#eurasian nightjar

[hellsitegenetics]

Oh, I'm a goofy goober, yeah

You're a goofy goober, yeah

We're all goofy goobers, yeah

Goofy, goofy, goober, goober, yeah!

I'm a goofy goober, yeah

You're a goofy goober, yeah

We're all goofy goobers, yeah

Goofy, goofy, goober, goober, YEAH!

String identified:

, ' a g g, a

' a g g, a

' a g g, a

G, g, g, g, a!

' a g g, a

' a g g, a

' a g g, a

G, g, g, g, A!

Closest match: Caprimulgus europaeus genome assembly, chromosome: 10 Common name: European nightjar

[niqvassieart]

5-10 min nightjar studies to help me with a book illustration i was working on. Such beautiful and weird birds!

[otiksimr]

Could you possibly draw Mastermind? I'd love to see your interpretation of him.. if you're fine with it, that is.

I gotchu

[sallylla]

Detective duo from the night department

***

That’s Neville with his rival/co-worker, Enoch Willowperch.

Enoch is an eurasian eagle owl and works as a detective at the Woodland Police Department, just like Neville. Coming from a rich and influential family, he’s suave and full of confidence. Also, unlike the true neutral Neville, he’s a lawful good character with a strong sense of justice.

For one thing he’d uphold law and order at (almost) any cost. He’s also a father of two owlets and a loving husband. But beneath all his confidence and discipline he’s still got his own inner struggles. Enoch plays an important rule in Neville’s story/character arc.

Long story short: even though these two used to be pals at the police academy, now this eagle owl triggers the green-eyed monster in Neville with his mere presence. 😅 That’s because for Neville, Enoch seems to be perfect, he seems to have everything he only can dream of. Not to mention, despite him being about the same age as Neville, Enoch was already promoted as commander, he can play an active part in the investigations, while all he’s allowed to do is mundane paperwork. Basically everything about him just feeds Neville’s jealousy and inferiority complex.

That rivalry is pretty much one-sided though, considering Enoch sees him as an adorkable, fun little bird, who brings constant smile to his face. (Of course Neville reads that as gloating/mocking.)

In fact, he’s still considering Neville as his friend in spite of his aloof, sometimes outright hostile attitude towards him. He doesn’t even seem to notice his snarky remarks and sarcastic tone.

[proton-wobbler]

Round 1, Poll 45

Collared Nightjar vs Eurasian Three-toed Woodpecker

sources under cut

Collared Nightjar Propaganda

eBird Sightings - 415

IUCN Status - Least Concern

Location: Africa - Madagascar; all along the eastern third of the island.

Eurasian Three-toed Woodpecker Propaganda

eBird Sightings - 3,741

IUCN Status - Least Concern

Location: Europe & Asia - distrubuted sparsely across the various mountain chains of the Eurasian continent.

"where i'm from it's a super rare bird that you can only see in 2 places in the country, which always excited me, so it's one of those birds i'd really like to see one day"

Image Sources: Nightjar (Chris Venetz); Woodpecker (Pavel Parkhaev)

[internetdruid]

Eurasian Nightjar (Caprimulgus europaeus) x.

[k-looking-glass-house]

What if Crowley uses "bird" vocabulary like Floyd with his marine nicknames....

Yes he's a crow ... Just imagine if he sees us as biiiiird~

Of course it's just my point of view, I am not a professional in ornithology, you might have your own idea about this one and I would definitely want to hear about it!

Mostly they are birds we could see in my country...

Let's go:

Ombrorio

Grim(m) -> Grey catbird (grey like Grimm, striped wings and can make cat noise....yes)

Yuu(sona) -> Sparrow (Crowley would definitely call Yuu a little sparrow....)

Night Raven College staff

Sam -> Painted bunting (small, vibrant, colorful, a rare sight to view)

Mozus Trein -> Eurasian skylark (classy, well known literally a french song about this bird "he sung it to Lucius as a kitten")

Ashton Vargas -> Pheasant (....the irony as his Disney counterpart is an hunter, but vibrant color)

Divus Crewel -> Great spotted woodpecker (literally screaming I am Cruella, fashion red, black and white bird)

Heartslabyul

Ace Trappola -> Nothern cardinal (red... funky feather style, fights their own mirror reflection...)

Deuce Spade -> Blue slaty bunting

Riddle Roseheart -> Robin (Hi Ciel Phantomhive...I mean Kuroshitsuji ref but look that little red face)

Trey Clover -> Nightingale (sorry Trey...Crowley is implying you can either sing...or can't...but you do have a perfect voice!)

