The humble robin is a traditional Christmas symbol in the UK, the colourful bird often depicted on our festive greetings cards and Christmas gift wrapping. We also use little robin decorations to trim our Christmas trees and our Christmas cakes or chocolate logs. It's hardly surprising that we cherish this pretty, cheerful little bird as part of our Christmas festivities because he is so colourful and most other birds have migrated to warmer climates. And during our long bleak winters it lifts us to hear the chirpy song of the festive robin.
However, there is more to this chirpy fellow then just cute Christmas cards of him posing on snow covered post boxes and nesting in old copper watering cans.
Robins live through out Europe (Except the far North) and Western Siberia. We notice an increased number of robins in the UK during our winter months as robins in colder climates move to warmer wintering gathering grounds during the autumn.
Robins who live in close proximity to people can become rather tame, especially towards avid gardeners. Some cheeky robins have learned to take advantages of unearthed worms caused from gardeners digging and turning the soil.
It has also been discovered that robins can fish. Not for large fish though, the robin itself being only 14 cm and weighing between 14 and 21 grams. Robins can hover and dive for fish in shallow waters.
Male robins are very territorial and sing to proclaim their territory, what sound like a cheerful winter song to us is actually a warning of occupation to other robins in the area. Robins will fight to defend their territory.
Robins mate and nest in late March. The female robin builds a nest from dry dead leaves and moss in crevasses in trees, wall cavities or in under growth.
Because robins don't build traditional nests with twigs and sticks and instead simply line holes and crevasses is why we hear tales of robins nesting in old watering cans and wellington boots.
The female lays between 4 and 6 small white to slightly blue speckled eggs which she incubates for 2 weeks.
At two weeks old the robin chicks can fly. By this time the father robin feeds his offspring for a further 3 week until the chicks become independent at around five weeks old, meanwhile the female rears her second brood.
Chicks are not born with the trademark vibrant red breast feathers. They shed their chick feathers to make way for their splash of red on their breasts.
Not many robin chicks get to show off their new red feathers with pictures poses on top of snow covered post-boxes or pine-trees because more than a half of the chicks die during their first year.
However, robins can live up to the ripe old age of 5 years, which is something to sing about.
So spare a thought for this festive little bird this Christmas time because he works hard for his living. Maybe leave them some tasty Christmas treats on your bird table, some bacon rind and a stuffing ball. And maybe leave out a few old terracotta plant pots for a homeless female robin looking for somewhere to build their nests.
Tennis has its roots in the ancient play of the handball, played in Greece a long time before the Christian era. During the average ages it developed concerned to handle the beater rather the ball between two adversaries than against a wall. The name comes from, French of tenez take or. ready Initially it had no line of border there, but gradually a court was slightly developed the shape of a sand glass, with a line traced through the narrow central portion.
The balls early were made of leather and faggots of the hair.
The racquet developed in the following way: for protection by striking the ball, a glove was worn. Then, for a greater protection, cords were rolled up around the glove. Later, an oval glove, or pallets it was used. With the need for longer extension, the idea of a racquet evolved/moved of the combination of the pallet and the cords.
In the ages of medium the play was carried to England where it was played by the nobility. The system of notation was so complex that the common people could not understand it, and courses so expensive that only the rich person had access to them. Not until 1874 took place the marking of simplified and the rules of play made adaptable for a simple court external of grass.
The use of fifteen, , thirty etc by marking various points can be explained as follows: Huntings, or of the separated plays, were marked 1, 2, 3, etc... Fifteen chases had right the player to a point, and the play was composed of four or five points. This explanation one several is suggested by historians of tennis and seems to be plausible.
The points of no of love significance of limit came from the love of for of expression, of the piles without of significance or the for nothing, which was employed since 1678 in connection with the play of the competitive games for the pleasure of the play. Then the love became the term used in the whist, football, tennis, etc, meaning. points of no It was said that the side which had not marked any point is of love
After marking and the rules were simplified, tennis became a more universal play in England and France, drawing aside quickly with the colonies of these countries. Tennis was brought to the United States in 1875 by Mary Outerbridge after a visit towards Bermuda, where the play was very popular. It brought the racquets, the net, and the balls, and presented the play at her friends on the island of Staten where the smooth lawns with excellent grass provided an ideal medium for success. The play drew aside as wild fire everywhere is with clubs of cricket including/understanding tennis as well as the other English play for their members.
In 1881 the association of tennis of lawn of the United States was formed in New York and Boston. By this organization the popularity of tennis drew aside very quickly. Comparatively few the tournaments in the United States are exploited the official grass, but all tournaments, if on clay, cement, or of the asphalt courses, are financed by the United States L T. With. There is city, state, of sectionnel, and the national tournaments exploited various surfaces of court for the men, women, girls, boys, juniors. There are public tournaments of park, inter-university tournaments, etc...
The international competition includes/understands the tournament of cup of Davis, who came from 1900. The cup of Davis was around the world several times, being held by Australia, France, England, and the United States with various intervals. This competition is for the men only.
The matches of cup of Wightman are composed of competition for women between England and the United States. This cup travelled through the Atlantic Ocean much of times, supported by the victorious team, at rest in their native soil until gained behind by the other team.
The majority of national tournaments are in several countries open players of other grounds, so that sometimes one intends to speak about English, French, or the American hold the first role gaining several national titles without counting that that of his own country.
Often one allows the best players of sixty-furnace who make entries for the state, sectionnels, or of the national tournaments to play. The qualification of a player is composed of his disc of tournament during the front year or years with this tournament.
It is a short history of the marvellous play of tennis. Now you can have pleasure to play it still more!
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