#the birds and the bandits | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

Visit Blog

Explore Tumblr blogs with no restrictions, modern design and the best experience.

Fun Fact

Tumblr was acquired by Yahoo for $1.1B in 2013.

#the birds and the bandits

hedgehog-moss · 8 months

Text

I've been worried this week about birds of prey attacking my chickens—well, one bird of prey. I heard a hen make her very characteristic INTRUDER cry the other day and ran out of the house and there was a hawk flying in circles high above. I half-heartedly threw some sticks in its direction and told my hen not to be so dramatic (the hawk looked like it was minding its own business frankly), but the next day it happened again, and I thought, I've been unfair to the hens, the hawk from yesterday was actually reconnoitering and they could tell. Then there was another alert the next day. I was starting to get a bit alarmed about the fact that I was dealing with the world's most determined hawk—though I didn't see it again past the first time, I figured I arrived too late and Pandolf had already deterred it.

I ended up setting up a pen for the hens very near my house, under the hazel tree so they'd be sheltered, and spying from the kitchen window the next day, to see if it was still the same bird or what. It tended to attack at the same time every day, which was extra baffling.

And what I saw was Pandolf returning from his daily morning patrol around the pasture, faff around looking a bit bored, circle my house looking for me, and when he didn't find me, go to the chickens' pen and pretend to pounce on them like a fox, which startled them and made them cry out. Pandolf didn't touch them, he clearly just wanted them to make their magical Make Human Appear noise. Immediately after they yelped he turned to look at the front door expectantly, waiting for me to run out. He knows that when I get distracted from what I was doing indoors I often end up being like, well, now that I'm outside I might as well go do [outdoor chore of the day] and he gets to tag along, so he concocted this devious plan...

So. I must turn this post into a callout post for Pandolf. This is the face of a problematic dog, who tried to frame a hawk and use innocent hens for his own ends after he realised their person-summoning noises work while his do not.

#crawling along #''mais quel bandit de grand chemin'' a dit ma mère quand je lui ai raconté #ça m'a rappelé des souvenirs; mon frère et moi on se faisait régulièrement traiter de bandits de grand chemin quand on était minots #c'était contre-productif parce qu'on en était très flattés #anyway i bet if pan could imitate a hawk's cry he wouldn't bother the chickens #he'd just sit under my window earnestly making bird of prey noises to make me come out

5K notes · View notes

a-dinosaur-a-day · 10 months

Note

What's BANDits? I've heard the term before but idk what it is

BANDit stands for "Birds Are Not Dinosaurs" - its. IE, its the term for the group of "scientists" that have continued to insist birds did not evolve from dinosauria despite literally boatloads of evidence to the contrary.

You see, we haven't always known birds are dinosaurs. When we were first thinking about evolution (in the Western World, remember: lots of colonized people had ideas about evolution *and* paleontology that White People essentially wiped out when we colonized them), a lot of people pointed out the similarities between many of the dinosaurs being found and living birds. MANY. It was common knowledge in the 1800s among scientists.

But then along came this guy Dollo. Dollo didn't like the idea birds evolved from dinosaurs. See, he found wishbones in birds. He found wishbones in some of the triassic weirdos of the past, things that dinosaurs would evolve from. But he didn't find wishbones in dinosaurs. And Dollo was convinced that a structure couldn't re-evolve if it had been lost during evolution. So, to him, there was no way birds could be dinosaurs.

There were problems with this:

he didn't know about how traits are gained and lost genetically. In fact, he didn't really know about *genetics*. There are lots of ways to re-gain a trait you lost (if you only lost it by turning off its regulatory genes, or you re-evolve it convergently, that kind of thing).

at the time, we had dinosaur wishbones. we just didn't know thats what they were.

since then, we have found waaaaay more dinosaur wishbones. And also, tons of other evidence. so much evidence. at this point, there is literally nothing else birds could be.

it took time to build up that evidence. For the entire first half of the 1900s, and a good chunk of the second, no one believed birds evolved from dinosaurs.

But then we started to find the evidence.

And we found more.

And more.

By the 80s, it was becoming pretty clear that birds probably evolved from dinosaurs. At this point, documentaries and fictional material are even referencing it. But, there was still a group of skeptics, the first true BANDits (because at this point it was not the majority opinion). And that's okay - skepticism is important in science.

Its the fact that they KEPT being skeptical even as more and more evidence poured in. By the mid-90s, it was incontrovertible, because we had found fossils of feathered but very clearly nonavian dinosaurs. By the 00s, we were finding them CONSTANTLY.

And yet, the BANDits kept BANDiting.

