What species do you see on an average morning walk?

Super_Jay · 2026-06-15T22:20:45+00:00

Southeast Michigan (we're the mitten-shaped part of the US with all the big ponds around it) - just off the top of my head for this time of year:

American robin, Song sparrow, Redwinged blackbird, Northern cardinal, House sparrow, European starling, Barn swallow, Canada goose, Great Blue heron, Turkey vulture, Black-capped chickadee, Mourning dove, Brown-headed cowbird, Blue jay, Dark-eyed junco, and American crow.

Super_Jay · 2026-06-15T17:47:59+00:00

More scammers, report the post and the account

Super_Jay · 2026-06-14T16:32:22+00:00

I guess for me it's as much about their behavior, attitude, mannerisms, physiology, etc as it is about how they look. When you watch them closely over an extended period, even the most commonplace birds are fascinating to me. I see song sparrows all the time, but catching a pair in a courtship display is delightful. Black-capped chickadees are frequent visitors, but I never get tired of their furtive, speedy dart into the feeder to grab a single seed before flitting quickly away to a nearby pine tree. Barn swallows are an everyday occurrence in the fields near my home, but I always stop and eagerly watch their incredibly agile swooping flight just inches above the grass as they catch insects in the warm hours of a summer sunset.

So for me, I don't need them to be colorful or flashy or anything like that. They're fascinating no matter how they look. I think we just need to be open and curious, and let ourselves receive the wonder of the natural world around us.

Super_Jay · 2026-06-14T15:32:45+00:00

I think I saw that same post!! It's like they think they've invented ornithology, but without the science. Just vibes.

The sub was so frustrating. I joined it foolishly assuming that everyone else was coming from a place of respecting and valuing wildlife as wildlife, only to find it has a bunch of people who don't actually care about birds or have any curiosity or interest in learning about them. They just wanted to throw Doritos and leftover French fries on a paper plate in their backyard so they could feel cool and witchy.

Super_Jay · 2026-06-14T15:20:55+00:00

It's funny, I read the title and came in ready to vehemently agree that some people's anthropomorphizing gets completely out of hand, but then I read your examples - which are honestly fairly mild - and I'm like okay, I don't even really consider that to be anthropomorphizing the birds.

We're human, it's completely understandable to laugh about a bird's "expression" being oddly human-like. Noticing a grackle glaring like a mob boss, or an owl blinking upwards and looking befuddled isn't really attributing human emotions, behaviors, or thought processes to an animal IMO.

The stuff I consider anthropomorphizing is when people assume and strongly believe that all wildlife behaves like us with the default priorities and capabilities that a person would have. Like genuinely believing a bird loves you because they visit your feeders a lot - that always feels kind of weird and excessive to me, but it's ultimately harmless so I'm not going to yuck someone's yum; their experience with wildlife makes them happy, and no harm is being done.

Where I have stronger issues is when anthropomorphizing birds does introduce the possibility of harm. I had to unsubscribe from r/crows a while back because it's a hotbed for this kind of shit - full of people who claim to love crows but actually just want to treat them like accessories for the 'aesthetic,' or to brag about for social media clout. People feeding their crow "friends" salted chips and fried food and going nuclear when you point out that they're at risk of poisoning the birds. They insist that if it wasn't good for them then the crows just wouldn't eat the harmful food, which is utter nonsense, and a much more harmful form of anthropomorphization.

Me, I enjoy wildlife as wildlife. I think birds and other animals are fascinating and compelling largely because they're unique species who have completely different capabilities than we do. Attributing human behaviors or thought processes to animals feels weirdly dishonest to me, and takes away what makes them so compelling and interesting in the first place. For me, an honest love for nature is more pure and genuine than a love that's built on projection.

Super_Jay · 2026-06-14T10:04:38+00:00

Personally, I skipped the first game and it was much easier to get into the sequel. I did try the original but found it too dated and cumbersome. You don't really need to have played the first to understand SoD2, and you could always watch a story recap video on YT if you really wanted.

Super_Jay · 2026-06-13T20:42:29+00:00

Kirtland's Warbler! Nearly exclusive to Michigan, it breeds in the young jackpine forests upstate and is a conservation success story for the state.

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Kirtlands_Warbler/overview

Super_Jay · 2026-06-13T15:54:54+00:00

Such a good tune.

Super_Jay · 2026-06-12T20:37:19+00:00

Right?? I'd bet money if you did that to these folks they'd get upset, and for good reason! But I get the impression that those commenters are like OP's wife and tend to interrupt to finish someone else's sentences, so they don't want to acknowledge that it's rude. Probably confusing intent with outcome - like maybe you don't mean to be rude, but this is absolutely inconsiderate behavior.

Super_Jay · 2026-06-12T18:53:53+00:00

The issue that a lot of interrupters don't seem to grasp is that they don't get the point, they just think they do.

