TO KILL A HOOPOE BIRD.
My grandaughter came running in to me the other day, slipping her
hand into mine she said "Come and see the dead bird". So l did.
She had been cleaning out 'Bone crunchers house' and found a dead
bird. It must have been there for sometime as it had lost most of its
feathers and head but retained a mummified pair of legs that looked
like a small plucked chicken! It could have been a hoopoe.
Once l did find the perfect mummified hoopoe. l found it hanging
in the cactus patch. lts crest was up and its wings were outstretched,
as if in flight. Complete with feathers. What a superb dried out bird
it was. l sent it to my nephews.
We get hoopoes here all year round. Normaly one can hear them
calling, with their hoopoe poo pooe song, hence the name. Or see
them fluttering by, with that eratic flight of theirs. They are also often
seen on the ground probing for insects with that long curved beak.
They have a pinky cinnamon plumage with dark bars on the wings,
head and tail. They also have a cockatoo crest, that flicks up and down
while it is busy. They eat insects, such as grubs, ants, worms, centipedes,
woodlice ect:
Recently a friend came to stay. He was an enthusiastic' twitcher' and
was off 'twitching' with binoculars and camera. Eventually he returned
greatly excited with a short video he had managed to 'shoot' of a hoopoe
in the orange groves. I was surprised that he had got so close to it, they
are very shy. It was a lovely little film of it walking about, its crest rising
and falling. We watched the film several times, then he left again to go
and see if it was still there.
He returned but this time handed me a beautiful dead hoope! burieh" l said
"whatever has happened"? He replied that when he had returned to the spot
he found the hoopoe was dead, it was still warm. He looked close to tears.
We inspected it and sure enough there were signs of injury to the plump
little body. Who or what had inflicted them, we were not to know. He thaught
it had been shot!
What a stunningly exotic bird. So we buried it under the geraniums and
felt sad.
Wednesday, 16 March 2016
Sunday, 6 March 2016
Friday, 12 February 2016
ONE FLEW OVER THE CAR BONNET!
The most romantic animal, for me here, are the wild boar or jabali in Spanish,
(sus scrota) oh those latin names again!
They are a thrill to see, having been hunted to extinction in our home land.
We have only read about them in history books and comics. (One cannot say that one
has lived in the outback of Spain untill one has encountered a WILD JABALI )
There used to be a pair of them, kept in a park in Huercal-Overa.They were very hairy
and grey, rather short in the body but huge in the head and sporting magnificent tusks.
These tusks are actually adapted canine teeth,
curving upwards from the lower jaw and downwards from the upper, passing each other
with razor sharp precision.
l have often seen there footprints in the orange groves, also where they have torn up
the ground, in their search for roots ect:. They often, in dry weather, break the irrigation
systems in their thirst for water. For this they pay a mortal price. Many a fat farmer has
rubbed his belly and rolled his eyes at the thought of roast jabali.
All my friends and neighbours have told me of sightings, up mountains, in the orange
groves, down by the dry river, trampling cabbage patches, tearing up potatoes, mashed
up on motorways and even cooling off in swimming pools. Sometimes single and sometimes in family groups, a mum and half a dozen or more stripy babies.
l was beginning to feel left out untill one evening, just as the sun was setting. l was
driving out of our local village when, one flew over the car bonnet! l was thrilled and
screamed with joy. My daughter and granddaughter, who had not seen it, wondered
what ever was wrong! It was a timeless moment, l still see the image now as it took a
flying leap right over the car.
What struck me most was its deep earthy ginger colour. It wasn't untill sometime later
that l found out why. l was out exploring one day and came across a muddy wallow. lt was
a deep terracotta colour and was full of jabali hair and footprints
The most romantic animal, for me here, are the wild boar or jabali in Spanish,
(sus scrota) oh those latin names again!
They are a thrill to see, having been hunted to extinction in our home land.
We have only read about them in history books and comics. (One cannot say that one
has lived in the outback of Spain untill one has encountered a WILD JABALI )
There used to be a pair of them, kept in a park in Huercal-Overa.They were very hairy
and grey, rather short in the body but huge in the head and sporting magnificent tusks.
These tusks are actually adapted canine teeth,
curving upwards from the lower jaw and downwards from the upper, passing each other
with razor sharp precision.
l have often seen there footprints in the orange groves, also where they have torn up
the ground, in their search for roots ect:. They often, in dry weather, break the irrigation
systems in their thirst for water. For this they pay a mortal price. Many a fat farmer has
rubbed his belly and rolled his eyes at the thought of roast jabali.