Cater Diamond -> Pyrrhula (I love this little bird too....they became very rare by now, look this tiny orange one)

(Heartslabyul are literally the birds of Aurora in 2d "Sleeping beauty")

Savannaclaw

Jack Howl -> Owl (....this one is pretty obvious)

Leona Kingscholar -> "Savanna" eagle (yes... definitely a strong bird)

Ruggie Bucchi -> Speckled mousebird (listen to that bird you'll understand, also....that feather hairstyle!)

Octavinelle

Jade Leech -> Emperor penguin (tall...classy ...can't fly pfff)

Azul Ashengrotto -> Nothern gannet (verrryyy big, analystic-smart one, can't walk on land...)

Floyd Leech -> Snare penguin (unique appareance, multiple various vocalized sounds)

Scarabia

Kalim Al Asim -> White falcon (precious, royal bird in a "maybe similar related country in our world")

Jamil Viper -> Red Parrot (or macaw) (obviously because of Iago)

Pomefiore

Epel Felmier -> Snow bunting (a "petite robuste" bird living in snow)

Vil Schoenheit -> Peacock (beautiful, handsome literally The Evil Queen's bird)

Rook Hunt -> Mallard (another irony for an hunter...but this bird is beautiful I mean it, and is found everywheerrre (like a stalker bird ha ha))

Ignihyde

Idia Shroud -> Blue jay (blue, black and blue stripes, funny enough the bird is stated to be noisy ha ha, Idia can be supah noisy sometimes too when setting his boundaries, GG Idia!)

Ortho Shroud -> Eurasian blue tit (a little fluffy bird, blue and yellow doing a very cute melodious sound, I love watching them...)

Diasomnia

Sebek Zigvolt -> Egyptian plover (yes....the bird on the crocodile's back...yes)

Malleus Draconia -> Great eared nightjar (it's a dragon bird....look at him)/I could have chosen Casoar too... but nope...

Lilia Vanrouge -> Anna's hummingbird (it's small, pink and changes color with light...like his hairs)

Silver -> Nine-primaried oscines (a cute lovely bird in our woods, pink and blue)

Thanks National Geographic....

It's just pure fanon brainstorming... I'm sorry...

bird photos were mostly took from "Wikipedia"

[dropitdoeeyes]

i am asking you about mechs birds ! if you want a specific mech then I'm asking about Drumbot Brian. But I'd love ve to hear about all of them if you want to

(On the verge of tears, covered in blood, out of breath, and surrounded by boards of red string and thumbtacks) I am SO glad you asked

Jonny: A shrike. Small, violent little critters. OR a chicken, because the cannibalism thing. (I also just think it’s really funny.)

Ashes: Whistling kite! They (along with a few other species) take burning sticks from forest fires and spread it to flush out prey. Arsonist bird, just like Ashes!

Drumbot Brian: Canada goose, since they travel long distances (like a pilot might!) this is also one of the birds that just Is Them. Just look at him. Look me in the eyes and tell me that man isn’t a goose. Soft, round, they look good to hold but they’re simultaneously full of violence.. silly goose Brian….

Raphaella: Wandering albatross. Yet another one who really truly just is. Look at that bird. It's her.

Marius: Common kingfisher! He's the one who originally sparked this idea, after we saw a picture of one and immediately got slammed by the idea of anthro bird mechs. The colors. Just look. That bird is Him.

Ivy: Rock ptarmigan, pigeon, or a mourning dove. She's just a soft round bird like Brian. They all have fitting coloration in a way, too.

Toy Soldier: European nightjar. The freaks my one true love. Nightjars look so fake., like they’re one of those puppet animal plushies you put your hand in to move the mouth.

Tim: Steller's jay. He inexplicably reminds me of one, similar mannerisms and everything. Tim is really truly such a corvid, also considered a blue jay for him. Deep down in my heart of hearts Gunpowder is a seabird like an osprey or petrel, though I have no reasoning for those ones.

