In Greek mythology, Halcyone and Ceyx were lovers who incurred the wrath of the god Zeus by mocking him and his wife. Angered, Zeus killed Ceyx. Morpheus, the god of dreams, told Halcyone of his fate and in her grief she threw herself into the sea. Compassionately, the gods changed them both into common kingfishers, or “halcyon birds”, named after her. The term, “halcyon days”,comes form the same story, Halcyone’s father Aeolus, god of the winds restrained the storms for seven days either side of the winter solace so Halcyone could make her nest and lay her eggs in safety.

available as a card

©Daniel Mackie

Ideas are nothing, execution is everything.

Another way to look at it is to agree to perform, an impossibly difficult task. The mice did not agree who was to bell the cat because it is life threateningly difficult. So perhaps don't only consider the outcome when making plans; the plan itself must be achievable or it is useless.

Available as a Greeting card

This is Mack's Tiger. It was part of a school project based on my work and a theme of animals in the natural habitat.  Mack created this on Procreate on his mums iPad.

Great use of colours and textures, I love the orange in his ear!

Take a look at the tigers in the collection Card and prints

Nine Hoots for Luck- Owl

With the exception of artists, inventors, and teenagers - we humans are diurnal daytime creatures on the whole, and although it’s one thing to be out and about during the night in a street lit urban environment, it’s a very different scenario if you find yourself in, say… oh, I don’t know, a forest per se.  Where, if you’re lucky, you may hear the unmistakable cry or hoot of an Owl: natures very own nocturne, a stark reminder of the unknown peril of night, and a creature that has featured heavily in myth and folklore throughout the ages. 

To hear an owl hoot in Ancient Rome foretold imminent death, and it is alleged that many a Roman Emperor fell shortly after the cry of an owl was heard; according to William Shakespeare the death of Julius Caesar himself was even predicted by the hoot of an owl:

This sinister take on the owl came from the Romans belief that the owl was actually a witch in animal form, and nailing a dead one (owl, not witch) to your front door would protect you from any harm the bird or witch may have caused when alive.      

Thankfully not all historic folklore perceived the owl to be the bringer of ill: they had their uses as well.  

Russian hunters would carry owl talons in their pockets, in the case that they died on the hunt and had to claw their way up to heaven.  The English would consume owl broth to help cure Whooping-cough, and it was also believed that drinking a potion containing the ash of burnt owl eggs would improve ones eyesight.  In India they cut to the chase and ate the actual eyes for the same purpose.  Strange enough they also regarded an owls cry as being an alarm call for things yet to pass, and, like the Romans, one hoot meant imminent death - although six hoots would signal that guests were on their way, and as many as nine hoots were finally considered lucky.  Hard times indeed!  

But what of man's primal fear of the dark - whether it be a forest at night under the watchful eyes of an owl, a damp and cold cellar, or even just the dark corner of a bedroom - do you think this fear is something we will ever overcome?    

To quote William Shakespeare once more:

“There is no darkness but ignorance."      

Available as a card and print

Weighing up to as much as 800 kg - that’s roughly the same as 10 men - a male boar Polar Bear is the largest *hypercarnivorous land mammal on the planet.  In fact the largest specimen ever recorded was an Alaskan bear back in 1960, which weighed in at an astonishing 1,002 kg, and had a length of just over 11ft.  Now that’s a big bear!       

A polar bear paw alone can measure 30cm (1ft) in width, which is twice the size of that of Siberians tiger, and five times the size of our puny mitts - a high five you can’t miss… but watch out for those 9cm claws.  

The size stats of the bear continue to impress all over, all until you get to the tail - and you may ask yourselves if they even have a tail. The answer is yes, of course they do!  It’s totally there, it’s just that it’s 3-5 inches long; although don’t make fun of it: polar bears are very self conscious about their tails - especially after what happened with that trickster of a fox. 

Yes, according to an old Norwegian folk story, it was a fox who was responsible for the bears now stumpy rear rudder.  Before this terrible event, the bear had a spiffing swishing tail to be proud of. 

It all happened the day the bear bumped into the fox and saw that the fox had a bounty of fish with him.  He asked where the fox got all these lovely fish from, and the fox told the bear that he had caught them all using his tail.  All the bear had to do was cut a hole in the ice, and sit there with his tail dangling in the water.  When the fish see it, they’d cling on to it, and all the bear would have to do is lift them out.

The bear followed the fox’s fishing instructions and found himself waiting out there on the ice for a long time.  This was ok though, because the fox said he would have to be patient.  After some considerable time his tail started to sting quite a bit, but according to the fox this meant that the fish were biting and so he quickly jerked his tail out of the water - just like the fox said. 

Alas, this caused the bear's tail to cleanly snap off, for he had been fooled by the trickster fox, and that is why they have such a small tails.   