All my friends and neighbours have told me of sightings, up mountains, in the orange
groves, down by the dry river, trampling cabbage patches, tearing up potatoes, mashed
up on motorways and even cooling off in swimming pools. Sometimes single and sometimes in family groups, a mum and half a dozen or more stripy babies.
l was beginning to feel left out untill one evening, just as the sun was setting. l was
driving out of our local village when, one flew over the car bonnet! l was thrilled and
screamed with joy. My daughter and granddaughter, who had not seen it, wondered
what ever was wrong! It was a timeless moment, l still see the image now as it took a
flying leap right over the car.
What struck me most was its deep earthy ginger colour. It wasn't untill sometime later
that l found out why. l was out exploring one day and came across a muddy wallow. lt was
a deep terracotta colour and was full of jabali hair and footprints
Wednesday, 10 February 2016
OF BIRDS AND FLIES.
It's getting close to that time of year, when the summer migration
of birds will soon begin. The first to normally appear are the swallows.
I thought l could see some flying high in the sky but they turned out to
be martins. The swallows have over the last 20 years made their
appearance on or close to feb: 18th.
A couple of years ago my nephew and his girlfriend arrrived at my house
with a very young swallow chick. It had fallen from its nest onto the street,
up in Albanchez. Would l look after it ? "No" says l, "it will only die".
Disappointed by my pronouncement they asked, "what shall we feed it?",
"Flies" l said.
At first it was difficult because it wouldn't open its beak. We had to gently
prize it open, pop a freshly swatted fly in and then a drop of water,using an
old syringe. "How often do we feed it?", they asked. "All the time", l replied.
"Will you do it?", "No", says l.
They wanted to travel down to Cadiz. They took the fledgling with them.
It was wrapped in cotton wool, and they were armed with a fly swat. On the
first night it managed to get in bed with them, snuggling up to their warm
necks.
They did make it to Cadiz and arrived back a couple of days later. The little
bird was feeding fast and furiously on a diet of flies, beetles, bugs and ants,
followed by a few drops of water. It was snatching the offered insects from
their fingers as quickly as they could catch them. I had to swallow my words.
We all went back up to Albanchez and as we stopped the car, the youngster
started calling to the swallows, who were sweeping around the buildings.
Within 3 more days it learnt how to fly, by launching itself off the upstairs patio.
Soon it took to the wing, returning every half hour or so to visit. Then, within
days it was off.
Our summer visiters arrive mid feb: and leave about October after
hopefully bringing up a few broods of young. These swallows (Hirando
rustica) have a blue sheen on the back and wings, with a forked tail. The
throat is dull chestnut with a dark blue band beneath. The forehead is also
dark chestnut. They have a high metallic tweet tweet twittering song. They
construct an open saucer-shaped nest, on beams in buildings. These nests
are made of mud.
It is said that these birds bring much luck to the houses they choose to nest
in. I know of one person who was knocking the nests down because as she
said, " these filthy black birds are making a mess!
It's getting close to that time of year, when the summer migration
of birds will soon begin. The first to normally appear are the swallows.
I thought l could see some flying high in the sky but they turned out to
be martins. The swallows have over the last 20 years made their
appearance on or close to feb: 18th.
A couple of years ago my nephew and his girlfriend arrrived at my house
with a very young swallow chick. It had fallen from its nest onto the street,
up in Albanchez. Would l look after it ? "No" says l, "it will only die".
Disappointed by my pronouncement they asked, "what shall we feed it?",
"Flies" l said.
At first it was difficult because it wouldn't open its beak. We had to gently
prize it open, pop a freshly swatted fly in and then a drop of water,using an
old syringe. "How often do we feed it?", they asked. "All the time", l replied.
"Will you do it?", "No", says l.
They wanted to travel down to Cadiz. They took the fledgling with them.
It was wrapped in cotton wool, and they were armed with a fly swat. On the
first night it managed to get in bed with them, snuggling up to their warm
necks.
They did make it to Cadiz and arrived back a couple of days later. The little
bird was feeding fast and furiously on a diet of flies, beetles, bugs and ants,
followed by a few drops of water. It was snatching the offered insects from
their fingers as quickly as they could catch them. I had to swallow my words.
We all went back up to Albanchez and as we stopped the car, the youngster
started calling to the swallows, who were sweeping around the buildings.
Within 3 more days it learnt how to fly, by launching itself off the upstairs patio.
Soon it took to the wing, returning every half hour or so to visit. Then, within
days it was off.
Our summer visiters arrive mid feb: and leave about October after
hopefully bringing up a few broods of young. These swallows (Hirando
rustica) have a blue sheen on the back and wings, with a forked tail. The
throat is dull chestnut with a dark blue band beneath. The forehead is also
dark chestnut. They have a high metallic tweet tweet twittering song. They
construct an open saucer-shaped nest, on beams in buildings. These nests
are made of mud.