Nastya: Eurasian magpie. Shiny blue smart bird. Looks mildly disappointed in you. Love u nastya

[dualdeixis]

[Image description: A digital drawing in black and white. A rock dove, white-spectacled bulbul, European bee-eater, Eurasian hoopoe, Eurasian spoonbill, European nightjar, and common nightingale fly together while carrying stones in their talons. Each bird is accompanied by its own name in Arabic. The rock dove has a shining halo around its head and the nightingale also carries a rose. On the top and bottom, two verses in Arabic are written, while the left and right read "VICTORY TO THE / STONE-THROWERS." End image description.]

inspired by qur'an 105:3-4 "for It sent against them flocks of birds, pelting them with stones of baked clay" + the article "how trapped palestinians fell in love with bird-watching."

ways to help palestine:

global strike on monday december 11!!!!

connecting gaza humanitarian aid + e-sims for gaza guide

decolonize palestine (patreon)

samidoun (calendar of worldwide protests)

palestine action

palestine legal

bds movement

legal defense for jerusalem armenians

financial support for palestinian refugee students

support palestinian businesses

more resources

ways to help congo:

communist party of the congo

list of donations

boycott & donate

ways to help sudan:

list of donations

fundraiser for a refugee family

action against hunger

darfur women action group

ways to help armenia:

all for armenia

armenian food bank

artsakh housing fund

armenia fund

armenian assembly of america action center

ways to help other indigenous peoples around you:

learn about whose land you may be living on

wôpanâak language reclamation project

list of donations

more resources

[battle-of-the-birds]

Alrighty and HERE ARE OUR CONTENDERS!!!

Tag for the polls: #bird battle

DISCLAIMER - I wrote the round one blurbs when I was very sick and half awake, so if you see any mistakes PLEASE TELL ME! Nicely, obviously, but I want to make sure they sound good for round 2. Thank you!

I know there’s a lot of them, but man there’s SO MANY GOOD BIRDS! There were a few times where people didn’t put what specific subspecies for some birds, so sometimes I’d have to choose one. I tried to choose one that represents that bird the best!

I don’t know when the polls will begin, I’m doing some research on the birds so that people can read about them before they vote.

If one of your favs didn’t make it in, don’t worry they’re a winner in my and your heart.

If you are wondering where the Pigeon (Rock Dove) is, THEY ARE THE FINAL CHAMPION! At the end of this bracket, the winner will face off against the mightily popular Rock Dove! Will they be able to beat such a tough challenger? We will see…

Also, a note on how I set this bracket up: I put all the birds in a numbered list and then used a number generator. I think the matchups we got were really interesting.

