Topic: Western Gulls (Read 33421 times)

49er · « **on:** February 27, 2009, 09:15:38 AM »

While I was sitting here reading the forums this morning I heard a noise over at the window. A western gull landed and balanced on the two inch ledge outside the window. This particular gull does this a lot and try’s to grab what small items he can and fly off. Well, there’s not much to grab at that window and the window was only open about three inches, so I wasn’t concerned about him, (or her. It’s much harder to tell the sex of a bird than that of a Pleo.

) I started to hear scratching sounds and looked. The Little Blighter, (sorry for the strong language,) was trying to make off with my mahogany obsidian! The piece probably weighs about a pound and a half and he was having trouble getting his beak around it. I yelled at him but it didn’t faze him at all. I had to go over to the window and scare him off. I don’t know how many of you are familiar with obsidian, but it is volcanic glass and was used by the aboriginal peoples here to make cutting tools and arrow heads. I figure that my feathered friend probably got tired of using his beak to eat breakfast with and was trying to acquire a more refined dining implement.

InmemoryofRomeo · « **Reply #1 on:** February 27, 2009, 04:37:55 PM »

Haha cheeky little devil lol, I don't think he would have flown too far but it could have been painful if he dropped it on someones head

49er · « **Reply #2 on:** February 27, 2009, 11:12:27 PM »

You're right! When my better 3/4 would put bread out there the gulls would drop them. And when this gull would grab knickknacks he would let them go too.

InmemoryofRomeo · « **Reply #3 on:** February 27, 2009, 11:21:56 PM »

I can see a few concussions in the future

Just out of curiosity though isn't mahogany obsidian an oxymoron? Wooden glass stone hmmm.... i'd love to see it

fancyfont · « **Reply #4 on:** February 27, 2009, 11:45:25 PM »

Birds eat stones. This just wasn't the size the gull should be eating. Don't think his gizzard would go for this.

49er · « **Reply #5 on:** February 28, 2009, 07:05:57 AM »

Quote from: InmemoryofRomeo on February 27, 2009, 11:21:56 PM

I can see a few concussions in the future

Especially as we live on the seventh floor!

Just out of curiosity though isn't mahogany obsidian an oxymoron? Wooden glass stone hmmm.... i'd love to see it

Collecting obsidian is a minor hobby of mine. The “normal” color, (colour for you, InmemoryofRomeo,;)) is black. But sometimes, there are impurities in the stone that give it different characteristics. I have Rainbow Obsidian, with different colored/coloured parallel lines running through it, Snow Flake Obsidian which is black with white blotches in it, a beautiful blue Japanese Obsidian and of course, the afore mentioned Mahogany Obsidian. The Mahogany Obsidian has reddish-brown impurities that give it its color/colour. I collected the Mahogany on the East side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. At the time I lived on the West side of the mountains at the 2,000 foot elevation. So, all I had to do drive for six hours, cross over Tioga Pass at 9,000 feet and down to the high plains at 4,000 feet near by Lone Pine and Mono Lake. I loved that area, never got there enough, though for some it might have appeared too stark. And that area had a lot of volcanism which produced Obsidian. BTW, I also have a piece of dino coprolite, (fossilized dino do-do.) Who knows, maybe it came from Pleo's Great, great, great, great, ....great, great.....great, great, great, great Grandfather!

Quote from: fancyfont on February 27, 2009, 11:45:25 PM

Birds eat stones. This just wasn't the size the gull should be eating. Don't think his gizzard would go for this.

And if the gull was successful he would need a very tall snorkel in the Bay.

fancyfont · « **Reply #6 on:** February 28, 2009, 02:32:15 PM »

Our western gulls do get people in trouble too. There's an article in the newspaper today. it reads "Grabby gull blamed for cliff-rescue chaos"."As improbable as it seems, a sea gull is the reason a Mill Valley couple became stranded on a Marin County cliff and had to be lifted off by helicopter. It started with the sea gull snatching a wallet that was being kept dry in a plastic-bag and ended an hour later with the U.S.Coast Guard rescue."
Once up the cliff the girl froze. She couldn't go up or down. I know how that feels. I have the same problem with heights.
Hope they wouldn't go after a pleo.