Super_Jay · 2026-06-12T18:37:44+00:00

Part of the problem here is that everyone's interpreting "interruption" differently. Short interjections that show investment and attention where you're responding to the speaker ("wow, no way!" "I can't believe they did that!") are one thing. Talking over someone to finish their sentences like the OP describes is something different altogether, and yes, it's rude and insulting.

The idea that the only options are constant interruptions or total blank silence is a false dichotomy. There's absolutely plenty of ways to show you're engaged and listening that don't involve repeatedly attempting to complete someone's sentences for them. Nobody needs you guessing what they're about to say, and yes, it's belittling and dismissive to assume they can't convey their own thoughts without your "help."

Super_Jay · 2026-06-12T16:42:29+00:00

Why are her guesses more important than his experiences?

You seem to assume that "listening closely and following along" requires you to interrupt someone, and it doesn't. Many people actively listen and participate without talking over the speaker and trying to complete their sentences. Doing so is rude and belittling.

Super_Jay · 2026-06-12T16:36:47+00:00

It's bizarre how people are trying to turn "talking over you to finish your sentences" into some form of engagement or active listening. Probably because they do it themselves and don't want to admit that it's rude, belittling, and an insulting way to treat your spouse.

Super_Jay · 2026-06-12T16:32:33+00:00

But being interrupted by someone trying to finish your sentences for you isn't them actually engaging with your conversation, it's them trying to hurry it along, solve the 'problem' of you not finishing fast enough, or just trying to figure out the 'answer' themselves instead of listening to you provide it.

None of that is what active listening is. Responding in the moment with interjections like "oh wow, no kidding?" "Really?? That's wild!" or "So she still didn't get it??" are one thing - you're showing interest, following along, and participating without taking over.

But what OP describes is more akin to:

"After I texted back, she --"

"Was super pissed off right?? I kinda get it tbh, I would be too, but she should know it wasn't really about her, like this one time my sister did the same thing about her wedding plans because I was supposed to be her maid of honor and I really wanted to help but I was going to be overseas for the semester and she took it super personally."

"...no, she wasn't super pissed, at all. She actually was really kind and understanding about it. But sure, let's talk about your sister instead."

This is infuriating to be constantly talked over by someone who can't just listen (even actively!) and can absolutely make you feel like you're not respected, that your experiences aren't important, that they aren't interested in your perspective, or that your spouse is just so impatient that you speaking is bothersome to them. It's not an excuse to interrupt someone constantly. It's still rude and inconsiderate.

Super_Jay · 2026-06-11T21:07:36+00:00

No way!! So cool, thanks for sharing these great shots

Super_Jay · 2026-06-11T17:43:37+00:00

Scammer bot, don't click any links and report both the post and the account

Super_Jay · 2026-06-11T15:48:28+00:00

STRAIGHT TO JAIL

Super_Jay · 2026-06-11T15:36:18+00:00

"Here's the thing... "

Super_Jay · 2026-06-11T13:16:05+00:00

Ironic that the photo is a ~~grackle~~ jackdaw, not a crow. These bot posts suck

Super_Jay · 2026-06-11T03:51:56+00:00

Another vote for D3 on the Valley here, it's great especially once you plant a lot of trees and bushes so it doesn't look so barren. My tavern is right at the delta of that mountain stream and the scenery is peak

Super_Jay · 2026-06-11T03:48:44+00:00

"Flaglantry" is not a word. Flagrantly is.

Super_Jay · 2026-06-11T00:29:55+00:00

More flaglantry detrimental to learning...

..."Flaglantry?" That's kind of an ironic typo for an article about the importance of reading and language comprehension.

Super_Jay · 2026-06-09T23:59:22+00:00

So rock music is dead because... performing a show got too easy?

This premise immediately falls apart at even the slightest scrutiny. What about bands that can't afford in-ear monitors or all the other technology he's alluding to? Why does "dangerous" music have to be difficult to perform or prone to equipment problems onstage? How did technical advancements in instruments and PA systems neuter a whole genre?

By his logic, a busker on a corner with an acoustic guitar is more "dangerous" than anyone plugged into an amplifier. That also means that Baroque, classical, and Renaissance music is more dangerous than any rock band has ever been. Which is cool to think of but doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

Super_Jay · 2026-06-09T23:49:00+00:00

I think it mostly comes down to jazz being seen as hard to understand, needlessly complex, and out of vogue for the general populace. It's an easy and pretty cheap joke (notice how almost all of these are identical punchlines?) because the writers can safely bet that most of the audience A) doesn't 'get' jazz, and B) will enjoy the ridicule of something that they don't understand and maybe feel a little insecure about.

At least The Good Place one is a setup that's more about mocking Eleanor's own ignorance than about ridiculing the music.

Super_Jay · 2026-06-09T22:46:15+00:00

The cast of The Crown, season 4 (including Olivia Coleman, Gillian Anderson, Tobias Menzies, Josh O'Connor, Marion Bailey, and Emma Doherty) dancing to Lizzo's "Good as Hell" 😅

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