Full list under the cut

HARPY EAGLE

SUPERB BIRD OF PARADISE

VAMPIRE FINCH

RAINBOW LORIKEET

BALTIMORE ORIOLE

EURASIAN WREN

STELLER'S JAY

CALIFORNIA CONDOR

EURASIAN HOOPOE

BLACK CAPPED CHICKADEE

TAWNY FROGMOUTH

AMERICAN GOLDFINCH

ANDEAN COCK OF THE ROCK

MUTE SWAN

WESTERN SANDPIPER

STELLER'S SEA EAGLE

VIOLET BACKED STARLING

HOATZIN

HOUSE SPARROW

HERACLES

CANADIAN GOOSE

DODO

GREAT EARED NIGHTJAR

SANDHILL CRANE

PELAGORNIS

SUPERB FAIRY WREN

SOUTHERN CASSOWARY

AMERICAN ROBIN

GREATER ROADRUNNER

GREAT BLUE HERON

AMERICAN AVOCET

PASSENGER PIGEON

WALLCREEPER

GREAT TIT

MOA

EASTERN BLUEBIRD

AUSTRALIAN BUSHTURKEY

EMU

MALLARD DUCK

FLAME BOWERBIRD

MANDARIN DUCK

BELTED KINGFISHER

OILBIRD

FAIRY PENGUIN

LESSER FLAMINGO

AUSTRALIAN KESTREL

CARRION CROW

UMBRELLABIRD

LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE

PERUVIAN PELICAN

CALIFORNIA QUAIL

MACGREGORS BOWERBIRD

HARRIS HAWK

COMMON RAVEN

BEARDED VULTURE

PEREGRINE FALCON

ROSY LOVEBIRD

ROSEATTE SPOONBILL

LONG TAILED GRACKLE

AMERICAN WOODCOCK

KAKAPO

BLUE FOOTED BOOBY

RHEA

BEE HUMMINGBIRD

WHITE WAGTAIL

HUIA

SNAIL KITE

DOMESTIC CHICKEN

KIWI

MOURNING DOVE

ATLANTIC PUFFIN

CARDINAL

LYREBIRD

EUROPEAN ROBIN

BURROWING OWL

OSPREY

RED TAILED HAWK

BLEEDING HEART DOVE

BARN OWL

PEACOCK

SATIN BOWERBIRD

CAIQUE

RED WINGED BLACKBIRD

LONG TAILED TIT

HERRING GULL

GREEN HERON

CREAM COLORED WOODPECKER

AUSTRALIAN IBIS

TRISTAM'S STARLING

POTOO

WANDERING ALBATROSS

BLUE JAY

KEA

COMMON MYNA

RAINBOW TOUCAN

GREATER SAGE GROUSE

TURKEY VULTURE

TUFTED TITMOUSE

CRESTED AUKLET

EURASIAN MAGPIE

BUDGIE

SCREECH OWL

WIP-POOR-WILL

SECRETARY BIRD

AUSTRALIAN MAGPIE

CEDAR WAXWING

VICTORIA CROWNED PIGEON

HERMIT THRUSH

COMMON SWIFT

WHITE BELLBIRD

BROWN SKUA

EUROPEAN DIPPER

[globalworship]

The Parable of the Mustard Seed (icon)

“Jesus put before them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; it is the smallest of seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and rest in its branches." -Matthew 13:31-32

Recent icon of this passage by Kelly Latimore:

+++

Commenary by Kelly Latimore:

Jesus' parables are one of the ways Jesus trains his disciples. The parables, like the sermon on the mount, have always been crucial for the church to imagine the kind of community it is called to be. We discover again and again that Jesus' parables significance points to everyday life. The parables are meant to be lived.

The original audience may have been perplexed by this story. They would have known that no-one would intentionally plant a mustard shrub. In fact, the Jewish Mishnah forbade the growing of mustard seeds in the garden because they were 'useless annoying weeds'. In the Hebrew Scriptures the "birds of the air" can be a reference to Gentiles/Non-Jews, the foreigner.

This parable suggests that the kingdom of heaven is available to everyone. Even those who may be considered outsiders or not "Worthy". Jesus is calling us to see the significance in the insignificant. The parables of the kingdom of heaven make clear that the kingdom of heaven is not "up there". Through the parables Jesus is teaching us to "be for the world the material reality of the kingdom of heaven brought down to earth." As Jesus is himself the parable of the father so the church is meant to be the parable of Christ. A people in space and time welcoming the outcast, the foreigner, and the stranger. These kind of communities will look like unwanted weeds to the world, or even to other christians. However, this may be exactly the church Jesus is asking us to embody. Prints, Digital Downloads, and Calendars available All of the birds in this icon are native to the Holy Land. Birds in the icon: Palestine Sunbird, Scrub Warbler, Common Rosefinch, Laughing dove, Barn Swallow, House Sparrow, Fire-Fronted Serin, Red- Rumped Swallow, Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin, Woodchat Shrike, European Greenfinch, Tree Pipit, Nubian Nightjar, Northern Wheatear, Green Bee Eater, Eurasian Golden Oriole, European Roller, Eurasian Jay, Great Tit, Hooded Crow, Eurasian Blackbird, Common Chiffchaff, Rock Bunting, Crested Lark, and White Spectacled Bulbul.  https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1006593093924270&set=a.437194030864182 https://www.facebook.com/kellylatimoreicons

[corvusalas]

Every time I look around I see broken people. The world is walking on shards of glass made up of a past that words could never even begin to describe. I made my choice a long time ago. So has everyone else. There's no going back.

✧ threads ✧ about ✧ headcanon ✧ the mail ✧ ✧ aesthetics ✧ musings ✧ connections ✧ mirror ✧

BASIC INFORMATION

FULL NAME: Selma Odette Avery

ALIAS/NICKNAME: Sel, Little Swan, Avery

AGE: Nineteen

BIRTH DATE: March 19th, 1961, Nineteen

BLOOD STATUS: Half-blood

AFFILIATION: Order of the Phoenix (during the war), St. Mungo's (currently)

GENDER/PRONOUNS: Cis-Woman. She/her

CURRENT LIVING CONDITIONS: Cottage on the hillside of Hogsmeade

OTHER: Avery Manor (formerly), Flat in Diagon Alley

OCCUPATION: Healer at St. Mungo's, Former Mediwitch for the Order

PETS: Achilles (eurasian eagle owl), Ophelia (siberian cat, future)

WAND: Beech Wood, Dragonheart String, 11 1/2 inch, slightly yielding

PATRONUS: Nightjar

BOGGART: Drowning in a body of water

AMORTENTIA: Unknown

SCENT: cedar wood, faint hint of a potions lab, scent of tea

INSPIRATION

SONG: Swan Lake, The Call by Regina Spektor, The Archer by Taylor Swift, What was I made for by Billie Eilish

PINTEREST: Will be updated in the future !!

