Four and Twenty Blackbirds - Friday Feature

Sing a song of sixpence,
A pocket full of rye.
Four and twenty blackbirds,
Baked in a pie.

The old English nursery rhyme, Sing a Song of Sixpence, is the inspiration for today's Friday Feature. I have a fondness for crows and ravens. They are so intelligent that studies have shown that they have modest linguistic capabilities and even use tools. I see ravens fly overhead on my walks on a daily basis. They always seem curious and fly close by to utter a guttural greeting. I was amazed at how many charming "raven" items I could find on Etsy. It was hard to choose these few. Stop by their shops to see all of their wonderful work. You provide the pie.

A Sacred Sort of Protection
by Altered Abbey
click here for more information on this print

Garden Gate Locket, Black, Raven, Olive/Green
by M Stevenson Designs
click here for more information on this locket

RAVEN SONG
by Barbara Carter
click here for more information on this photo

Just Us Two
by Sherri Conley
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Poe's Raven Clutch in Silk Handmade
by Clutch That
click here for more information on this clutch purse

GothiCrow Haunting Cemetary Ceramic Coaster Set
by House of Six Cats
click here for more information on this coaster set

Click here to see more "Four and Twenty Blackbirds" items on Etsy

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Sunday Morning Gallery - Birds of a Feather

Although I have no interest in owning a caged bird, I have always enjoyed watching wild birds. Nothing is quite as fun as seeing a new species at the bird feeder and rushing to get my Audubon field guide to identify and learn about a new neighbor in the forest. Although these photos are not of any rare bird species, I enjoyed photographing them and think they are all quite beautiful birds even if they are considered "common."

Barn Swallow

The Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) is the most widespread species of swallow in the world. It is a bird of open country which normally uses man-made structures to breed and consequently has spread with human expansion. It builds a cup nest from mud pellets in barns or similar structures and feeds on insects caught in flight.

Red Tailed Hawk

The Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) is one of the most common and one of the largest members of the genus Buteo in North America, typically weighing from 690 to 1600 grams (1.5 to 3.5 pounds) and measuring 45–65 cm (18 to 26 in) in length, with a wingspan from 110 to 145 cm (43 to 57 in). Because they are so common and easily trained, the majority of hawks captured for falconry in the United States are Red-tails. The Red-tailed Hawk also has significance in Native American culture and is sometimes called Red Eagle. Its feathers are considered sacred by some tribes, and are used in religious ceremonies.

Red Winged Blackbird

The Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) ranges from southern Alaska to the Yucatan peninsula in the south, and from the western coast of California and Canada to the east coast of the continent. The male is all black with a red shoulder and yellow wing bar, while the female is a nondescript dark brown. When migrating, the Red-winged Blackbird travels in single-sex flocks. The males usually arrive a few days before the females; once they have reached the location where they plan to breed, the males stake out territories by singing. They defend their territory aggressively, both against other male Red-winged Blackbirds and against creatures they perceive as threatening, including crows, ospreys, hawks, and even humans.

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