PARTING WORDS

If any animal could be considered the mascot of the Algarve; it’s the Stork. Known as “Cegonha-branca” in Portuguese, these elegant birds make their nests on anything from electricity pylons, dead palm trees to old chimneys all along the Algarve.

You could say that they have many coastal properties, but also, they’ve been here long enough to know that the Algarve isn’t all beaches, and that there’s immense beauty to be found inland! Consequently they also have many townhouses, and lots also enjoy mountain living - I don’t think I’ve seen a single telephone pole on the road up to Monchique that isn’t taken. As long as they can live on the top floor, and can boast a panoramic view; they are happy. A nice thing about Storks is that the majority are monogamous, and, as such; don’t play in the fields for too long. They are nesters (that’s probably where us human beings get it from), and they choose to settle down, make a family, and collectively stick together until the end.

And collect sticks together they do! And make the most amazing nests. And since it is illegal, as well as considered very bad luck, to remove them - it means that charming old chimneys that would have been turned to rubble in the name of progress long ago, still stand tall - what luck. If your house is set to be demolished; maybe consider getting a long legged feathery roommate? I mean they would definitely take top bunk, but hey. Come to think about it - they are the ultimate squatters!

Having said that, a Stork has recently had his penthouse flat removed from an old dilapidated streetlight pole, in downtown Faro. It seems that despite the bad luck of taking it down, the powers that be, decided it would be worse luck; if it were to fall on somebody’s head. And, after weighing up their options, and realizing that the latter weighs about 400 kilos! They decided to do, what Storks themselves seldom do when out hunting for beetles - which is to choose the lesser of two Weevils. Hera, the Queen of the Gods, grew jealous of a beautiful mortal Queen Gerana. Almost certainly because Zeus - possibly the greatest serial philanderer there ever was (or wasn’t, depending on your viewpoint, and/or fear of being struck by lightning), had the hots for her. Zeus may have been the King of the Gods, but he was a right scoundrel.

Anyway, Zeus had his sights set on Gerana, and Hera in typical fashion Let’ Stork about long legged birds! Jake Cleaver shares some interesting trivia and Ancient tales about the wonderful creatures.

They can’t sing like their songbird cousins, Quack like Donald Duck or tweet like Donald Trump!

Storks have always sparked our imaginations, with tales going all the way back to Ancient Greece, when

became furious, and, as usual, took her fury out on the wrong person - turning poor Gerana into, you guessed it - a Stork.

Unfortunately, I should have researched this first before assuming. I just read that Zeus actually wasn’t into Gerana after all (Sorry Zeus, although, I’m still not entirely convinced). Apparently she boasted that she was more beautiful than Hera, and I guess, got what she deserved? Anyhow, Gerana was heartbroken, and flew away with her child Mopsus; and the Greeks depicted the transformed bird fleeing with a baby dangling from its beak!

They also featured in Norse Mythology due to their apparent family values, and their white colouring made them a good symbol for purity. They were said to be a sign of good luck, and to bring about the possibility of new birth.

But when they really became known for their role as midwives, was after the Hans Christian Anderson fable, “The Storks” - where they would pluck dreaming babies out of ponds and deliver them to deserving families. But, in typical Hans Christian Anderson style, this fairy story also has a dark side; and Storks would also deliver dead babies to ill deserving families. He wasn’t big on the whole happily

ever after thing, ol’Hans.

Nevertheless; the more modest Victorians loved it. As when it came time to talk about the birds and the bees - they could simply explain that you could be mail ordered on the Stork postal service (9 month delivery time though. What would Amazon say?).

Now, another little thing about Storks, is that they can’t sing - like their songbird cousins. And they can’t quack like Donald Duck, and they can’t tweet like Donald Trump. This means that if they want to have a chat - they have to do exactly that - and you can’t miss them chattering away to each other. The clattering chatter of their bills sounds a bit like a toy machine gun!

But even though they can sometimes make you feel like you have suddenly come under fire; things wouldn’t be the same without these most renowned Algarvian avifauna. They cut a pretty majestic pose even when they are plodding through the mud looking for breakfast, but get them airborne and they are some pretty smooth aviators. They even look like planes, as they hardly even have to flap their wings..