House sparrows, microseasons, spring migration, microbiology [Other Burrows #1]
A charcuterie board of things that have recently captured my curiosity
There is just SO MUCH good stuff out there - on the internet, being published in books, being shared on podcasts. Here are a few of the things that have delighted and distracted me recently.
“Meet the Little Brown Bird That Holds a Mirror Up to Humanity” by Rosemary Mosco
A fascinating article about a bird you’re probably familiar with, even if you didn’t know the name of it: the House Sparrow.
Someone who puts anything and everything under a microscope? My kind of person.
72 Microseasons
In traditional Japanese culture, the year isn’t just divided into the main four seasons; instead, it’s made up of numerous “microseasons” that last three or four days. This fabulous Substack walks you through the microseason calendar, not only exploring the changes in the natural world but also the etymology of the name for each season. I get a thrill when I see a new post in my inbox.
Here in the northern hemisphere, it’s spring, and that means millions of birds are migrating back north. But did you know that the vast majority of that migration happens at night? Birds who are not normally nocturnal become nocturnal for a short period so they can migrate when the sun is down! This time of year, I become obsessed with checking BirdCast. You put in the county where you live, and it tells you the number of birds that flew over that area last night. Seriously, while you were sleeping (or staying up too late on your phone in bed…couldn’t be me), hundreds of thousands of birds were flying over you, making the treacherous journey back home. I will never not be amazed by this.