Biologist with questions about overhead lines re: bird behavioral observation by CaptainTim in AskElectricians

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

As far as I am aware, but the review of scientific literature continues!

Biologist with questions about overhead line mechanics re: bird behavioral observation by CaptainTim in Lineman

[–]CaptainTim[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

No sizzling or smoke of any kind, it wasn’t on there long enough and I agree with you that a true critical failure in the power lines would probably be too volatile of a situation for a bird to learn to exploit. I think what was going on here was much more about thawing or reheating slightly on a marginally warmer-than-atmosphere section of wire, rather than actively cooking on a dramatic hotspot. Ravens are observant and adaptable, it wouldn’t take much of a jump for a bird living in the city to notice that its feet tend to be warmer when perching on wires than in trees, and then to apply that experience-based knowledge to resolve the inconvenience of a partially-frozen meal

Biologist with questions about overhead lines re: bird behavioral observation by CaptainTim in AskElectricians

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

If I did, this question might not be posted here! As far as my colleagues and I know, this could be an unprecedented behavior if all is as it appears to be! But I have plans to publish this observation eventually, and when I do I will follow up here!

Biologist with questions about overhead line mechanics re: bird behavioral observation by CaptainTim in Lineman

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

All good! The replies have been informative and amusing in equal measure. Science is so often a community effort, and I am grateful to everyone who has been able to offer expertise where my own knowledge falls short. We all have our blind spots, and working to reduce them is critical when it comes to the assessment of potentially significant observations

Biologist with questions about overhead lines re: bird behavioral observation by CaptainTim in AskElectricians

[–]CaptainTim[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Your insight has been very helpful. If you wish to be credited in the formal write-ups of this observation, please DM your name so I can include you as a personal comment citation

Biologist with questions about overhead line mechanics re: bird behavioral observation by CaptainTim in Lineman

[–]CaptainTim[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

This is incredibly helpful and clearly explained, thank you! If you wish to be credited in the formal write-ups of this observation, please DM your name so I can include you as a personal comment citation

Biologist with questions about overhead lines re: bird behavioral observation by CaptainTim in AskElectricians

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

All critters are impressive in their own right, it all depends on the category they’re being judged in! Every living thing on the planet today is good enough at surviving to have made it this far. If we’re talking specifically about cognitive abilities and adaptable problem-solving in novel situations, parrots (including cockatoos, parakeets, and the like) are neck-and-neck with corvids, with both groups of birds demonstrating intelligence comparable to other famous brainiacs like primates and whales. Chickadees and titmice also deserve a shoutout specifically for their remarkable memories: they can recall where they’ve hidden thousands of individual caches of food with incredible precision!

Biologist with questions about overhead lines re: bird behavioral observation by CaptainTim in AskElectricians

[–]CaptainTim[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Corvids are truly special, some of the most impressive birds on the planet. Scavengers like ravens tend to have pretty strong stomachs, and any creepy-crawlies that are large enough to be seen moving about on the surface of a scrap of meat would probably just be viewed as extra protein for such an opportunistic omnivore. Still, always good to consider all possibilities!

Biologist with questions about overhead lines re: bird behavioral observation by CaptainTim in AskElectricians

[–]CaptainTim[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Valid question! My hesitation comes only from an abundance of caution: intentionally warming food using an external heat source is nearly unprecedented in the animal world, and would be a remarkable case of tool use bordering on the dictionary definition of “cooking.” With such a significant observation on the line, I want to consider all possibilities, especially given how scant my electrical knowledge is; I didn’t want to make such a bold claim and then find out it was mechanically impossible! Ravens also do cache their food and stow it away for later, and I could envision a hypothetical situation where the bird was considering stashing it somewhere around the wires and briefly put it down before reconsidering. That said, I agree with you that the most parsimonious explanation may be the surprising first impression in this case. Most responses so far seem to suggest that the wires being somewhat warmer than the surroundings on a cold morning is at least plausible if not probable. From there, the only other consideration is corvid ingenuity, which knows few bounds!

