We'd all be going around with big old school anime heads ๐
I see it! ๐
You are right, I completely forgot about Book Club! Shame on me. ๐ฎ
I didn't get it either, but it looks like it's about how artists usually don't draw subjects from weird angles like this. All the silly drawings on the bottom are practice by one artist on drawing Frieren from this unusual angle.
The top right image, I'm assuming, is official art from the anime showing what the show's accurate perspective looks like.
It probably had the most charming little smile until it got blasted by that light out of nowhere!
๐ ๐ธ ๐
I prefer mine in a Hemingway Daiquiri.
2 ounces white rum
3/4 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
1/2 ounce freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
1/2 ounce maraschino liqueur
Shake with ice and strain.
"You wouldn't like me when I'm angry..." ๐
Thanks for reminding me of this! With having reached my limits with US politics, I've dropped all my podcasts for the last few months so I haven't heard Margaret for a while now.
Margaret is great on every topic she covers, but as someone who isn't trans, I feel she's really helped me to have a better understanding about the internal and external pressures surrounding the subject matter. I'm sorry I still can't really verbalize any of my feelings on it, but I'd say to anyone thinking that writing about trans people is written only for trans people, I don't find this to be the case with any of Margaret's work. I've never had the physical sensation of someone unlocking parts of my mind so frequently to things it couldn't grasp before.
I've been wanting to find something to break up my power run of reading Discworld for the first time, and I think this would be a great book to do that with.
From Souvik Kundu
Pallid Scops Owl (Otus brucei), a ghostly pale nocturnal hunter, is one of India's most elusive winter visitors, blending seamlessly into arid landscapes with its sandy plumage and piercing yellow eyes. Measuring just 18-21 cm, it is smaller than many sparrows yet a fierce predator of insects and small vertebrates.
Sightings in Maharashtra remain exceptionally rare, confined mostly to Mumbai suburbs and western coastal areas.
Uran, Maharashtra January 2026
From Wild Wings Inc
Great horned owls have huge eyes compared to their head size. If humans had the same eye to head proportion, our eyes would be about the size of grapefruits.
From Nicole Seward
Just as I was done for the day the Snowy Owl flew right overhead!
This photo is as far from the typical goofball look we expect from a Snowy as you could get! ๐ฎ
That bird had an amazing journey! ๐ฎ
I've covered Saw Whet fat reserves once before, they can lose up to 20% body weight in a single day of migration.
The why their legs don't freeze off I just covered recently, and that was a fun one for me because I hadn't known the answer to that one. Check that out here.
I try to keep in mind you all aren't here for "owl school" and keep it brief, but I also want to give enough to hook you into it. But I'll always link my sources so it's all there for anyone who wants it!
The one owl discovery I shared was such a great story. I think it was the guy just heard a bird around he'd never heard before and chased it until he found it, and it was a brand new owl!
I know for some others I've shared some details and photos of their biomes. Ones like the Cloud Forest Pygmy and the Chaco Owl gave mystical sounding names, and while these aren't hard to encounter (I've seen a Chaco Owl!) their names aren't so obvious to most of us because they're named after where they're from.
I did like you said and said where the Cloud Forest and the Chaco Plateau were and talked about what type of climate and elevation they were and added some photos so people could visualize it.
I even enjoy doing that for some of the historic looking European places or spots in the Southwest USA since even those of us that are American or European haven't seen many of these spots. Glad to know you all are enjoying that as well.
This is one of the baby owls I got to work with last year. It's the only time I caught one sleeping like that since they grow up so fast.
This time of year is a bit slow. Migratory season is coming to an end and nesting season isn't quite here yet. A lot of what is coming through my feeds looks all the same to me and it's a bit uninspiring some days.
Are there any birds or topics you'd like to hear about?
You want more rare birds? There isn't always much to say about them, since there aren't many photos or facts, so I don't always cover them much.
