What are some fun nicknames you’ve given to things you find out in nature? Here are some of mine: Buggy Buddy: Referring to insects, and also pill bugs. This excludes when I’m being chased by a wasp/hornet, or have been bitten/stung by a bug. That isn’t a very buddy thing to do. Lamp Lover: Usuall…

Yump - yellow-rumped warbler. can be used in context of migration, as in “maximum yumpage” or “the yumping hour is nigh” wump - white-rumped sandpiper Release the geese - the mass northward migration of geese following the first warm spell in spring peanut butter grouse = PBGR = Pied-billed grebe …

[image] selasphorus: peanut butter grouse = PBGR = Pied-billed grebe Kumquat - any kinglet :laughing:

I can’t help but mentally call robins “Travelling Turds”. I blame whoever named it Turdus migratorius.

We use many of the banding codes for birds as their nickname. Some are convenient in that they sound like a conventional name, such as BEKI (Belted Kingfisher), whom we call “Becky,” or the convenient GREG for Great Egret. Some are fun for us to say, like TUVU (too-voo) for Turkey Vulture. We gener…

Tenners - Antennae (“look at those tenners!” is probably one of my top-said sentences when walking with my wife) Flying shrimp - Hummingbird moths Jumpscare bird - Mourning doves (for their habit of loudly flying away before I even see them) Ranchers/farmers - Any ants we see farming aphids Litt…

Browsing Turdus taxonomy reveals a few more nuggets: Turdus ignobilis Turdus obscurus Turdus maximus Not sure which of Turdus migratorius or Turdus maximus tops the pile, though.

We don’t have codes for birds, but we all shorten their names for easy use, so “большой пёстрый дятел” is “бпд”, “большая синица” is “бс-ка”, “серебристая чайка” and “озёрная чайка” are respectively “серебруха” and “озёрка”, etc., but honestly most insects and birds for me are either “тварь” or “гад…

[image] rinwolfe: Flying shrimp - Hummingbird moths Hemaris thysbe’s abdomen does look like a lobster tail. Sometimes I call them lobster moths.

One season, I worked with small mammals. Whenever I got a shrew, I would refer to it as “Shrewsly-Woozly.” I came up with it just because it rhymed and was cute; but it actually fits if you think about it: shrews do sort of woozle along.

Harlie - Harlequin Tuskfish Egghead - Darkcap Parrotfish (from it’s species name, oviceps) Pasta Pincher - Brassy Drummer Loiterer - Two-Spot Red Snapper Followers - Mosquitoes Derek - Australian White Ibis Sneezer - Yellow Wattlebird Choppers - any quail Peter Pan - Greencap Parrotfish Xan…

What are some nature related nicknames you’ve come up with?

Nature Talk

lappelbaum July 28, 2022, 2:18pm 3

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What are some nature related nicknames you’ve come up with?

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