Tag Archives: quiz

Bird Puzzler #3: Hide and Seek

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I was surprised when I learned this fact about this bird-species that breeds in BC and that is seen fairly regularly in the lower mainland.  This puzzler has no pictures, videos or sound recordings – just the following piece of information:

This is the only North American migratory species that, at the turn of the twenty-first century, had not yet revealed the location of its wintering grounds.

These wintering grounds were only finally discovered in 2010 and how it was done is very cool!

Identify that bird!

Clues

(See Puzzlers Page for Instructions)

Clue #1: Gurl bsgra unat bhg arne jngresnyyf.

Clue #2: Qb abg zvfgnxr gurz sbe ynetr, qnex-pbybherq fjnyybjf.

PuzzlerDecryptor

Clue and Answer Decoder

Answer

Gur zlfgrel oveq vf gur Oynpx Fjvsg.  N tebhc bs Pbybenqb erfrnepuref gnttrq 4 oveqf jvgu trbybpngbef va 2009 naq, jura 3 bs gurz jrer erpncgherq va gur fhzzre bs 2010, gur frperg bs gurve jvagrevat tebhaqf va gur Nznmba Onfva va gur jrfg bs Oenmvy jnf erirnyrq.

Zl bevtvany fbhepr jnf gur Rneoveqvat.pbz oybt  negvpyr ol Anguna Cvrcybj: Oynpx Fjvsg Jvagrevat Tebhaqf Qvfpbirerq (uggc://rneoveqvat.pbz/oybt/nepuvirf/3602).

 

Bird Puzzler #2: Sounds Like a (Rubber) Duck?

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Ducks in a row - geograph.org.uk - 1407900

James Yardley [CC-BY-SA-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

This puzzler comes in the form of a sound recording that I made on June 5.  Here is an excerpt of the recording:

Name the bird making the ‘squeaky toy’ call.

Some people will recognize the call immediately though I probably wouldn’t have guessed the species had I not actually witnessed the bird making it from a few feet away.

Clues

(See Puzzlers Page for Instructions)

Clue #1: Lbh zvtug svaq guvf oveq unatvat bhg va gur fnzr arvtuobheubbq nf gur nafjre-oveq sebz gur svefg chmmyre.
Clue #2: Guvf oveq vf jvqrfcernq npebff Abegu Nzrevpn.
Clue #3: Gur pnyy jvyy bayl or urneq qhevat oerrqvat frnfba.
Clue #4: N cvpgher bs gur orttvat syrqtyvat oveq pna or sbhaq ng gur sbyybjvat yvax: uggc://syvpxe.pbz/tc/94309556@A05/6vSaoz

Clue and Answer Decoder

Answer

Gur oveq vf n syrqtyvat Erq-jvatrq Oynpxoveq.

Urer vf n yvax gb gur shyy erpbeqvat fnirq ba Krab-Pnagb: uggc://jjj.krab-pnagb.bet/137659

The back-story

V jnf jngpuvat oveqf nebhaq gur cbaq ng gur Pbybal Snez jura V abgvprq n whiravyr syrqtyvat Erq-jvatrq oynpxoveq sbyybjvat na nqhyg znyr sebz gur gbc bs n ohfu qbja gb n cynpr va gur ohyehfurf (arfgvat fvgr creuncf) naq onpx ntnva.  V fnj gurz ercrng gur onpx-naq-sbegu plpyr gjvpr.  Gur znyr nccrnerq gb or whfg n onolfvggre jub jnf abg, ubjrire, srrqvat gur whiravyr.  Jura gur whiravyr jnf orttvat sebz gur ohfu-gbc, vg jnf va snpg cbvagrq njnl sebz gur nqhyg znyr.  Va gur erpbeqvat lbh pna urne gur znyr fbat frireny gvzrf nf jryy nf gur pbagvahbhf “fdhrnxl” orttvat bs gur whiravyr.  Arne gur raq bs gur erpbeqvat, gur nqhyg znyr yrnirf gur ohfu-gbc sbe gur ohyehfurf naq gur whiravyr vzzrqvngryl punatrf gb n 3-flyynoyr “jnvg-sbe-zr” pnyy naq sbyybjf pybfr oruvaq.