Got any anatomy or physiology questions? I like reading about flight, digestion, respiration, etc but most of you seem to enjoy more lighthearted things than technical, but I'm sure some of you have questions.
Is there just some particular owl you'd like to see more of? I usually post new things, but if you just want to see more of something special, I can browse the owl archives. Or is there a part of the world you'd like to know about. South America and Australia I'd say are the least covered recently.
Let me know!
From Krzysztof Baranowski
Tawny owls (Strix aluco) had been trying to nest in a hollow nearby, but it seems raccoons took over. Still, it's amazing to see them around, holding their ground in the forest.
Germany, 6/2024
Canon R6 Mk II
RF 400mm F2.8 @560mm
1/180s, F4 ISO640
From Kim Marriott
Young Marsh Owl
From John Barwell
Decided to revisit and re-edit some of my earliest wildlife photos from nearly two years ago. A Great Horned Owl and her owlets-one of the moments that pulled me deeper into wildlife photography.
From Bird Guides
New data indicate that Finland's Great Grey Owl population has risen modestly in recent years, suggesting that this enigmatic and much-sought-species may be adapting to changing environmental conditions.
The trend bucks expectations for an owl closely tied to cold, boreal habitats and highlights the complexity of responses to climate change.
Long-term monitoring, including national surveys and assessments, shows an increase of some 8-9% in Finland's Great Grey Owl numbers over recent years, as reported by Ornithomedia. There has been some redistribution within the country's range, too; Central Finland has seen declines offset by gains in northern areas, while the overall trend remains positive.
The species typically favours extensive boreal forest and relies on small mammals such as voles for food. Its population has historically been limited by fluctuating prey cycles and habitat constraints.
Researchers suggest that warmer conditions and milder winters may be influencing survival and distribution patterns, although the precise mechanisms remain unclear. In other northern European countries, range shifts have been documented with owls establishing further south or west than in previous decades โ a pattern that may partly reflect changing climate regimes alongside natural population dynamics.
Despite this encouraging signal for Finland's Great Grey Owls, conservationists caution that the species remains dependent on healthy forest ecosystems and regular prey availability. Broader climate change effects, including altered snow cover and unpredictable vole cycles, could still pose challenges.
Continued monitoring across Scandinavia will be essential to determine whether recent gains translate into stable long-term recovery or simply reflect short-term fluctuations.
From Owl Rescue Centre
Last week, someone asked me, "How do you catch a wild owl? Do you just call them and they come to you?"
I had to laugh-in over 20,000 rescues, I've never had an owl fly to me just because I called it. I've certainly called out to many, but they never seem to get the memo! ๐
Snowy Owl...or Snowy Muppet? ๐
From Auburn University Raptor Center
Have you noticed our rehab staff suited up in yellow gowns, face coverings, and bonnets in most of our posts? This isn't a fashion statement - it's PPE (Personal Protective Equipment), and it plays a critical role in keeping everyone safe.
We take maximum precautions with all newly admitted birds, especially right now. HPAI (High Path Avian Influenza) has been confirmed in Alabama and we are taking all precautions. Wearing PPE doesn't just protect our team, it protects every bird in our care, including current patients, foster birds, and our beloved educational ambassadors (yes, even the War Eagle).
A quick reminder about HPAI: High Path Avian Influenza is a contagious virus that can affect both wild and domestic birds and mammals. If you come across a bird that appears sick, unusually quiet, or unable to fly, contact your closest licensed wildlife rehabilitator for guidance so the bird can receive proper care while minimizing the risk of spreading disease.
By suiting up, we're making sure we can continue providing the highest standard of care while preventing the spread of potential diseases within the center. Thank you for supporting the work we do and helping us keep our patients and our community safe.
From Corey Pettis
A great horned owl sitting on a silo! Croped and uncroped.
It is a textbook perfect grumpy face.
In this photo, the lighting gives most of the owl some resemblance to the White Faced Owl, other than the actual face, though it does have some black border, so I can see you being a fan of this owl.