"This is the violet hour, the hour of hush and wonder, when the affectations glow and valor is reborn, when the shadows deepen along the edge of the forest and we believe that, if we watch carefully, at any moment we may see the unicorn."


Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Animal Wednesday - The Executioner


I have always been a lover of birds and began watching them as a child. I was fortunate enough, through I lived in a large city, to be close enough to parks and to live in neighbourhoods with many trees, to learn about many species of these beautiful, feathery "fly-boys" (and "fly-girls"). My parents had a home where I could feed birds - so this enabled my chance to see them quite close, to hear and differentiate their calls, their movements and their migration patterns.

One of my favourites is the "Oregon Junco". (Or so I learned when I was 12 or so..)
Before then, I "named" them "Executioners" because of their "black hoods". They resembled the hoods worn by the men who executed some of my favourite people - Mary Stuart, Anne Boleyn, Sir Thomas Moore - to name a few. To me, they are and always will be the "Executioners".

HAW!

Love,

♥ Robin ♥

11 comments:

  1. robin, you have to check out anonymous bird's blog

    you will linger there for hours

    I am just learning mybirds. Now I know who the executioner is. I don't think they are east coasters, but I could be quite wrong.

    Later aligator

    tsup!
    Love kj

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  2. We don't have those birds in Taos, but we do have some lovely birds and we have lots of Ravens! Lovely shot.
    xoxo

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  3. so cute that you made up your own name - haw to you city girl

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  4. Interesting to learn about your city birdwatching! I agree w/Mim about making up yr own name. Probably he has executed a few worms and a bug or two.

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  5. KJ, I will check out that blog. So glad you are learning about birds - you have some extraordinarily beautiful ones in your area.
    (No, the little "Executioners" are West Coast birdees....although they have been known to migrate as far North as Alaska!

    Love you, KJB!

    ♥ Robin ♥

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  6. Anne, you do have lovely birds in NM... besides our beloved Ravens, I am especially fond of the Magpies and.....who could forget the Bald Eagle we sighted that day we hiked down into the Gorge?

    Love,

    ♥ Robin ♥

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  7. HAW Back, Mim! Yes, we "City-fied Girls" aren't totally all about shoes and handbags!
    (Just part of the time!)

    Love,

    ♥ Robin ♥

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  8. Suki, you made me laugh out loud! (And God knows that feels good these days!) Yes, I fear my little darling Executioners have "dispatched" many an insect and worm....
    "Off with their heads"! (And other parts too....)

    Love,

    ♥ Robin ♥

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  9. Also known as the "hooded junco."
    Jeez I miss those cute little guys!

    I love the process of how you came up with calling them that. I think they're much too sweet,er tweet, to be called that though ;)

    Like you Robin, tweet, very tweet :) ♥

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  10. Lo, you are the "Tweet" -oops, "Sweet One"!
    I know you do miss the "hooded ones"....they are pretty cute.

    Love you!!!

    ♥ Robin ♥

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  11. hey... yes! your are right!
    these birds really look like those executioners... and what a thoughtprovoking contrast!
    innocence walking hand in hand with cruelty...
    :)

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