"Oh No he Isn't - Oh Yes he Is"

"Watch out.....he's behind you"

"Oh no he isn't"

"Oh yes he is"

‘Singing Chickens’

‘Singing Chickens’ are very hard to find these days. I’ve come across ‘Singing Nuns’ and even ‘Singing Hinnies’ ......but chickens?.......

Until I remembered Strasbourg.

Now, in Strasbourg Museum they have the oldest ‘singing chicken’ in the world.

It is all that is left of the very first clock built for Strasbourg Cathedral in 1350.

All that is known of this clock, is that it was very large....over 38 feet high !

Two further replacement clocks have been built for the cathedral, but there are no remaining parts of this first clock ....except the ‘chicken‘.

It was actually referred to as “The Great Cock” and it sat on top of the clock and ‘sang’ every day at 12 noon.

At that time, it would open its beak, put out its tongue and flap its wings.

One of the engineering miracles of the bird, apart from the gearing and bellows, was that each separate primary feather on its wings, splayed out when the mechanism was working.  You can see the details in the bottom right of the above drawing.

There is no record of what it sang or indeed even sounded like.

After-thought One:      Singing Hinnies.

A Bakestone Cake using flour, butter, lard, currants, milk & sour cream.

‘The Singing Hinnie’ was so called as, when the butter and the cream melted during the baking it sizzled on the hot girdle and was thought to be singing.

After-thought Two:      The ‘Singing Nun’.

Belgium-born Jeannine Deckers shot to fame in 1963 when she released a song in order to raise money for her convent.

The song was entitled 'Dominique' after the 13th-century saint who founded her order. The track sold millions of copies worldwide and to this day she remains the only Belgian to have had a United States hit at number one. 

She never repeated her success and her life ended sadly with suicide, following her depression, poverty and addiction to alcohol and painkillers.

"Snowball"

 

I have just watched an amazing clip on YouTube of a dancing cockatoo.

I know there are many thousands of pets doing a 'turn' on YT but this one is really fantastic. He dances exactly in time with the music.

Snowball, the dancing cockatoo was yesterday hailed by scientists as proof that humans aren't the only creatures with a sense of rhythm.

His dancing antics have made him an internet star as the video clip has been viewed nearly two and a half million times.

A scientist, Dr Schachner said "For a long time, people have thought that the ability to move to a beat was unique to humans". 

"After all, there is no convincing evidence that our closest relatives, chimpanzees and other apes, can keep a beat, and there is similarly no evidence that our pet dogs and cats can line up their actions with a musical beat."

I'm sure he will have to change his mind after viewing this.

It has been known for centuries that horses are partial to military music. They have a natural sense of rhythm. In fact, I am informed that they have at least two named rhythms: the trot and gallop. Other animals can run, walk or trot, but don't seem to care about the music.

Perhaps it is the need to coordinate rhythmic motion with other animals moving at difference paces in close formation that makes birds, humans and horses more musically inclined.

I have not linked to our friend Snowball as he dances for about four minutes, but you should be able to watch him here 

   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7IZmRnAo6s

 

"If I were a Blackbird"

                               "I knows where there's a Blackbird nest,
                                                 I know where she be:

      She be in yon Wurzel bush

         And I be after she."

   

With my camera of course.

A Blackbird has built a nest right alongside my bay-window, in a climbing rose. I thought if I could secretly get my camera up to the glass without being seen, I could get a close-up of the young.

So I drew the curtains and left a small gap for the camera lens. I put a safety-pin above and below to keep the curtains together. The camera was on a tripod so all I had to do was wait.

I had several goes but the following was the best of the bunch. I didn't use flash in case I scared her off, so I'm afraid it is a bit dim, but it was taken through double-glazing after all.

The male Blackbird was in the meantime round the back by the conservatory.

Now, Wesley is a great believer in eating 'alfresco', so I put his plate out on the patio.

Well, as he always likes to 'leave a bit for manners', this is a nice picking for a hungry father Blackbird. 

He would sit on the shed roof waiting for Wesley to finish and wander off.

Then when Wes had made himself 'comfy', only about four feet away, he would hop down and help himself.

I tried on several occasions to get a picture of them both together without disturbing either!!

This is not marvellous but it was the best I could get.  Wesley, by the way, is now thirteen and is more interested in food on a plate than having to chase it!!  

"Red Kites in the Sunset"

When I was a lad the song used to go "Feed the Birds, Tuppence a Bag". Now in most town centres is more a case of....feed the birds....£50 fine!

However, following on from yesterdays post, I thought I would show you a very large visitor to my garden.

Some years ago they re-introduced Red Kites into the Chiltern countryside. Not content to stay in the countryside, some of these magnificent birds moved to more urban ares. My neighbour used to put out chicken pieces for a couple of feral cats.....a perfect snack for a Red Kite. He told me he had tried to photograph them but they were too quick for his camera.

I like a challenge....out went some chicken....out went my cats!

Later that afternoon.....out went a bit more chicken......down came the Kite.....click...click.

It was difficult, they come in very quick: I had a fast shutter speed but focusing was the hard part.

I have since read that they should be fed raw meat and not cooked leftovers.

Well with the price of chicken today I'm afraid the cats and the kites are going to miss out anyway!