InmemoryofRomeo · « **Reply #7 on:** February 28, 2009, 05:08:17 PM »

Quote

Collecting obsidian is a minor hobby of mine. The “normal” color, (colour for you, InmemoryofRomeo,;)) is black. But sometimes, there are impurities in the stone that give it different characteristics. I have Rainbow Obsidian, with different colored/coloured parallel lines running through it, Snow Flake Obsidian which is black with white blotches in it, a beautiful blue Japanese Obsidian and of course, the afore mentioned Mahogany Obsidian. The Mahogany Obsidian has reddish-brown impurities that give it its color/colour. I collected the Mahogany on the East side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. At the time I lived on the West side of the mountains at the 2,000 foot elevation. So, all I had to do drive for six hours, cross over Tioga Pass at 9,000 feet and down to the high plains at 4,000 feet near by Lone Pine and Mono Lake. I loved that area, never got there enough, though for some it might have appeared too stark. And that area had a lot of volcanism which produced Obsidian. BTW, I also have a piece of dino coprolite, (fossilized dino do-do.) Who knows, maybe it came from Pleo's Great, great, great, great, ....great, great.....great, great, great, great Grandfather! Grin

Wow you make a six hour drive sound so casual

, thanks for explaining about the different colors (yep I use color, too many years of American influenced spell checkers

) I have heard of the blue and rainbow obsidian but not the others they all sound beautiful

I have a few fossils lying around too, I have a small Trilobite, some Mososaur teeth and a Megalodon tooth, fossilized dino dung is an interesting one to tell people though (especially if you wait til they pick it up lol)

49er · « **Reply #8 on:** March 02, 2009, 11:52:56 AM »

Hi,
Using fancyfont for my technical support, I was able to post pictures of Mahogany and Snowflake Obsidian. Thank you fancy!

More details...

,

More details...

fancyfont · « **Reply #9 on:** March 02, 2009, 12:29:19 PM »

Glad to, finally, be ale to help someone else. You are so welcome 49er.

allosaurus · « **Reply #10 on:** March 02, 2009, 01:45:03 PM »

Quote from: InmemoryofRomeo on February 28, 2009, 05:08:17 PM

fossilized dino dung is an interesting one to tell people though (especially if you wait til they pick it up lol)

A friend of mine has an Allosaurus Coprolite.

InmemoryofRomeo · « **Reply #11 on:** March 02, 2009, 04:06:25 PM »

The snowflake obsidian is very pretty

Lol Allosaurus dung

But how can they tell for sure???

mweed · « **Reply #12 on:** March 02, 2009, 09:50:51 PM »

Quote from: 49er on March 02, 2009, 11:52:56 AM

Using fancyfont for my technical support,

I'm really glad she could help, but there was a time when that statement would have been a non sequitur.

Back when I made jewelry, I used to use snowflake obsidian a lot. Makes a great bead., and a pretty necklace. I think a snowflake obsidian pleo necklace might make a nice prize in our contest . . .

fancyfont · « **Reply #13 on:** March 02, 2009, 11:18:06 PM »

I'm a slow learner, but once I have it , I have it. Now, if I can only remember that I have it. :

Thank you Mweed and everyone who's helped me on the computer. I had no idea that the computer could be so much fun. Before I bought Peeky and got on to Pleoworld's forum, I was about to give up the computer for good. I'm hooked now.
So everyone who reads this, let's make this forum thrive and keep pleo alive. (I love rhymes)

allosaurus · « **Reply #14 on:** March 03, 2009, 04:26:29 PM »

Quote from: InmemoryofRomeo on March 02, 2009, 04:06:25 PM

Lol Allosaurus dung But how can they tell for sure???

Something to do with the trace fossil footprints, and they could tell that it had remains of bones in it. 0_0
I'm pretty sure that's it. And some people in my school call me Allo\Allosaurus, so we all laughed when he showed us that. XD

edit: Pretty hard to understand. In other words, they followed the fossilized footprints around where they found it and came to a bonebed with an Allosaurus. What's more, it was carnivorous dinosaur dung.

