Realm of the Winter Wren

Emus look quite a bit like Struthiomimus with no tail and tiny wings.

it’s out of touch thursday

Okayyyy FootWork!

@glumshoe walking the sand

I helped lead a woodcock walk a few weeks ago and this was all I could think about. It wasn’t supposed to be part of the program but I said “It wouldn’t be a woodcock walk without woodcock walking,” and made everyone who would go along with it do little woodcock wiggle-walks down the trail with me.

Why do woodcocks wiggle so? Is it like how stickbugs and chameleons wiggle to imitate the wind?

No one is really sure. The most popular explanation is that it startles worms and insects into motion and makes them easier to detect, but it may also be an alarm signal in response to potential threats; they only seem to do it when they know they’re being observed, even while walking on flat rock or snow. It could possibly mean “hey, I know you see me, you know I see you, let’s both agree to just be cool and move on’.

Thanks! I won’t be able to unsee that.

hiking? to get places? can’t relate

I hate hiking with people who want to reach destinations or travel a certain distance. I LOVE hiking with people who don’t mind stopping every thirty feet to look inside rotting logs or photograph spiders or identify salamanders. people who hike for exercise confuse and terrify me.

OH MY GOD YOU UNDERSTAND.

I joined an outdoors club in college and it fucking sucked because all anyone wanted to do was get to the top of the mountain as quickly as possible and only stopped to drink water and eat trail mix. It was awful.

Ideal hiking companions: botanists, entomologists, mycologists, people with asthma, children with ADHD, easily distractible dogs, people with great butts who walk slightly faster than I do

I do not hike. I take a leisurely stroll through the woods at my own pace, taking time to enjoy the view, take pictures, look at rocks and bugs, sit in the sun. I don’t have any sort of destination in mind, I’m just here for the vibes. Also my knees are shot to shit so I cannot go up or down a mountain with any sense of urgency.

I only have one lung and I love taking pictures and just sitting in nature… im also a biologist and love looking at ecosystems in miniature. my family hikes to get to the top and I hate it!!! They’ll stop for 30 seconds to get a photo but thats it! I hate living in colorado everyone hikes for the exercise

I also hate Coloradorans for the same reason so you and your lung sound like my ideal hiking partner

I have a friend who proudly says “we hiked 5 miles in 2 hours!” and I’m like how did you see any bugs???

My partner is an elite athlete with hyperactivity issues (like, professional fighter and crazy endurance sports enthusiast who impulsively jumps and climbs on everything) and hiking for him is like, “Awesome obstacle course jungle gym!!!” and I’m like, “Imagine being this little mushroom on this rotting log by this tiny stream…”

why do Tinamou eggs look like that. i want to eat them whole