[noelcmn]

Hammerkop- a bird associated with all kinds of dooms and dreads in many local cultures.

[WPRESTO]

Whooper swan. Saw these all around Iceland, but usually only a small number at any one location.
You should see the list of myths/superstitions concerning ravens among Icelanders. At one spot we came across numerous poles set up like scaffolding, apparently for elevating driftwood to dry*. There were four or five dead ravens hanging from their feet.

*The main source of wood/lumber in Iceland is driftwood which takes 4~5 years to come around the Arctic from Siberia.

[WPRESTO]

This is out of thread, but here is the curious scaffolding that I think is being used to dry driftwood, with two of the dead ravens strung up by one hind leg. I do not know the mythic purpose.

[noelcmn]

Very interesting WPRESTO, both the swan and the scaffolding with those dead ravens. Seems birds do suffer from these irrational myths and superstitions. Found it in Nepal when I was there a couple of years ago, and something I have mentioned before, the Barn owls released in some suburbs of Johannesburg specifically to combat the rat infestation. Poor owls are caught and killed because of some superstition. Now Indian Mynas- well is a a different matter altogether .

The pains of parenthood.

[whk1992]

I suppose this count as a wildlife photo.

[WPRESTO]

Another puffin.
The Ivory Billed Woodpecker was the largest bird of that type in NA. Always uncommon, as they need a very large territory because of fussy foraging (take bugs only from certain dead trees that have rotted just enough). However, the last significant population was in Cuba, where they were shot on sight and hung front the front door of a home for good luck. The signature below strikes again.

[whk1992]

Another puffin.
The Ivory Billed Woodpecker was the largest bird of that type in NA. Always uncommon, as they need a very large territory because of fussy foraging (take bugs only from certain dead trees that have rotted just enough). However, the last significant population was in Cuba, where they were shot on sight and hung front the front door of a home for good luck. The signature below strikes again.

I'm curious about where you took the photo. I've never seen those birds before.

[WPRESTO]

I'm curious about where you took the photo. I've never seen those birds before.

The Atlantic puffins were in Iceland. In the USA, along the east coast the same puffins nest on Machias Seal Island off the coast of Maine. So many photographers go there to photograph them that there are strategically positioned blinds, but you're only allotted so much time in each blind (I think it's 30 minutes). Tufted Puffins and other species whose names I forget can be seen in Alaska.

[noelcmn]

The Ivory Billed Woodpecker was the largest bird of that type in NA. Always uncommon, as they need a very large territory because of fussy foraging (take bugs only from certain dead trees that have rotted just enough). However, the last significant population was in Cuba, where they were shot on sight and hung front the front door of a home for good luck. The signature below strikes again.

A bit sad really. But we keep hope alive!

Pied Starling-Rietvlei Nature Reserve, which was in the news of late. One of their Rhino's died from old age, she was 27 years old.

[tmlawes]

Lion of the sea

---------- Post added 07-23-15 at 10:04 AM ----------

This is out of thread, but here is the curious scaffolding that I think is being used to dry driftwood, with two of the dead ravens strung up by one hind leg. I do not know the mythic purpose.

Hanging the ravens may not be for mythic purposes at all. They might just be hanging there to dissuade other ravens from roosting on the logs. Hanging "effigies" isn't an uncommon approach to discourage intelligent birds from using an area.

[noelcmn]

True, Tmlawes, though the question remains as to why so many?

[tmlawes]

neolcmm, maybe the were going for the "two heads are better than one" approach.

[noelcmn]

Should we build a nest dear?

[WPRESTO]

That's a cousin posted above

[WPRESTO]

Hanging the ravens may not be for mythic purposes at all. They might just be hanging there to dissuade other ravens from roosting on the logs. Hanging "effigies" isn't an uncommon approach to discourage intelligent birds from using an area.

That thought occurred to me as well, although I cannot see what harm ravens would do to the poles other than dirty them with a bit of poo. I also was curious about the fate of the poles themselves. They've obviously been cut and are the smaller ends of much larger logs. Too small by far to be cut into lumber, but about the diameter of fence posts. However, it seems superfluous to take such trouble with poles to be used merely for fence posts. Perhaps being dried for firewood? Couldn't quite settle on the intended ultimate use for the poles. BTW There was a sign posted with some sort of registration number probably indicating legal ownership of the scaffolding and poles.