#close encounter

[nocternalrandomness]

"Close Encounters"

#SciFi #UFO #Close encounter #Flying Saucer #aliens #Spaceship #Science fiction #scifi art

[pazzesco]

Beachgoers have a close encounter with a Cassowary. Sesame Street didn't prepare this poor woman for her meeting with a Big Bird.

Bird's like, what 'cha got there? let me check it out, swipe right, I'm out...

#cassowary #bird #beach #sesame street #close encounter

[venerablemonk27]

I've done a lot of birding the past couple months and not a lot of posting, so I'm going back to our Tucson, AZ trip from April. I hadn't been to the Western US since picking up birding or wildlife photography, so I knew I was going to pick up a ton of lifers. One of our target species for the trip was also my fifth Owl species ever: the Burrowing Owl.

[ID: A Burrowing Owl stands on a mound of dirt. They are facing left and looking toward the camera. The sun is low in the sky off to the right, which illuminates the right side of the Owl's face and their back, while casting the rest in shadow. They have striking yellow eyes and a furrowed brow that gives them the appearance of a permanent scowl. Their oval-shaped head transitions naturally into a slender cylindrical body covered in mottled tan and white feathers. About half the bird's height is body and folded wings, with two naked grey legs planted on the ground. End ID]

This was the morning we had picked for me to do some solo birding, so I drove out to a spot west of Tucson where eBird indicated that Burrowing Owls were likely to appear. It was just after sunrise when I found the road cutting between farm fields where the Owls were reported. I drove slowly down the side of the road in my rented Dodge Charger, stopping occasionally to inspect a suspicious clump of dirt with my binoculars. I had not seen any sign of the Owls when a Land Rover pulled up behind me. A group of three folks in their 60s with binoculars piled out of car, clearly more birders here to do exactly what I was doing.

[ID: A Burrowing Owl stands on a mound of dirt, facing the camera. The sun is still low in the sky, but now the bird's face and chest are more brightly lit, showing the transition in feather colors from tan to mottled tan to white as they progress downward from collar to belly.]

They introduced themselves as coming from the UK, and had been visiting Arizona for several weeks in search of all the unique birds the state could offer. The driver was particularly puzzled about the location of the Owls, saying he was "absolutely foxed" that this place with no real habitat could host Burrowing Owls. I showed him the recent sightings on eBird and explained that it was possible the birds just hadn't emerged from their burrows yet.

After another 15 minutes of searching the fields, I offered to lead them to an alternate site nearby. We got in our cars and slowly drove back the way we had come. Just as we were approaching the end of the road, I spotted a small tan creature standing right on the edge of the irrigation ditch along the near side of the field. A Burrowing Owl! I swung the Charger around and flagged down my companions, who had also spotted the Owl.

[ID: A pair of Burrowing Owls stand on a mound of dirt. The one in the foreground looks decidedly sleepier and plumper than the one in the background (seen in previous images). Both Owls are similar in coloration, but the one in the foreground has an aluminum leg band for identifying them. End ID]

We got out to take a look and grab some photos from long distance, then slowly crept forward with my Charger as a rolling blind. There turned out to be four Owls spread out along the irrigation ditch, likely close to their burrows which were out of sight. They were surprisingly unbothered by the cars rolling up to them, probably because they see trucks and farm vehicles driving past all day every day. Once we were directly across the irrigation ditch from the closest pair, I climbed into the passenger seat to take some better photosm. Mostly the Owls just stood on their tiny hill and looked around. Though I did witness one of the pair above fly down to pounce on a grasshopper, then return to feed it to their partner.

[ID: A pair of Burrowing Owls stand on a mound of dirt. This photo was taken midday, with the sun directly overhead. At least one of these individuals is different from those above, as they have two leg bands instead of one. It's also apparent in the photo that the Owls are standing at the edge of a farm field from the row of green plants out of focus in the background. End ID]

I had such a great view of the Burrowing Owls that I had to bring my family back to see them on our last day in Tucson. Because we were heading out of town in the middle of the day, I was confident we'd find them right away and avoid testing the patience of my kid. It turns out I didn't have to worry. Not only were the Owls right where I left them, but the kid had fallen asleep on the drive, so we had to wake him up to see them! And seeing as I already had the camera within easy reach, I had to take a few more photos.

