Melbourne :/ It's just a good thing I rarely have call to go into the city these days.
__________________ Witness my glory and know that when my darkness fades, if you yet live, it is because an ally does not.
AN EMPTY SPOT WITHIN MY CRAW CRAVES YOUR FLESH, YOUR BONES BLED RAW!
YOUR FEAR! YOUR FEAR! SO SWEET! SO STRONG! TO TEASE MY TONGUE, YOUR LIVES ARE GONE!
YOUR ODDS UNFAVORED, MY WEB TOO STRONG! SPEED WON'T NEGATE A LINE STEPPED WRONG!
YOU DARE? DARE SMITE THIS AWESOME BEAST? YOUR FATES ARE SEALED AS MY NEXT FEAST!
HEED THIS BECK AND HEAR THIS CALL! FIGHT ME STILL, YOUR WILLS SHALL FALL!
Sir, are you by chance a bird enthusiast? I like birds, but I wouldn't be able to recognise most birds that landed on my face, despite my best attempts.
I've been a birdwatcher since the day I was born. It's just the way I am wired. When I was a kid people would always say that I would grow out of it. They were wrong. I am doing my Ph D on the now! (speaking of my Ph D I REALLY should finish that research proposal...).
As to learning to identify birds, everyone was at your level at the beginning. Just pick up an identification guide and start with the ones in your backyard. I am sure you can tell a Magpie from a Pigeon and a Cockatoo from a Rosella. But did you know that Australia has 24 species of pigeon and doves (Some are quite spectacular) and that in all likelihood you have twospecies of rosella visiting your yard?
The fantastic thing about birdwatching is that you can practice it anywhere above ground anywhere in the world. You really only need a field guide (a camera and binos and scope help a lot, but you don't need them to watch birds).
It's also a fantastic mental practice that has made me very perspective and you never know what you will see (e.g. my Godwit :))
Ok I will stop now
R.P.
__________________
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It's amazing what you find out when you Google something.
I always thought that Rosellas were called so because of their red feathers (yes, I know that not all are red). Turns out they were named after Rosehill, the place they were discovered.
You learn something new everyday.
It's amazing what you find out when you Google something.
I always thought that Rosellas were called so because of their red feathers (yes, I know that not all are red). Turns out they were named after Rosehill, the place they were discovered.
You learn something new everyday.
Indeed!
They were also called pie birds as you needed 12 to make a decent sized pie back in colonial times.
__________________
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I've been a birdwatcher since the day I was born. It's just the way I am wired. When I was a kid people would always say that I would grow out of it. They were wrong. I am doing my Ph D on the now! (speaking of my Ph D I REALLY should finish that research proposal...).
As to learning to identify birds, everyone was at your level at the beginning. Just pick up an identification guide and start with the ones in your backyard. I am sure you can tell a Magpie from a Pigeon and a Cockatoo from a Rosella. But did you know that Australia has 24 species of pigeon and doves (Some are quite spectacular) and that in all likelihood you have twospecies of rosella visiting your yard?
The fantastic thing about birdwatching is that you can practice it anywhere above ground anywhere in the world. You really only need a field guide (a camera and binos and scope help a lot, but you don't need them to watch birds).
It's also a fantastic mental practice that has made me very perspective and you never know what you will see (e.g. my Godwit :))
Ok I will stop now
R.P.
Woaaaaah... its like a "follow your dreams" story ripped from a fairy tale.
I myself am proud to say I know my Indian Minahs from my Noisy Minahs, except that I can't for the life of me remember what was the appropriate spelling for "minah", or even if they both are spelled the same. I myself love to draw birds, except they don't stay still enough for me to do so...
Would you mind PMing me some career advice? See, I have a close friend who is incredibly passionate about birds, far moreso than myself, and is looking down the path of ornithology but has little idea what to do (and is also somewhat pessimistic about his chances/parent's approval and all that). I think it would be incredible for him to get some advice from you! 8D
Quote:
Originally Posted by Elemental
It's amazing what you find out when you Google something.
I always thought that Rosellas were called so because of their red feathers (yes, I know that not all are red). Turns out they were named after Rosehill, the place they were discovered.
You learn something new everyday.
