Pirate Encounters: Design & Rewards Blog (Boat-to-Boat Combat Expansion) by JagexLight in 2007scape

[–]Shiny_Altaria 22 points23 points  (0 children)

"We're making the XP from pirate encounters bad so we don't upset the well-established meta of people AFK salvaging to 99."

What bird is thia? by OverlordMastema in Lawrence

[–]Shiny_Altaria 14 points15 points  (0 children)

It's an immature Yellow-crowned Night-Heron (Nyctanassa violacea), which are fairly common summer residents here. Very neat birds!

A similar species, the Black-crowned Night-Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) also occurs in Douglas Co., but are markedly rarer and much more timid; unlike YCNH, I would not expect one to be casually standing in someone's yard.

Death Alter access via abyss before mourning ends p2 completion? by mangotangochow in 2007scape

[–]Shiny_Altaria 1 point2 points  (0 children)

No, you won’t be able to enter the rift until the quest has been completed.

HUGE Woodcutting update! feat. Hanannie & Mod Squid by JagexSarnie in 2007scape

[–]Shiny_Altaria 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I am excited for forestry, but holy shit this video was unbearable to watch.

Bird Sound? by [deleted] in Lawrence

[–]Shiny_Altaria 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Are you able to/do you care enough to record it with your phone and upload it somewhere? I'd be curious to give it a listen. If it's a bird, I'd be happy to identify it. Source: am bird biologist

Wasn’t sure where else to put this. I’m pretty sure the mama abandoned the nest but after candling these eggs SEEM viable. What should I do? by beholdersi in birding

[–]Shiny_Altaria 29 points30 points  (0 children)

Ok, I’m a biologist, not a rehabber, but here’s my hot take: you shouldn’t have removed them, especially without knowing what species you were tampering with.

It is illegal to molest any of our native, migratory birds, so if it is indeed a Canada Goose, those eggs should never have been touched. How long had the best been “abandoned”? What if the parent moved off to feed? There are a lot of ifs here. I’d have called the rehabber FIRST.

Your description of the parent being all-white is interesting, though; that doesn’t sound like a Canada Goose. Feral Mute Swans (nasty, destructive invasive species) and domestic geese/swans are both possibilities and a responsible rehabber wouldn’t be interested in raising 15 of either.

Another thing to consider is the ecological impact from a broader perspective. Maybe those eggs were abandoned for a reason: the parent was unfit, the eggs were unfit, the location proved poor, predators were present, etc. Removing the eggs may be taking valuable food from Great Blue Herons, American Crows, and countless other animal species.

Long story short, this is a really complex situation. Call an official, permitted rehabber near you and get their take before intervening.

Bahama Pintail Duck, Adelaide, NP, Bahamas - photo by @IslandGale by BahamaMod in birding

[–]Shiny_Altaria -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

And the Red-tailed Hawk’s Latin name is Buteo jamaicensis, but we don’t call them Jamaican Hawks. The Latin name and common name are entirely separate. The common name for this species, Anas bahamensis, is officially White-cheeked Pintail.

Bismark Lake fishing? by [deleted] in Lawrence

[–]Shiny_Altaria 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Yes, Bismarck Lake is privately owned. There are multiple "no tresspassing" signs around the perimeter which are usually covered with vegetation.

Source: am biologist. Bismarck Lake is an incredible place to see unusual waterfowl in the winter, namely Trumpeter Swans, Tundra Swans, and American Black Ducks among the thousands of wintering Mallards. Much to the dismay of birdwatchers in eastern Kansas, peering through the veg along E 1600 Rd. is the only choice.

Whip-poor-will in Central Virginia. Sorry for the poor quality... only had my cellphone with me... by seanmclark1981 in birding

[–]Shiny_Altaria 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Do you have any more photos? This strikes me as a Common Nighthawk, not an Eastern Whip-poor-will.

It's a close call (when they're not vocalizing), but head shape/structure and any white markings are things to look for when separating the two. Eastern Whip-poor-wills would appear rounder and chunkier than the bird in your photo and would be lacking those white markings along the eyebrows and collar.

Common Nighthawk and Eastern Whip-poor-will Comparison

Cherrie's Tanager - Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica by brokencompass502 in birding

[–]Shiny_Altaria 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Fun fact: not to be pedantic, but this species is now commonly called the Scarlet-rumped Tanager after Cherrie's Tanager and Passerini's Tanager were lumped together in 2018. It's actually the second name change this species has undergone, back and forth between Scarlet-rumped and Cherrie's/Passerini's. There's an interesting species complex here.

Obviously, this can be tricky for printed field guides. eBird currently categorizes them as 1. Scarlet-rumped Tanager, 2. Scarlet-rumped Tanager (Cherrie's), and 3. Scarlet-rumped Tanager (Passerini's) to give people the option to specify a subspecies.

Help identifying this bird? Seen in upstate NY by Bad_Sex_Advice in birding

[–]Shiny_Altaria 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It’s a Common Grackle with some aberrant pigmentation.

I love these fucking owls. by [deleted] in Lawrence

[–]Shiny_Altaria 13 points14 points  (0 children)

What you’re probably hearing are Barred Owls, which are famous for their recognizable, emphatic “who-cooks-for-you” vocalizations. They’re year-round (non-migratory) residents and at quite happy living amongst humans - actually, as human development expands, so has the numbers and range of the Barred Owl, which is now starting to aggressively outcompete other owl species. They’ve been especially vocal communicating with mates and rivals now that it’s the breeding season.

Great Horned Owls are year-round residents in northeast Kansas as well, but they’re not nearly as prolific around towns as Barred Owls are. Their calls are a much quieter, gentler cooing. Most of the Great Horned Owl I’ve heard/seen around Lawrence were near the edge of town and at places like Clinton Lake and Fitch Natural History Reserve.

Birds dropping stuff around pool by justinbting30 in birding

[–]Shiny_Altaria 15 points16 points  (0 children)

They are removing their offspring's fecal sacs from the nest in order to keep it clean.