[ID: A Burrowing Owl stands on a mound of dirt. This one is looking alert in the midday sun, standing and scanning the area around the edge of the farm field. End ID]

On a trip full of exciting views, long hikes, and thousands of photos, it was nice to finish the trip quietly sitting in the car just a few yards away from such a compelling bird. And it always feels good to track down a lifer and share that experience with others!

#bird #birding #birds #bird photography #birdblr #birdlife #photography #birdwatching #close encounter #original photography #original photography on tumblr #owl #burrowing owl #arizona #there's simply nothing around here that looks like habitat

[whereifindsanity]

#kayaking #killer whale #orca #close encounter

[mwaudiovisual]

CatTober Day 15

Elizabeth just after doing some dirty job, looks like she had a blast this time

Check out @murninatair's Close Encounter btw, new strip every sunday noon EST!

#mwaudiovisual #furry art #furry #anthro #murninatair #close encounter #elizabeth #cw: blood #cattober #inktober

[yuukels]

wahahaha ☆

#doodle #ensemble stars #enstars #leo tsukinaga #close encounter

[rj-drive-in]

We Are Not Alone Department:

“Never underestimate the healing effects of beauty.” - Florence Nightingale

ETHEREAL © 2024 by Rick Hutchins

Most of them kind of folks will tell you about the disks and the cylinders and the saucers. Them’s the kind I don’t believe. I believe the ones who don’t talk unless they’re sure about you. Or the ones like me, who leave it till after they’re dead.

That’s why I’m writing this. I’ll be gone soon and it’s important that you know.

It wasn’t long after the war and I was just back from occupied Germany. I had missed my New Mexico desert something fierce and so I went out camping, by myself, at my favorite spot. You know the one, out by the butte.

I was lying on my bedroll by my campfire, staring up at the stars, when it came down from the sky. Fluttering, like a lady’s handkerchief. It came down and it stopped, not twenty feet away from me.

It was pure white and had a light of its own. It looked like the dance of the seven veils, underwater and slow; but there was no dancer-- only veils. And the parts weren’t connected, they just swirled around one another in a dreamlike way. I had the feeling that each one was a person. A person of a sort, anyway.

It was so beautiful it made me cry.

I saw and did a lot of things back in the war, and I’m not going to tell you about any of it. All I’ll say is that I was a man full of heartache. But this thing, these people-- whatever it was, it saved me. Its beauty brought me back alive.

Now you know. That’s why I’ve gone out there so much over the years, to that spot. I’ve been wishing for them to come back.

When I’m gone, I want you to do something for me: I want you to go out there and spend the night, whenever you can. And if they do come back, if you do see them, please try to make them understand that there are still so many people who need to be saved.

#short story #short fiction #microfiction #micro fiction #flash fiction #science fiction #alien life #close encounter #fantasy #rick hutchins #rjdiogenes

[samott]

Van uj Close Encounter! 😁

#snl #close encounter #kate mckinnon #ryan gosling #Youtube

[axelmedellin]

Daily drawing 15 sep 2023

Close encounter

#alien #ufo #close encounter #scifi girl #science fiction art #swing #bat #shower #tower #daily drawing #drawing of the day #watercolor #brush and ink #traditional art #axelmedellinart #axel medellin #axel medellin art

[misterlemonztenth]

12-08-23 | ifdawgsrunfree. misterlemonztenth.tumblr.com/archive

#misterlemonztenth #repost #humor #.gif #ifdawgsrunfree #animation #UFO #close encounter

[blogparanormalexpresso2stuff]

#westall #ufology #close encounter #australia

[nocternalrandomness]

"Waking Up"

