Sunbird

On Fridays I only have one class and no work, and I found out today that next Friday's class is canceled. So I have the whole day free!

@Tesh Request for clarification seconded.

I vote for @Steeldancer

Ahhh, that makes me so happy! I love Steller's Jays. And WHOA, is that snow in the background?

I'm so sorry you're going through all this crem. *hugs* I remember feeling lonely in high school too. Just remember we are here for you. I read your essay in the other topic and thought it was really good. What was the prompt question that your mom thought it didn't answer?

A day or so ago I finished reading Pick the Plot, the 4th book in James Riley's Story Thieves series. Talk about breaking the fourth wall! It's a novel in the form of a Choose Your Own Adventure, and I was highly entertained by the author's creative "railroading" (to use a role-playing term) to take the story where it needed to go while giving readers the illusion of choice. If you enjoy Brandon's Alcatraz books, I definitely recommend picking up Story Thieves.

You're right; I hadn't heard of them before. Sounds stunning and beautiful, though! *goes to Google* *jaw drops* OH MY STORMS, THEY'RE GORGEOUS

Would that parrot species happen to be an African Grey? I don't know my parrots very well, but that's the first one that comes to mind. Also, abbreviations--My mom is also into birdwatching, so we often text each other about birds and shorten stuff even more than "Red-tail." Some that I use frequently: GBH: Great Blue Heron GHO: Great Horned Owl RTH: Red-tailed Hawk Modo: Mourning Dove Birders in general have some nicknames and abbreviations that can be pretty funny too: Yellow-rumped Warbler -> Butter-butt Gray Jay -> Camp robber American Woodcock -> Timberdoodle Magnolia Warbler -> Maggie Common Gallinule -> Swamp chicken (I'm actually not sure if anyone besides my mom uses this one) Hooded Merganser -> Hoodie Bald Eagle -> Baldie Sharp-shinned Hawk -> Sharpie

Time for a little bit of fun bird trivia! Certain water birds, including loons and grebes, are so adapted for the water that they can't even walk on land--their feet are set way far back on their bodies near the tail, which is great for swimming but terrible for balancing on two legs to walk. Loon and grebe parents also let their chicks hitch rides on their backs while they're swimming. I was lucky enough to see a group of Clark's Grebes with babies on Utah Lake last weekend. Unfortunately, they were literally about half a mile away from where I was standing on the shore, so I didn't get a good view or good photos. Prepare to laugh at my awful pictures! (4 photos in the first spoiler) Now for some actual nice photos, LOL. I took these at Utah Lake the same day that I saw the grebes. Osprey, also known as a fish hawk or fish eagle (2 photos): Red-tailed Hawks are probably the most common bird of prey in North America. Any time you see a big hawk sitting on a telephone pole or fence post by the side of the freeway, the most likely candidate is a Red-tail. (1 photo)

Ok, awesome.

To clarify: Is what's under the spoiler from the OB preview chapters? I have not been reading them and don't want to click it if it will spoil anything from Oathbringer.

Moar birb photos! These are from about a month ago when I met some education ambassadors from the organization Hawk Watch International. Sometimes when birds get hurt and brought to a wildlife rehabber, their injuries are too severe or too permanent for them to survive if re-released to the wild. So those birds generally become ambassadors to show people at school visits and so on for education purposes. This little darling is a Western Screech-owl named Artemis, after the Greek goddess of the hunt and the moon. She was hit by a car and suffered head trauma that damaged her eyesight. (5 photos in the spoiler)

When you see this quote and immediately think of Sanderfans and the Shard.

Today I saw a bird I'd never seen before, a striking beauty called an Evening Grosbeak. (4 photos in spoiler) I also managed to get a picture of a cute (but very twitchy and hyperactive!) Juniper Titmouse. I'd seen one before but had never gotten a photo. (1 photo in spoiler)

Wednesday should work for me!

What would you even make vegan cheese out of? Soy milk??

I think I spotted Hoid already.

@The Invested Beard yes, I did! It was much easier than I expected. I was the first person in the hold line when I put in my request.

Currently multitasking between Dragonsteel and The Creeping Shadow, the 4th in Jonathan Stroud's Lockwood & Co. series.

I think I can do any night next week except Thursday.

Yesss! I love basically everything Brandon Mull writes. Also, you know you're a Sanderfan when you put a quote from The Well of Ascension as your favorite for an online bio.

One of my friends posted this on Facebook with the comment, "This is why we need the arts." THAT'S NOT HOW SYMPHONIES WORK.

@Tesh When you say "Knight of the Dawn," are you referring to Fablehaven?