Yeah, well, if birds manage to survive in Egypt, it';s not due to help from humans.

Phil Hotlen
currently in Bellingham, WA


----- Original Message -----
From: "Gary Bletsch" <garybletsch at yahoo.com>
To: "Hal Opperman" <hal at catharus.net>
Cc: "tweeters tweeters" <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, November 6, 2012 6:51:48 PM
Subject: Re: [Tweeters] birding (ancient) Egypt



Dear Hal and Tweeters,

Thanks for the interesting link.

As one fortunate enough to have birded in Egypt, I can highly recommend the exhibit Hal describes, although one might be reluctant to advise a trip to Egypt itself, given the turmoil of late.

As I write, above my desk hang two framed papyri, the "Geese of Maydum" and the "Tree of Life." These are two of the standard papyri offered to tourists in Egypt. I was doubly lucky to have a friend who steered me to a special papyrus store, where the offerings were of a higher quality than the dodgy ones sold near the pyramids.

The "Geese of Maydum" shows six geese, most artfully arranged in a line. They are in profile--just as we expect from Egyptian portraits! The identification of the birds in ancient Egyptian art is a whole topic in itself, as Hal suggests. As far as I can tell, the geese are Greylags, Red-breasted Geese, and Greater White-fronted Geese. Some experts have suggested that the Greylags are really Bean Geese.

The "Tree of Life" shows an acacia tree with five birds in it. Each one stands for a stage of life, those being infancy, childhood, youth, adulthood, and age. I can't remember what the first four birds are supposed to be, but "age" is definitely a Hoopoe. This bird looks off to the left, or west--the direction of death. The other birds all look off to the east. Yikes--which way am I looking at the age of 54???

I picked up an interesting book in Egypt, "Pharaoh's Birds" by John Miles. It tells about where to look for birds in Egypt, and a bit about the ancient artwork that depicts birds. I read recently that an author named John Wyatt is coming out with a new book this year, "Birds in Ancient Egypt:An Identification Guide."

Also of note is the fact that experts are slowly working through thousands of mummified birds, doing all kinds of tests on them, trying to figure out exactly what species they are. It isn't easy with mummies that are thousands of years old!

Okay, forgive the rambling.

Obligatory Washington birding note: I tried for Josh Parrott's Clay-colored Sparrow from 0700 to 0735 this morning (6 November), but could not relocate the bird. That patch by Mann Road and the slough was hopping with birds, though.

Yours truly,

Gary Bletsch

Near Lyman, Washington (Skagit County), USA

garybletsch at yahoo.com

"Nun," sagte ich, "wenn ich ein Taugenichts bin, so ist's gut, so will ich in die Welt gehen, und mein Glueck machen." Und eigentlich war mir das recht lieb, denn es war mir kurz vorher selber eingefallen, auf Reisen zu gehen, da ich die Goldammer, welche im Herbst und Winter immer betruebt an unserm Fenster sang: "Bauer, miet' mich, Bauer, miet' mich!" nun in der schoenen Fruehlingszeit wieder ganz stolz und lustig vom Baume rufen hoerte: "Bauer, behalt' deinen Dienst!"







From: Hal Opperman <hal at catharus.net>
To: Tweeters <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, November 6, 2012 4:35 PM
Subject: [Tweeters] birding (ancient) Egypt

Tweets:

As an art historian who also happens to be a birder, and who often wonders which of the two is the stronger interest, I'm fascinated by representations of birds in art. I also happen to be a graduate of the University of Chicago; for five years I walked by the Oriental Institute on the campus twice or more a day, and often went inside to wander the exhibits. Now, all these years later, I still get the UC magazine (nothing on this earth is more tenacious than the fundraising operation of an institution of higher education, although the Egyptian view of the afterlife comes close). The latest issue has an article on an exhibition at the Institute called "Between Heaven and Earth: Birds in Ancient Egypt," which will remain on view until July 28 of next year. Here's a link to the article:

http://mag.uchicago.edu/arts-humanities/bird-bird?msource=MAG10

So, if you've ever wanted to bird in Egypt, perhaps while touring the archaeological monuments there, but (like me) for one reason or another have not, maybe this exhibition will be of interest. Chicago is, after all, closer than Cairo, although there is room for debate about which of the two destinations is safer -- and Egypt may have the better climate, as anyone who's suffered through a Chicago summer and/or a Chicago winter can testify.

Enjoy!

Hal Opperman
Medina, Washington
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