The eye of the beholder

The photo shows Arı the Bee-eater being fed shortly before it was released. The ingenious feeding device is a cut-off toothpaste tube and a plastic nozzle.
The room you see in the photo was dedicated to the bird once it was well enough to be taken out of its original home in a box. The room was in a house that was otherwise unoccupied. After the bird was released, the lovely Kurdish woman, Ferah, who looks after various houses in the vicinity cleaned up the room. When I arrived, a couple of weeks after all these events, I asked Ferah if she had seen the Bee-eater when it was in captivity. She replied with an obvious lack of enthusiasm:  'I saw its shit.'

Trellis talks medical

Dear Mrs Scrote, she writes, I understand you have gone foreign again, Do be careful, dear, it's like being in England only smellier and the men pinch your bum. Did I hear that you went to a doctor and he told you you have a low hemagoblin count? I hope you get a high one back soon.
My jee pee - a lovely man with soft hands and a prickly beard - told me I had a cute angina, but at my age a bit of flattery is welcome. Not sure how he knows, though, because I am always careful how I dress.
Yours
Blodwen Trellis, Mrs, Widow, retd

Happiness is tulip-shaped

The Old Scrote sippıng tea from a tulip glass, Mount Ida ın the background (moreorless). Mount Ida ıs the spot from where Zeus and the other gods watched the Trojan Wars. That was in the days before television.

Bugger buntings

This species would be a good one to see (a Cinereous Bunting, photo courtesy of Mark Jobling), but it's rare and local in these parts. Still it might be worth a climb up Mount Ida on the off chance. The trouble with even the common buntings is that once they are out of their breeding plumage and all muxed ip wıth females and juveniles they all turn into plump little brown jobs. The Cinereous Bunting in breeding plumage is described as dull or undistinguished, so goodness knows what it is like at this time of year.

Raptorous moment

Another visit to the farmer's land this morning and this was the reward. The only raptor seen hitherto has been Common Buzzard so to see an eagle soarıng overhead was a real thrill. The Turkish name, YILAN KARTALI, like the German Schlangenadler, translates as 'Snake Eagle', which seems to me much better than the daft English name 'short-toed eagle'. Hands up all those who have seen the short toe.

Birds can be confusing

Once again I am paddling in the Aegean. September is the time for adult male birds out of their breeding plumage, and lots of confusing juveniles about. Females confuse me too but I am too much of a gentleman to say so. Anyway, I saw this little beauty yesterday - a juvenile - and invite you to ponder it. I saw the adult male version ın May and it looked completely different. PS This is not my photo, so I apologise to and thank the owner of it. I think it was taken when this bird wandered to England by mistake.