#Aliens #Greys #close encounter #abduction #scifi #science fiction #extraterrestrials

[critter-casey]

“Contact” (digital illustration) — CW

#first contact #close encounter #hi #new friends #artists on tumblr #illustrators on tumblr #cartoonists on tumblr #digital illustration #digital drawing #tayasui sketches #tayasuisketches #cute monster #cute alien #alien monster #tentacles #brave girl #pony tail #critter casey #casey white

[venerablemonk27]

Now that spring is here, we're starting to see some changes in the local bird population. New faces are starting show up, and even the year-round species are out singing and generally being visible. There's territory to claim and potential mates to attract, after all. But while many species are just arriving or passing through, one that's dear to me is just about ready to depart.

[ID: A male Dark-eyed Junco stands in the newly-revealed grass and dead leaves. Juncos are small birds, about the size of a sparrow. This one is the slate-colored variety, with a dark grey head and upper body, contrasting with bright white underparts. He's facing the camera and looking slightly to the left. His eye is dark brown, nearly black, and his triangular bill is pale pink. End ID]

The Dark-eyed Juncos are strictly winter residents of southern Wisconsin, preferring to nest in Canada, the Northeast US, and parts of Appalachia. This past weekend, I could tell they had migration on their minds.

[ID: Another male Dark-eyed Junco, standing among dead twigs and sunflower seed shells. This one is darker grey in the head and breast, with lighter grey on the wings and a bit of rust color on the back. End ID]

For most of winter it's fairly common to see a solitary Junco or pairs or small groups picking through the snow under the birdfeeders in our backyard. But now they're forming a flock of at least 30 birds, foraging together and singing their loose trilling song. It's as if they know they have a long flight ahead, and every moment of daylight must be spent filling the tank and gathering their compatriots.

[ID: A male Dark-eyed Junco forages in the twigs and leaves for scattered birdseed. Juncos scrape at the ground with both feet simultaneously in a little hop, then inspect the freshly-exposed ground for tasty morsels. This one is mid-scrape, with debris flying around it. End ID]

So I decided to sit on the deck with my camera for a while to bid the Juncos farewell until next winter. I've been scattering seed back there every so often, and the other birds aren't exactly neat or careful when digging through the feeder above. As such, the Juncos have lots to choose from while poking around between the squirrels and the Mourning Doves. Once I sat down, they didn't seem to mind me at all.

[ID: A female Dark-eyed Junco inspects the ground for bits of seed. The females are distinguished from the males by their paler grey upper parts, sometimes with more brown and tan shades mixed with the grey. End ID]

Though, the birds did seem to mind when my kid joined me on the deck, brandishing his bright green snow shovel. They scattered to the trees or the fence and stayed there until I convinced him to put the shovel away in favor of coating the deck boards in a thick layer of sidewalk chalk.

[ID: A female Dark-eyed Junco sits on a wooden fence, waiting patiently for the danger posed by a nearby four-year-old to pass. The wind is catching the white feathers on her left hip and flipping them up like the flounce of a skirt. End ID]

As the sun sank lower in the sky, I figured I better get dinner started. I spent another minute or two listening to the evening birdsong before capping my lens and helping to knock the chalk dust off my kid's coat and pants. This sudden activity caused the Juncos to scatter once again. Have a safe trip little ones. I'll see you when the snow flies.

[ID: A female Dark-eyed Junco stands in the dirt, looking at the camera with head cocked to one side, as though she's wondering what this person finds so interesting about her. End ID]

#bird #birding #birds #photography #bird photography #close encounter #birdblr #birdlife #birdwatching #original photography #original photography on tumblr #dark eyed junco #migration #spring

[whereifindsanity]

#paddleboarding #whale #close encounter

[beastofburdenxo]

Things are heating up over here with "A Closer Encounter" (CE part 2) won't be much longer now 😝🤭 🔥

I'm such a tease.

#cillian murphy #emmett x fem reader #emmett a quiet place #close encounter