Sobering

Nice shot. This is a grey heron, the European equivalent of our great blue heron. Keep an eye out though, because the purple heron looks similar but is darker colored.

It is pretty common in cemeteries for the headstone to face east for religious reasons. I don't know if that is the case here but that would explain why they're all facing the same direction.

Nifty is right!

Aha, a relative of all the Coors we have been seeing. White face patch, it's a coot, red face patch it's a moorhen. Got it.

Moorhen

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moorhen

We thought of you as we rode through your village.

Glad you like my chateau! :)

Pretty sure it’s real water too.

Thanks Scott.

Aha! Not a duck at all, then.

Of course, but the water looks almost painted in.

Indeed, the saying in Germany is eat breakfast like a king, eat lunch like a merchant, eat supper like a pauper. Or for a cyclist one can truly say that a good breakfast sets you up for the whole day. We hate North American breakfasts!

Yup. They’re all moorhens, either females or possibly immatures. The males are a sooty black with a bright red beak with a yellow tip.

Oh. Yes I do. It’s a female moorhen.