* Oh, if you were wondering what ‘hypercarnivorous’ means: it describes an animal that lives on a diet consisting of 70% meat - and yes, that most certainly would include foxes!

Polar bear available as card and print.

A fabulous drawing by Edward Brown from East Yorkshire. I love the fact that the whales tail is out of the water about to make big splash! Excellent coloured pencil work, a medium i means to try myself at some point. Nice work Edward!

I Shall Go Into a Hare

For millennia, our view of the natural world was more akin to Tolkien’s ‘Middle Earth’, rather than Attenborough’s ‘Planet Earth’.  We lived in a world where animals were characterised by the mystical connotations we attributed to them.  We believed certain animals could predict the future, were bringers of good fortune, even riches, and others brought ill, fire, floods, and imminent death.           

The European Brown Hare was no exception, being ladened with folklore and superstition, and more often than not was specifically associated with witchcraft. 

In 1662 a Sottish lady by the name of Isobel Gowdie made four confessions to witchcraft over a period of six weeks.  This included the time when she was sent on an errand for the devil in the guise of a hare.  Whilst in this form she was harassed and chased by some dogs.  Isobel managed to trick the hounds by running from house to house until she was able to find the time to utter the magical words that transformed her back to human.

Even though the dogs wouldn’t have been able to kill a “shapeshifter”, their bite marks would have still scarred the human form.       

To turn into a hare Gowdie would chant:

Pitcairn, 1833

Another well known case of witchcraft concerning hares is mentioned in W.B Yeats’ collection of essays, and involves the historic account of the witch trial of Julian Cox, Taunton, Somerset, who, in 1663, was accused of putting a spell on a maid who’s body had since languished.  In order to back up the alleged “witch” status, a local huntsman was asked to give evidence.

Under oath, the man gave an account of how he was out hunting a hare with a pack of dogs near to Julian Cox’s house. When the poor hare looked like it was finally tiring, it ran towards a large bush in an attempt to take cover.  The huntsmen quickly stepped in before the dogs could get to the hare, only to find Julian Cox rolling about on the ground.  When the surprised huntsman spoke to the lady she was too out of breath to reply!    

Alternatively, superstitious builders would sometimes use a hare to perform their own witchcraft when erecting a house, as a dead hare was considered good luck if buried within the confides of the building.  Thankfully though - for the hare - it seems that builders aren’t the best when it comes to animal identification, as many a rabbit has since been found during restorations and repairs.    

Hares available as Cards and prints

Puffins 4 - 1 Penguins

Puffins and Penguins are pretty versatile birds: they both eat fish, can literally swim like fish to catch the fish, can survive in the toughest of weather conditions, they mostly partner for life, are both delightful in appearance, and are the names and faces of two of the biggest book publication companies in the world!

One of them though has the upper hand: despite the Puffin’s rotund appearance, they can actually fly.  They might have to beat their little wings 300 - 400 a minute to achieve this, but in doing so they can reach speeds of 55mph. 

According to Icelandic folklore, the puffin - or Lundi - can also predict the weather.  During the 8 months they spend bobbing about on the North Atlantic Ocean, they’ve been known to fly onto land a few days before a gale arrives.  They were also observed by Icelandic fisherman and would lead them to the catch of the day - bringing new meaning to ‘Captain Birdseye’.      

For the 4 months they are on dry land, they get to use another talent that has once again alluded the penguin: digging.  Yes, believe it or not these busy little birds use their versatile beaks to shovel away at the dirt, and they’re so good at it that their handy work could easily be mistaken for a rabbits burrow: digging down to depths of 3ft where they can safely lay their eggs. 

Unfortunate for the puffin, Inuits used to believe that the birds beaks could also be used for medicinal purposes, as they were collected to make a percussion instrument that had supernatural healing powers.  Ireland, on the other hand was a more hospitable place for the puffin, whose inhabitants believed that the birds were actually monks, reincarnated, and so didn’t dream of eating them - or turning them into musical instruments at that matter.  Over in Cornwall some went a step further: claiming that the puffin was no less than the reincarnation of King Arthur!           

Don’t worry though penguins, you are arguably the better book publication.  

Finished puffin painting cut off the board. 

Finished penguin painting cut off the board.

Puffins available as cards and prints

Penguin Card and print

In a Bulgarian legend The sun and the moon were planning to get married and have a large family. All the animals were invited to the wedding. But just as the ceremony was about to start, the Sun noticed his great friend the hedgehog wasn't there. He couldn't imagine why he would miss the occasion. Concerned, the Sun went to look his friend. 

He was surprised to find his friend chewing on a rock! The Sun asked him if he had forgotten his wedding. Nope, said the hedgehog taking another mouthful of rock!

The hedgehog told the sun that the wedding and all the many sun children the sun would have was all that he was thinking about. 