It is said that these birds bring much luck to the houses they choose to nest
in. I know of one person who was knocking the nests down because as she
said, " these filthy black birds are making a mess!
Sunday, 27 December 2015
THE MANY LAYERS OF CHRISTMAS
Peel back the many layers of Christmas and we find a whole
host of rites and rituals connected to the olde agricultural calender.
The winter solstice being the culmination of the year gone by and the
beginning of the new. They are often called Pagan, "Paganus" pertaining
to the countryside, yule time meaning the wheel ! It is usually said that
there are 12 days to Christmas but if one includes Christmas eve, which
is the most important day/evening in, many countries, we have our
13. There are 13 luna months in the year, in fact this december has 2 full
moons. It was pope Gregory 13th who reformed the calender and dropped
13th month. There are 13 ingredients in the Christmas pudding, which should be
stirred from east to west (the path of the sun accross the skys). Later the burning
brandy burning, sybolizes the suns heat.
The Feast of Misrule, Saturnalia, or the feast of fools.From the latin "Festum
fatuorum, festum stultorum". A Roman feast in honour of the god Saturn.
The God of sown seeds. It was a great time of feasting and merry making,
when roles were reversed and it was presided over by the King of misrule, he
ruled for his short term and was then slain!.
The holly berries (female,) the mistletoe (male), symbolic of new life were
bought into the house on Christmas eve, along with the tree, symbolic of the
world tree. Incidently the Fly Agaric fungus appears under this fur tree. A favorite of
raindeer and shamens. The distinctive red and white markings so much part of
Santas outfit. The consumption of the dried fungus would bring out feelings
of flying and euphoria.!
Mistletoe is an interesting- nervine and narcotic. It is also known as "heal all",
being apparently an anti cancer herb. It comes under the rule of Freya-Frigga,
the goddess of love. It brings good luck ,love and peace. It is a parasitic plant
and is said to hold the soul of the host plant together. Legend has it that Freyas
son Bolder (God of summer), was killed by his brother Hoder, using an arrow
made from mystletoe. His death brought winter. The mystletoe, heart broken
pledged "yuletide", to kiss under the misletoe relieves the pain of loss and brings
back the light of life. In the past enemies who met under this magical plant would
lay down there arms, in a jesture of peace and goodwill.
To go wassailing,(be well). Folk would go out to the trees with a wassail cup of
mulled wine and sing to the trees, dipping in toast and blessing the trees.
In Ireland on Christmas eve they would light the (bloc na Nollag) christmas log.
The log from the year before was used to light the new one. It was also a time to
remember the dead. Candles were lit in every room to bring back the sun. The
house was white washed ready for Christmas and decorated with holly and ivy
on St Stephens day wren boys would go out with a holly bush dressed in ribbons,
and a model of a wren on top singing from door to door, where they were given,
money, cake and refreshments.
And so to the last day of Christmas,(womens day in Ireland). The day of the three
kings , when the children received gifts.
Peel back the many layers of Christmas and we find a whole
host of rites and rituals connected to the olde agricultural calender.
The winter solstice being the culmination of the year gone by and the
beginning of the new. They are often called Pagan, "Paganus" pertaining
to the countryside, yule time meaning the wheel ! It is usually said that
there are 12 days to Christmas but if one includes Christmas eve, which
is the most important day/evening in, many countries, we have our
13. There are 13 luna months in the year, in fact this december has 2 full
moons. It was pope Gregory 13th who reformed the calender and dropped
13th month. There are 13 ingredients in the Christmas pudding, which should be
stirred from east to west (the path of the sun accross the skys). Later the burning
brandy burning, sybolizes the suns heat.
The Feast of Misrule, Saturnalia, or the feast of fools.From the latin "Festum
fatuorum, festum stultorum". A Roman feast in honour of the god Saturn.
The God of sown seeds. It was a great time of feasting and merry making,
when roles were reversed and it was presided over by the King of misrule, he
ruled for his short term and was then slain!.
The holly berries (female,) the mistletoe (male), symbolic of new life were
bought into the house on Christmas eve, along with the tree, symbolic of the
world tree. Incidently the Fly Agaric fungus appears under this fur tree. A favorite of
raindeer and shamens. The distinctive red and white markings so much part of
Santas outfit. The consumption of the dried fungus would bring out feelings
of flying and euphoria.!