Most of them have died, because they were old and stubborn. Very few new scientists are BANDits. It's really just

A) in russia, because russia has had a... weird history with paleontology. I don't want to get into it

B) those remaining few old people who refuse to change their minds in light of new evidence (this would be Feduccia)

in the 10s, they were really annoying, because enough of them were still around that people thought they were good scientists (they're not), and so if you said "birds are dinosaurs" at least one person would bring up banditry to prove you wrong, and then you had to go on a whole spiel, and it was exhausting

In the late 10s and now 20s, that's pretty much dead. It's just impossible to argue with anymore. I don't know how Feduccia keeps publishing his crappy books, but I really wish that someone would say "I can't publish this" bc people read them and think they're right.

Like, birds are *such* dinosaurs that we don't even know at what point dinosaurs are firmly birds. It's kind of murkey, because nature doesn't do categories.

So, yeah. That's what a BANDit is. They're almost extinct. May they become as such by the 30s.

#science #history of science #paleontology #birds #dinosaurs #bandits

249 notes · View notes

astrangebird · 9 months

Text

for week two of yeehawgust, masked bandit, I was feeling experimental :)

if you want to see the prompts early with wips along the way, as well as exclusive bonus versions, consider joining my patreon :)

#bird draws #din djarin #yeehawgust 2023 #yeehawgust #yeehawgust masked bandit #art #artists on tumblr #cowboy

70 notes · View notes

thedo0zyslider · 4 months

Text

Dreams That Cannot Be Real....

My last art of 2023....and it's for my soildwood bandit au!! (@thehappyromeo hehe look)

#Merry 2024 or whatever #Drew it while listening to the playlist as well #ron.art #bandit au #solidwood #mirror birds #trafficshipping #jimmy solidarity #martyn inthelittlewood

27 notes · View notes

scribbling-dragon · 1 year

Note

Not sure if you are taking requests for the red bandit AU but...maybe Tango gets caught by some old acquaintances for some reason and Jimmy is the one that ends up coming to his rescue.

a brief dabble in being kidnapped

summary:

“This is just boring at this point.” Tango shakes his wrists to punctuate his sentence, bound with too-tight rope that is beginning to cut off all feeling in his hands. “And unoriginal.” He adds, just to send the point home. The rope is also beginning to tug at the short fur around his wrists, pulling at it in a way that cannot be described as anything other than agonisingly irritating.

“Shut it, Red.” Bandit one growls, looming over him. He’s far too tall for his own good, having to hunch over until he’s nearly bent at the waist to leer down at him. At least, Tango assumes he’s leering, because he can't actually see tall bandit’s face. It’s covered by a bandanna, which is certainly a classic move, but is also going to make identifying him later an issue, if he even needs to identify them at all.

(ao3 link)

(masterpost)

(2,253 words)

“You talk too much for your own good.” The second bandit adds, glaring at him. Tango’s not actually sure what he’s done to that guy, but he’s certainly pissed with him. He’s done nothing but glare at Tango once they had him bound and tied like a misbehaving animal.

“I've been told that by several people in the past,” he grins, or at least makes an attempt at one, as the tall bandit yanks on the rope joining his wrists, forcing him to his feet. He gives Tango very little time to rebalance- and the way the world is spinning around is probably not good. He blinks a few times, hoping that it might go away, but it continues, leaving him stumbling after his captors. “They love to remind me! Bandits especially, worried I might give them away on some heist.” He scoffs a laugh, tripping over a rock and then desperately trying to pretend he didn't. “As if I'm going to jeopardise my own safety. Say, were you one of the people that told me to be quiet before? I could've sworn I recognised your guys’ voices from somewhere-”

“Red!” The second bandit whirls on him, yanking the rope from his companions hands. It burns around Tango’s wrists as he’s yanked forward, and he’s forced to bite his lip at the sudden pain that sparks over his arms. “He told ya to shut it. And when he says so, you shut it! Got it?”

He takes a moment too long to respond, and the bandit yanks on his wrists once more, burning over already raw skin. The second bandit’s face is far too close to his own, almost pressed nose to nose, the bandit’s breath hot on his face.

He feels his ears press back, flat to the sides of his skull, without his permission. “Got it.” He manages, forcing the words out of a throat that feels far too small to fit them through.

The bandit grunts and turns back around. He doesn't hand the rope back to his companion, instead content to continue dragging Tango along behind him, uncaring of when he stumbles, like he’s some kind of cattle. The humiliation is enough to make his face burn, even beneath the hot sun, ducking his head and staring at the ground.

The sand beneath his feet doesn't swirl as much as the sky does, at least, remaining fairly steady beneath his feet as they trudge along.

He wonders, briefly, why they don't have a horse. It’s rather unusual to see a bandit in these parts without a horse, so it’s enough to make him wonder, staring at the backs of his kidnappers. Is kidnappers too harsh a word to use for them? They didn't exactly give him a choice with going along with them, but he was also meant to be in Dawn for a rather nice, romantic dinner with jimmy about thirty minutes ago, so he’s not incredibly worried about his survival.