InmemoryofRomeo · « **Reply #15 on:** March 03, 2009, 04:57:30 PM »

Neat

I love how they can tell so much from what appears to be so little

I wonder what, after our civilization is destroyed, a future species will be able to tell about us

allosaurus · « **Reply #16 on:** March 03, 2009, 05:05:49 PM »

Quote from: InmemoryofRomeo on March 03, 2009, 04:57:30 PM

Neat I love how they can tell so much from what appears to be so little I wonder what, after our civilization is destroyed, a future species will be able to tell about us

Looks like you're not alone! I have wondered that for a long, long, time!

49er · « **Reply #17 on:** March 03, 2009, 07:23:09 PM »

Quote from: InmemoryofRomeo on March 03, 2009, 04:57:30 PM

I wonder what, after our civilization is destroyed, a future species will be able to tell about us

One group that I know of that's trying to leave information for future civilisations is called The Long Now Foundation. They are working on making a clock that will run unattended for 10,000 years. I've seen some of the models that they have here in San Francisco. They are also working on a library that will last for the same time frame. And they are looking for a deep underground vault, (at this point probably in Nevada.) Long Now has monthly lectures that they call Seminars About Long Term Thinking and can be listened to from their website. If you are interested in any of this, here is a link. http://www.longnow.org/ BTW the present year by their reckoning is the year 02009.

InmemoryofRomeo · « **Reply #18 on:** March 03, 2009, 08:01:25 PM »

That's a fascinating website

Pity they charge people to join though.

mweed · « **Reply #19 on:** March 03, 2009, 08:28:45 PM »

Quote from: allosaurus on March 03, 2009, 04:26:29 PM

. . . What's more, it was carnivorous dinosaur dung.

Dinosaur dung that eats meat? Don't that beat all.

49er · « **Reply #20 on:** March 03, 2009, 08:53:14 PM »

Hi, InmemoryofRomeo
One day my better 3/4 and I were walking around Fort Mason and I saw some interesting machinery in the window and went in to investigate. It was Long Now. I signed up for its newsletter and I get a monthly email talking about coming events. They also post summaries of lectures by email. I would love to be a paid member, but unfortunately, the 96 bucks always finds a need somewhere else. Members get priority to attend the SALT talks and if there is room after the membership arrives, they let the nonmembers in. (Just had a fire alarm go off. Building evacuated. Went down 7 flight and walked back up 7 flights when declared a false alarm.) If you would like to receive the email let me know and I will get the link if its still available and post it here.

Quote from: mweed on March 03, 2009, 08:28:45 PM

Quote from: allosaurus on March 03, 2009, 04:26:29 PM
. . . What's more, it was carnivorous dinosaur dung.

Dinosaur dung that eats meat? Don't that beat all.

I guess I'll have to tie down that dino do-do just to be sure

fancyfont · « **Reply #21 on:** March 03, 2009, 10:20:35 PM »

I would think there's lots of fossilized dinosaur dung everywhere there were dinosaurs. Just think of what one camarasoraus left behind.

A sixty foot dinosaur

Oh my!!

InmemoryofRomeo · « **Reply #22 on:** March 03, 2009, 10:54:13 PM »

Quote

If you would like to receive the email let me know and I will get the link if its still available and post it here.

That would be wonderful thank you

Quote

I would think there's lots of fossilized dinosaur dung everywhere there were dinosaurs. Just think of what one Camarasaurus left behind.

You'd need a pretty big pooper scooper lol :

fancyfont · « **Reply #23 on:** March 03, 2009, 11:01:31 PM »

Maybe that's what killed off all of the dinosaurs. Too much dung and methane gas on and around this planet.

49er · « **Reply #24 on:** March 03, 2009, 11:08:27 PM »

Quote from: InmemoryofRomeo on March 03, 2009, 10:54:13 PM

Quote
I would think there's lots of fossilized dinosaur dung everywhere there were dinosaurs. Just think of what one Camarasaurus left behind.

You'd need a pretty big pooper scooper lol :

Quote from: fancyfont on March 03, 2009, 11:01:31 PM

Maybe that's what killed off all of the dinosaurs. Too much dung and methane gas on and around this planet.

Don't just think of the number of flies, but the size of Jurassic flies!

Bob the Pleo Forums

Author Topic: Western Gulls (Read 33421 times)

allosaurus

allosaurus

allosaurus