A friend of mine recently won a contest on Facebook by spotting a misidentified bird species in the March-April edition of Minnesota Conservation Volunteer Magazine. He was able to correctly identify the bird as a Dickcissel, which up until yesterday was a word I had never heard before.

I admire this, because this sort of nature knowledge is completely foreign to me.

Despite my admiration, the bylaws of our friendship require me to make at least one wisecrack about any achievement in a subject in which we do not share knowledge.

Me: CONGRATULATIONS MARK!!

Mark: Thanks! 💪

Me: What are you doing to celebrate?

Mark: Probably study up on native orchids

Me: Have you decided where you’re going to put your Wild Orchids calendar? Seeing that notification just cracked me up. Imagine seeing me winning some programming trivia contest.

Mark: Haha. That’s the funny part–I don’t know why this is popping up on people’s feeds. You’re the second person to text me about it.

Me: Because it’s a momentous occasion and Facebook knows how much birds mean to you.

And while I know you and accept your interests and areas of expertise, that is the dorkiest/most unintentionally funny thing I’ve ever seen you do on Facebook. 🏆

Mark: Dickcissel.

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