Another speedpainting of today. Was texturing an alien fairy for a school game project which reminded me a terrible lot of a mantis and I suddenly realized how weird it is that they look incredibly creepy and adorable at the same time.
Dad kept hiding pine nuts in the pages of this magazine and letting Edgar root around for them.
(Edgar cannot be released to the wild due to an injury. He now works as an ambassador bird and general household nuisance.)
Edgar has added to his vocalizations since I last saw him! He used to only say “oh wow” in a really sarcastic voice and to mimic the trill of a screech owl. Now he also screams “WHAT?!” and mumbles “what a WHOPPER!”
It was hysterically funny discussing politics with him in the room. We’d mention some new scandal and he’d randomly interject with cries of astonishment.
Please let Edgar know that I love him
Edgar has graced my dash twice today and I learned something new each time. I too love him.
I love everything about this, most of all the fact that you named him Edgar because it makes me think of Poe’s “The Raven” immediately
His full name is Edgar Allen Crow.
I want to meet this Edgar Allen Crow. Als were can I get my own beautiful birb like Mr. Edgar here?
Crows make terrible pets. In the USA, it’s illegal to keep them and other native birds as pets without special licenses. Edgar lives at a bird rehab center as an educational animal due to a foot injury that would make it impossible for him to survive in the wild, and while he is relatively tame, he is really not a pet. Crows are not domesticated in any way. Highly intelligent and social birds like Edgar have mental and emotional needs that even the best, most devoted caretakers can barely provide adequately. Furthermore, they do not have the temperament of thoughtful roommates. They are chaos entities who seek to destroy, pester, and agitate.
If you want to interact with crows, find and volunteer with a local bird sanctuary or rehab center. Although most birds in those places are intentionally kept as wild as possible, they often have ambassador animals like Edgar that are relatively well-socialized for display and education.
Why is it called a Barreleye? Because it has barrels for eyes, of course! Actually, that’s just half the story…
Each eye is divided into two distinct parts. The larger, barrel section faces upward and is great for discerning the silhouettes of tiny, tasty copepods in the gloom above.
Next to those is the diverticular eye. These face downward and capture light using mirrors instead of lenses. This is particularly useful for gathering light, allowing the Spookfish to spot bioluminescent predators lurking below.
It doesn’t matter how flabby their muscles or gelatinous their flesh, no-ones sneaking up on the Brownsnout Spookfish!
It’s weird how cats vary in sizes and colors but still look pretty similar and then there are dogs who can range from “this fuckin close to being a bear” all the way down to “small angry potato”
PiraticOctopus 