NERDSTACKULAR

I really cannot say how relieved I am to be able to post this as a positive news story, because when the outbreak first started it looked like it might be the end of the kakapo.

This year 82 kakapo chicks hatched, a record-breaking number that was a massive victory for a species with only 142 living adults. Then, in what seemed a cruel twist of fate, the kakapo population was struck with a devastating aspergillosis outbreak. 

In the end, the disease only killed two adults and five chicks. Thirteen birds remain sick but are recovering with treatment.

This could have been so, so much worse, and the reason it wasn’t was due to excellent adaptive management of the developing situation by Kakapo Recovery staff as well as Auckland Zoo (and Wildbase Recovery Hospital and Dunedin Wildlife Hospital) staff going above and beyond their typical duties to offer intense, round the clock care to sick birds.

When conservationists posted on social media that their regular budget was not prepared to handle this unforeseen tragedy, members of the public donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to help via crowdfunding.

“The outpouring of support struck Digby (head of Kakapo Recovery), who recalls how a 9-year-old in the United States asked their friends to donate to the cause in lieu of bringing birthday presents to their party. ‘Here’s a child who’s probably never going to see a Kākāpō in their life,’ he says, ‘and they care about them enough to give up all their birthday presents.’“

This year will still likely see a net increase in the wild kakapo population. Against all odds, the big, green, flightless parrots are going to be ok.

Here’s mine

But tbh lately it’s been more like this one:

Then I rolled up.  Dressed as Thrust because buttwings, damnit.

“Oh, we’ll go easy on you,” the dude said in the most condescending, smarmy tone.  “Name one of the dinobots.”

I rattled all five off in alphabetical order, and demanded that they tell me all six Constructicons.

There were several guys at the table.  They managed five.

“You forgot Bonecrusher,” I said sweetly and walked off.  I didn’t want the prize I’d rightfully earned.  Their spluttering was all I wanted.

You don’t have to love something in a ridiculously obsessive way that knows every tiny fucking detail for your love of it to bring you joy. If that’s how they get joy, cool, nice for them. But you don’t have to.

You can casually love a thing, cosplay as a thing, go to cons for a thing, without dissecting it into little pieces.

If you see smol birbs with few or no feathers on the ground, you can safely put them back into their nest, bird parents will still care for them.

scruffy feather bird = starting to try the fly thing, not very good at it. only put in nest/branch if predators abound, i.e. you have four outdoor cats and they’re licking their chops.

Challenge accepted