Mistletoe is an interesting- nervine and narcotic. It is also known as "heal all",
being apparently an anti cancer herb. It comes under the rule of Freya-Frigga,
the goddess of love. It brings good luck ,love and peace. It is a parasitic plant
and is said to hold the soul of the host plant together. Legend has it that Freyas
son Bolder (God of summer), was killed by his brother Hoder, using an arrow
made from mystletoe. His death brought winter. The mystletoe, heart broken
pledged "yuletide", to kiss under the misletoe relieves the pain of loss and brings
back the light of life. In the past enemies who met under this magical plant would
lay down there arms, in a jesture of peace and goodwill.
To go wassailing,(be well). Folk would go out to the trees with a wassail cup of
mulled wine and sing to the trees, dipping in toast and blessing the trees.
In Ireland on Christmas eve they would light the (bloc na Nollag) christmas log.
The log from the year before was used to light the new one. It was also a time to
remember the dead. Candles were lit in every room to bring back the sun. The
house was white washed ready for Christmas and decorated with holly and ivy
on St Stephens day wren boys would go out with a holly bush dressed in ribbons,
and a model of a wren on top singing from door to door, where they were given,
money, cake and refreshments.
And so to the last day of Christmas,(womens day in Ireland). The day of the three
kings , when the children received gifts.
Tuesday, 8 December 2015
A TUNIC OF GOLD.
The most fasinating counter in 'Murkingdonner' (as we call it),
is the fish counter. What a treasure trove of the deep blue.
l always stop to inhale the smell of the sea and ponder the lives
of the bounty displayed.
Great mountains of molluscs. After purchasing a few kilos of the
mussels one has the task of cleaning them! They have that funny
beardy bit that you have to pull of. Well this, in days of old, was
woven into garments that shone like gold. They were very popular
with the aristocracy,especially those of southern Europe. Indeed
the 'Field of the cloth of gold', was an historic meeting between
Henry Vlll and The King of France. So called because so many of
the nobles assembled there were wearing tunics made from the
beards of bivalves!
The long arm of the octopus. During courtship the male octopus
exsposes certain particularly large suckers, making a pass at the
female. Deep sea flashers. Then with his third arm he caresses her.
The 'hectocotylus' arm. He then places elaborate packages of sperm
'spermatophores' into her oviduct. This can take several hours. She
lays about one thousand five hundred eggs, each in an oval capsule
about the size of a grain of rice. She festoons her 'Villa', so called
because they take up residence in rocky holes. She then attends to
her eggs for weeks on end, cleaning them with her arms and
blowing water over them. During this time she can fast for several
months.
Jumping cockles. Apparently cockles have been observed leaping
out of the way of stalking starfish.
There are also those fascinating freakish dwellers of the depths, the
deep sea angler fish or deep sea devils. The females are solitary
predators equipped with lanterns to attract their prey. The much
smaller males attach themselves to the female after sniffing them
out. They parasitize themselves to her, often in the wrong place.
Female angle fish have been found wearing their husbands on their
heads!
So l walk away. How many fish stalls are there selling these
wondrous wares? How long can Neptune cater to our appetites?
Food for thought.
The most fasinating counter in 'Murkingdonner' (as we call it),
is the fish counter. What a treasure trove of the deep blue.
l always stop to inhale the smell of the sea and ponder the lives
of the bounty displayed.
Great mountains of molluscs. After purchasing a few kilos of the
mussels one has the task of cleaning them! They have that funny
beardy bit that you have to pull of. Well this, in days of old, was
woven into garments that shone like gold. They were very popular
with the aristocracy,especially those of southern Europe. Indeed
the 'Field of the cloth of gold', was an historic meeting between
Henry Vlll and The King of France. So called because so many of
the nobles assembled there were wearing tunics made from the
beards of bivalves!
The long arm of the octopus. During courtship the male octopus
exsposes certain particularly large suckers, making a pass at the
female. Deep sea flashers. Then with his third arm he caresses her.
The 'hectocotylus' arm. He then places elaborate packages of sperm
'spermatophores' into her oviduct. This can take several hours. She
lays about one thousand five hundred eggs, each in an oval capsule
about the size of a grain of rice. She festoons her 'Villa', so called
because they take up residence in rocky holes. She then attends to
her eggs for weeks on end, cleaning them with her arms and
blowing water over them. During this time she can fast for several
months.
Jumping cockles. Apparently cockles have been observed leaping
out of the way of stalking starfish.
There are also those fascinating freakish dwellers of the depths, the
deep sea angler fish or deep sea devils. The females are solitary
predators equipped with lanterns to attract their prey. The much
smaller males attach themselves to the female after sniffing them
out. They parasitize themselves to her, often in the wrong place.
Female angle fish have been found wearing their husbands on their
heads!