Oh my god I live near there! XD
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rising Phoenix
Indeed!
They were also called pie birds as you needed 12 to make a decent sized pie back in colonial times.
...
__________________
... Sense of nostalgia, from rereading old games...
Pokedex #568: Roc Ness Arrgh I forgot there was a 5th gen and that number is taken now. D:
Avvie by Serpentine.
Oh god, they want to basically renovate the CBD to make it Manhatten style <_< More traffic congestion and even more people on our already struggling public transport system?
ZE HORRORRRRRR!
That's better than what the planned redevelopment is over here. They want to create an island in the shape of a swan. What are we, Dubai?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rising Phoenix
They were also called pie birds as you needed 12 to make a decent sized pie back in colonial times.
They made pies out of rosellas? That's just wrong.
I think I'll stick with knowing the difference between a willy wagtail and a crow
__________________
There is no social situation that can't be improved if everyone was to go away and leave me to read.
Woaaaaah... its like a "follow your dreams" story ripped from a fairy tale.
I myself am proud to say I know my Indian Minahs from my Noisy Minahs, except that I can't for the life of me remember what was the appropriate spelling for "minah", or even if they both are spelled the same. I myself love to draw birds, except they don't stay still enough for me to do so...
Would you mind PMing me some career advice? See, I have a close friend who is incredibly passionate about birds, far moreso than myself, and is looking down the path of ornithology but has little idea what to do (and is also somewhat pessimistic about his chances/parent's approval and all that). I think it would be incredible for him to get some advice from you! 8D
If you think I can be of any help, please go ahead and PM me :).
Quote:
Originally Posted by Elemental
Firstly, as to the spelling: Indian Mynah and Noisy Miner.
What is with this spell check? It recognises neutrino, but not mynah?
Back to the topic at hand:
What is with these city-planners? Artificial islands? Manhattanisation?
Fix the problems that exist already!
Tell me about it. You'd think that they would have learned something after all these environmental collapses across Australia/the world... Perth is especially bad atm... all this reckless development... We don't have water for all these people!
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I have a feeling the swan island isn't going ahead any more - everyone rose up in complaint. Kinda like when they tried to bring in daylight savings over here. I think I was the only person in the state who genuinely didn't care. But then again, I grew up with it, so it doesn't really bother me.
__________________
There is no social situation that can't be improved if everyone was to go away and leave me to read.
You think Sydney trains are better than Melbourne? I've found them to be far more confusing, on par punctuality-wise, and many, many times more expensive. Plus since you buy a direct ticket instead of a zone ticket, if you don't take particular route - sometimes a particularly awkward one - the ticket won't go through the machine at the end and you get an awkward conversation with the guard. I'd much rather pay three bucks and get wherever I want however I want.
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Regular avatar by Dallas-Dakota.
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Regarding mysellf:
Spoiler
Quote:
Originally Posted by arguskos
Pretty sure that Anuan is the local weapons pro.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mauve Shirt
Anuan's house is a HOUSE OF DEATH!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dallas-Dakota
I'd go to his house and steal all the awesome.
But I'm afraid I'd accidentally stab myself to death.
They made pies out of rosellas? That's just wrong.
From a certain perspective, it's no more or less wrong than making pies out of pigeon, or even out of chicken.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lady Moreta
I think I'll stick with knowing the difference between a willy wagtail and a crow
Except there are no crows in Western Australia - just ravens.
__________________ Avatars: Ponified Othar Tryggvassen by Madcrafter; "Fetlock Equinari, Ponytrician of Flanhk-Marepork, featuring Bank Chairman Mr Fusspot" by Dirtytabs; "Dexam with April from CRFH!!!" by Maritza Campos.
Except there are no crows in Western Australia - just ravens.
Are they ravens? really?
Every single person I've ever met or talked to in the five years I've been here has called them crows. Are the annoying big black birds all actually ravens?
__________________
There is no social situation that can't be improved if everyone was to go away and leave me to read.
From a certain perspective, it's no more or less wrong than making pies out of pigeon, or even out of chicken.
Except there are no crows in Western Australia - just ravens.
Weeeeelll, if you are in southern WA that's true. You only get Australian Ravens... if you are in norther WA you get Little Ravens and Torresian Crows...