Confused, the sun asked why the hedgehog was not celebrating. The hedgehog told the sun that he was getting prepared, telling him that the sun's children will roast the earth and all there would be left to eat  would be rocks.

Then the Sun saw the error of his ways and did not marry and have children, but continue with the Moon in just the right balance for the world. This is how the Hedgehog came to save the world.

How about this!  Katie Brown from East Yorkshire has made a wonderful drawing using one of my designs as inspiration. I love it! Keep up the good work Katie. I really like the composition and the little bugs flying around on the other page.

I have been meaning to come back to doing a repeat pattern for a while. I did some of some swallows years ago when I first stared the DM Collection.

Whales in a swirl! With this repeat I was keen to try and get as much movement in the whole thing as possible and also make it repeat from just one tile. 

Although it was not completely clear in my mind about the colour scheme it become clear after I had finished the first whale. It was going to be blue all the way!

Ultramarine and prussian blue for the whales and cerulean blue for the water and just a bit of the usual favourite quinacridone gold here and there.

This was the finished painting. Once i had it scanned into photoshop I noticed my measurements were a bit out so had to do a bit of tweaking in photoshop to make it line up and repeat.

Way way back, at the very very beginning, there was a mystical place known as Dreamtime where the Aboriginal ancestors of Australia created the entire world.  It was here where an orphan named Koobor lived.    

Unfortunately Koobor did not having a nice time in the Dreamtime: his relatives treated him very badly, and due to neglect the poor little boy had to learn how to fend for himself.  Finding something to eat was always a problem, but thankfully Koobor discovered that he could get by eating eucalyptus leaves; although this often left him feeling thirsty and there was never enough water around to drink.  

But then one day, after his horrible relatives set off to gather food, he realised that they had left behind the water buckets.  What luck!  For once he could have a proper drink - and maybe save some for later too.    

Thinking on his feet he carried the remaining buckets up a tree and hung them on a low branch.  Once the last bucket was safely aloft, he then climbed to the top of the tree and started to sing and chant.  Now, this wasn’t just any old chant, this was a very special magical chant, which made the tree grow and grow until it was the tallest and most magnificent tree in the forest.  

When Koobor’s relatives came back and saw their water buckets hanging up in the sky next to the boy - in the tallest tree of the forest - they grew very angry and two medicine men climbed up and threw the helpless boy out of the tree.  

As Koobor lay on the ground, broken after this terrible fall, the people came over to gather around the boys body.  It was then that something truly magical happened.  To all their amazement, Koobor the boy, turned into a Koobor the Koala, who arose  and scurried up his tall tree. 

Once he was safely back up in the branches - albeit in his lovely new fury condition - he made some laws for the people: for all the other Aboriginal folk.  He allowed them to hunt him for food, but on no account must his skin be removed, and not a single one of his bones are allowed to be broken until the koala was cooked.  If any of these laws were broken, then Koobor would unleash the severest of droughts that only the koala bear would survive!        

To this day, the Koala doesn’t have to worry about drinking anymore, as he can get all the moisture he needs through eating scummy eucalyptus leaves; in fact, for many Australian native folk, the word ‘koala’ literally translates as ‘no water’. 

What do you get if you cross a camel with a leopard?  A Giraffe of course - or to use its original title, the aptly named ‘Camelopard’.  Well that’s what the old Europeans used to think, and camelopard was the name which was originally given to the long necked African creature; quite simply because its body resembled that of a camel, and its markings were something akin to a leopards.   

This term was used up until the 19th century, and because very few people had actually witnessed one of these creatures first-hand, they were often depicted as literally being half camel, half leopard - as shown in the following illustration by Polish physician, John Jonston:        

But is wasn’t just the Europeans who were confused by this unique looking animal.  Over in the Far East explorers who had travelled westward along The Silk Road to Africa reported on the foreign forma they had seen, and upon describing the giraffe, it was concluded that what they had actually witnessed was the Chinese Qilin, (or Kirin in Japanese), the East Asian Unicorn!    

So how alike was the giraffe to the mythical qilin?  Well, the creature was alleged to posses the following characteristics: thick eyelashes (tick), a mane (tick), hooves of a horse (tick), the shape of a horse, (errr, half a tick), antlers (sort of tick), scales (well, it has scale-like patterning… tick), and was golden in colour (yes! big tick).

To seal the deal even the behaviour of the giraffe seemed to match the mythical East Asian beast, as they were believed to be vegetarian, quiet in nature, and had the ability to “walk on the grass without disturbing it”; which, at a stretch (if you’ll excuse the pun), could relate to the giraffes long and delicate legs.  

And then finally, in 1414, after the arduous journey across the India Ocean, a now sea worthy  * Somalian Giraffe was presented to The Great Ming, ruler of China.  

Upon seeing the animal, Confucian scholars decided that it indeed was a qilin. And then in addition, (just when you thought no further clarification was necessary), they learnt the local Somali name for the beast: a Girin.  

