The hoopoe has landed. I looked out of the front window of our house in South West France this morning, and there was a hoopoe stumping about the paddock like an Aztec priest seeking sacrificial victims. Even under the turquoise sky of a Charente spring, there is something inappropriately exotic about the migrant hoopoe – the pink-breasted, fan-crested, zebra-winged costume, the sharply decurved beak - as though it belongs to another place, another and more violent time. Which in a way it does; ancient cultures mythologized the bird endlessly. Ovid’s Metamorphoses is full of gruesome tales, but the most grotesque is King Tereus’ rape of his wife’s sister, Philomena, and the cutting out of her tongue.
I had no idea about the arsenal of deterrents that Hoopoes use - that was fascinating.
The aesthetic of the bird reminds me of a court jester, they are stunning birds to look at. In South Africa recently, I saw some African Hoopoes which have even richer ochre tones.
I am hoping that they eventually colonise the UK in a similar fashion to the plethora of herons and egret species that are starting to establish breeding strongholds.
Really enjoying your Substack and can't wait for your English natural history I saw you post about today.
Well, the hoopoe may be a winner in climate change and get its long beak and claws into UK. Every cloud, silver lining etc :) Thank you for your kind words. Appreciated.
Indeed, and with the continued colonisation by bee-eaters the UK bird community is starting to become Mediterranean! (a visual reminder for nature lovers of what is happening to our planet).
One other bit of encouragement. My assistant pastor at church has been reading your book on sheep, and he commented to me that the wisdom in your book is helping him pastor his congregation better!
Wonderful, John.
I had no idea about the arsenal of deterrents that Hoopoes use - that was fascinating.
The aesthetic of the bird reminds me of a court jester, they are stunning birds to look at. In South Africa recently, I saw some African Hoopoes which have even richer ochre tones.
I am hoping that they eventually colonise the UK in a similar fashion to the plethora of herons and egret species that are starting to establish breeding strongholds.
Really enjoying your Substack and can't wait for your English natural history I saw you post about today.
Well, the hoopoe may be a winner in climate change and get its long beak and claws into UK. Every cloud, silver lining etc :) Thank you for your kind words. Appreciated.
Indeed, and with the continued colonisation by bee-eaters the UK bird community is starting to become Mediterranean! (a visual reminder for nature lovers of what is happening to our planet).
One other bit of encouragement. My assistant pastor at church has been reading your book on sheep, and he commented to me that the wisdom in your book is helping him pastor his congregation better!
Ah, but did you know that Upupa epops has its own louse which glories in the name Upupicola upupae? Wonderful.
A very 'non-lousy' comment :)