Morning in the Galapagos highlands.

nothing will be done, of course, because pheasants can tolerate living in the margins between corn field and roads and have interest groups pumping millions of dollars into their management.
meanwhile prairie chickens simply won't mate if there isn't enough unbroken prairie for them to boom on

Pheasants-an exotic species Nest Parasitism - a hen pheasant will lay eggs in a prairie chicken nest Pheasant eggs hatch in 23 days rather than 25 days for prairie chickens When the pheasant eggs hatch the prairie chicken hen leaves the nest with the pheasant chicks and prairie chicken eggs die Pheasants also out compete prairie chickens for food and disturb booming grounds

the cherry on top is that they've largely been replaced in their native range by an invasive colonizer that is a documented brood-parasite of prairie chickens. can't kill them though because every single state protects them as a lucrative game species. Ha. Ha.

there's something almost poetic how the prairie chickens (birds with cultural value to many indigenous groups) had their populations and habitats decimated by encroaching settlers. the survivors are wrangled up into small nature reserves under constant threat of destruction by ranchers and the like

the prairie chickens (much like bison) bore the brunt of the white colonization of north america's prairies. repubs/ranchers would love to "finish the job", but the ESA forces them to protect the "unproductive" and "empty" tallgrass prairies the grouse rely on to survive

just one more foot of fencing and the deer will stop browsing on my oak saplings for 200 years. just don’t look at the ones crawling underneath the fence after coyotes dig deep enough pits under them

now imagine that i am the joyful buck jumping over the poorly maintained exclosure and that i am now able to browse on all of the vulnerable understory herbaceous plants and tree saplings

a red sedan immersed in a layer of untouched, white snow. the snow is so windswept that it formed a ledge stretching over the top of the car

well i can’t really afford to not go to work :/

can europe hurry up and destroy the american economy so its less embarrassing for me to own a truly deplorable hunk-of-junk car

had a swell mlk day. the glass sunroof screen on my junk car was viciously torn off by the powerful gales of northern indiana. my car roof now violently shakes when i drive any faster than 45 mph. can’t wait for the worn-down breaks to eventually give out and kill me in a horrific car crash

Eurasian Tree Sparrow eating seeds on a heavily beaten-down patch of ground

Eurasian Tree Sparrow standing on top of a rotted stump covered in seeds. It is flanked from behind by a House Sparrow.

A Eurasian Tree Sparrow and a couple House Sparrows perched on a bare tree covered in moss and lichens.

A Eurasian Tree Sparrow putting its whole body into the act of eating seed scraps off a rotted tree stump.

its amazing how simply not having an ugly gray splotch on its head makes the eurasian tree sparrow much prettier and sightly that the goblin-esque house sparrows it chooses to flock with. it can do so much better than them 🪶
#bird #wildlife #photography #TotalHouseSparrowDeath #nature

There were two White- breasted Nuthatches going up and down this tree, but not together. This one took the time to be cute for a minute. 🪶

A gray Eastern Screech-Owl holed up inside a worn out, dark-brown Wood Duck box against a pale sky.

in my box rn. screeching the owl in an easterly way never before observed by my contemporaries 🪶
#birds #wildlife #owls #ihavenotleftmyapartmentinaboutaweek #nature #birdday

Tierlist categories of S through A- S - Blackburnian Warbler, Black-crowned Night Heron, Common Loon, Glossy Ibis, Piping Plover, Prothonotary Warbler, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Red-throated Loon, White-breasted Nuthatch, Whooping Crane, and Vermilion Flycatcher A+ - American Barn Owl, Black-and-White Warbler, Black-billed Magpie, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Bobolink, Eurasian Tree Sparrow, Green Heron, Green-Winged Teal, Hooded Merganser, Least Bittern, Little Blue Heron, Little Gull, Mangrove Yellow Warbler, Northern Bobwhite, Northern Saw-whet Owl, Pileated Woodpecker, Prairie Warbler, Sandhill Crane, White-eyed Vireo, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Blue-footed Booby, Cerulean Warbler, Northern Yellow Warbler, Osprey, Indigo Bunting, and Red-headed Woodpecker A - American Woodcock, Black Tern, Cape May Warbler, Blue-winged Warbler, California Condor, Cedar Waxwing, Common Raven, Great Blue Heron, Hooded Warbler, Hermit Thrush, Kirtland's Warbler, Lark Sparrow, Least Tern, Magnificent Frigatebird, Monk Parakeet, Mourning Dove, Northern Cardinal, Northern Shrike, Peregrine Falcon, Rufous-collared Sparrow, Summer Tanager, Trumpeter Swan, Tundra Swan, Western Cattle-Egret, Wild Turkey, Woodpecker Finch, and domestic Budgie (escaped pet) A- - American White Pelican, American Goldfinch, Bay-breasted Warbler, Belted Kingfisher, Black-billed Cuckoo, Black-capped Chickadee, Black Vulture, Blue Grosbeak, Brown Creeper, Brown Pelican, Carolina Chickadee, Dark-eyed Junco, Downy Woodpecker, Eastern Meadowlark, Galapagos Mockingbird, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Kentucky Warbler, Magnolia Warbler, Marsh Wren, Orchard Oriole, Baltimore Oriole, Pine Warbler, Purple Finch, Red Crossbill, Ruffed Grouse, Sanderling, Scarlet Tanager, Sedge Wren, Snow Goose, Veery, White-crowned Sparrow, Wood Thrush, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Yellow-breasted Chat, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Horned Lark, Smooth-billed Ani, Great Egret, and American Redstart

