Long-billed Curlew

Long-billed Curlew aka. Sicklebird aka. Candlestick Bird
Cambria, California, USA
Member of the Sandpiper Family
★Largest Shorebird in North America★
★Largest Bill of Any Shorebird★
§A Skein of Curlews§

~true bird fact~ This is an especially interesting one for me, your amateurnithologist, as a San Francisco Bay Area emigree. Candlestick Point was named for these birds, which once lived there in the thousands. By the time Candlestick Park (home of the Giants) was completed, the birds were all but extinct in the area. In fact, they were so overhunted (and have such a restricted range) that they were once considered Near Threatened by the IUCN. Happily Curlews have made something of a comeback in the last 50 years or so.



Would decorate her home with a lot of native art
Thinks a long time before speaking. Goes 'hmmmmmm'
Smiles when being spoken to
Introduces you to new foods and teas

Black Guillemot

Black Guillemot aka. Sea Pigeon aka. Tystie (?)
Bird Islands, Nova Scotia, Canada
Member of the Auks, Murres, and Puffins Family
§A Loomery of Guillemots§


~true bird fact~ A truly impressive diver. Can go as deep at 165 feet below the water and can stay down for nearly two and a half minutes. Hey, if you don't think it's impressive, you can try it.


Wise and patient. Mentorly
Likes minty flavors
Likes warm weather, yet lives pretty much exclusively in really cold places. Dreams of Florida
Somewhat disconnected from the problems a modern bird faces

Sanderling

Sanderling
Oceano Dunes Natural Preserve, Oceano, California, USA
Member of the Sandpiper Family
§A Grain of Sanderlings§

~true bird fact~ Sanderlings are one of those extremely long distance migrators. They only breed in the high-arctic tundra, but they spend the winter in a variety of southern locales. Some travel as many as 6000 miles in a season to winter in sunny South America. You gotta go what you gotta do!

Tax dodger
Cares first and foremost about taking care of his friends
Thinks his nonsense is way funnier than it actually is
People are secretly intimidated by his bad temper, but no one is willing to bring it up, so he doesn't even know it's a problem

The Life of Birds.gif Part 3: The Spookening

Mwa ha ha! Happy Halloween! To me, the amateurnithologist, there's nothing spookier or more appropriate for the season than birds. Why? Well, basically because birds fit every mood or season for me. You could say I'm CRAZY for birds! Now, like the mad (amateur) scientist I am, I will subject you to the most creeptastic spooktacular bird .gifs I could gather from BBC Nature's 1998 bird doc, The Life of Birds.

Boo! This haunted hawk is a perfect example of bird getting into the spirit of the season! What's that? Not enough bird skeleton to scare you? How about this-

Now that's what I'm talking about! What's going on in this moving image? I'd tell you, but isn't it more frightening not to know?

Know what else is scary? Dinosaur birds! Also, drowning. This imagine deviously combines your two greatest fears!

And what is the only thing prehistoric birds fear? Gigantic ancient eagles! No, it's not silly looking at all, it's super scary. Believe me, if you were there you'd be scared.

Enormous flocks of birds have been scary since, at least, The Birds. Imagine if these guys all decided they wanted to peck you to death or something. You must be positively quaking in your boots by now, so I won't go into any further detail. This is a family blog.

You know who's not afraid of giant masses of birds? Sir Attenborough! He's the hero of this grisly tale. Would you make it out alive? Well, that's it for spooky .gifs for this year. I decided to relent and let you off easy, lest all my readers be scared to death and my blog becomes a ghost town. I mean, more than it already is.

In the mood for more .gifs? They may not be spooky, but they are spookily high quality and interesting! Parts 1 and 2 available here! I hope you've enjoyed our scary bird showcase this last month. May all your trick-or-treaters have bird related costumes! See you next fall! Eeh hee hee hee hee!