RELATIONSHIPS

PARENTS:  Maryse Avery née. Rookwood & Victor Avery

SIBLINGS: None.

SIGNIFICANT OTHER: None.

OTHER FAMILY: Philippe Avery (cousin). Elodie Avery (cousin).

CHILDREN: None.

EDUCTATION:

SCHOOL: Hogwarts

HOUSE: Ravenclaw

EXTRACURRICULAR: Slug Club, Charms Club

CLASSES INVESTED IN: Charms, Alchemy, Arithmancy, Transfiguration, Potions

SPOKEN LANGUAGES: English, French, Norwegian, Latin

OTHER LANGUAGES: None.

PHYSICAL TRAITS

EYE COLOR: Brown

HAIR COLOR: Raven/Black

HEIGHT: 5′4

SCARS: None.

PERSONALITY

INTELLIGENCE: High. Adaptive.

SKILLS: Wandless magic (basic, practicing), Dueling (practicing, decent), Potions (decent), Ballroom dancing (skilled), Harp play (decent), Gardening (decent)

POSITIVE TRAITS: Curious, Creative, Witty, Adaptive, Intuitive, Accepting

NEGATIVE TRAITS: Perfectionist, Calculating, Secretive, Deceptive at times

MBTI: ENFJ

BIOGRAPHY: (tw Death, Infertility)

Selma Avery was born March 19th, 1959 to Maryse and Victor Avery within the french residence of the Avery family just south of Paris within the countryside. Truth unknown to most other than those within the manor that day was that the mother of Selma was not Maryse at all. Maryse and Victor, having struggled with conceiving a child for the longest time, in their desperation selected a witch that met all the necessary criteria in order to keep the bloodline going. The witch selected was of muggle heritage, despite her otherwise impressive accomplishments and the Averys every willing to take that secret to the grave and protect it at all costs. At an unknown point in time shortly after the birth of Selma the witch was vanished, seemingly taken care of by the family.

The young girl grew up unaware of the events of that night and weeks after, believing herself truly to be her parents' child in every way. Though she was warmer than those around her, not walking the halls with an icy shoulder and instead enjoying the dance lessons and other etiquette classes. Her path seemed rather clear.

When she was six years old her family moved back to England, settling in the family seat in the countryside in the northern part of the country near the Scottish border to resume their lives. Finally she was able to meet more children her own age, making friends fast and very much enjoying the elegant and extravagant parties they all always attended. It seemed like a rather carefree life.

By the time the Hogwarts letter arrived it was no longer a surprise to see the confirmation of Selma's magic written within its pages. It was an exciting new time that lay ahead of her and once there the hat wasted no time in sorting the girl into Ravenclaw. The warmth started making more and more sense although, of course, with each step her sense of creativity and wit began to become more apparent. Her open acceptance of all things, disguised behind politeness began to form. Selma was kind, could be demanding but dedicated to a fault.

Yet, despite all her world was thrown about when she was told about the secret her parents had kept. They could have kept her in the dark, let her live on oblivious to the world she was in but instead made the decision that her knowing would allow her to cover things up better especially given who she was friends with. Never could the secret get out, never the truth made known to others. And Selma kept it that way, fearful of losing those she considered dear. With the war beginning to rage outside the doors of the castle, the young Ravenclaw found herself in a spot wishing she could do more. She felt like an imposter.

Throughout her time at Hogwarts her love for the arts and the potential for potions and transfiguration began to shape. Alchemy added to the mix and the young woman had found her talent. Upon graduation she signed up for the healer training at St. Mungo's, eventually catching wind of a resistance fighting against the followers of the Dark Lord. Fearful at first, the wish to protect and help began to grow stronger. One morning she found herself at her desk, writing a letter to Dumbledore with the request to be taken in and given a chance to fight as much as anyone else. Selma became a mediwitch for the Order, helping out with both healing and potions where she could.

It was soon after that her family's secret was unmasked within the Daily Prophet. Her father was furious, blaming his daughter for the info having come to light. The source of the leak was never found but with the world aware of the secret, Selma reached a point where she refused to play the game any longer. While her parents desperately tried to get a handle on things, focus on damage control and telling others that it was simple blackmail and someone trying to better their status with threats, those closest to Selma now knew of the truth. The witch moved out of her parents home, rarely visiting now as they were part of those on the wrong side of the war, living her own life in a small cottage on the hills of Hogsmeade.