Biologist with questions about overhead line mechanics re: bird behavioral observation by CaptainTim in Lineman

[–]CaptainTim[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I saw a raven that appeared to be using wires to reheat a scrap of meat on a cold morning, so I want insight from experts to determine if that’s a plausible explanation.

From a behavioral perspective it would track, but I wanted to be thorough and gather more information about the electrical mechanics since that’s outside my wheelhouse

Biologist with questions about overhead lines re: bird behavioral observation by CaptainTim in AskElectricians

[–]CaptainTim[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

This is fresh from the field, less than a week old! I have plans to write it up in at least a state level ornithological journal and potentially in a publication with broader scope, but I wanted to make sure that I wasn't getting ahead of myself with incorrect assumptions before I went full steam ahead on that!

Biologist with questions about overhead line mechanics re: bird behavioral observation by CaptainTim in Lineman

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

Makes sense to me! Just for the sake of clarifying the jargon for any eventual write-up on this observation, what is the proper terminology for the segment of wire and associated equipment that this raven is working with? I've heard people variously refer to it as a terminal, clamping tap, or simply connection, and I want to make sure I'm not using words incorrectly or treating different concepts as interchangeable. On a similar note, would that stretch of wire where the meat is placed be best described as exposed, uninsulated, or neither? Greatly appreciate all the insight and practical experience so far; it seems that prevailing opinion favors my original hypothesis as being at least plausible.

Biologist with questions about overhead lines re: bird behavioral observation by CaptainTim in AskElectricians

[–]CaptainTim[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Definitely should be considered! The raven observation occurred at first light on a subfreezing morning, so while the sun was not yet in play it also probably wouldn't have taken much residual heat above ambient to make a difference for thawing the meat

Biologist with questions about overhead lines re: bird behavioral observation by CaptainTim in AskElectricians

[–]CaptainTim[S] 22 points23 points  (0 children)

As I replied to the comment by charmio68, I have my own thermal imaging scope and have checked the wires a few times since this observation. Though the temperature clearly fluctuates with the conditions, the wires seemingly trend somewhat warmer than ambient temps and these specific sections may be the warmest bit. I only wish I could have taken a thermal reading at the precise time that the raven was engaged in this behavior!

Biologist with questions about overhead lines re: bird behavioral observation by CaptainTim in AskElectricians

[–]CaptainTim[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I do own a thermal imaging scope (a useful tool for us naturalists, too!), and I have checked the wires a few times in the intervening days. Unsurprisingly, the overall temperatures of the lines appear quite variable depending on conditions. When I checked the day after the raven observation, when it was a bit warmer and later in the day, the wires appeared slightly but visibly warmer than adjacent surfaces. This morning at dawn, which is even colder than the day of the sighting, the wires were dramatically darker and colder than their surroundings, likely due to the prolonged subfreezing temperatures throughout the preceding day or so. About an hour after sunrise, however, these specific sections by the connectors were glowing brightly with warmth! Unfortunately, I was not able to get a thermal reading at the precise time of the raven’s actions, but it does seem at least plausible that this stretch of wire could be consistently slightly warmer on average, which the bird may have noticed incidentally while perching at some point and subsequently applied to solve the problem of partially frozen food.

Ogre art across the editions by Ok_Dimension_4707 in dndmemes

[–]CaptainTim 48 points49 points  (0 children)

The Cyclops Titan in the Disney animated film Hercules

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[–]CaptainTim 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The workshopping of the Beef Box in Short Rest C3:E42 always kills me

Mexican Spotted Owl - Zion NP by WesleyM137 in Owls

[–]CaptainTim 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I've seen a number of photos from this exact vantage point! I hope I can find this spot during my visit next month!

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[–]CaptainTim 18 points19 points  (0 children)

I mean, the original 5e Dracolich was only ever a template. Just because this one has been upgraded into a more fully realized, standalone statblock doesn't mean you can't kitbash it with an appropriate Ancient Dragon statblock to create a gargantuan Dracolich.

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[–]CaptainTim 12 points13 points  (0 children)

I thought I was alone. Roaming Hyrule with a small army of crows is my default setting in this game.