You couldn’t make it up!   

* It’s worth noting that the Somalian Giraffe, aka. the Reticulated Giraffe, is known for its unique patterning - which just so happens to be the most “scale-like” amongst the giraffe species. 

Written in ‘The Annals of Five Emperors’, during the reign of Emperor Huang, some 4000 years ago, it is said that the mighty ruler would keep Giant Pandas for the purpose of fighting.  In an ancient Chinese legend, again dating back some 4000 years, it tells of how a tribal leader named Huangdi once wielded wild animals to defeat a neighbouring tribe.  Amongst the fearsome animals who bravely went into battle were leopards, tigers… and Pandas!     

Upon seeing this, you may be forgiven for looking at the pandas we have today, lazing about in captivity, stuffing their black and white faces with bamboo, and think what happened to these mighty warriors?  Well, let me tell you, our perception of the cute and cuddly peaceful panda is ill-informed, for they are sleeping giants, and you most certainly do not want to rouse one: as a drunken tourist once found out when he decided to climb into the Beijing Zoo panda enclosure! 

It was September 19th, 2006, when the man in question visited the zoo.  He was very keen on impressing his companion at the time, and upon arriving at the panda enclosure, he came up with the great idea of getting up close and personal with the bear so he could give it a friendly stroke.  

Alas, his drunken love was unrequited, and the panda left the man with a leg that no longer really resembled a leg.  Although they said the ‘wannabe-panda-whisperer’ was very lucky, as it should be noted that the pandas ‘biting force’ is one of the strongest of all mammals: amazingly sitting somewhere between the jaguar and the lion.   

There is evidence that the Ancient Chinese knew of the pandas biting prowess, where according to the writer, Sima Xiangru, during the Han dynasty, some 2000 years ago, Emperor Hanwu kept a giant panda which had teeth so strong it could bite through the metal nails of a city gate.  The panda, then known as Mo, was also known for eating metal cooking utensils left by campers in the wilderness, and for snacking on snakes and reptiles.  

As we know, todays pandas mostly eat bamboo shoots - which in fact makes up 99% of their diet - so you could be forgiven for thinking that these bears are vegetarians.  But because of the type of digestive system they have, the panda actually falls into the order of ‘carnivores’; and seeing that they’ve been around for some 20 million years, it’s safe to say that in the past they would have certainly eaten “other things”; whether metal pots and pans were on the menu I am not sure, but I very much doubt that 2006 was the first time a panda tasted ‘leg of man’.

Panda painting in progress. 

So this one has been a long time coming! All the paints out of the tin for this one! It took a long time and I was glad when it was done!

First, rough sketches, I liked the idea that the peacocks tail feathers should be flowers.

Next  drawing the design out on watercolour paper and the starting to paint.

After a really long time... voila! The Boy of the bird is ultramarine with a bit of Prussian blue. The tail ( flower ) feathers are Rose madder, Alizarin Crimson, cadmium red and orange and a bit of winsor violet!

There are various superstitions about peacocks read about them here

Available as a  Card and a prints.

Throughout history mankind has unfairly perceived ducks as being somewhat inferior to other animals.  You won’t find any duck deities, duck monuments, or duck legends.  Instead you will find an array of phrases which use the name for this fine bird; and it must be said, mostly in derogative terms.

We have ‘sitting duck’, describing how someone or some thing is an easy target - as opposed to when this super bird is soaring overhead at 50mph, or swimming underwater like a feathered fish.        

The term ‘lame duck’ was first coined in the 18th century at the London Stock Exchange, and was used for stockbrokers who fell heavily into dept.  It essentially described someone who is unable to keep up with the flock and so is therefore a target for predators.      

In cricket, if a batsman is out for a duck they hang their head in shame, for it means they were dismissed from the crease without scoring a single run.  But it could be worse, a ’golden duck’ means you got out on the very first ball - ouch!    

To ’play ducks and drakes’ means to behave in a reckless manor, and often involves throwing away ones wealth.  This old English phrase relates to the pastime of skimming flat stones across the surface of water.  It is thought the game was so named as it mimicked the splashing of waterfowl. 

To ‘get your ducks in a row’ is to get organised.  Its origins are somewhat unclear, but it seems that it either comes from duck hunting, where more than one duck lined up can be killed with a single shot, or (on a more civilised note) describes the way a family of ducks travel all in a line.

We also have ‘knee high to a duck’, which at least is taller than a ‘knee high to a grasshopper’, ‘water off a ducks back’, describing how something is unaffected by an event, ‘took like a duck to water’, suggesting some person or thing in their natural environment, and someone who rarely opens up their wallet could be known to be ‘as tight as a ducks …’ Anyway, we could go on and on but I’m sure you get idea.