He’s not worried about the survival of the bandits currently dragging him along, either. Mainly because he doesn't actually care about what Jimmy does, but also because Jimmy wouldn't kill someone. The most he’ll do is send them off to a high-security prison- the kind they won't be able to escape from. Tango respects him for being able to stick to his morals so closely, especially when several of the emperors scattered around the continent seem intent on testing his patience.

Something flutters behind the first bandit, the one not currently dragging him along, and his eyes zero in on it, staring at it. He has to squint a little, to see past the wavering of the what in the air and the swimming of his own vision. But the shade of red is rather familiar- the crimson dye is not something that can be easily obtained from Chromia, not something that bandits would be able to afford. Or, if they can, not something they would choose to spend their gold on.

Scott told him, once, about the exact way they make the crimson dye. The way that it isn't just red with a fancier name, and that he should put some respect on the fae’s craft. They had also been investigating a break-in at one of the dye workshops at the time, poking around to see if they could find any evidence of the culprits.

And they had, managing to nestle them safely away in one of Stratos’ larger prisons. The design on the small scrap of cloth is incredibly similar to the insignia of that small group of bandits, but that had been far more than two bandits in that group. They hadn't even been sure they’d managed to catch all of them.

There’s a tight canyon ahead of them, several rocks clustered around the entrance to it. The shadows lay thick and heavy over the land beyond those rocks, leaving whatever lies within up to the imagination. He…almost swears he can see something moving within those shadows, though the wavering heat does plenty to trick his eyes.

Jimmy had agonised over the stolen dye and its culprits for several days, before Tango had finally managed to convince him to close the case and simply declare the five bandits they’d managed to discover and capture. Seems as though this is more of a personal vendetta than simply seeing the Sheriff’s right-hand and deciding that it would be a golden opportunity.

“You certainly are an interesting bunch,” he decides to begin running his mouth again, ignoring the way the second bandit’s head snaps around to face him, eyes almost blazing with fury. “Tell me, how’d you get into the business? From childhood? Or you just looking for some kinda thrill?” They continue to approach the canyon ahead, the shadows becoming firmer as the shortening distance gives the heat less of a chance to play tricks on his eyes.

“Don't see how that’s any of your concern, Red.”

“From one bandit to another.” He says. He leans back for a moment, but one yank on the rope binding his hands is enough to remind him why that is a bad idea. He hops forward several steps, biting back a hiss of pain as his wrists continue to burn. “Pure curiosity. And boredom.”

“You're not a bandit anymore.” One of them snaps. He’s not sure which one of them it is- they both have incredibly similar voices, worn rough by the constant sand in the air and lack of moisture. “You ditched us for that dumb Sheriff.”

“The Sheriff is certainly not dumb.” He straightens up a little, intent on defending Jimmy’s honour. If he has to fight these two, concussed and bound, he’ll do it. He’s not afraid to bite either of them. “I do believe you're the dumb ones for walking into his trap, completely of your own accord.”

The second bandit scoffs. “Sure. Your precious Sheriff is here to rescue you, huh? And what if he’s just abandoned you, gone lookin’ for a right-hand that ain't an ex-criminal, huh?”

“A Sheriff with such easily swayed loyalty is hardly a good Sheriff, now, is he?”

The look on either of the bandit’s faces is priceless as Jimmy emerges from his hiding spot from behind the rock, guiding Arrow to block the pathway into the canyon. Tango can't help the laugh that bursts out of him at their faces, even though it gets him a nasty glare from both of the bandits and a fresh burning sensation in his wrists.

“We have two options here, lads,” Jimmy dismounts, the sound of his hooves against the earth almost thunderous with the way it echoes down the canyon. “We can have a nice evening, you come along with us quietly, and you don't have to sit in a cell bruised and miserable. Or,” Jimmy’s hand moves to his hip, towards the whip that he hardly uses but is truly adept with, “we can do this the harder way, and I get to see how close to death you come before you give in, hm?”

“Beating us within an inch of your life isn't very Sheriff-ly of you,” the second bandit sneers. “Besides, we have your right-hand here. What happens if you hit him instead?” The bandit yanks on the ropes then, finding that there is far less resistance than he expected. And far less rope still attached, the ends singed and still smoking.

“I do believe you should be far more concerned about him hitting you.”

Tango probably shouldn't take satisfaction in how quickly the bandit crumples when he hits him. It’s not a very good and lawful citizen of him. But the ache in his knuckles is nothing but satisfying as he pulls his hand back, staring down at the crumpled bandit at his feet. He didn't hit hard enough to kill him, just enough to shut him up for a little while.

“I surrender!” The first bandit cries, sticking his wrists out to be cuffed immediately after he saw the fate of his friend. A cowardly move, but certainly one he can understand. The bandit is giving him a nervous side-eye, watching him almost fearfully even though he was the one to bring this on himself because, again, he was just minding his own business. There was truly no reason to kidnap him.

