Here in New York City, the weather is finally starting to warm up. This means I'm finally able to sit outside and enjoy the rare luxury of living somewhere with a backyard. Now, the shared space isn't fancy. My neighbors like to party and leave evidence of that pretty much everywhere. But after I pick up their cans and straighten up the chairs around the fire pit, things don't look half bad. And I can sit and watch the birds in peace. There's a surprisingly diverse variety of avian life on our…

My favorite birds are Big Bird, Sam The Eagle, and Camila, the Chicken . Accuse me of liking muppets more than natural wildlife all you want; that true statement doesn't phase me. All muppets fans know that there are very few girl characters in the franchise. Even though she can't technically speak, I'm glad that the chicken that dates Gonzo is representing for the ladies. Sam The Eagle is an essential member of the Muppets company because he's decidedly ungoofy. This man means business and is…

Squidward smells...good

Picture this: You're having a relaxing day in your sun-filled home. As you putter around, you think about how blessed you are to be alive, and to even have a roof over your head. As you walk through your art-covered abode and finally enter your living room, there it is - a Great Blue Heron standing on your perfectly manicured couch. While some may be horrified at the discovery, others (such as my bird nerd self) might be delighted. Judging by the footage she shared two days ago, TikToker @AC_In…

I have a question for you. Do you like animals? If you answered yes, I have a second question for you. Do you like animals that aren't just cats and dogs? If you answered yes to both of these questions, congratulations! You will probably enjoy the animal memes that lie before you. I constantly think about what it means to truly be an animal lover, and I've finally cracked the code. In the world, there are animal lovers , and then there are pet lovers. Some people are literally addicted to havin…

Last weekend at the Grammy Awards , two things happened. Beyoncé set a record for winning the most Grammys of any artist at 29 Grammys. She also lost the Album of the Year award to Harry's House . Bey Hive members were understandably upset by this loss. After all, Beyonce has never won the coveted award, even after years of unparalleled triumphs at the Grammys. Some Grammy voters have said they didn't want to vote for Adele or Beyoncé because they've won enough already, which I find ridiculous.…

You know that scene in Toy Story 3 when all of Andy's toys accept their deaths in the fiery pits of landfill hell before getting saved by those claw-obsessed little alien boys? Well, I sure do. That was my first exposure to the horror that is The Dump. The dump feels like a hypothetical location that you couldn't go to until you're swimming in the viscera of children's media. Who could forget Spongebob and Patrick dressed up as choice cuts while hanging out at The Dump, or Cartman convincing Bu…

I have a question for you. Do you like animals? If you answered yes, I have a second question for you. Do you like animals that aren't just cats and dogs? If you answered yes to both of these questions, congratulations. You will probably enjoy the animal memes that lie before you. Sometimes I think about what it means to be an animal lover, and I think I've cracked the code. In the world, there are animal lovers , and then there are pet lovers. Some people are literally addicted to having a dom…

Silliness is one of the most important qualities a person can have. Nobody likes someone who is super serious 99% of the time. I feel like I'm at my silliest when I'm doing childish activities . For example, my family and I saw the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in person this year. I had never really loved watching it on TV because I was more of a dog show person, but when I saw those giant balloons with my own two eyes, my inner child was freaking out. Every time I saw a new balloon peeking a…

What an iconic rodent!

There are memes for almost any subculture. You just need to know where to look. This became really clear to me after diving into the nerdy world of birding. As a kid, my Dad and I would visit parks and marshlands, Audubon book in hand, looking for birds both rare and common. While my favorites were always colorful or endangered (Roseate Spoonbill, anyone?), I've since broadened my formerly particular affections for avian life. While I never stopped enjoying scoping out the trees and forest floo…

This one's for all of you bird lovers out there. On the first day of Christmas, my true love sent to me a partridge in a pear tree . On the second day of Christmas, my true love sent to me two turtledoves and a partridge in a pear tree. On the third day of Christmas, my true love sent to me three French hens, two turtledoves, and a partridge in a pear tree. On the fourth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me four calling birds, three French hens, two turtledoves and a partridge in a pear tr…

Gatekeeping is sometimes necessary. I find it unquestionably necessary to gatekeep cat and dog memes from the rest of the animal memes. There is no shortage of lists displaying hundreds of thousands of dog and cat memes. If I were a betting man, I would say there are more cat memes than any other type of meme on God's green earth. I've got nothing against dogs or cats, but I have to ask, where are the worm memes? Where are the buffalo memes? When will the non-domesticated animal of the world ge…

I consider myself a novice birder. Due to my "gainful" employment, I don't have the leisure time to indulge in the wholesome activity, so I play Wingspan to try to ease the agony of deprivation. Last night, the game's tranquil soundtrack helped me drift off to sleep. There's something about the sound of sweetly chirping birds and the twinkling of a harp that is so soothing. Playing Wingspan, which was undoubtedly created with birders in mind, is as near to board game therapy as it gets, dependi…

Unlike humans, animals don't necessarily have to perform in order to entertain others. A goofy-looking cat who transitions awkwardly between sleeping positions can potentially inspire more delight in a person than a professional comic with years of experience and practice. No one bats an eye when I wash my hair, but a shampooed cow? Standing ovation. Even the most painfully low-effort memes can fully recover if they feature a funny or adorable animal. That said, we've rounded up a glorious coll…

I'm sure we all wished we were born into the legendary Irwin Dynasty at some point. Imagine being the heiress to the Australia Zoo throne, spending your days wearing fantastic two-piece khaki outfits with your awesome and perfectly wholesome family. I, for one, want nothing more than to star in my wildlife documentary programming and continue on the legacy of Steve Irwin , aka The Crocodile Hunter. I would trade my boring non-regional American accent for that authentic Aussie twang in a heartbe…