Meanwhile as I write this blog it’s just started raining.  It’s a cold, wet, and dark moody day, and you could describe the weather as being truly miserable.  But it’s days like today where the duck have the last laugh, for this is ‘nice weather for ducks’.  They’ll be over at their pond now, having a great time - most likely laughing like they always seem to do.   

Puffins are funny looking birds! I have been meaning to add one to the collection for a while but could not get the composition right.  Having two together seemed to be the solution.  That beak was the problem for me!  So a bit of heavy stylisation was  the way forward.

Here you can see the first couple of sketches.

Then after I had drawn it out on watercolour paper (somerset Waterford 300gsm NOT)  I added Cerulean Blue and Ultramarine.  

Once  had the blue more or less down it was onto the Quiderchrine Gold, This colour is awesome! this is on the other is other side of the colour wheel to the blues so really works well!

I wanted to keep the colour palette limited blues and yellows and avoid a colour riot. So I had to be careful wit the beak and the feet, but in the end they kind of balanced each other out!

Find out about the Puffins on Drangey Island in Skagafjörður in Iceland on this post

Being that whales spend roughly 90% of their time submerged under the waves, it comes as no surprise to hear that mankind have historically viewed them as very mystical creatures, and they are involved in many a myth.  Here's one involving a whale and sea slug; it’s kind of like a Japanese version of 'the hare and the tortoise'. 

There once lived a whale who’s boastful ego matched his enormous size.  Believing that he was the greatest animal in the ocean he challenged a sea slug to race him to the nearest beach [talk about picking your battles!].  The sea slug might have not been the fastest of animals, but he was pretty canny, and before the race he arranged his sea slug friends to wait at various beaches.  On the day of the race the whale stormed ahead, but when he reached the first beach he saw that the sea slug was already there, so he challenged him to race again.  Race after race the sea slug won until the whale finally admitted defeat.  

Admittedly, it’s far removed from Aesop’s ‘slow and steady wins the race’ fable, being more along the lines of a lesson in ‘brains over brawn’ - although I’m sure the Sperm Whale would have something to say about that, with brains five times the weight of ours, they’ve literally got the biggest brains on the planet! 

This design is available as a card and a print.

Where there is great potential for things to go badly wrong you will find superstitions.  Whether it be on the battle field, the football pitch, or the farmland.  No more so is the potential for disaster more prevalent than on stage in the theatre.  And yes, no one usually physically dies, but a persons career certainly can!  So make sure there’s no whistling back stage, no wearing the colour blue, no performances of Macbeth, no mirrors, and certainly no peacock feathers!

This bizarre peacock superstition has links to old Mediterranean cultures where the feathered eye markings were associated with the ‘evil eye’ , a window for the female demon, Lilith.  But it is also known that the Greeks and Romans often served up a roasted peacock for dinner, with the feathers neatly reapplied using honey for glue, so they didn’t mind who was watching then!

Leaving Europe behind (which isn’t even the home of the bird anyway) and travelling further east, we find a contrast in beliefs.  Where the peafowl is duly honoured for their good luck, and their feathers no longer have the evil eye, but carry the eyes of protection.

In Sri Lanka, peacock feathers were not only used to ward off evil spirits, they were also used to cure snake bites and heal broken bones.  In Hindu mythology the peacock is associated with Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity, beauty, and compassion.  There are also strong connections with Lord Krishna himself, who is often portrayed wearing peacock feathers.  In Buddhism peacocks represent openness, which is symbolised in their amazing tail fan displays.  They are also noted for being able to eat poisonous plants which attributes to an immortal status.  Purity is also an association, and their feathers are frequently used in Buddhist purification ceremonies.          

Eastern or western superstitions aside.  These lovely feathers were not intended for us humans.  They are for the peahen alone.  It is the drab mousy brown female peafowl who we have to thank for such sights.  She had the vision, and over thousands - if not millions - of years, she has put the peacock through his paces.  Brighter! Bigger! Bolder!  Until finally we have this specimen - the ultimate avian drag queen.       

Very heavily influence form japanese prints as usual, Hokusai printed his masterpiece, The Great Wave off Kanagawa  in 1829 when he was 70 years old! Just goes to show as a  artist you often don't hit your stride till you have had plenty of practice!

Also futurism influence is creeping in! kind of got something going on in the wing that has some potential. I am  getting more an more in to pattern at the moment.

 Ultramarine is awesome! balance out with Cadmium Yellow and Qinderchrone gold. 

To reach the afterlife in ancient Egypt you must first deal with the trappings of the underworld.  Here you will have to contend with various Gods, monsters, gatekeepers, and ultimately prove your worth to Osiris, the Lord of the underworld.  

This ordeal could not be bypassed, but if your spirit was feeling a bit lost and overwhelmed, you could always pray to Henet, the ancient Egyptian Pelican God.  She would not only guide you safely through the unknown, she would also protect you from snakes; that’s more than what any satnav can do today… hmmm, I wonder if Henet auto-updates?       

