Sunbird

From the Studio Ghibli film Spirited Away:

That's a reasonable comparison, considering how ghostly-white Barn Owls look at night. (Not my photo, it's from Google.)

Welcome, @BetaRayBilly! First things first, I appreciate your username. Fist bump for obscure Marvel characters! I think you'll find that a LOT of people here on the Shard are also highly enthusiastic about Stormlight and Mistborn. They're two of my favorites, in any case. As Striker mentioned, Warbreaker is a good next thing to read to learn more about the Cosmere. I'm looking forward to seeing you around the fandom!

@Devious I have no idea what you're saying, but welcome to the Shard! (Don't take the cookies unless you like being a hemalurgical experiment!) Do you have a favorite book or series by Brandon?

I went birding yesterday and added 5 new birds to my life list Only got photos of one of them, but still definitely a good trip. Broad-tailed Hummingbird: I also got a closer and longer look at a Barn Owl than I've gotten before

Whaaaaat?? Amazing! Where did you view them from? Any photos to share?

I decided to give the FotoGenerator a try. Oh my Stormfather. I started out with my "go-to" doodle whenever I'm randomly asked to draw something: a simple cartoon owl. And then I decided to try something more ambitious... the Trollface. Is it not hideous?? XD

@Calderis WOOOOOOO CONGRATS!!

I've FINALLY caught up on sorting through my backlog of photos! Osprey (aka "fish hawk" or "fish eagle"): Caspian Tern (although the way this guy was not cooperating for photos, a better name might be "catch me if you can" Tern... XD): Killdeer eggs in a nest: Western Wood-Pewee:

@Shqueeves

Why's that?

@WizzyLizzy

@Pestis the Spider I'm glad you found it helpful! Other people can probably recommend even more recent books from series/authors that I don't follow.

Well, our bassoonist didn't do any actual bassoon-marching either. He usually played a different instrument during marching season (although I can't for the life of me remember which one) and just swapped over to bassoon for that one part of the show. BAHAHAHAHA.

You'd be surprised what un-marchable instruments might get incorporated into your show... My senior year in high school, we had our bassoonist sit in a chair on the front sideline and play a solo in our 4th movement.

I only know of it because of this video:

You just got one of mine for your user subtitle "User of the demisemihemidemisemiquaver" XD

Pencilception!

You just opened a big can of worms by asking about interesting books in a place where I was certain to see it. (Good thing you're a spider; you can just eat the worms, right? ) Here's a list in chronological order of books in your specified time frame that I think you might find relevant AND I have read them myself (spoilered just for space): Here are already-released books you may find relevant that I have NOT yet read myself: Here are not-yet-released books that you may find relevant:

I have some duck photos to share Duck 1, bathtime: Duck 2, which I found really interesting because it's complete inky black: A pair of Mallards: Red-breasted Merganser, female (also a type of duck even though "duck" isn't part of the species name):

Know what's really fun? Watching adult male Egyptian Pygmy Mantises fly. They're really good fliers. Unfortunately I was unable to find a video, but I've seen it in person and boy, it's entertaining! They're only like an inch long as adults and sorta look like a large-ish moth from a distance. I did, however, find a nice video of an adult male Spiny Flower Mantis. I had the opportunity to raise a couple of these and they're also tiny, but stunningly beautiful as adults! They look like ants when newly hatched, though, because they're completely black and so itty bitty. Video spoilered because it contains close-ups of mantis faces, which I know may creep some people out.

One time when I was a little kid (and therefore stupider as a general rule than I am now), I was at my church with my parents. When they said it was time to go, I turned around to run away and ran smack into the edge of a door, gashing my forehead open on the latch so badly that we had to go to the ER and get me stitches.

*HUGE HUGS* That's what I like to hear! Celebratory pugs!

As long as the teachers didn't get after you for waffling around on the Internet.

I posted this in the Good News thread already, but I'll add it here too: I seem to be over my sickness from yesterday. I'm pretty sure I brought it on myself by eating a yogurt that was past its expiration date with dinner on Monday. So, the moral of the story: don't take chances when it comes to eating or drinking dairy products you're not 100% sure are safe.