Paul Ganssle @pganssle@qoto.org

I've heard here and there about a bird disease going around and that people should take down their feeders, but I can't find any good up-to-date resources about what parts of the country (US) are affected.

Anyone know if there is a good website that will tell me whether or not I should take down my feeders, and when I should put them back up?

#birds #birding #wildlife

Interesting, Metaculus was overly pessimistic about the timeline for the COVID-19 vaccine, but not absurdly so considering that predictions closed on May 2020:

https://www.metaculus.com/questions/3860/when-will-a-vaccine-targeted-at-the-2019-novel-coronavirus-covid-19-be-administered-to-at-least-10m-people/

How many people 11 months ago would have put even 25% probability of widespread vaccination by March 2021?

Also a good way to introduce them to being skeptical of the motives of supernatural beings.

How to explain the Easter bunny to your children if you don't want them eating so much candy:

"Yes, we know he comes every year to leave us candy. What we don't know is what he takes in return..."

@pettter @codesections I think you may be thinking of Befunge or one of its derivatives?

@freemo Sorry I engaged, if you are going to fight me on challenging your hyperbole with petty semantic arguments, I'm not especially interested in having the discussion.

I was attempting to help you tone down your rhetoric by keeping it factual, but I don't have time to try to litigate whether or not your misleading statements are technically true in some sense.

@freemo @swiley Similarly you can choose to not work at or patronize places that require a vaccine passport, no?

@freemo It's disingenuous to suggest that this is unprecedentedly unsafe considering it's certainly safer than the amount and quality of testing done / required for a large fraction of the time we've been vaccinating people, and probably more than even the fairly recent past, given the safety ratchet that the FDA imposes (they almost always make the requirements more stringent, not the other way around).

If you are going to engage in this sort of semantic argument, I'm going to have a hard time taking you seriously in the future.

@freemo Also worth noting that this is not exactly unprecedented, considering that many schools / school systems require up-to-date vaccinations for students.

@freemo I don't think that's right about this being the first vaccine in US history to bypass the last stage, considering that vaccination predates the existence of the FDA by over 100 years.

I bought a 3-pack of Chapstick a few months ago and I just finished using up the last one *without* losing or putting any of them through the dryer.

I'm mildly afraid to tell anyone, since those who know me will assume that this is an obvious lie meant as a distress beacon.

Not a bird, but when I was chasing down the Pileated Woodpecker, I came across this very sleepy squirrel and had to take a photo.

This was right around noon, so I'm guessing he had a big lunch...

I also found this male and female Eastern Bluebird pair hanging around by a nest near the river.

I have no idea if it's accurate, but in my head they are a breeding pair guarding or establishing a nesting location (though maybe they tried it out in college and it didn't work out, so now they're "just friends").

#birding #birds

I also got my first picture of a Pileated Woodpecker just the other day — then I saw two more directly in my back yard this morning!

They are surprisingly big...

#birding #birds #photography

The robins are also out in full force, running around everyone's yards, pecking away.

#birding #birds #photography

The goldfinches in my area seem to be right behind them. Here's a picture of a goldfinch 11 days ago, and another goldfinch yesterday: he's molting!

#birding #photography #birds

Looks like the birds got the message that it's spring! It seems these red-winged blackbirds are back and in full breeding plumage.

#birding

On the plus side, if he keeps it up, maybe I'll eventually get those ripped jaw muscles the ladies go wild for.