Brian MarickMay 23

I always thought that the song “The Red Red Robin Goes Bob-Bobbin’ Along” referred to the European/British Robin rather than the American Robin. But I discover it is not: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/When_the_Red%2C_Red_Robin_%28Comes_Bob%2C_Bob%2C_Bobbin%27_Along%29

Which prompts me to ask: US Robins really do look kind of dorky with their bob-bob-bob little jumps and, especially, their sort-of clueless pauses in between.

Do EU+British Robins bob? Are they dorky?

Show threadBrian MarickMay 23
Every evening when we sit out on our front stoop, we watch the robins bob-bob-bobbin’ along in our front lawn, looking for bugs. Interestingly, when they cross flat concrete surfaces, they walk without the slightest hint of hopping. What’s up with that?
Show threadBrian Marick4d ago

…
We observed tonight that the Northern Cardinal¹, unlike the Robin, does not stroll across a flat surface. It bopped the same way on our driveway as it does on the short-cut grass in our lawn.

More research is needed.

¹ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_cardinal

Northern cardinal - Wikipedia

Show threadBradley Schaefer4d ago
@marick the Cardinal is the state bird of like 7 states https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._state_birds
List of U.S. state birds - Wikipedia

Show threadBradley Schaefer4d ago
@marick oh darn that was in like the 1st paragraph of your link also. I had internalized that when I was young, thinking how uncreative states are
Show threadBrian Marick4d ago
@soulcutter I myself voted for the Illinois State Tree in elementary school. Vox populi vox dei said the White Oak should be it. Not exactly a bold choice.
Show threadBradley Schaefer4d ago

@marick growing up in Indiana, our elementary class petitioned to declare the Crinoid as Indiana’s state fossil

makes me wonder how many “state ____” designations are based on primary school civics education 😆

Show threadBrian Marick
@soulcutter I think the crinoid is an excellent choice for state fossil. Ours is the Tully Monster (https://www.fossilera.com/pages/illinois-state-fossil-tully-monster-tullimonstrum-gregarium) but that’s from after my time.
Illinois State Fossil - Tully Monster (Tullimonstrum gregarium)

In 1989 the Illinois state legislature designated the Tully Monster (Tullimonstrum gregarium) as the Illinois state fossil.

FossilEra
May 28 at 3:06pmWeb
Show threadRon Jeffries3d ago
@marick @soulcutter
Quite a lot of detail there, given what your average fossilized remains typically look like ...
Show threadBrian Marick3d ago
@RonJeffries @soulcutter You’re just jealous because Michigan’s state fossil is the Mastodon. B-o-r-i-n-g.
Show threadBradley Schaefer3d ago
@marick that looks like a cuttlefish with a claw. Crazy