So l walk away. How many fish stalls are there selling these
wondrous wares? How long can Neptune cater to our appetites?
Food for thought.
Friday, 4 December 2015
WHY COCKSPARROW ?
Whilst walking in the sand dunes around Winterton, as a child. l once
found a dead Kestrel. It was the most perfect and exotic bird of prey l had
ever come so close to. l held it in awe and fascination. l stroked it, admired
its colour, feathers, wings, talons and beak. l loved it and wanted to keep it.
l didn't want to leave it behind. l begged my father to let me keep it.What
could he do, it was going to spoil, as l didn't want to bury it! So after some
time he came up with a plan."O K, then we will go and see old Freddie", he
said. So we did with the little dead bird.
Freddies place was a bungalow on the Larkman lane in Norwich. Old
Freddie looked just like the Crow Man from Worzel Gummage. Freddie
was a Taxidermist. I was gob smacked. His house was like a trappers
hut. From floor to ceiling it was stuffed with every sort of animals, birds,
beasts, reptiles, insects, fish, frogs and god knows what. l was star struck.
Alas Freddie said that my little find was beyond repair. But he showed us
around and made tea.That was it the dye had been cast. So we left him.
Soon after l found a dead cocksparrow. With visions of Lazarus, l set about
trying my hand at resurrecting the bird. By the time l had finished it and
setting it on a twig, it had gone through quite a transformation. l could not
be more proud but, l had compleated it. The next time I met old Freddie l
showed off my acheivement. He was silent for awhile then laughed. "Well"
he said, When l was a boy l tried to stuff a mole and took it to the workshop
of a victorian taxidermist named Tom Gunn. He to had laughed but told
Fred that because he had tried, he would take him on as an apprentice.
So Freddie told me that he would do the same for me.
Every Sunday from then on l would cycle up to Freds place and learn the
art of taxidermy. I learnt many things, that a Gannets nostrils are inside their
beak, so that the water doesn't go up their noses while diving. That foxes have
a bone in their doo daar and never cut through the musk glands of a stoat. l
learnt how to skin rats, rabbits, owls, fish and much more. How to get old body
out, how to put the new one in.How to put eyes in and take brains out. All
interesting stuff. I joined the Norfolk and Norwich Naturalist Society. We
cycled around the country lanes picking up road kill. On whitch we dinned.
l never became that accomplished at taxidermist. For ever after Fred used to
call me his little Cocksparrow.
Whilst walking in the sand dunes around Winterton, as a child. l once
found a dead Kestrel. It was the most perfect and exotic bird of prey l had
ever come so close to. l held it in awe and fascination. l stroked it, admired
its colour, feathers, wings, talons and beak. l loved it and wanted to keep it.
l didn't want to leave it behind. l begged my father to let me keep it.What
could he do, it was going to spoil, as l didn't want to bury it! So after some
time he came up with a plan."O K, then we will go and see old Freddie", he
said. So we did with the little dead bird.
Freddies place was a bungalow on the Larkman lane in Norwich. Old
Freddie looked just like the Crow Man from Worzel Gummage. Freddie
was a Taxidermist. I was gob smacked. His house was like a trappers
hut. From floor to ceiling it was stuffed with every sort of animals, birds,
beasts, reptiles, insects, fish, frogs and god knows what. l was star struck.
Alas Freddie said that my little find was beyond repair. But he showed us
around and made tea.That was it the dye had been cast. So we left him.
Soon after l found a dead cocksparrow. With visions of Lazarus, l set about
trying my hand at resurrecting the bird. By the time l had finished it and
setting it on a twig, it had gone through quite a transformation. l could not
be more proud but, l had compleated it. The next time I met old Freddie l
showed off my acheivement. He was silent for awhile then laughed. "Well"
he said, When l was a boy l tried to stuff a mole and took it to the workshop
of a victorian taxidermist named Tom Gunn. He to had laughed but told
Fred that because he had tried, he would take him on as an apprentice.
So Freddie told me that he would do the same for me.
Every Sunday from then on l would cycle up to Freds place and learn the
art of taxidermy. I learnt many things, that a Gannets nostrils are inside their
beak, so that the water doesn't go up their noses while diving. That foxes have
a bone in their doo daar and never cut through the musk glands of a stoat. l
learnt how to skin rats, rabbits, owls, fish and much more. How to get old body
out, how to put the new one in.How to put eyes in and take brains out. All
interesting stuff. I joined the Norfolk and Norwich Naturalist Society. We
cycled around the country lanes picking up road kill. On whitch we dinned.
l never became that accomplished at taxidermist. For ever after Fred used to
call me his little Cocksparrow.
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