Birders' Nest

[JBS]

This was an old joke (sort of) told to me by my birdwatching mentor long, long ago. If you see a tern flying, you often won't be able to tell if it's an arctic or a common tern. So it must be ... a comic tern. See? Common fused with Arctic = Comic. You could say it was an Arcton tern, but that wouldn't be funny, yes?

Don't worry. Sometimes even I don't get my jokes.

I thought it was a nice joke. Indeed, you seem to have a nice turn for comedy.

[owlice]

I accept with humility that any Egypt-related images will be my fault.

Egypt was very interesting, but I learned that I'd really rather walk around looking at wildlife. So I did, even in (but not exclusively at) the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.  So many birds! Here are a few of them.

This one is so obviously a vulture! There's also what I think is a goose
The goddess Nekhbet, protector of the pharaoh  Yes, I had to look this up; yay! for internet searches!

Philae Temple

Another rendering of Nekhbet, tucked nicely behind glass at the museum  Honestly, she's all over the place


And maybe the goose is an Egyptian Goose

Taken in Kenya; worth embiggening for the fine barring on the feathers and the colors

Clearly a falcon, a depiction of Horus talking with what appears to be a crocodile


Sometimes Horus wears a crown, or even a double crown; there's also a vulture in this pic, and another bird under Horus, but I haven't IDed that one  (Wild speculation is encouraged, and really, I'll believe whatever anyone comes up with)


Owl!

Kom Ombo Temple, hence the better lighting

The god Thoth has a Sacred Ibis head (What a bird brain)


Actual Sacred Ibis


And here's Rekhyt-bird, which denotes the "common people"; apparently, we common people are lapwings

Luxor Temple

Okay, that's out of my system; my apologies for the lengthy post. All Elgarian's fault! Or mostly, anyway. 

[JBS]

Oooh nice!

Concerning that bird under Horus in this picture


is also a rekhyt bird according to Google Lens.

[Elgarian Redux]

Gulls will grab almost anything they see that qualifies as food. Sometimes out of the grasp of the human who was attempting to eat it.

Indeed. I lost an entire tub of jellied eels once, to a great black-backed gull. The story is in this thread somewhere, way back.

I am as it happens listening to Wagner. Specifically, listening to Lohengrin. There's a swan in Lohengrin. Does that count as thread duty?

Of course it does. In fact you get double the points, because of the hen in Lohengrin.

[Elgarian Redux]

I thought it was a nice joke. Indeed, you seem to have a nice tern for comedy.

Oh, good one, Jeffrey!!!!

[Elgarian Redux]

Egypt was very interesting, but I learned that I'd really rather walk around looking at wildlife. So I did, even in (but not exclusively at) the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.

Let me confess that I am a sucker for antiquity. In the 1960s I spent my university vacations working on excavations of Roman sites: a Romano-British cemetery at St Albans, and a Roman villa in East Yorkshire. They were among the very best years of my life. Revolver. Sgt Pepper. Simon and Garfunkel. Bob Dylan. And Antiquity.

It's still one of my favourite occupations, when I find myself in the Avebury area, to walk along the edges of ploughed fields looking for Neolithic worked flints. I'm mentioning the mere tips of icebergs. So you see, I am happy to take the blame for any photographs of ancient artifacts you may choose to post.

Another rendering of Nekhbet, tucked nicely behind glass at the museum  Honestly, she's all over the place

I'm pressed for time at the moment, but I have to comment on this. I mean, look at the colours!!! The fantastic intricacy of the design. And yes yes yes it's an abstraction of a bird.

But a bird fit for gods.

All Elgarian's fault! Or mostly, anyway. 

Blame gladly accepted.

[Elgarian Redux]

Okay, that's out of my system; my apologies for the lengthy post.

That was a magnificent post and was deservedly long. Why should we not be excited by the representation of birds in ancient Egyptian art? Those images are stupendous: birds AND art AND antiquity AND personal reminiscence. What's not to like? Thank you. Dazzling.

[Iota]

Of course it does. In fact you get double the points, because of the hen in Lohengrin.

Dare I say that that made me 'grin'?    .. because it most assuredly did.

Let me confess that I am a sucker for antiquity. In the 1960s I spent my university vacations working on excavations of Roman sites: a Romano-British cemetery at St Albans, and a Roman villa in East Yorkshire. They were among the very best years of my life. Revolver. Sgt Pepper. Simon and Garfunkel. Bob Dylan. And Antiquity.

It's still one of my favourite occupations, when I find myself in the Avebury area, to walk along the edges of ploughed fields looking for Neolithic worked flints. I'm mentioning the mere tips of icebergs. So you see, I am happy to take the blame for any photographs of ancient artifacts you may choose to post.

I'm in awe of the number of interests you have thrown yourself into and with such passion! Really you seem to have lived such rich and interesting life, it's certainly great reading about it!

[Elgarian Redux]

Dare I say that that made me 'grin'?    .. because it most assuredly did.

You can say whatever you like old chap. Because, Lo! You are among friends! (Lo-hen-grin. We've got the full set of daft syllables now!)

I'm in awe of the number of interests you have thrown yourself into and with such passion! Really you seem to have lived such rich and interesting life, it's certainly great reading about it!

Jack of all trades, it could be said, and master of none! But the fact is that if I get some new interest, I do seem to have to go at it like a terrier until I've exhausted all its possibilities (or sometimes never manage to).

But those archaeological digs, they were something special. Not just for the digging during the day, but the general bonhomie, the singing and guitar-playing outside the pub by the river in the evenings. 1966 was the pinnacle. The sun always shone, and it never rained.

There were ducks in the river too (thread duty).

[owlice]

Oooh nice!

Concerning that bird under Horus in this picture


is also a rekhyt bird according to Google Lens.

Thanks very much, JBS!