The Aviary of Strange Birds

Birds are wonderful, exotic and extraordinary enough without me making up new ones. But I can’t resist…

Mercury Hengine is so named because it had allegedly belonged to Freddie Mercury of Queen. There was convincing enough evidence to back this up as a friend obtained the stuffed hen from the mother of the wife of one of Queen’s band members. I added wheels, compass and  bright feathers. I hope that Mr. Mercury and the hen would have approved.

I wonder why the hen became taxidermy in the first place?

The beautiful room in which the ducks swim, is in the old Royal Palace, Vladislav Hall, part of Prague Castle. From my school history lessons I became fascinated by The Defenestration of Prague. An attendant in this beautiful room told us that one of the Defenestrations (there were three in all) had happened in the room at the far end of this one. The men thrown from the window survived the 70 foot drop by luckily landing in a dung heap. It still caused the Thirty Years War though.