B through C B: American Bittern, American Black Duck, American Coot, American Crow, American Kestrel, American Robin, Barred Owl, Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Black-throated Green Warbler, Blue-headed Vireo, Blue Jay, Blue-winged Teal, Brown Noddy, Bufflehead, Cackling Goose, Caspian Tern, Cliff Swallow, Common Cactus-Finch, Dickcissel, Eastern Bluebird Eastern Screech-Owl, Fish Crow, Forster's Tern, Fox Sparrow, Golden-winged Warbler, Gray-cheeked Thrush, Great Horned Owl, Greater White-fronted Goose, Henslow's Sparrow, LeConte's Sparrow, Medium Ground-Finch, Mississippi Kite, Northern Flicker, Northern House Wren, Northern Shoveler, Ovenbird, Purple Martin, Red-shouldered Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Red-winged Blackbird, Ring-necked Pheasant, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Rough-legged Hawk, Savannah Sparrow, Semipalmated Plover, Short-eared Owl, Upland Sandpiper, White-cheeked Pintail, Wilson's Snipe, Wilson's Warbler, Wood Duck, Black-necked Stilt, and Chipping Sparrow C: Acadian Flycatcher, Alder Flycatcher, American Tree Sparrow, Bald Eagle, Barn Swallow, Blackpoll Warbler, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Bonaparte's Gull, Broad-winged Hawk, Brown Thrasher, Canada Goose, Canada Warbler, Carolina Wren, domestic chicken, Clay-colored Sparrow, Common Gallinule, Common Goldeneye, Common Grackle, Common Merganser, Common Yellowthroat, Double-crested Cormorant, Eared Dove, Eastern Kingbird, Eastern Phoebe, Eastern Wood-Peewee, European Starling, Great Black-backed Gull, Greater Yellowlegs, Hairy Woodpecker, Harris' Sparrow, Horned Grebe, Kelp Gull, Killdeer, Laughing Gull, Lesser Yellowlegs, Mallard, Neotropic Cormorant, Northern Harrier, Northern Mockingbin, Palm Warbler, Philadelphia Vireo, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Red-breasted Merganser, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Ruddy Duck, Rusty Blackbird, Small Ground-Finch, Small Tree-Finch, Song Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, Tree Swallow, Tufted Titmouse, Turkey Vulture, White-throated Sparrow, Worm-eating Warbler, Merling, and Ruddy Turnstone

D through F D: American Wigeon, Baird's Sandpiper, Brown-headed Cowbird, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Chimney Swift, Common Nighthawk, Cooper's Hawk, Eastern Towhee, Field Sparrow, Gadwall, Great-crested Flycatcher, Greater Scaup, House Finch, Least Sandpiper, Lesser Scaup, Lincoln's Sparrow, Long-billed Dowitcher, Lousiana Waterthrush, Mourning Warbler, Mute Swan, Nashville Warbler, Northern Parula, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Northern Waterthrush, Pied-billed Grebe, Pine Siskin, Ring-billed Duck, Rock Pigeon, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Solitary Sandpiper, Sora, Spotted Sandpiper, Swainson's Thrush, Yellow-throated Vireo, Yellow-throated Warbler, and Northern Pintail E: American Herring Gull, Bank Swallow, Bell's Vireo, Gray Catbird, Orange-Crowned Warbler, Pectoral Sandpiper, Red-eyed Vireo, Ring-billed Gull, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Tennessee Warbler, Vesper Sparrow, Eastern Warbling Vireo, and Willow Flycatcher F: House Sparrow, Least Flycatcher, and Yellow-bellied Flycatcher

its a new year, so the only rational thing to do is shoddily rank all 264 wild and feral #birds that have had the displeasure of crossing me. this list is highly emotional, vibes-based, and will look fundamentally different next week. bird names in alt
#tierlist #wildlife #correctopinions

