Hi Tweets,

Just to pass on a humorous thread from UKBirdnet.

M


>Paul Fletcher wrote:
>
>>Vague anecdote: A couple of years ago, a Building Society (can't
>>remember which one) had a marvellous poster out to encourage us to get a
>>mortgage with them. The theme was nest building, and it featured a
>>charming illustration of two Chaffinches, both in full male plumage,
>>feeding a nest of youngsters. I thought they should be congratulated on
>>a fine piece of nonhomophobia (if the word may be allowed).

Paul Tout writes:
>
>I own an old hand-painted engraving (artist unknown) from the last century
>with a very proud gay Golden Oriole (Oriolus oriolus) couple beside their
>(empty) nest ... I suppose they could adopt; plus a print of a what must be
>a coloured lithograph by the supposedly good birder-naturalist John Gould
>(who lived c.1800-1880) featuring a drake Teal (Anas crecca) apparently
>helping to care for a very large brood of day-old ducklings.... a sort of
>"New Teal".
>It's good to know that such positive stereotyping of same-sex couples and
>caring/present father-figures was already in evidence so long ago.... or
>maybe the artists just didn't know f-all!

>PPS The local Griffon Vulture centre holds what would appear to be a stable
>pair of gay male Griffon Vultures (Gyps fulvus) who have been together for
>many years in a communal cage unoppressed by the large number of non-gay
>Griffons they share with, demonstrating forcefully that it is the negative
>pressures of inherently homophobic human societies which drive gay couples
>apart. ;-)

Alistair Rae writes:
>The two males thing is very common on American mailboxes. Two male
>cardinals together are very common.

>In the cartoon film "Beavis and Butthead Do America", there's a hippy-type
>teacher playing guitar and singing a song in praise of "lesbian seagulls".
>I think this is a reference to genuine observations of female California
>(?) Gulls nesting together, apparently in increasing numbers. Toxins
>messing with their hormones or something. Anybody know the facts?

Paul Tout writes:
>>The two males thing is very common on American mailboxes. Two male
>>cardinals together are very common.
>>
>
>1) must be why they're called "mail"boxes... <groan>
>
>2) can you have anything other than a "male" cardinal?..think about
it...<groan>

Sister Mary writes:

>I have also observed male clerics together, though not quite at the level of
>Cardinal. My cousin Naomi who is a nun working in Gambia has also noted a
>number of Bishops in the bush. Ah well, the good Lord made them all!