It wasn’t just the Egyptians to hold the pelican is such high esteem.  During the late medieval and early Renaissance periods it was common to see pelicans featuring in Christian art.  You see back then mother pelicans were believed to impale themselves with their own beaks if food was scarce, so as to feed their young with their own blood - a “pelican-in-her-piety”. 

The origins for the pelicans Christ-like depiction most probably falls at the webbed feet of the Dalmatian pelican, who’s beak turns a blood orange colour during the breeding season.  

So where can you see these magnificent birds today?  Well if you’re in London then head to St James’s Park.  They’ve had pelicans there since the mid 1700s - a gift to Charles II from the Russian Ambassador.  Although pelicans aren’t the only exotic creatures to have made this Royal Park their home.  There were once camels, elephants, and even crocodiles roaming around during the reign of James I.     

For the record, Isla, Tiffany, Gargi, Sun, Moon, and Star (the Parks current large billed residents), are fed every day between 2:30pm and 3pm next to Duck Island Cottage.  Although be warned, if the Park keeper’s running late, don’t be surprised to see one of these giant birds scooping up a live pigeon in front of some alarmed onlookers - as fish isn’t the only thing on the menu… oh, and keep an eye on your pack lunch too!         

1. The Red Squirrel

Early christian religion portrays the squirrel as stoical. An early manuscript features an image of a squirrel using its tail for shelter in a rainstorm. The inscription reads, “I shall endure and expect once again more favorable things however bad it is now, it won’t be bad forever”.

2. The Hedgehog

“The Hedgehog and the Fox” is an essay by philosopher Isaiah Berlin. It divides people into two groups, those who are “Hedgehogs”, people who view the world through the lens of a single defining idea.  And, “Foxes” ,who draw on a wide variety of experiences and for whom the world cannot be boiled down to a single idea. Which one are you?  Maybe Isaiah Berlin thinking was influences by the  ancient Greek poet Archilochus, who stated,  “the fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing”. It is thought to mean that the fox, for all his cunning, is defeated by the hedgehog’s one prickly defence.

3. The Badger

Over the centuries the badger has been known and blessed with many names: badger itself is a relatively recent term tracing back to 1523.  Some say it comes from the french word becheur, which means a digger. Prior to this, and still in colloquial usage today, brock is the Old English name taken from the ancient Celtic.

4. The Fox

Aesop’s fable, ‘The Fox and the Crow’, illustrates how one ought to be wary of false flattery.  A crow has a piece of cheese in her beak. “Good-day, Mistress Crow,” says the fox, “how well you are looking today, how glossy your feathers, how beautiful you are. I feel sure your voice must also be beautiful, let me here you sing.”  The crow opens her beak to sing, drops the cheese and the fox eats it!

5. The Hare

Why are hares associated with the moon? Hares are fundamentally nocturnal. Nighttime was once a very dangerous place and the moon was once believed to actually cause madness (hence luna / lunacy). Knowing that the hare regularly went about its business under a mania-inducing moon, it was assumed that this was the cause for their ‘madness’ during spring. The mad March hare was indeed seen as ‘moon-struck’.⁣

6. Hart

In the Scottish Highlands, deer were once known as fairy cattle and were believed to be milked by fairies. They were also credited with human emotion, being one of the few animals capable of shedding tears - however deer tears are actually just an oily secretion from the eye, rather than an emotive outpouring!

7. Owls

So when and how did the owl become wise? Athena. The Greek Goddess of Wisdom is responsible. The greek goddess took the little owl and used him for her symbol. Did she take the owl as her symbol because in ancient Greece it represented the wise? Or was it because Athena was the goddess of wisdom that the owl became wise by association?

8. Bear

The constellations of Ursa Major and Ursa Minor, are named for their supposed resemblance to bears. (great and little bear)Ursa Major has been associated with a bear for as much as 13,000 years. In the the cosmic hunt mythology, a bear is transformed into the constellation of Ursa Major forming the four stars at the bottom of the plough asterism of Ursa Major.

9. Rabbits

Rabbits have long been considered symbols of fertility or rebirth, often associated with Spring, the season of new beginnings.  They are also a notable motif within Easter celebrations – who doesn’t love an Easter Bunny? The species’ role as a prey animal also led to its association with innocence.

10. Robin

How did the robin acquire its red breast? In Christian tradition, it is thought that a robin tried to remove the crown of thorns from Jesus’ head during the Crucifixion; drops of Christ’s blood stained his breast forever. In another myth, the robin’s breast was scorched fetching water for souls in Purgatory.

