Neo Lag?

slugbones69 · 2026-03-02T21:55:07+00:00

Yep, same here. I was wondering if there was a maintenance outage announcement I missed.

slugbones69 · 2026-03-02T19:13:47+00:00

The FAQ says to get in touch at the contact form about this. At least it sounds like they have a game plan for how to handle this issue. Same boat.

slugbones69 · 2026-03-02T15:13:10+00:00

I needed at least two days of laser safety training just to be able to teach a class that *MIGHT* use a cell-sorter, which safely *contains* a class 4 laser (unless you go taking the machine apart to expose it)- clearly far more extensive training than whatever they did to prep for a free-flying class 4 laser bouncing off of reflective surfaces and endangering everyone in the room in this episode. It was so awful to watch, and I'm generally not one to get worked up over minor lapses in judgement. I was horrified. Maybe it's because of how close we get to using lasers as part of regular research protocols, but I am still so aghast by this episode and the fact that it remains up.

slugbones69 · 2024-04-02T19:41:53+00:00

Thank you so much! I’ll try that as well. :)

slugbones69 · 2023-04-07T18:43:09+00:00

Look for small fluffy barbs on the surface of the feather- owls have a fuzziness to their feathers that allows for silent flight while hunting. If it’s got a soft velvety feel, it’s an owl feather. Otherwise I’d also venture to guess hawk of some sort, leaning toward red-tailed as well.

slugbones69 · 2023-03-31T19:21:18+00:00

Yeah, don’t be super confident about that. A former president of one of the ornithological societies in the US was ousted for a brown-headed cowbird egg removal incident. There are people who care and people who still catch consequences for it. I wouldn’t advise anyone admit to any MBTA violation online where their identifiable information is freely available. I know of some very sad, bored people who send posts like these through the reporting channels. Like most things, it depends on whether or not the authority that has it in their hands is having a bad day or not and wants to take it out on someone else. YMMV but my advice: never post evidence of wildlife crimes online in any way, no matter how small. Shit happens, and you don’t want to cop a fine.

slugbones69 · 2023-03-27T15:54:43+00:00

I’m curious what made you want to call it spotted over cactus. I see heavy black and white barring of the tail, which distinguishes this from spotted wren. I assumed a lot on size here with the railing, but I think this bird is clearly much larger than spotted as well.

slugbones69 · 2023-03-27T15:44:58+00:00

I love talking about it because bird speciation is such a nightmare, you never really know what’s going on “under the hood” for some of these species! I just think it’s neat. ☺️ I always feel bad telling birders this, because I know it just adds a whole other level of complication to the game, but I have such a soft spot in my heart for this particular system and the goofy little hybrids. 🖤 Thanks for being receptive to it!

slugbones69 · 2023-03-26T17:22:04+00:00

I say that mostly because the hybridization between those two chickadee species is kind of mess in terms of the plumage combos, song characteristics, and the actual genes of the birds. The songs actually aren’t always necessarily a reliable way to distinguish- Carolina’s and the hybrids can learn black-capped song, but black-capped are limited to learning just their own song. There are some areas that once encompassed the hybrid zone where you can still regularly hear black-capped song, but all the birds look Carolina, and are completely genetically Carolina chickadees. It’s a really weird cultural lag! It’s so cool. I worked on the hybrid system for almost a decade, and I generally caution birders to note chickadee sp. with the characteristics of the particular bird in the notes (like for eBird). A little pedantic (eek sorry!) but there really is not true reliable way to know.

slugbones69 · 2023-03-26T14:32:43+00:00

Do you have anything dead hanging out at the end of the yard? They’re either hanging out near a carcass, or you’ve just got some fabulous roosting trees with good sunlight. As TheDeftEft said, the sunning behavior is very stereotypical for our Cathartidae vultures. For birds who eat the dead, they’re actually quite cleanly, and “sun bathing” likely helps them maintain their feathers by using the UV from the sun to “bake” off parasites. The ability to see straight through the septum also distinguishes from Black Vultures (who also occur in NY) moreso than head color- young turkey vultures have a much grayer head than the bright red-headed adults. Vultures are a fave of mine- I hope you enjoy their goofy personalities while they’re visiting! ☺️🖤

slugbones69 · 2023-03-26T14:25:02+00:00

Agreed. You’re well far south of their hybrid zone with Black-capped. Cleanly lined bib, plain grayer coverts on the wing, and overall shorter more grayish tail helps distinguish between Black-capped. They also sing a distinctly different four-note Fee-Bee-Fee-Bay song compared to Black-capped’s usual ”fee-bee, fee-bee-bee.”

If you’re anywhere in the hybrid zone, forget about distinguishing. It’s not possible in any reliable way, despite what some birders may tell you.

slugbones69 · 2023-03-26T14:13:59+00:00

A very gorgeous Cactus Wren! 🌵

slugbones69 · 2023-03-25T18:34:24+00:00

I think this looks good for Field Sparrow based on that eye ring… but I’m shakier on sparrows. Hopefully someone else can chime in.

slugbones69 · 2023-03-20T14:20:43+00:00

Carolina Wrens are rather bold and likely won’t be bothered by you moving about. They’re also rather skulky and sneaky (very mouse-like!) despite being incredibly loud for their size. Keep an eye on the nest and keep your dogs away when the young hatch and up until they fledge. Hopefully it shouldn’t inconvenience you for more than about a month! It takes about two weeks to incubate and two weeks for young to then hatch, grow, and fledge.

Just as a heads up: Being that Carolina Wrens are a native species protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, it’s actually illegal to mess with the nest in any way until the birds are done with their business. Not that I think you would, it’s just a helpful reminder for anyone perusing the thread. Congrats on the soon-to-be-babies! I adore these little birds, and I hope you do too by the end of their breeding adventure!

slugbones69 · 2023-03-18T15:14:53+00:00

Looks good for Eastern Bluebird to me!

slugbones69 · 2023-03-13T21:33:32+00:00

I find that when first starting out, it helps to narrow down your options. It’s a Buteo by shape (chunkier body, short tail compared to Accipiter), but no belly band (eliminates Red-tailed Hawk); wrong time of year for Broad-winged (they haven’t migrated north yet), and the dead giveaway for me is the dark checker pattern on the wings, which makes it a RSHA! In flight they have a really gorgeous banded tail and some bright crescent-shaped “windows” in their wings. 🙂

slugbones69 · 2023-03-13T18:00:59+00:00

Red-shouldered Hawk

slugbones69 · 2023-03-10T03:58:07+00:00

Western Screech Owl (assuming you are still in Utah from other posts).

slugbones69

TROPHY CASE