birds (WIP)

grackles are great and so are harpy eagles

4/7/22 in today's news we had invaders from Egypt at the lake in Austin today......


the Egyptian Goose now lives in Texas I guess?

Albatrossed

To me, albatross parents are some of the most inspiring beings on the planet. They literally circle the entire globe, ~ 2,000 miles, in search of food for their child. Can you imagine even walking 5 miles to the grocery store and then carrying it back to feed yourself, let alone for another? And yes, they have one child. Rather than investing in many babies at once, albatross parents stake it all on one.

A whole year goes by for their baby to get big enough to fly. Albatross teenagers then spend more years practicing by watching elders (if they're still around) to learn complex, ritualized dance moves (aka dating). Over time they date fewer and fewer birds, until they are left with one special bird they resonate with, and the pair develops their own unique language. Just like most human parents today, albatross parents want to ensure their significant other will be completely dedicated to their future child.

It's unfortunate that due to increases in plastic pollution, Albatross parents are confused by the floating, colorful plastic flotsam. They bring it back to feed their child, which overtime results in death or at best reduced chances of survival, since they feel "full" and eat less.

I used plastic in the chest area of this baby Albatross to depict what I see and feel as a sad corruption of such a loving family.