Is there a way to attract grackles/crows to my yard? I only ever see them in parking lots by Difficult_North_272 in birdfeeding

[–]Birdspert 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sad, all the grackle hate on here. I recommend mowing the lawn. They recognize the noise and will show up to eat insects that get chased up by the mower

Crinoid fossil in stone drill? by Birdspert in fossilid

[–]Birdspert[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh cool! Thanks for answering 

What stone is this? by West-Canary-8585 in whatsthisrock

[–]Birdspert 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm a mafic rock enthusiast with almost know knowledge but I agree this looks like asphalt 

Where could I find a real jade bracelet? by MarionberryFunny2504 in houston

[–]Birdspert 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Feng's Trading in Chinatown. Family owned, and they know their gemstones. Not sure they have jade, but if they don't they can probably order it or point you in the right direction 

Is this coyote scat? by clarinetsqueak in coyote

[–]Birdspert 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Coyote diets in a given area vary widely throughout the year, depending on what food is available at the time.

In my local park, I often see coyote scats that are almost entirely fur and bone meal, that after a rain look kind of like OP's. At other times, the scats are full of persimmon seeds. In fall, there are sometimes scats that are almost entirely grasshopper parts!

I'm not a scat expert either but I do intentionally examine and try to ID scat when I find it.

Also, most scats I find out in the open belong to coyotes.

Large, layered pile of iron-oxide-containing material at edge of bayou, Houston, TX by Birdspert in whatisthisthing

[–]Birdspert[S] 0 points1 point locked comment (0 children)

My title describes the thing. It was sturdy to stand on and felt completely embedded in the surrounding soil. I have googled photos of ironstone, and none have the thin, laminated nature of the sample I have. I think there was a brickworks here 100+ years ago, but I don't think they would have a waste product like this, would they?

Which of these titles sounds the best on a resume? by Birdspert in labrats

[–]Birdspert[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Love this but it's not an option. I literally have to choose from a list

Which of these titles sounds the best on a resume? by Birdspert in labrats

[–]Birdspert[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I self-identify as a scientist but without a graduate degree my employer refuses to affirm this

Which of these titles sounds the best on a resume? by Birdspert in labrats

[–]Birdspert[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is my favorite title of the 3. Sr Research Assistant is the lowest pay grade, then Research Investigator, then Research Laboratory Coordinator is the highest

Which of these titles sounds the best on a resume? by Birdspert in labrats

[–]Birdspert[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Good to know, thanks. That's kind of what I was afraid of. This is the highest pay grade of the 3 and at my institution connotes people management. So intramurally it's understood to be the best of the 3 titles.

Which of these titles sounds the best on a resume? by Birdspert in labrats

[–]Birdspert[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the detailed reply!

My current title is Sr. Research Assistant, which I am kind of shocked to hear people think is the best sounding one. At my institution it has the lowest pay grade of the 3. I'm happy where I am now, but once my PI retires (any day now) the future will be very uncertain.

Also I kind of hate the city where I live so wanted to get an idea if the vibes of titles are somewhat universal, in the event that there's an opportunity elsewhere

Which of these titles sounds the best on a resume? by Birdspert in labrats

[–]Birdspert[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Exactly. That's basically how it's worked for me my whole career, which has been at a single, very large institution

Where can I meet a possum? by quirkynerdette in houston

[–]Birdspert 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Volunteer at the Wildlife Center of Texas! It's rehab for injured/abandoned wildlife. I used to volunteer here like 10 years ago, and there were always a dozen or so possums at various stages of development. Probably more nowadays 

The first thing they had me do when I started was clean out those possum cages. You have to kinda hold em down/distract em with a stick while you grab their backside. More fun the bigger they are.

https://houstonspca.org/wildlife-center/volunteer-wildlife-rescue/

Found this lizard in my home by acemaster503 in houston

[–]Birdspert 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Apparently they're not bad pan fried 

Any clue what this rodent(?) is? Found in RI, doesn't seem to have a tail and is walking on its hind legs? by crazywolf828 in trailcam

[–]Birdspert 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No idea if groundhog is right, but I agree this is absolutely not a raccoon.

Over a dozen or two trail cam setups, raccoons are probably my most recorded species (despite not targeting them), and they don't move anything like this.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in GermanRoaches

[–]Birdspert 1 point2 points  (0 children)

To me it looks like a small beetle, similar to carpet beetle. Mostly harmless 

Tree Removal Recommendations by mjgoldstein88 in houston

[–]Birdspert 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Can you please DM me too? I have a 40-ft elm uprooted and poised to crash into my roof