After the war the former Ravenclaw fully settled into her life, working hard at St. Mungo's and building relationships back up. The war always on her mind she cannot help but refuse to ever let that past catch up to her again; to any of them, really.

[corvusoculis]

"Fate is about as real as the fairy tales of our childhood. Even if it was a thing, I refuse to leave my life up to fate. If need be I'll take charge and make those that matter proud. Every single day."

◇ Threads ◇─◇ About ◇─◇ Connections ◇ ◇ Headcanon ◇─◇ Mirror ◇─◇ Musings ◇

TW: Death, Fertility

BASIC INFORMATION

FULL NAME: Selma Odette Avery

ALIAS/NICKNAME: Sel, little swan

AGE: Nineteen

BIRTH DATE: March 19th, 1959

BLOOD STATUS: Pureblood (hidden half-blood)

AFFILIATION: Neutral (Death Eater leaning, for now)

GENDER/PRONOUNS: Cis-Female. She/her

CURRENT LIVING CONDITIONS: Hogwarts, Ravenclaw Dormitory

OTHER: Avery Estate

OCCUPATION: Student at Hogwarts, Majoring in Transfiguration

PETS: Achilles (eurasian eagle owl), Ophelia (siberian cat, future)

WAND: Beech Wood, Dragonheart String, 11 1/2 inch, slightly yielding

PATRONUS: Nightjar

BOGGART: Drowning in a body of water

RELATIONSHIPS

PARENTS: Maryse Avery née. Rookwood & Victor Avery

SIBLINGS: None.

SIGNIFICANT OTHER: None.

OTHER FAMILY: Philippe Avery (cousin). Elodie Avery (cousin).

CHILDREN: None.

EDUCTATION:

SCHOOL: Hogwarts

HOUSE: Ravenclaw

YEAR: 9th

MAJOR: Transfiguration

EXTRA CLASSES: Charms, Alchemy, Arithmancy

EXTRACURRICULAR: Slug Club, Charms Club

SPOKEN LANGUAGES: English, French, Italian

PHYSICAL TRAITS

EYE COLOR: Green

HAIR COLOR: Blonde

HEIGHT: 5′4

SCARS: none.

PERSONALITY

INTELLIGENCE: High. Adaptive.

SKILLS: Wandless magic (basic, practicing), Dueling (practicing, decent), Potions (decent), Ballroom dancing (skilled), Harp play (decent), Gardening (decent)

POSITIVE TRAITS: Curious, Creative, Witty, Adaptive, Intuitive, Accepting

NEGATIVE TRAITS: Perfectionist, Calculating, Secretive, Deceptive at times

MBTI: ENFJ

Before Hogwarts

✦ Born March 19th, 1959 to Maryse and Victor Avery within the french residence of the Avery family just south of Paris within the countryside. Truth unknown to most other than those within the manor that day was that the mother of Selma was not Maryse at all. Maryse and Victor, having struggled with conceiving a child for some time, in their desperation selected a witch that met all the necessary criteria in order to keep the bloodline going. ✦ After Selma was born, the witch in question was taken care of or so they were told. Considering their secret is safe to this day, the family's never wasted a moment of thought on the matter. ✦ The first six years of her life were spent in France before her family moved back to England to settle in the Avery estate. ✦ Much like the other pureblood children she was put through lessons intended to raise her to fit the mold. Dance lessons, language lessons; anything to make her someone her family could be proud of. ✦ From the earliest moment possible that she was allowed to join the pureblood society and the events that came along with that, Selma's walked the path of the other children. At times her mind felt as though it was racing faster than the others but she got along with them just fine, coming to have her closest friends thanks to those meetings and parties and other events. ✦ By the time she turned eleven, the arrival of her Hogwarts letter couldn't come soon enough. There was a need to see the world and the school could offer her just that.

