One location in England that is iconic is the local pub. Pub signs would be an object that is iconic. Most pubs in England have a sign that incorporates an image with the name. Although the green man image appears on some grotesques on churches and other places in the US, it is more of a thing in England.
The Green Man Pub Sign
The green man idea is ancient with pagan roots, but the image appears on churches in England. Pagan symbols were brought into the early Christian Church. They say the green man appears on churches to symbolise rebirth and resurrection.
As with this image on the pub sign, green men are often depicted with leaves around their face and sometimes acorns. Have a great week!
Some birds that are native to North America, I have not seen in North America. One such bird is the Bufflehead. I saw this bird for the first time in London, England.
Bufflehead – female
There are sightings in England and Europe for these on All About Birds. I was kind of thrown off in identifying this diving duck. I am far from an expert and the colouring listed online for a bufflehead female appears to be brown, but in these images the duck appears to be black. I will have to look through my pictures more, but I do not think I captured a male. This female was on a pond on a cloudy day. The pond was mostly well shaded by trees hanging over it creating an even darker situation.
Bufflehead – female
In multiple images not taken in consecutive order it appeared maybe a hook was in its beak. I could be wrong, but to be on the safe side I contacted the entity responsible for the pond and they were going to check it out.
Again, I would like to emphasis that sometimes what many think is not the best lighting can still create nice lighting for your images. Don’t discount the cloudy days.
Sometimes things just catch your eye. This pub barrel caught my attention the first day I was in England. The pub had 2 or 3 barrels outside the building, and this was one of them. I am not sure if they served as additional overflow tables or if they were just there for decor.
Pub Barrel- The Goat
I love the flags and lettering painted on the barrel. Some say only Americans have their flags displayed everywhere. I beg to differ. There are a variety of items on which the British place their flags. Pubs are one place you may see a British flag in some form.
I just came back from a little less than 2 weeks in England. I took lots of photos. It was my first visit since before Covid. I took it slow so I did not travel far and wide daily. I believe this bird is a northern shoveler. If I am wrong, let me know.
Northern Shoveler
I saw this bird close to the Thames River in London. I saw a lot of water birds in London through visits to the Royal Parks etc. This bird was in a pond near the Thames River on a cloudy day, and it was a forested area around the pond, so it was dark. This photo has been lightened.
The northern shoveler is a dabbling duck. Dabbling ducks feed on aquatic plants and small invertebrates on or near the surface or the water.
Coffee is a popular morning drink in many places throughout the world. Where did it originate? Who discovered it?There may be different stories about the origin, but this is one I found.Some people I know at work who are from Yemen say this is the story they know.
The History of Coffee. Ethiopia and Yemen
Some say the first coffee was brewed in Yemen. There is a story of a Yemeni man traveling in Ethiopia who discovered coffee. The story says he came across some birds eating a plant. The birds were energetic. He decided to try the beans from the plant himself as he was exhausted from traveling. He discovered the beans gave him energy as well. The coffee beans were taken from Ethiopia to Yemen and later Yemeni traders brought the coffee plants to Yemen to grow them there.
Coffee became very popular in Yemen where people drank it in qubveh khaneh or coffee houses. Coffee houses were place where people listened to music and played board games like chess. When coffee drinking spread to other Arabic countries people would discuss political ideas and news at coffee houses.
The History of Coffee. From Yemen to Turkey and Beyond
Originally coffee was called qahwar in Arabic, which means wine of the beans, Yemenis introduced coffee to other Arabic or Middle Eastern countries. When coffee made its way to Turkey it was called kahve in Turkish and later it was called koffie in Dutch when it was introduced in Europe.
In the top picture is an Arabic coffee set. I learned from co-workers how to make it the traditional way: cooking it in a pot over a burner while stirring it. The coffee seems to be ground finer than other coffees, but I am not a coffee drinker.
People still drink it today for the same reasons the first person saw value in the plant: it gives you energy. This no doubt is from the caffeine. Coffee seems to be important the world over as a morning drink. What’s your favourite kind or way of making it?
If a barred acts like it is sleeping, sometimes the birds leave it alone. Sometimes if I stand there and watch it for a while they leave it alone.
Barred Owl in a Bush
I guess the birds figure the owl will not try to hunt them while I am there. I have yet to see an owl catch a bird. I usually see them get chipmunks etc. Either the owl is either catching a very short nap or is pretending to sleep. I don’t know if you would call this a cat nap. Would you?
I have heard crows complaining on hikes. Sometimes it is good to check it out as it might be a bird of prey that are fussing about. Surprise! A great horned juvenile was there.
Surprise! A Great Horned Juvenile
I knew it was a great horned, but a friend messaged me it was a juvenile after I took a picture with my phone of the back of my camera. It is still fuzzy on the head and the ears are not quite like an adult’s ears yet.
Surprise! A Great Horned Juvenile – mobbed by crows
It was unexpected for a few reasons, but I was happy to spot it. It was dark in this part of the woods and it was before sunset, so I could not increase the shutter speed, hence the crows are blurred a bit. This is the first time I have seen a juvenile great horned owl after it fledged. Expect the unexpected.
Some birds I am convinced are ADHD. The tree swallow is constantly on the move, and I find it hard to capture it in photos. It very much seems ADHD.
Tree Swallow on a Birdhouse. – Singing
I was hoping it would land on the birdhouse. Lucky for me, it was reading my mind. It was only there for a short time, but I was able to take a few shots.
Tree Swallow on a Birdhouse – Giving me a look
It stared me down for a bit before it flew off. Do any other birds or animals seem ADHD to you? Have a great rest of your week.
I went to check on the Osprey family this weekend. Parents were flying in and out of the nest, which is a good sign the baby or babies hatched.
Busy Osprey Family
I was hoping to see a parent bring in a fish, but not this time.
Busy Osprey Family – Baby head pops up
I only got a few pictures that included a baby osprey. This is one of them. I do not know if this is the only one.
Busy Osprey Family – Feeding the young fish
I do not think the parent was feeding herself here. They seemed to be handing off low to a baby in the nest.
Busy Osprey Family – Reinforcing the nest
I did not witness a fish being brought in, but saw one of the parents bring in a stick, Considering there is visible in this picture a big hole in this nest, it is probably a good idea. Were you busy this weekend? I hope you had time to relax.
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