black and orange bird eating berries off the twig its perched on

black and orange bird perched on a branch against a white sky

black and orange bird perched on a branch against a white sky

i’ve been sentenced to a 60 degrees, damp, and cloudy christmas as punishment for my hubris. here are some photos from the yesteryear of a robin enjoying the white christmas feast i was denied from having
#birds 🪶 #wildlife #ihateyousanta #photography #christmas #mylifesucks #seethingwithrage

something i’ve learned over my many years of labor and scholarship is that i am not good at starting things. new social media is no exception.
cold turkey resolutions are not my cup of tea, but i ought to make an exception for twitter and get into the rhythm of using blsky or no alternative at all

black and white bird with blue-green iridescence perched in a tree

but what if i posted a bird

guys im down 1 and a half bnottles of soju riught now but i went to wisconsin and i saw some kirtland's warblers i love them so much i wish they loved me back. i need to post more often but like yknow other things i work 40 hours a week #birds #wisconsin #nature #wildlife #photography

Blackburnian Warbler perched on a branch in a tree's canopy highlighted by a blue sky

Blackburnian warbler flying between two branches in a tree's canopy.

Blackburnian Warbler perched on a branch in a tree's canopy. He's looking down at you, the viewer

Blackburnian Warbler perched on a branch in a tree's canopy. He looks forward with a stretched out neck, displaying his gorgeous orange head and throat

the blackburnian warbler, despite being named after a person, has a truly befitting name. i look at this creature and think to myself "yeah, they got that one right." truly a perfect specimen 🪶
#birds #photography #nature #wildlife #spring #warbler #perfectcreature

a true american patriot selflessly performing civilian law enforcement while lafayette's WOKE police (who let a man that pulled a gun on protestors walk free) are too LIBERAL and VAXXED to patrol our lawless park bike paths. god bless white-crowned sparrows
#birds #lawandorder #bikes #backtheblue

#haiku

brooker is british
i am not, so my actions
will always be just

A yellow-rumped warbler perched on a small branch between two mossy tree trunks.

A yellow-rumped warbler perched on a small branch in some shrubbery.

A yellow-rumped warbler perched on a small branch behind a large mossy tree trunk

A yellow-rumped warbler perched on a small branch with the bright blue sky behind him

i used my mind control powers to force this helpless yellow-rumped warbler into incredibly photogenic poses before i trapped him in my sinister SD card

#birds #wildlife #photography #spring #mindcontrol #warbler #nature #migration #creaturefeature

Gray, olive, and yellow White-eyed Vireo in greening shrubs. his white eyes pierce your soul.

Gray, olive, and yellow White-eyed Vireo in greening shrubbery. It's Uncannily Human eyes seem to level with the camera as it regurgitates something.

Gray, olive, and yellow White-eyed Vireo in shrubbery. It's mouth is agape as its white eyes lock eyes not with the camera, but You.

i get it. you have white eyes. can you put on the contacts now? #birds #wildlife #Photography #Oppresswhiteeyedvireos 🪶

‘Show Me Where You Make Autism!’ Shouts RFK Jr., Storming Sour Patch Kids Factory EAST HANOVER, NJ—As part of the health secretary’s highly publicized pledge to determine the cause of the disorder in the next five months, a wild-eyed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. reportedly shouted “Show me where autism is made!” Thursday while storming the Sour Patch Kid factory. “Attention Sour Patch Factory people: Give me the autism and no […]

‘Show Me Where You Make Autism!’ Shouts RFK Jr., Storming Sour Patch Kids Factory theonion.com/show-me...

Inter-molt goldfinch perched on a twig against a blue sky. It is eating fresh maple samaras off the branches.

miserable and molting and forced to eat fresh maple samaras.
#birds 🪶

they’re GMO gray wolves. nothing more. i hate this “”””de-extinction”””” trite so much. it caters to unfounded pop-ecology and trivializes extinction by replacing long-extinct or currently endangered species with cheap facsimiles (with trademarked genomes) of the real deal.

a drab brown hermit thrush with spots on its pale chest. it’s perched on a collection of fallen tree branches near the ground

a pale brown and gray field sparrow perched on a tree branches near. it is staring at you.

a black and gray yellow bellied sapsucker clings to the side of a tree. its red chin and head markings stand out against the drab tree and gray sky.

a male blue-winged teal floating on a still pond. the pond is reflecting the brown vegetation surrounding it.

restless in the migratory sense 🪶

plump brown-and-orange bird with a long beak standing near tall grass next to a gravel road

mysterious creature. worthy of much scrutiny #birds

#birdbot

A male Red-winged Blackbird singing atop a wooden post. Behind the blackbird is a frozen, washed-out blue pond with 4 Canada Geese resting on the ice.

one warm day and hundreds of fully plumaged red-winged blackbird manifest at the local pond as if they had never left #birds