Birds of the Antique Centre

Henchard

One of Ann Wood's magnificent owls - more views of this one on her blog. I did not recognize the Hardy quote she used to describe this character - too long since I have read The Mayor of Casterbridge.

Birdwatching

This image is from the wonderful Three Little Cameras blog. I think the cat looks like a hipster, what with the little soul patch. Asja's work always seems to have something growing where you would not expect it. Her photo diary series is also remarkable.

Parisa's Book

This is one of the pages of "Talented Chicken", by the enormously gifted Parisa Mahmoudi.  The story is about an insistent mother hen, who is determined to push her chick to sing, to fly, to swim - while ignoring the fact that it is only a chicken. Click on her name to see more pages.

Robin on a hollow log

Here is a charming robin by Susan Faye, who works in water color. You can see more of her work on Susan Faye's Picture Show.

The Toucan

These two lovely birds are by illustrator Matt Dawson, who has quite an extensive bestiary on his blog . Matt's work is wonderfully lively and quirky. 

The Rolinha

This is a rolinha, or long-tailed ground dove, currently under the watchful eye of Caio Fernandes in Brazil. His observations and comment about his small neighbor on  the Mein Welt blog, a place both strange and familiar. 

Colorful Research

This exquisite bird, like a blue jay combined with a phoenix, is from the Colorful Research blog. I love that it looks like a bird you might make with your hands to cast a shadow on a wall, although of course wings and hands are the same thing. Eva is very bold about trying new things - she consistently breaks her previous boundaries. Perhaps like this bird breaking across the rectangles?

   Edit: There is a wonderful philosopher bird here.

Think (too much?) Bird

Exit

Exit, pursued by a bear...

From The Winter's Tale,  gleefully pounced on in following centuries to prove that everything Shakespeare wrote did not plumb the depths of the human spirit...it was, however, only a stage direction and not actual language used in the play.

I suppose I must be counting  the dinosaur in the lead as a bird of sorts.

Nelly Alvarez Aranda

This is some of the enchanting work of Nelly Alvarez Aranda. Here work combines materials and techniques, and much of it is on the theme of the interaction of humans and the natural world. If you would like to see more of her surprising and delightful work, her blog is dibujos en el agua 

Mother Lisa

The image at left is one of many 

on the megamonalisa site , 

link and image

very kindly provided 

by mum at coucou c'est moi.

The Lapwing

This lapwing doth run away with the shell on his head.

said by Horatio of the character Osric, who is sent to propose the fatal duel with Laertes. 

It's the strangest place to insert comic relief, right before it all falls down. The phrase refers to the fact that lapwings were said to be so eager to to hatch that the leaped out of the nest with the shell still adhering, therefore Osric, with his considerable posturing, is thought to be wet behind the ears.

The lapwing is so called for its trick of leading predators from its nest by dragging one wing along the ground as if it were injured. This blog is being given over to the birds for next while - please let me know if you are posting any birds, or if you see any, and I will link to them.

In the mean time, here are some birds observed recently:

a fiercely contemplative bird, on Random Shots

A gentler contemplation on A Room of One's Own

Hamlet, Act 5, Scene 2

Good night sweet prince,

And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.

           - Horatio

Hamlet, Act 5, Scene 2

Set me the stoops of wine upon that table.

If Hamlet give the first or second hit,

Or quit in answer of the third exchange,

Let all the battlements their ordnance fire.

          - Claudius

I think this will end in tears.