Turkeys

The snow returned to Ilkeston today but there was only a relatively light covering although the vertical snow topped "Turkeys" sign in this butcher's shop in South Street didn't look out of place. Turkeys have become the meat of choice of many people for Christmas Day but this has not always been the case. In medieval times the gentry enjoyed whole carcasses of meat cooked on spits and boar and deer were on the menu. Later the pig became popular but it was James 1 who originally introduced turkey. Peacock and swan also found favour in Royal households but the meat was quite tough.

More recently turkey has come to the fore but I think refrigeration has had a lot to do with this. When I was a boy, our Sunday dinner usually consisted of beef, lamb or pork but at Christmas it was time for a treat and chicken was served. I remember chickens being delivered to the back door just before Christmas Day and I was often entrusted with the job of plucking it before mother removed the guts and prepared the bird for cooking. It didn't take many years before frozen chickens became more readily available and turkeys became accessible for working class people. Nowadays of course frozen turkeys are readily available in our supermarkets but traditional butchers like the one shown in the picture are still proud to supply fresh turkeys.

Robin

Several species of our feathered friends have associations with Christmas, the robin being one of the most well known and this is one I saw this afternoon.

I've known for a long time about the legend that tells of how the robin acquired its red breast after fanning the flames of the fire in the stable to keep Joseph, Mary and Jesus warm but I recently found out another tale about the robin. In Victorian times when the Royal Mail was founded, the postmen's uniforms were red as were the pillar boxes, bicycles and hand carts to make them easily identifiable. The postmen became very self conscious, were often the target of robbers and were nicknamed "Robins". They soon changed there uniforms to navy with red piping a colour scheme still in use today. So when you are posting your Christmas cards this year, remember the link to the Victorian Robins.

More Berries

Whilst out dodging the showers today, I photographed these berries on a Rowan tree that, like those on our holly tree will be providing more food for the birds.

These appear to be a slightly deeper shade of red than those of the holly and can also be used for human consumption when made into a jelly to be served with meat or brewed into wine or made into a liqueur. They can also be used to make a gargle for sore throats but I still think the birds will get first option on these on the tree at the back of the Town Hall.

On The Turn

After yesterday's picture of a bird looking for food, I noticed the berries on our holly tree were beginning to turn red today.

They are still not as red as they will be but will surely be a good supply of nutrient for the birds over the winter months. Whether there will be sufficient only time will tell but there will be plenty of food for them on the bird table as well.

Distinctive

Haven't been too far today so photo opportunities were limited but I did spot a couple of pigeons scavenging among the fallen leaves when we came out of church this morning and one of them had quite a distinctive plumage.

Bookends

I thought it was a little early for the Canada Geese to be roosting for the night so perhaps they were just enjoying a late afternoon nap and dreaming of running in a three-legged race. Looks as though they'd need another one to do that though.

Midsummer Happening

The Rotary Club's Annual Midsummer Happening was held in Victoria Park this afternoon and alongside the usual charity stalls and entertainment around the bandstand, there was also a display of classic vehicles, a traditional ice-cream salesman doing a good trade in the fine but showery weather, bouncy castles and a tent with a number of rescued parrots that was attracting a lot of attention. And a jolly good time was had by all.

It Just Goes On & On

I thought I had finished with the gold theme but my wife spotted two small birds feeding in the garden that we think are greenfinches. So I took my camera to the bottom of the garden and sat quietly to wait for them returning. They didn't! But just as I was about to give up another bird settled nearby and to my surprise this one was a goldfinch. Am I blessed or what?

Birds Of A Feather

There seems to be a bit of a theme developing here concerning water fowl. Yesterday we saw ducks in the middle of town and today there were a number of different species as we walked along the canal on the edge of town.

We have a shed at the bottom of our garden; some people claim to have fairies but if your property backs onto the canal, well there's no knowing who or what's going to turn up.

Ey up mi duck! Arta lost?

Excuse me slipping into the local dialect but it was something of a surprise to see these two water birds waddling down the path between the town centre and 'Illy 'Oleys today. They did seem to be out of place but must have been attracted to the "pond" that has formed in a depression where water collects just off the path.

