to meeting these new friends!

Oooh, that Phainopepla has such a dramatic look!

And I can't believe I forgot about the Cactus Wren!

Thank you, thank you!

[gryphonist]

So far, from this list, I have seen:

* Cactus Wren

* Verdin

* Gambel's Quail

Not to mention the birds that aren't on this list that I've seen. Looking forward to many more!

[gryphonist]

Add the Greater Roadrunner to that list!

Tucson, thank you for sending me your most iconic birb on my last night there! I look forward to more birbs when I return!

[herpsandbirds]

Hello! Thank you for running this blog! I love birds and I've learned about so many new ones from you.

I'm going to Tucson, AZ in a couple of weeks and I plan to do some birdwatching! Are there any particular bird species I should keep my eyes out for? I'm definitely looking for Roadrunners and Harris' Hawks (and maybe some Summer Tanagers).

Also, would you send a picture of a Harris' Hawk, please? They are one of my favorites.

Thank you!

Oh, oh ,oh, I have some favorite Tucson area birds for you...

or at least nearby.

Harris’s Hawk (Parabuteo unicinctus), family Accipitridae, order Accipitriformes, Arizona, USA

photograph by Martin Molina

Greater Roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus), family Cuculidae, order Cuculiformes, TX, USA

photograph by Conrad Wothe

Phainopepla (Phainopepla nitens), male, family Ptiliogonatidae, order Passeriformes, Big Bend National Park, West TX, USA

photograph by Chris Layden

Verdin (Auriparus flaviceps), family Remizidae, order Passeriformes, Anza Borrego Desert State Park, California, USA

photograph by Alan D. Wilson NaturesPicsOnline

Townsend's Solitaire (Myadestes townsendi), family Turdidae, order Passeriformes, CO, USA

photograph by Polinova

Crissal Thrasher (Toxostoma crissale), family Mimidae, order Passeriformes, NV, USA

photograph by Adam Dudley

Cactus Wren (Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus), family Troglodytidae, order Passeriformes, Southern CA, USA

photograph by Robert Hamilton

Ladder-backed Woodpecker (Dryobates scalaris), male, family Picidae, Tres Ríos Wetlands, Arizona, USA

photograph by Anel Sandoval

Gambel’s Quail (Callipepla gambelii), male, family Odontophoridae, order Galliformes, Arizona, USA

photograph by Christopher Gutierrez

[gryphonist]

Ahhhhhn thank you so much! I'm looking forward to meeting these new friends!

Oooh, that Phainopepla has such a dramatic look!

And I can't believe I forgot about the Cactus Wren!

Thank you, thank you!

[gryphonist]

So far, from this list, I have seen:

* Cactus Wren

* Verdin

* Gambel's Quail

Not to mention the birds that aren't on this list that I've seen. Looking forward to many more!

[herpsandbirds]

Hello! Thank you for running this blog! I love birds and I've learned about so many new ones from you.

I'm going to Tucson, AZ in a couple of weeks and I plan to do some birdwatching! Are there any particular bird species I should keep my eyes out for? I'm definitely looking for Roadrunners and Harris' Hawks (and maybe some Summer Tanagers).

Also, would you send a picture of a Harris' Hawk, please? They are one of my favorites.

Thank you!

Oh, oh ,oh, I have some favorite Tucson area birds for you...

or at least nearby.

Harris’s Hawk (Parabuteo unicinctus), family Accipitridae, order Accipitriformes, Arizona, USA

photograph by Martin Molina

Greater Roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus), family Cuculidae, order Cuculiformes, TX, USA

photograph by Conrad Wothe

Phainopepla (Phainopepla nitens), male, family Ptiliogonatidae, order Passeriformes, Big Bend National Park, West TX, USA

photograph by Chris Layden

Verdin (Auriparus flaviceps), family Remizidae, order Passeriformes, Anza Borrego Desert State Park, California, USA

photograph by Alan D. Wilson NaturesPicsOnline

Townsend's Solitaire (Myadestes townsendi), family Turdidae, order Passeriformes, CO, USA

photograph by Polinova

Crissal Thrasher (Toxostoma crissale), family Mimidae, order Passeriformes, NV, USA

photograph by Adam Dudley

Cactus Wren (Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus), family Troglodytidae, order Passeriformes, Southern CA, USA

photograph by Robert Hamilton

Ladder-backed Woodpecker (Dryobates scalaris), male, family Picidae, Tres Ríos Wetlands, Arizona, USA

photograph by Anel Sandoval

Gambel’s Quail (Callipepla gambelii), male, family Odontophoridae, order Galliformes, Arizona, USA

photograph by Christopher Gutierrez

[gryphonist]

Ahhhhh, thank you so much! I'm looking forward to meeting these new friends!