Why are hares associated with the moon? Hares are fundamentally nocturnal. Nighttime was once a very dangerous place and the moon was once believed to actually cause madness, (hence luna / lunacy). Knowing that the hare regularly went about its business under a mania-inducing moon, it was assumed that this was the cause for their ‘madness’ during spring. The mad March hare was indeed seen as ‘moon-struck’.

In Turkish and Arabic traditions, cats have six lives. This contrasts with seven lives in Italy, Germany, Greece and Brazil. In most other countries the number is nine. There is an old English proverb that states,  “A cat has nine lives. For three he plays, for three he strays, and for the last three he stays”. This echo’s the fact that cats give their owners the most love when they are old- too old to chase mice!

In a previous blog I spoke of the old beliefs regarding the fox fortuitously crossing one’s path, and I think we’ve probably all heard of the superstitions regarding black cats crossing your path too, but are there any other mystical path traversing beasties out there?  

Well, once you delve into the rich and murky waters of folklore, it seems as though every animal has held the power of divination in some shape or form, as though the wild was once full of furry and feathered mystics, performing dances of doom or fortune for the benefit of man; I’m surprised anyone left the house!  But have you ever heard the one about the badger crossing your path?  No, I hadn’t either! 

This poem is believed to be around 200 years old, and shares similarities with the polarised superstitions regarding black cats.

But it wasn’t just the animals choice of path which triggered man’s superstitions.  If you got hold of some of their fat you could rub it into your chest to cure rheumatism - when you weren’t cooking with it, which they did! 🤢  Their hair could also help to protect you from witchcraft: all you had to do was keep it in a bag made from cat skin - and yes, it has to be the skin of a black cat… oh, and be sure to tie it around your neck when the moon is no more than seven days old.  

I’m sure you too will be pleased to hear that badgers are now protected under The Protection of Badgers Act 1992, so thankfully their body parts are now way out of bounds.  And do not threat if you’re out and about and are lucky enough to have one of these very shy animals cross your path, it doesn’t matter if they did so in front of you, or behind… but...

To the untrained eye some people might struggle to tell the difference between a rabbit and a hare: after all, they both have long fluffy ears, they both hop about, I mean what’s the deal?  Well, at birth the differences between these two species couldn’t be more stark. 

A newborn rabbit is altricial, which means they’re born bald, blind, and generally helpless; like puppies and kittens.  Where as a hare is precocial, which means they have the use of their eyes, have fur, and can move themselves about; like ducks, horses, and cattle. 

And we all know that rabbits can make joyful and relatively civilised pets - well civilised to human standards - but anyone who has kept, or I should say tried to keep a hare, will no doubt have a very different story to tell: for even hand-reared hares have an undeniable wild streak, which no amount of freshly peeled carrots or petting can soften.  

This is due to these two animals having contrasting behaviour in the wild.  One of the reasons why the rabbit seems so tameable is because they are innately sociable animals - even if they are having to put up with furless primates rather than their own floppy eared kind.  When they’re with their fellow rabbits they act as a true collective, they’ll watch out for one another, make calls to one another, and if one runs, they all run!  Living in burrows, it also goes without saying that they’re not claustrophobic, so a humble life in a hutch will suffice; as long as it’s definitely fox proof!         

The hare on the other hand is the epitome of independence: they do their own thang.  Although very rarely living in pairs, they mostly don’t want for company, and especially don’t rely on it for survival.  They’re also strictly above ground animals too, so it’s no surprise that you’ve never heard of a ‘hare hole’ - or a ‘hare hutch’ at that matter.  

If the burrow is the rabbits sanctuary, then an open field is the hares, as they’re idea of safety is room to run; and run they certainly can, reaching speeds of 40 mph!… Usian Bolt's fastest speed is a mere 27mph - no contest there then!

The Pescatarian Pakicetus

The story of every type of whale started in what is now known as Pakistan some 50 million years ago.  In fact all of the cetaceans - the collective family name for whales, dolphins, and porpoises - started their pre-evolved existence there: all as one single mammal, the Pakicetus.

Being a fish lover, the dog sized Pakicetus was a true pescatarian, and just like a labrador, you just couldn’t keep them out of the water.  It took millions of years for life to crawl out of the wet stuff, only for the contrary creature to jump straight back in and ask for their flippers back: and yes, this may have taken a considerable amount of time to happen, but happen it did, and their perfectly fine land legs evolved back into sea legs.    

Once they were fully aquatic animals again, they were no longer subjected to the gravitational restrictions of land mammals and were able to grow to gigantic proportions; and some of them literally did, i.e., the evolution of the Blue Whale, which grew 10,000 times the size of a Pakicetus.

If you sail due east from central Madagascar you should reach the tropical paradise known as Mauritius, but please note, if you manage to miss Mauritius you won’t see land for a further 4000 miles, and when you do it’ll be Australia (eventually), so make sure you have an experienced captain.  

