Magpie
November 7th, 2010
Lakewood Colorado
by Dawn NicDarrah
*I had heard of Magpie, but I had never encountered one until moving to Colorado . . . something deep within me is associating the magpie with Branwen. I know the story of the starlings, but what is it about the magpie? It really does have a range of communicating . . . a song bird one moment and very crow or raven the next . . . so to find out they are related to crows and ravens is not surprising. But how could they be associated with Branwen? Well, I did finally find one reference/suggestion . . . In Welsh Bran=raven and wen=white . . . 'white raven' . . . some say Branwen means 'white breast' . . . the snippet I found suggested Branwen might be referring to the magpie, relative of the raven with a white breast. I'll chew on that for now.*
November 7th, 2010
Lakewood Colorado
by Dawn NicDarrah
*I had heard of Magpie, but I had never encountered one until moving to Colorado . . . something deep within me is associating the magpie with Branwen. I know the story of the starlings, but what is it about the magpie? It really does have a range of communicating . . . a song bird one moment and very crow or raven the next . . . so to find out they are related to crows and ravens is not surprising. But how could they be associated with Branwen? Well, I did finally find one reference/suggestion . . . In Welsh Bran=raven and wen=white . . . 'white raven' . . . some say Branwen means 'white breast' . . . the snippet I found suggested Branwen might be referring to the magpie, relative of the raven with a white breast. I'll chew on that for now.*
Hello --
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the magpies in Ireland and was happy to find they were related to ravens, which must be the most clever of birds. I like the "white-breasted raven" image. The magpies I often saw while self-driving Ireland seemed decked out in formal attire; whether perching or in flight, their eye-catching top hat and tails cut a fine figure and were unmistakable.
Thank you for this photo and for sharing Lakewood's finest scenery and citizens on your wonderful website. I will visit this site often, as I will be moving to Lakewood this December 1st and can't wait to discover its seasons in all their delightful guises. I have lived for 25 years on the eternally chilly and foggy Northern California coast and have missed the beauty and power of the turn of the wheel...You've given me a place to begin to enjoy my new home and have captured in images what I so hoped I could experience there.