“See,” Jimmy steps forward to cuff him, the handcuffs clicking shut around the bandit’s wrists. “That was so easy. And you get to see your friends again! I’ll make sure to send word onto Stratos that they're getting a few more prisoners now, and to make sure to keep them away from those other ones that got sent in for the dye incident, hm?”

The bandit doesn't respond, simply following behind Jimmy as he walks back to his horse. The bandit then stands there like an idiot, unsure of what else to do. Tango ignores him, heaving his buddy up and slinging him over Arrow’s back, adjusting him a few times to make sure he doesn't slip off at the smallest jolt of movement. It’d hardly do for Arrow to kill the man with one of her hooves.

“I don't suppose you saw Revenge on your way through?” He asks, stepping back from Arrow.

“No,” Jimmy frowns, “though I'm sure someone’s taking care of him for you. He’s a rather recognisable horse.”

“Hopefully.” Tango continues frowning. “Sorry I missed our dinner, I know it took you a while to get that booking.”

“You weren't supposed to know that it was a dinner,” Jimmy chastises. “Did you go through my letters again?”

“Hard not to when they're so easy to reseal.” He grins. “I think it’s cute that you booked it so far in advance. Plus, everyone else knew about it anyway. You're not subtle.”

“Who knew?”

“Gem told me. Thought it was really sweet that you were doing it for me.”

Jimmy grumbles something under his breath that sounds suspiciously like, “That’s the last time I tell Gem anything.”

“Besides,” he grabs the first bandit, the still conscious one, by the arm. He looked as though he was considering making a run for it, and that simply wouldn't do. “This has been a rather nice evening, hasn't it?”

“There was an attempting kidnapping.” Jimmy deadpans. “Of you.”

“Only attempted!” He adds. “Look on the bright side, and all that. Plus, you got to be all badass coming out from your hiding spot. Did you see those bandits, they were scared shitless- don't even try to protest that, I saw your face.” The bandit snaps his mouth shut again, glaring at him but not moving to do anything more extreme.

“You're gonna make me blush, Tango.” Jimmy ducks his head. “Besides, there’s paperwork to do now, and unless you have some romantic spin to put on paperwork, then I'm afraid the fun of the evening ends there.”

“We could…not do it?” He tries.

Jimmy snorts. “I appreciate the attempt,” he says, pulling himself up onto Arrow. “But we have to do it. Just, the sooner you get Revenge and get back, the sooner it’ll be done.”

“The longer I take the more time I have before I have to start the paperwork.” He counters, shouting after Jimmy as he begins trotting away.

“You take longer than forty minutes, I'm going to assume you got kidnapped again!”

Tango grumbles in response, kicking at a stone. It is far less satisfying than he thought it would be, beginning to trudge along, pulling his prisoner with him.

“So,” the bandit says, “you and the Sheriff?”

“Shut it.”

“Alright.”

#juno.writes #red bandit au #asks #aura-bird #empires smp #empires smp fic #tango tek #tangotek #jimmy solidarity #empires jimmy #empires tango #solidaritek #team rancher #rancher duo #empiressmp #empires smp s2 #empires smp season 2 #trafficshipping

86 notes · View notes

dastardly6sharkzz · 10 months

Text

The second of the titular Six Kings, The King Bandit Wyvern, Baron Lauterix!

Sketches and Hunter's Notes!

#creature #creature design #art #artists on tumblr #artwork #monsterhunter #monsterhunterart #monster hunter rise #monsterhunterise #wyvern #birdwyvern #bird wyvern #raptor #oviraptor #gun #poncho #bandit

41 notes · View notes

roguemonsterfucker · 2 months

Text

Working on getting my life back together after months of just planning to not exist anymore. Not easy. Not sure I even want to bother.

But I have animals relying on me. Animals that have missed me for months while I haven’t felt well enough to do more than their basic care.

Animals that literally say “I love you” when they want my attention and have been saying it nonstop for months because I haven’t spent any time with them.

I want to do better for them. But it’s hard to take care of their emotional needs when I’m dead inside.

#suicide cw #I’m not in any danger right now #I’m just dead inside #and by the way I’m not joking about my animals saying I love you #I have two cockatiels that say it all the time #especially Bandit who says it whenever I’m paying attention to a different bird because he knows it gets my attention

15 notes · View notes

umbracirrus · 17 hours

Text

What I'd give for something like google maps street view but for Skyrim to save me having to open up the game every time I want to double check something about a location-

#meg is rambling #trying to find the specifics about this one little bandit camp (/cave?) that's kinda behind/underneath whiterun-#the one that's on the same hill/mountain as the city. I can find bird's eye views but not others :/

2 notes · View notes

forestcrittervillains · 1 year

Text