Generally the name 'Raven' is used to describe a larger species while 'Crow' for the smaller ones . In Australia the size difference is only a few cm with considerable overlap. So it's pretty much useless in the field. Call, range (and to a lesser extent behaviour) are the best way to tell them apart as they all look more or less the same: Australian Raven, Little Raven, Torresian Crow
You can find their calls with a quick google search if interested further :).
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A little short notice, so I don't expect many responses. Plus, you know, it's a Monday. Anyone want a game of Killing Floor tonight? No recording, mics optional, normal difficulty.
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"My Hobby: Replacing your soap with gravy" by rtg0922, Doll and Clint "Rawhide" Eastwood by Sneak
You think Sydney trains are better than Melbourne? I've found them to be far more confusing, on par punctuality-wise, and many, many times more expensive. Plus since you buy a direct ticket instead of a zone ticket, if you don't take particular route - sometimes a particularly awkward one - the ticket won't go through the machine at the end and you get an awkward conversation with the guard. I'd much rather pay three bucks and get wherever I want however I want.
I was in Sydney for the BDO last year (I'm a native Melbournian), and I found the PT system a bit lacking as well. Unless I was missing something, you basically needed to buy a ticket for each leg of your journey - one night, I had to buy a train ticket, bus ticket and ferry ticket separately...
You can find their calls with a quick google search if interested further :).
Not really I must confess. I'm just satisfied with knowing that there aren't many around where we live so I don't having to listen to their stupid cawing at every hour of the day. The last place we lived had heaps and they were the most annoying dawn chorus I've ever heard in my life.
__________________
There is no social situation that can't be improved if everyone was to go away and leave me to read.
I'm pretty sure magpies are songbirds, so that would make sense
And there are no crows (or ravens or whatever they are ) in New Zealand (which is where I'm from), so I'm really not used to the horrible noise they make. Plus being woken up every morning at 5am because of their crowing really got on my nerves after a while...
__________________
There is no social situation that can't be improved if everyone was to go away and leave me to read.
I can understand that. Maybe they don't bother me because I'm a pretty heavy sleeper. It unfortately takes me forever and a day to actually get to the 'being asleep' stage, though.
I'm pretty sure magpies are songbirds, so that would make sense
And there are no crows (or ravens or whatever they are ) in New Zealand (which is where I'm from), so I'm really not used to the horrible noise they make. Plus being woken up every morning at 5am because of their crowing really got on my nerves after a while...
Crows and Ravens are songbirds (perching birds) too.
And smart Europeans thought it was a brilliant idea to introduce Rooks to New Zealand... Though I am under the impression that they are being culled atm.
The only bird call that I do not like are the shrieks of the Sulphur-crested Cockatoo and only during early in the morning. Otherwise I really don't mind any bird calls.
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I've been a birdwatcher since the day I was born. It's just the way I am wired. When I was a kid people would always say that I would grow out of it. They were wrong. I am doing my Ph D on the now! (speaking of my Ph D I REALLY should finish that research proposal...).
As to learning to identify birds, everyone was at your level at the beginning. Just pick up an identification guide and start with the ones in your backyard. I am sure you can tell a Magpie from a Pigeon and a Cockatoo from a Rosella. But did you know that Australia has 24 species of pigeon and doves (Some are quite spectacular) and that in all likelihood you have twospecies of rosella visiting your yard?
The fantastic thing about birdwatching is that you can practice it anywhere above ground anywhere in the world. You really only need a field guide (a camera and binos and scope help a lot, but you don't need them to watch birds).
It's also a fantastic mental practice that has made me very perspective and you never know what you will see (e.g. my Godwit :))
Ok I will stop now
R.P.
Can I just say how awesome that is? It really isn't that many people that can say that they have followed their dream from an early age through to an opportunity like that.
Anyway, my own Bird knowledge (while a little more advanced than most of my peers) comes to "Ohhh, look at the pretty bird!" when faced with birds that don't live in my area...
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Originally Posted by Solo
Smelling nice and mind control are, I fear, two completely different things.
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Originally Posted by Mr.Silver
Actually, I find your opinion perfectly reasonable. I'd be surprised if many people took issue with it.
He's talking 'bout me!
