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!

[Iota]

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.

Sounds wonderful!

And I should have added that along with your infectious curiosity, you are able to communicate your passions so vividly and eloquently that reading about them is always fascinating/inspiring. The very quintessence of sharing I'd say.

[owlice]

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.

Well, she IS a goddess, after all... ! 

That image is of the side of a chair, which is stupendous, an exquisite example of the artistry of those who designed and rendered it. And so it went with many many other examples, not just in the museum but all along the journey. Many of the things I saw brought a lump to my throat, and some, actual tears.

I'm glad you liked the thread, and I'm not at all surprised that you have another very interesting facet of your life to share!

I did see some actual (live) birds while in Egypt, some because of my COVID-inspired bonus week in the country, and though some were birds I was already familiar with (as are you, since House Sparrows were among them), here are a few I had/have not seen elsewhere.

Brown-necked Raven


Nile Valley Sunbirds



Graceful Prinia


White-capped Wheatear


Ferruginous Duck

Quite far away from me

[owlice]

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.

The gull was doing you a solid! 

[Elgarian Redux]

And I should have added that along with your infectious curiosity, you are able to communicate your passions so vividly and eloquently that reading about them is always fascinating/inspiring. The very quintessence of sharing I'd say.

Well, thank you ever so much. My response is to venture so far off topic that a vengeful moderator may arrive at any moment, and sweep all that follows away - for there is no mention of birds in this post (apart from this present mention of birds, which may be considered thread duty).

Back in the Sixties, then: at the end of every day of digging, a few of us would spend some time scouring the spoil heaps. Any archaeological remains found there have no value for archaeological interpretation because there's no context for them, so we could remove things we found with a clear conscience. The best of the things I found was a quite large sherd of a ceramic vessel (probably a cremation urn), of which there's a photograph below.

The other photo shows three of the best flint artefacts I found by walking the edges of ploughed fields. The one on the left is the first one I ever found. I was unsure about it and sought the advice of an archaeologist who confirmed it was an arrowhead whose shaft had broken off.

The one in the middle is the most delicate and beautiful that I ever found, from a field near Windmill Hill - a Neolithic causewayed enclosure. The flake is gently curved and worked carefully at the edges: I presume it's a scraper of some sort. The one on the right is from a field near Avebury - shaped and pointed for some unknown purpose.

The point about these flints is that they would normally be lost forever, but these have been turned up by the plough, and as one walks slowly along the ploughline, suddenly one catches the eye as a worked artefact among the multitude of random bits of broken flint. I pick it up. I feel strange. It was last held in the hand of someone 4-5000 years ago, who had no further use for it. It's a time capsule, of sorts. They look like bits of junk, but they're buried treasure.

[Elgarian Redux]

The gull was doing you a solid! 

It was indeed!

[Elgarian Redux]

Well, she IS a goddess, after all... ! 

That image is of the side of a chair, which is stupendous, an exquisite example of the artistry of those who designed and rendered it. And so it went with many many other examples, not just in the museum but all along the journey. Many of the things I saw brought a lump to my throat, and some, actual tears.

The response to these things is quite complicated, I find, because there's a mix of perceived timeless beauty on the one hand, and the consciousness of the vast time gap on the other, in varying proportions. That chair fires with both barrels and blows one's head off.

I did see some actual (live) birds while in Egypt, some because of my COVID-inspired bonus week in the country, and though some were birds I was already familiar with (as are you, since House Sparrows were among them), here are a few I had/have not seen elsewhere.

Brown-necked Raven

What is it about ravens? That rough plumage, the swagger, the glistening blackness. You can feel why they turn up in folk songs and tales, but can't quite explain it. At least, I can't.

Nile Valley Sunbirds

Look at the streamlining of the top photo. So elegant - and such colours!

Graceful Prinia

Would I be correct in using the word 'borb' here?

White-capped Wheatear

And he has a WHITE CAP!! Sometimes bird nomenclature makes sense.

