RaptorCon 2021

I put one together last year and had fun taking pictures of my raptor toy figures interacting, so let's do that again! This year's con doubles as a Halloween party, and triples as a birthday party.

Welcome, scalies, featherfloofs, and all those inbetween!

 

Or outside of that spectrum, I suppose, as our two organizers are, fittingly for the theme of the evening, skeletons.

Snow morning

snöge

It snowed.

SE27 and SE28 fledge!

Both eaglets left the nest tree this morning. Not entirely of their own volition, but that's how it goes sometimes. Here is video of the fledges: SE28's, SE27's, from both cameras, and here are some screenshots I got of the events:

First, SE27's first visit to the branch SE28 first branched to. SE28 meanwhile perches on "SE27's branch". She prepares for a jump...

...and launch!

Good job!

Branch hopping with mother

SE27 (left) and SE28 exploring the nest tree branches together this evening at Sydney White-bellied Sea-eagle nest. The Pied currawongs would still occasionally swoop at them, but an eaglet at the cusp of fledging can only take so much being cooped up in the nest.

Wings open, head down

SE27 (left) and SE28 having some evening negotiations at Sydney White-bellied Sea-eagle nest.

The chicks have been continuing their branching adventures, despite disturbances.

Couch corner cat

 

A napping Masu.

Oops, I woke her up.

 

I think I might be forgiven if I pet her, though.

Happamia

Siblings are not landing pads (allegedly)

SE27 trying out a branch of the nest tree. Just a couple of steps, but I do believe that counts as at least the beginnings of branching! The eaglets are starting to consider leaving the nest, and climbing is a gateway to flying.

Squabbles with each other and with neighbors

SE27 (left) and SE28 getting ready for bed at Sydney White-bellied Sea-eagle nest tonight. SE27 is 11 weeks old, and SE28 turns 11 weeks tomorrow. Post includes views of prey.

Cozy stretches and effective theft prevention

Screenshots from the Sydney White-bellied Sea-eagle nest from the past week. A few screenshots show prey, including in closeup.

SE28 stretching a wing over big sibling SE27.

A book of tyrants

 

I bought a new dinosaur book. "T-Rex and other tyrannosaurs" by swedish artist Johan Egerkrans, published in 2019. I found it a delightful look at various tyrannosauroids, including the King of the Cretaceous itself, as animals instead of monsters, though of course some details on their hunting abilities are going to be of interest.

There's also a quick overview of other prehistoric creatures, mainly the dinosauria clade as a whole and theropoda in a bit more detail, before getting to the stars of the book, so some illustrations of other dinosaurs as well as pterosaurs (and one synapsid) are also included (yes, there are raptors, and they all look great, even the one unfortunate individual that has ended up as prey). The illustrations are beautiful, stylized depictions of naturally colourful animals both very and barely feathered. Despite the stylization, there is attention to scientific accuracy, and this book feels like it's made out of a desire to share the joy of knowing about these animals as they are currently understood to have been.

So, I loved the book, and wanted to share the joy. I think it presents the information in a way easy to understand for kids and adults not neck-deep in scientific terminology, and have I mentioned the art is fantastic? Here are (photos that don't do justice to) a few of my favorites: