Our prime plumed pals

[kladner]

Back in warmer evenings we used to sit outside on our "porch." We are looking right into a huge elm tree in front of our building, and we can see a couple of street lights. One or more nights we saw a bat harvesting insects around the lights. On one of these nights when we were all bat-oriented, something small zipped in low against the elm trunk and appeared to scamper very fast up the tree. This seemed strange and we were wondering if a bat were capable of such things.
Fast forward to the past month. We put out bird seed, peanuts, and blueberries on a living room window sill. We often have the window open a few inches for this purpose. One night, Dan was at his desk by the window and heard rustling. He turned and caught a glimpse of something small and furry in the act of exiting the inside sill. A day or two later he saw a small furry creature chowing down on the ledge and reported fur and large eyes.
These observations led me to look up "tiny squirrels, Chicago." This yielded information on grey, fox, and black squirrels, but nothing I didn't know. A search for "squirrels Illinois" got an answer which I had not expected.
http://animalia.bio/southern-flying-squirrel
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_flying_squirrel

[Xyzzy]

[storm5510]

You cannot get much closer than this. She was hit by a car and was suffering from lead poisoning.

[Dr Sardonicus]

Originally Posted by storm5510

You cannot get much closer than this. She was hit by a car and was suffering from lead poisoning.

I wouldn't want any of my digits anywhere near that close to a beak like that!

[xilman]

Originally Posted by Dr Sardonicus

I wouldn't want any of my digits anywhere near that close to a beak like that!

Depends on the temperament of the bird behind it and on the temperament of the person offering the finger.

A number of parrot species have nibbled my knuckles over the years. They use taste to explore their environment. Some, such as a scarlet macaw can crack Brazil nuts or almonds with ease. I have never yet had any injury whatsoever from any parrot.

[kladner]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyacin...od_and_feeding
The majority of the hyacinth macaw diet is Brazil nuts, from native palms, such as acuri and bocaiuva palms.[5] They have very strong beaks for eating the kernels of hard nuts and seeds. Their strong beaks are even able to crack coconuts, the large brazil nut pods, and macadamia nuts. The birds also boast dry, smooth tongues with a bone inside them that makes them an effective tool for tapping into fruits.

[Dr Sardonicus]

Originally Posted by xilman

Depends on the temperament of the bird behind it and on the temperament of the person offering the finger.

The finger (or thumb, as it may be) I had in mind was the one that is visible in the lower left corner of the picture. It appears that it is being used to hold the bird's head in position for the closeup.

I'm guessing an eagle in good condition would have been squirming like mad to resist being held in such a way.

[firejuggler]

Scientists Uncover the Mysterious Origin of Pterosaurs

https://gizmodo.com/scientists-uncov...urs-1845841696

No non-pterosaur group has confidently been linked to them, 
but that’s changed owing to new research  published today in 
Nature. An exhaustive analysis of fossils found in  North America,
Brazil, Argentina, and Madagascar suggests pterosaurs are
descended from lagerpetids—an enigmatic group of small reptiles
 that lived during the Triassic period.

[storm5510]

Originally Posted by Dr Sardonicus

I wouldn't want any of my digits anywhere near that close to a beak like that!

I have always found it amazing how the vets keep them so calm.

[storm5510]

Homer, Alaska.

[axn]

Originally Posted by storm5510

Homer, Alaska.

You mean "Freedom town, Alaska" !