The term "Ey up mi duck" of course is a local greeting and term of endearment in this part of the country and was made famous by several books of the same title by Richard Scollins and John Titford. The term "duck" has its origins in the Saxon ‘ducas’ a term of respect similar to the Middle English "‘duc" or "‘duk" denoting a leader which also gave rise to "Duke". It is not unknown for people who are not from the area being offended by the term but perhaps if they knew of its origin, they would not be so sensitive.

Peacock

I suppose subconsciously we've been looking for signs of spring for a number of weeks but now the daffodils are flowering, blossom is forming on the trees and the sight of a peacock butterfly basking in the warm sunshine today is proof positive of the season.

The name for this species of butterfly, owes its origin to bird of the same name and is because of the similarity between the eye patterns on the wings and those on the tail feathers of the bird.

Young Men & Blackbirds

It was Alfred, Lord Tennyson that wrote of a young man's fancy lightly turning to thoughts of love in the spring in his poem titled "Locksley Hall" but it's not only the young men as it's also the time when the birds build their nests ready for their new brood. I saw this blackbird today as it foraged at the side of a path presumably looking for nest building material.

Now I know that male blackbirds are in fact black while females are coloured brown but this particular bird was mainly black but had a brown tinge on its wings. Further investigation on the RSPB site (link)suggests that it is not as clear cut as I first thought so I'll leave you to make your mind up.

Mistaken Identity? Yes & No

For the second day running we awoke to a frosty morning with clear skies and a brilliant yellow object shining down on us. Just the day for a brisk walk I thought so wrapped up warm I set off to enjoy the moment. The scarf and gloves didn't last long and I was soon unfastening my coat too. You could almost believe it was spring. As I was walking I saw from a distance at the top of a tree a whitish object with what looked like orange legs. "Could it be a heron?" I thought. Even looking at the object through the camera at maximum zoom I still couldn't be sure. When I did get close enough the object turned out to be two white balloons with orange strings but I wasn't disappointed for long as I turned a corner there in a field stood a statue-like figure and sure enough it was a heron.


I couldn't get close to it so once again resorted to employing the full zoom on the camera for the above picture. I think it was camera shy for as soon as I had taken this image it took off and flew away in the opposite direction.

War Con - Walk On

I went for a pneumonia injection this afternoon in my left arm but also had a 'flu jab in the right arm. The nurse said that my arms may ache for a couple of days and after returning home, the left arm was starting to ache a little. I took myself off for a walk and was by the Erewash Canal in less than five minutes where I watched the swans, ducks and coots for a while and all thoughts of aching limbs were soon forgotten.


I had been listening to "The Essential Barbra Steisand" in the car and the last track was "You'll Never Walk Alone" - you know the one "Walk on, walk on, with hope in your heart". There are several tracks on the double CD where her diction is far from perfect (who am I to talk?) and her rendition of this classic leaves a lot to be desired. She sings "War con, war con" and puts an aitch in the middle of words where there shouldn't be one. It's really irritating but when I saw this duck trying to "walk on" thin ice on the canal I was trying to come up with something witty to say to link the two - but failed miserably!

Although I like some of Streisand's singing and I've also enjoyed her films in the past, I still find it rather puzzling how she has become the musical legend she is now regarded as. I'll probably be bombarded now by emails from Streisand fans but I've got my defence all ready - for breath control and diction you only have to listen to Frank Sinatra. When I next listen to this CD, I think there will be several tracks that I won't "walk on" by but more likely skip over.

Stand Out

Here's a couple of tips from nature about how to stand out in a crowd.


Pictured on the Diver Derwent in Derby this afternoon, a white goose stands out from its country cousins from Canada, not only by sporting a different coloured coat but also by turning against the flow. Now why do I feel an affinity with that goose? Maybe it's because I've always rebelled against following the masses and tended to go my own sweet way.

Feed The Birds

Because of the continuing bad weather, people are being asked to keep an eye on their neighbours especially if they are elderly. It's also a good idea to feed the birds who are also finding hard to find food during this cold spell.


Our bird feeders are being well used and I wouldn't swear to it but is that a thrush in a neighbour' s tree?