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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Christmas ROBIN X Factor (1 Viewer)

Lovely diversity of images appearing folks - from Arthur's watercolour so full of presence, Paschalis's stunning rendering of such a familiar songster and Andrew's capture that leaves you hoping the car won't move!

Christmas? Artists do it better! ;)

(Enji - A Bulfinch as the 'equivalent' of an American Cardinal or Eurasian Robin in terms of 'Christmas' would be very welcome - I rather like the engraving on this candle latern http://www.glasgravoren.se/shop/us/foretag/julgavor/lldmles.htm you may like this one http://www.birchamgallery.co.uk/catalogue/artist/Robert:Greenhalf/RGNIS004/?category=prints reminds me of Morris
 
Wonderful painting Paschalis. Though my name might indicate Polish forebears they're actually Lithuanian. Sad to say I've never been able to visit either. So it's nice to see this little bit of Lithuanian nature. Does anyone know where the name 'bullfinch' came from by the way? They look somewhat bullish so I assume that was the reason.
 
solitaryVSong said:
Does anyone know where the name 'bullfinch' came from by the way? They look somewhat bullish so I assume that was the reason.
Click to expand...

The taxonomic name pyrrhula pyrrhula may derive from the greek/latin words for fire ([Latin pyra, from Greek purā, from pūr, fire.] and may in part refer to it's color, but that's guesswork on my part.

In one of my bird reference books All the Birds of the Air by Franscesca Greenoak 1979 (a fascinating book!) there are some more interesting variations for 'Bullfinch':

Oldest written reference to a E. Bullfinch is in Chaucer's, the Romaunt of the Rose where it's referred to by it's original Norman name, 'Alpe' meaning 'the finch'. In more modern usage, derived from 'Alpe' it's called an Olf, Hoop, Nope, Mwop, Mawp and Pope along with many other still in use colloquial names!

'Bull' does refer to it's stocky shape and large head eg. Bull Dog, Bull head
 
Just not in the spirit of things at all ... (although that's maybe how it got it's 'red breast'?)

On behalf of all the sensitive robin strokers out there ...

Yours disgustedly ...






( ;) )
 
Well apart from the humbug sentiments ;) , it's an excellent sketch BBB (hope it's your own work or we can't allow it!)

Reckon a card design like that would sell like hot cakes - with the ho ho caption inside - reckon you should put the holly round it and enter it into the BF Christmas Card competition Ian's running B :)

And, it's a comforting thought to know at least some species will be getting a bit of food in this non-bird friendly weather!
 
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Another alternative robin for you.....formed from snow n ice water pix i took the other day on a local stream...

ps...well....it looks like a robin to me...;)


:smoke:

All the best...!
 

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Well, user, it's more realistic-looking than the robins I paint, generally! ;)

And Adam, I immediately thought of some of Gary Larson's 'The Far Side' comics (don't know if these were ever big in the UK, but they were legendary on this side of the pond) when I saw your, uhh, cheery holiday robin scene. I'm thinking of using your design to send out to our local Audubon chapter members...

;)

Along the line of predators and prey items, perhaps folks here would be interested in the video I shot of the almost-Christmas Northern Pygmy-Owl visitor to our yard that was thirty feet away from my kitchen window when I came home yesterday afternoon. It had caught a bird and was engaged in plucking it - fortunately I had a video camera nearby. The link is - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v82r8WENTLQ.
 
JTMB said:
Well, user, it's more realistic-looking than the robins I paint, generally! ;)

And Adam, I immediately thought of some of Gary Larson's 'The Far Side' comics (don't know if these were ever big in the UK, but they were legendary on this side of the pond) when I saw your, uhh, cheery holiday robin scene. I'm thinking of using your design to send out to our local Audubon chapter members...

;)

Along the line of predators and prey items, perhaps folks here would be interested in the video I shot of the almost-Christmas Northern Pygmy-Owl visitor to our yard that was thirty feet away from my kitchen window when I came home yesterday afternoon. It had caught a bird and was engaged in plucking it - fortunately I had a video camera nearby. The link is - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v82r8WENTLQ.
Click to expand...

Gary Larson was..[is]...very 'big' on this side of the pond...[personally i'm a huge fan and have most of his cartoon books]...!

ps....excellent vid of the pygmy owl...[were you standing in the kitchen sink with the taps dripping when you took that]...?;)

All the best....:t:
 
Yes, it occurred to me that an explanation of the water sounds might be in order. Outside the open kitchen nook window from which I shot the video (only a couple feet from the camera in this case) is a bird bath to which I have a steady drip of water - even in the winter, the birds love to use this. Just past the bird bath is a short (about 15 feet long) recirculating stream with a shallow 'pond' - the stream also draws in a lot of birds, including warblers in migration. So between those two, the soothing (or annoying!) sounds of water added to the highly professional ambience of the video (along with the instability of the videocam operator).

That and the fact that I was in the shower while I shot the video...

;)
 
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