Oooh, that Phainopepla has such a dramatic look!

And I can't believe I forgot about the Cactus Wren!

Thank you, thank you!

[clevermanka]

Multi-generational vulture nests hold 700 years of human artifacts

Crossbow bolts, sandals, slingshots, and more.

Among the centuries’ worth of eggshells, prey remains, and natural nesting material, researchers identified 226 objects that were either made or altered by humans. These included weaponry like a crossbow bolt and wooden lance, decorated sheep leather, and parts of a slingshot.  Using carbon dating, the team determined that the items also had a huge age range. For example, a shoe made from twigs and grass is around 675-years-old, while a basket is estimated to have been woven about 150 years ago. Beyond the manufactured relics of our species’ past, archaeologists also catalogued 2,117 bones, 86 hooves, and 43 eggshells. They even located 11 hair remains among the nesting layers. More analysis will provide a look into the surrounding area’s past environment, as well as its various flora and fauna.

[lyraeon]

my fellow americans, whatever noise it is you think these birds are about to make, you are wrong.

[minkytaro]

happy neil banging out the tunes day!

[spin-the-wheel-polls]

You can only drink the drink you get from this wheel for a month!

https://wheelofnames.com/uh3-8jf

how're you feeling?

Great!

okay, I could do it

okay, I couldn't do it

dead

horrible

im allergic/intolerant

Results

Voting ended onApr 9

[gryphonist]

Item: Headphones Rarity: ⏶ Common

Name a video game song you still have stuck in your head.

Feed your dashboard by answering my question, blogger.

Well, right now it's the Chemical Plant Zone theme from Sonic 2, but I get a lot of Zelda and Pokémon songs stuck in my head.

Now that I've mentioned Pokémon, here comes the Accumula Town theme.

[gryphonist]

Item: The Scream Rarity: ⏶ Common

What is the scariest game you've ever played?

Feed your dashboard by answering my question, blogger.

I don't like to play many scary games. Skyrim is probably the scariest I've gotten.

Though Sonic 2's Chemical Plant Zone caused me no end of anxiety...

[gryphonist]

Item: The Time Machine Rarity: ⏶ Common

What game do you associate most strongly with a specific time in your life?

Feed your dashboard by answering my question, blogger.

Ooooooooooh, so many!

Donkey Kong Country will always remind me of being a kid, passing around the SNES controller to my two neighborhood friends, making up our own little fan club, complete with proto-memes and homemade booklets to write the secrets we discovered. I think I still have mine--I drew Expresso the Ostrich on the cover.

[gryphonist]

[gryphonist]

Item: The Stunned Silence Rarity: ✶ Rare

What video game plot twist genuinely got you?

Feed your dashboard by answering my question, blogger.

Ooooooooooh, a rare one!

Honestly, when I was playing Pokémon Red as a kid, the moment when you realize your rival became the champion ahead of you was a huge shock. It made me even more eager to challenge him.

Jerk.

[gryphonist]

Item: An Old Key Rarity: ⏶ Common

What games have opened doors for you in real life?

Feed your dashboard by answering my question, blogger.

Well...

I wouldn't have become more than just acquaintances with my partner without the boom of Among Us during the early days of the pandemic. Does that count? XD

[gryphonist]

Item: A Crumpled Manual Rarity: ⏶ Common

Do you skip tutorials as fast as you can?

Feed your dashboard by answering my question, blogger.

Depends on how familiar I am with the gameplay. I absolutely want to understand games I don't know, and also... I don't need to be shown how to catch a Pokémon. XD

[gryphonist]

Item: The Couch Rarity: ⏶ Common

Couch co-op or online?

Feed your dashboard by answering my question, blogger.

Why choose? I love both! Online is how I do a lot of gaming with friends these days, but the proximity that couch co-op grants is so pleasant.

[jaubaius]

The curious dance moves of the Striped Cuckoo.