During Hogwarts

✦ From the very moment that the hat was placed upon her head it was clear she was a Ravenclaw. Even before that she'd had her thoughts on the matter, only to have them confirmed a moment later when the hat called out the house of the eagle. ✦ Selma wasted no time integrating herself and making friends. It seemed easy and she didn't mind to keep people company while she studied. Of course, there were her closest friends but that didn't mean she wasn't willing to reach out. ✦ Any time not spend studying would be spend discovering the magic of the world, being creative and letting things flow. ✦ It was the Christmas break of her first year that she found out about the truth of her family and out of fear of losing the ones she cares about has kept it ever since and instead focused even harder on appearing like the most normal person. ✦ From that moment on she's been walking through the world with eyes open, wanting to know what the differences all around were. While it was a slow progress, in the later years she's certainly found herself questioning things more often. ✦ When the time came to pick a major, Selma was torn between Alchemy and Transfiguration but eventually decided to focus on Transfiguration with charms, alchemy and arithmancy being additional classes taken to compliment her primary choice. ✦ Eventually, so she knows, her parents are going to find a match for her but until that time, she's not going to worry about things going a certain way beyond the usual worry of having to carry a legacy she doesn't feel to be her own. ✦ As per her family, for now she's siding with the Death Eaters although she has no intention of joining. Isn't she proof that such things are far from simple? Yet she cannot deny that her own family, despite the hypocrisy are part of the whole ordeal.

Future Plans

Over the years Selma has developed a need to live her own life. Even though she is prepared to fit into the mold prepared by her family from the moment they find her a match, she's grown up to be her own person. As an individual with dreams and hopes, the future she sees for herself sees her either working as an Alchemist or medi-witch, perhaps even a healer. Selma may have her creative streak, but she is very much hands on and ready to get done whatever she puts her mind to.

Headcanons (more here)

✦ Selma considered going for History of Magic but since she desired something more hands on, studying the history is a mere hobby that she's kept while focusing on her studies ✦ From the very moment alchemy became an option, she elected the class and has stuck with it ever since. Even though she's focused on transfiguration, she does see alchemy as an important addition ✦ Her favorite flowers are white roses as well as blue cornflowers and there's usually always a small vase with either of them in her dorm room ✦ Once a friend, that person usually becomes someone Selma will protect and make sure has a home to go back to ✦ Her favorite season is spring because of the flowers blooming everywhere

[sallylla]

Enoch when he meets Neville at the police academy for the first time.

He’s both amused and fascinated by the fact that a rather tiny bird like him wants to be a detective too. And as for Neville, he can’t really handle the owl’s condescending/suave attitude towards him. Not to mention, he also feels kinda intimidated by his sheer size.

[myfeeds]

Woodcocks have the brightest white feathers

These surprise findings, by a team led by an Imperial College London scientist, suggest there is much to learn about how birds that are most active at night or at dawn and dusk communicate. Birds that are most active during the day often have colourful plumages, which they use to communicate information with each other. Birds that are most active at dawn and dusk or at night (‘crepuscular’), such as nightjars and woodcocks, tend to have less showy plumage, as while sleeping during the day they need to be camouflaged to avoid predators. Rather than using showy plumages, it was thought that birds active during low light conditions instead used sounds or chemicals to communicate. However, many have bright white patches, which could be used in environments with very little natural light for communication if these are reflective enough. The Eurasian woodcock, Scolopax rusticola, is primarily mottled brown, but has patches of white feathers on the underside of its tail. This means it only shows these patches when raising its tail or during courtship display flights. However, as they are crepuscular, and so most active during low light, these white patches need to reflect as much light as possible to attract attention. To investigate how they might do this, the team studied the white tail feathers of Eurasian woodcock specimens from a collection in Switzerland. They used specialised microscopy to image feather structure, spectrophotometry to measure the light reflectance, and models to characterise how photons of light interact with structures inside the feather. They were surprised to find the reflectance measurements showed the feathers reflected up to 55% of light — 30% more light than any other measured feather. The results are published today in Royal Society Interface. Lead researcher Jamie Dunning, from the Department of Life Sciences (Silwood Park) at Imperial, said: “Bird enthusiasts have long known that woodcocks have these intense white patches, but just how white they are and how they function has remained a mystery. From an ecological perspective the intensity of the reflectance from these feathers makes sense — they need to hoover up all the light available in a very dimly lit environment, under the woodland canopy at night.” Individual feathers are made of a central stem with protrusions called rami forming the bulk of the structure. The rami are held together by round Velcro-like ‘barbules’. The team found that in the woodcock’s white tail feathers the rami are thickened and flattened, which both increases the surface area for light to bounce off, while also making it less likely light will pass between the feather barbs without being reflected. There are two main ways surfaces are reflective. ‘Specular’ reflection is when light bounces off a smooth surface, like a mirror. ‘Diffuse’ reflectance scatters light rays in different directions. The thickened rami were found to be made up of a network of keratin nanofibers and scattered air pockets. This creates lots of interfaces that can scatter light, increasing the feathers’ diffuse reflectance. Analysis of the feathers showed one final trick up the woodcock’s sleeve: the rami and barbules in the white woodcock feathers are arranged to create a venetian-blind-like effect that further enhances the surface area, by sitting at the optimum angle for light reflectance. Principal Curator of Birds at the Natural History Museum Dr Alex Bond said: “This research is a brilliant combination of using museum specimens and cutting-edge tools to try and understand this phenomenon. Being able to see whether closely related species or species with similar ecology also had these incredibly white feathers was a key bit of figuring out the story.”

