Bird puppets

Grackle Crow, Bill Duck, unnamed rooster, Capercaillie, Cheep Chick, unnamed duck, Nigel Parrott, Olivia Ostrich

I don't know why I have so many bird puppets. The oldest of these is Nigel, who I found back in the early '90s. My nephew Willie got a similar puppet named Fred. One night I was talking with Willie on the phone. He was about five. We put our puppets on so they could have a conversation. After a few minutes of chat, Willie said to the puppet on his own hand, "Okay, Fred, I'm going to talk now." Nice.

The crow and the ostrich are both tricksters. They like to nibble on earrings and other jewelry, and are fond of imaginary bug snacks. Olivia is also an opera singer--her rendition of "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" in operatic style is, umm, unforgettable.

I haven't used the capercaillie much--this lovely puppet was a trade with storyteller Neppe Pettersson, from Finland. I'm always looking for uncommon puppets. This is definitely one--wish it had come out better in the picture, as he fades into the background. I think he's shy, and maybe grouses a little.

Bill Duck is more of a joker. He's likely to quack out a joke. Here's his favorite:

A duck walked into a drugstore and asked for some lip gloss. "That will be $1.38," the clerk said. "Quack! Just put it on my bill!"

I haven't used the other duck much. She's pretty, but I haven't figured out her personality yet. She has a stick inside her head so I can turn it easily, but the mouth doesn't move. You'll notice a bias on my part toward puppets with workable mouths.

More to come!