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Originally Posted by golentan
And then my father comes at me with the teapot and says "Why. So. British?"
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Originally Posted by Lord_Gareth
Hey, I can wait. I'm young with my entire life ahead of me. I'll dream of empires amongst the stars in worlds undreamt of if I wanna :p
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Originally Posted by MasamuneSSX
There are no citizens, mind bananas. Go back to your control.
Can I just say how awesome that is? It really isn't that many people that can say that they have followed their dream from an early age through to an opportunity like that.
Anyway, my own Bird knowledge (while a little more advanced than most of my peers) comes to "Ohhh, look at the pretty bird!" when faced with birds that don't live in my area...
Thanks. It doesn't look that awesome now that I am writting my research proposal though
XD
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Crows and Ravens are songbirds (perching birds) too.
Seriously? But they make such a horrible racket...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rising Phoenix
And smart Europeans thought it was a brilliant idea to introduce Rooks to New Zealand... Though I am under the impression that they are being culled atm.
Don't know anything about that, though it wouldn't surprise me. Europeans thought it was a good idea to introduce a lot of things to New Zealand... but yeah, if they're there, they'll be being culled.
__________________
There is no social situation that can't be improved if everyone was to go away and leave me to read.
Seriously? But they make such a horrible racket...
Don't know anything about that, though it wouldn't surprise me. Europeans thought it was a good idea to introduce a lot of things to New Zealand... but yeah, if they're there, they'll be being culled.
And yet... no one wants your wetas :P
__________________ Witness my glory and know that when my darkness fades, if you yet live, it is because an ally does not.
AN EMPTY SPOT WITHIN MY CRAW CRAVES YOUR FLESH, YOUR BONES BLED RAW!
YOUR FEAR! YOUR FEAR! SO SWEET! SO STRONG! TO TEASE MY TONGUE, YOUR LIVES ARE GONE!
YOUR ODDS UNFAVORED, MY WEB TOO STRONG! SPEED WON'T NEGATE A LINE STEPPED WRONG!
YOU DARE? DARE SMITE THIS AWESOME BEAST? YOUR FATES ARE SEALED AS MY NEXT FEAST!
HEED THIS BECK AND HEAR THIS CALL! FIGHT ME STILL, YOUR WILLS SHALL FALL!
Seriously? But they make such a horrible racket...
Yes, crows are songbirds, I was shocked when I found out too.
Anyway, it makes sense that some songbirds sing badly. I mean, not everyone who sings is actually a good singer.
Yes, but wetas are indigenous, so they're actually helpful.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Elemental
Yes, crows are songbirds, I was shocked when I found out too.
Anyway, it makes sense that some songbirds sing badly. I mean, not everyone who sings is actually a good singer.
Not really... I mean, one would assume that the songbird name came about because the birds within the category all had a song-like quality to their calls. Otherwise they'd be songbirds-and-others
__________________
There is no social situation that can't be improved if everyone was to go away and leave me to read.
I blame the people who began classifying animals.
They obviously started by noticing that all the birds we commonly think of as songbirds were alike, so grouped them into one category; Songbirds.
However, when it came time to place crows, etc., they were too lazy to fix their mistake, and now we're stuck with it.
As an aside:
How could you Benjamin Franklin?! Now the diagrams don't make sense!
Ignore that, I was just being crazy.
My mum and her husband were doing a bunch of birdwatching around their place. They were listing every single species of bird they saw, but within a specifically defined range - I think on the beach from the headland to part-way down the beach, in the sand dunes, and a specific distance inland. Last I heard they were up to something like 120-150 species before they ran out.
I'm thinking I should get a bird book for the UK... And maybe animals - I saw deer today
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Re: Australasia in the Playground V
That's truly incredible... 
Tell me about it. You'd think that they would have learned something after all these environmental collapses across Australia/the world... Perth is especially bad atm... all this reckless development... We don't have water for all these people!
I've found them to be far more confusing, on par punctuality-wise, and many, many times more expensive. Plus since you buy a direct ticket instead of a zone ticket, if you don't take particular route - sometimes a particularly awkward one - the ticket won't go through the machine at the end and you get an awkward conversation with the guard. I'd much rather pay three bucks and get wherever I want however I want.