Maybe flying’s the best option: after all, one of their most famous inhabitants flew there - albeit thousands of years ago - and they liked it so much they stayed for good! 

Now, if we think Mauritius is a paradise, then the famous flying visitor I talk of must have thought it was truly Nirvana.  Their favourite food, fruits and nuts, were freely available on the ground, and with no predators on the islands there was no more need for wings.

Over many years the bird grew large in size and lost the ability of flight altogether; scientists call this phenomenon ‘secondary flightlessness’ - the same fait happened to penguins, ostriches, and chickens.  If you haven’t guessed yet, I’m talking about the sad tale of the extinct Dodo.  

It was the Dutch who decided to commit to this paradise in the 1600’s, and they named it after their head of state, Maurice.  It is suggested that they also named the large flightless bird they encountered “dodoor”, which unflatteringly means sluggard.      

Accounts of the Dodo suggest they were relatively fearless of man: after all, they had never experienced them before, and many would have inquisitively walked towards their doom; although it is said that the human settlers were mostly put off by the taste of their meat, and so thankfully the dodo didn’t die out from us dining out.  

It was in fact the other beasts that travelled with man which finished off the Dodo, the rats and the pigs, for they didn’t just eat fruits and nuts, they also ate dodo eggs.  Unfortunately being flightless meant that the dodo nests could easily be found on the ground, and to add insult to injury they only laid one egg at a time.   

It’s a tragic story, but amazingly there might be glimmer of hope for the dodo - albeit with ethical considerations - as the bird is officially on the de-extinction list.  All we need is some dodo DNA, some scientific wizardry, and a surrogate mother: which is where the Nicobar Pigeon steps in, the closest living relative to the dodo - who’ll be relieved to hear that there won’t be any giant egg laying involved!  

1.Goldfinches

Goldfinches are one of the most symbolic of European birds. One thing mongst others is freedom.

The goldfinch is very dexterous. Because it feeds on thistle seeds it has become a deft touch with its feet and beak and can be trained to perform tricks. Known as a Draw bird, it has the ability to pull up a weight (a thimble of water) attached to a thread, by looping each length under it’s foot. The goldfinch has been a popular choice as a caged bird in Europe for centuries. Carel Fabritius' 1654 painting, shows a The Goldfinch tethered to it’s perch by a delicate chain.
You might say, if you were a cynic, that the goldfinch has brought this upon on itself, showing off with its fine singing voice, beautiful plumage and deft touch with its feet and beak.

The Caged Goldfinch comes up as a reference to freedom in two poems by Thomas Hardy, “The Caged Goldfich” and, “The Blinded bird” both communicate the same outrage of having freedom taken.

2. Robin

How did the robin acquire its red breast? In Christian tradition, it is thought that a robin tried to remove the crown of thorns from Jesus’ head during the Crucifixion; drops of Christ’s blood stained his breast forever. In another myth, the robin’s breast was scorched fetching water for souls in Purgatory.

3. Blackbird

In the classic English nursery rhyme Sing a Song of Sixpence ”Four and twenty blackbirds” are “baked in a pie”. It was a 16th-century amusement to place live birds in a pie and watch them fly out when the pastry was cut.  The rhyme has it’s origins in the 17th.c. It is referenced in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night.

4.Bluetit

At the dawn of the 20th century milk was delivered to British doorstops in open bottles. Two birds learnt how to siphon the cream at the top - the blue tit and the robin. After WW1 dairies began sealing their bottles with aluminum foil. But by 1950 the entire British blue tit population had learnt how to pierce the bottle tops and get the cream, whereas the robins never did!

5.Wren

Aristotle and Pliny both wrote about a legendary contest among the birds. He who could fly the highest would be crowned ‘king of the birds.’ The eagle’, was expected to win; he soared high above the others and appeared to be the clear winner, until the wren emerged from under his feathers and flew higher still to claim the crown.

6.Goldcrest

The goldcrest is Britain’s smallest songbird. Suffolk fishermen called it “herring spink” or “tot o’er seas” because migrating flocks often landed on the rigging of herring boats out in the North Sea.

7.Song Thrush

Thrushes have acquired some peculiar superstitions across the ages. Apparently they ‘dispose’ of their legs every ten years… and then grow new ones!. They’re also deaf say some! 

8. Robin (again)

Robins have a reputation for living contentedly in close proximity to humans, indeed, there is a story that a robin nested in the hole made by a cannon ball in the mizzen mast of the HMS Victory!

9.Turtle Doves

Turtle doves are the second gift in the much loved carol The Twelve Days of Christmas. They have become emblems of love as a result of biblical references and the fact that they mate for life.

10. Owl

While not a song bird a word form the wise to end on....

In Aesop’s fable, ‘The Owl and the Birds’, the birds ignore the wise owl’s words at their peril. Later, when events came to pass of which the owl had foretold, the birds seek her council but find her silent.