Ferruginous Duck

Quite far away from me

But a lovely image, regardless.

More superduper photos. Thanks Owlice.

[Iota]

I did see some actual (live) birds while in Egypt, some because of my COVID-inspired bonus week in the country, and though some were birds I was already familiar with (as are you, since House Sparrows were among them), here are a few I had/have not seen elsewhere.

Brown-necked Raven


Nile Valley Sunbirds



Graceful Prinia


White-capped Wheatear


Ferruginous Duck

Quite far away from me

Lovely shots, owlice!

The top Nile Valley Sunbird pic seems kind of surreal/impossible at first, as the tendrils emerging from the plant the bird is balancing on seem so delicate. By the second pic they do look a bit rougher, but the effect for a moment of an impossibly delicate bird was kind of magical!

[Iota]

Back in the Sixties, then: at the end of every day of digging, a few of us would spend some time scouring the spoil heaps. Any archaeological remains found there have no value for archaeological interpretation because there's no context for them, so we could remove things we found with a clear conscience. The best of the things I found was a quite large sherd of a ceramic vessel (probably a cremation urn), of which there's a photograph below.

The other photo shows three of the best flint artefacts I found by walking the edges of ploughed fields. The one on the left is the first one I ever found. I was unsure about it and sought the advice of an archaeologist who confirmed it was an arrowhead whose shaft had broken off.

The one in the middle is the most delicate and beautiful that I ever found, from a field near Windmill Hill - a Neolithic causewayed enclosure. The flake is gently curved and worked carefully at the edges: I presume it's a scraper of some sort. The one on the right is from a field near Avebury - shaped and pointed for some unknown purpose.

The point about these flints is that they would normally be lost forever, but these have been turned up by the plough, and as one walks slowly along the ploughline, suddenly one catches the eye as a worked artefact among the multitude of random bits of broken flint. I pick it up. I feel strange. It was last held in the hand of someone 4-5000 years ago, who had no further use for it. It's a time capsule, of sorts. They look like bits of junk, but they're buried treasure.

Lovely account, ER, thanks!

Fwiw, the last paragraph I can fully empathise with, particularly the bolded. That sense of time travel one can get with historical things can be thrilling.
Completely different example, but seeing a Beethoven manuscript in the British Library for instance hushes me into an awed silence. I am aware that Beethoven .. I MEAN, Beethoven!! .. actually sat there writing on this piece of paper one day, and I go spinning back two hundred odd years and feel connected to the reality of him in a way like no other.  Or Newton's diary in Trinity College, Cambridge is another incredible wormhole for me. Inanimate objects can really burst with life. : )

[Elgarian Redux]

Lovely account, ER, thanks!

Fwiw, the last paragraph I can fully empathise with, particularly the bolded. That sense of time travel one can get with historical things can be thrilling.
Completely different example, but seeing a Beethoven manuscript in the British Library for instance hushes me into an awed silence. I am aware that Beethoven .. I MEAN, Beethoven!! .. actually sat there writing on this piece of paper one day, and I go spinning back two hundred odd years and feel connected to the reality of him in a way like no other.  Or Newton's diary in Trinity College, Cambridge is another incredible wormhole for me. Inanimate objects can really burst with life. : )

We've definitely both got the same whatever-it-is here! Yes and yes and yes. Time moves on and these objects remain, to join the present with the past. My entire fascination with archaeology was based on this single idea.

I have an ancient Greek coin, minted in Syracuse (and very beautiful, showing a head of Persephone). It was current during the time when Archimedes was alive. The population of Syracuse in those times (280 BC - 210 BC) was about 150,000. Coins get passed from person to person incessantly of course, and he was active for several decades, and so it's not entirely daft to imagine that this coin of mine could have actually passed through the hands of Archimedes.

Bogglement, eh?

*Thanks to Archimedes, we understand why ducks can float on water. Thread duty.*