[organicgardeningeek]

How to Get Rid Of Oak Processionary Moth

The oak processionary moth caterpillars can pose a massive threat to our health with their highly toxic hairs! Keep reading to learn how you protect yourself and get rid of the processionary caterpillar. Origin The Oak Processionary Moth (Thaumetopoea processionea) is a moth from the tooth moth family (Notodontidae) and belongs to the native butterfly species. The Oak Processionary Moth, as the name suggests, inhabits almost exclusively oak forests. Oak-hornbeam forests and oak-pine forests are also not safe from the oak processionary moth. In exceptional cases, it infests other deciduous tree species in addition to oaks. It is called a "processionary moth" because the caterpillars of the moth migrate to their feeding places at night in the characteristic processional line formation. The home of this insect was originally the warmer regions of Central Europe. However, the mild and dry winters and the generally rising temperatures made the oak processionary moth make its way into our neighborhoods. Since the super summer of 2003, there has been a warning about these small caterpillars almost every summer because the fine hairs of the larvae can cause severe skin irritations in humans. You might also like: 6 medicinal plants for insect bites How to recognize oak processionary moth The adult oak processionary moth is ash to brown-grey in color and rather inconspicuous. It has a wingspan of up to about 30 millimeters and flies from the end of July to the end of August. The female of the Oak Processionary Moth lays 300 eggs per year. It prefers places where the caterpillars are not so welcomed. As they love warmth, they romp around on free-standing oaks in sunny locations, i.e., especially at the edge of forests, in swimming pools, sports facilities, or green areas - places where a particularly large number of people spend time in summer. Under no circumstances should you attempt to eliminate the animals or nests on your own. If you see oak processionary mothers anywhere, contact the local forest rangers or your local authority. In extreme cases, entire forest paths or even children's playgrounds may be closed due to oak processionary mothers. Poisonous hairs The tiny, barely visible hairs contain extremely effective protein poison (thaumetopoein), which attacks the immune system and may cause a so-called caterpillar dermatitis in humans. Particularly problematic, they break off when touched and when the caterpillars become nervous or simply wander around. They are equipped with microscopic barbs that bore into the skin. You might also like: How to get rid of Ambrosia Usually, intense redness, wheals, and pustules form on uncovered skin areas such as arms, face, or neck within a short time. To make matters worse, the fallen hairs are spread by the wind over a distance of several hundred meters and remain active for years - the ground of an infested area can literally be contaminated in this way. Especially playing children, excursionists, or even gardeners and foresters come home with painfully itchy eczema, the cause of which seems mysterious. How to get rid of caterpillars of the oak processionary moth Natural enemies of the oak processionary moth Natural enemies of the oak processionary caterpillar are, besides the cuckoo, brackish wasps, ichneumon flies, caterpillar flies, and predatory beetles such as the doll predator. At least seven bird species can be considered as regular predators of the pine processionary moth: four large migrant specialists (great spotted cuckoo Clamator glandarius, common cuckoo Cuculus canorus, European nightjar Caprimulgus europaeus, and Eurasian hoopoe Upupa epops) and three small sedentary generalists (great tit Parus major, crested tit Lophophanes cristatus and coal tit Periparus ater)researchgate.net/publication/232409234 Precautions Basically, one should avoid known infested areas. If you accidentally come across a web of the caterpillars of the oak processionary moth, you should never touch it. If you have been in an infested area, wash your clothes as soon as possible. If you have severe rashes or other serious symptoms, consult a doctor. Professional control The removal of the caterpillars or the spider-like nests in which the caterpillars pupate seems almost like decontamination as emergency crews arrive in protective suits and specialized equipment. It has proved to be a good idea to encapsulate the nests with spray glue, as a jet of water or poking around will cause the hair to be stirred up and spread even more. You should also pay attention to the following: On windy days, the hairs of the oak processionary caterpillar are carried far beyond the infested areas. Image credits: Wikimedia Read the full article