Dolphins to Daphne

 

Some of these photos were left out of a previous post when I was back at Arbroath Cliffs checking on the Kittiwakes and Fulmars. Some are from my garden where I can be found stalking anything that might visit. The Dolphins below were quite close inshore and they've been seen again at least once on Sunday, perhaps they're staying local because of the young one. Olive says I've not to post any more bees, instead I've to keep her company in her garden.....

Kittiwakes with chicks, click here for noisy video     Lesser Black-backed Gull checking on an Osprey flying by  

Grey Wagtail and its fledged chick, click here for video

A young Bottlenose Dolphin at Arbroath Cliffs on Friday 9th July

Same youngster with what appears to its mother

Maw, Paw and the Bairn

I was photographing a Common Blue Butterfly and looking inland when I heard a huge splash, yes I missed one of the large adults jumping clear of the water.....

Another Common Carder Bee photo

Early Bumblebee worker

Garden Bumblebee male

Honey Bee

Red-tailed Bumblebee worker

This Tree Bumblebee looked big enough to be a Queen, but I suppose it must be a worker or a male since it's foraging at this time of year?

And finally since I mentioned "The Broons", the dolphin family in case you missed it. Here's Wikipedia's descriptions of the whole family!

The family members include:

Paw Broon – the patriarch, a working man who occasionally tries to keep enough back for a bit of "baccy" (tobacco) and a bet on the horses. In a flashback to his youth, Paw was seen with his immediate family before he and Maw were married. His mother, Granmaw, was seen as well as his sister Daphne and brother Joseph. As Granpaw is a widower, and Aunt Daphne and Uncle Joseph are never seen, Paw has named two of his children after his siblings — his oldest daughter, Daphne, and his second son, Joe. With his comb-over hairstyle and walrus moustache, his appearance was supposedly based on A.C. "Archie" Brown, the chief editor of publisher D. C. Thomson & Co. Ltd at the time The Broons originated. 

Paw disapproves of most young behaviour. Paw is a main character: there are very few strips where he is not featured. It is usually him who ends up being made the idiot of, after he has made a smart-alec comment. Paw is generally said to be still working at the shipyards. However, in a few strips, he is depicted as being retired.

Maw Broon – the formidable mother of eight. She has to run every aspect of the household and keep her husband, Paw, in line. Her first name was once used when her brother came to visit. He burst into No. 10 addressing her as "Maggie" and looking for money for his taxi fare. The name Maggie was confirmed in Maw Broon's Cookbook, published in 2007. Another book was The But an' Ben Cookbook, Waverley Books, 2008 ISBN 978-1-902407-61-6 (the book from the family's holiday home, "the wee hoose among the heather"). In a 1980s strip the opening rhyme featured her name as Maigret (Margaret) Broon as well but this never continued. Maw comes from a more upper-class background, as seen in "Maw Broon's Remedies & Suchlike" where her mother has given her the book as a present and writes about how Maw should stop seeing Paw. In earlier strips she can be seen to make the family act rather posh which her daughters also take after her by doing so.

Granpaw Broon – Paw's widowed, 80-year-old father, lives in his own house and spends most of his time sitting on a park bench with his "cronies" (friends), or tending his allotment. He shares Paw's preoccupation with having an ample supply of tobacco. Granpaw was a slightly later addition, not appearing in the earliest strips. In some of these, the family had a picture of Granpaw on their wall, which could do certain actions, such as wagging its finger at the children. Initially, Granpaw was portrayed in a bad light, as a miser and a scheming moocher but was later written as a loveable rogue. It was revealed in Maw Broon's Cookbook (2007) that his late wife was named Jeannie, a Scottish variation of "Jean" or "Jenny" that was once very popular. Granmaw was only seen twice, once in 1937, during a flashback of Maw and Paw's courting days, and again in 1959, when comparing life to the old days.

Hen (Henry) Broon – The lanky, awkward eldest son and firstborn child of Maw and Paw. About 31 years old, average and a guy who rarely gets the girl. He is often taken advantage of for his height; for example, being made to act as a clothes stand to keep the washing line up. Early Broons cartoons featured Hen wearing a zoot suit. Hen is aspirational, for example every couple of years or so he buys a car. Such purchases, however, always end in failure.

Daphne Broon – The plump, somewhat dowdy daughter who is always playing second fiddle to her beautiful sister Maggie on double dates. Every few years she has a stroke of luck when the double dates get mixed up and she gets Maggie's man. At least once a year Daphne tries to go on a diet but fails to lose any weight. She is often mocked by Hen and Joe about her diets, although their taunts are intentionally harmless. Daphne is a skilled dressmaker but has a penchant for flamboyant hats.

Joe (Joseph) Broon – the epitome of the ordinary working man, usually noted for his good looks, strength and love of boxing. Joe is something of a ladies' man, and can sometimes be seen sharing a bitter rivalry with Hen over a beautiful woman, with Joe winning. Hen envies Joe's luck with the girls, and the twins see him as a role model.

Maggie (Margaret) Broon – The beautiful, glamorous daughter with blonde hair and fashionable clothing. She has a steady stream of beaux and is bitterly envied by the drab Daphne. In the later editions, Maggie became a model, and a weather girl. Despite their rivalry over men, Daphne and Maggie share a close bond and Maggie even stands up for Daphne when she is taunted; notably in one strip, flirting with a man in a bar and throwing the drink he had bought her over him as revenge for his hurtful comments toward Daphne.

Horace Broon – A bookish and bespectacled teenage schoolboy forever trying to learn French or poetry by rote amidst the chaos of a do-it-yourself chimney-sweeping mishap or other domestic turmoil. He is quite pompous and likes to think of himself as an example to the twins, but recently seems to aspire to be like Joe (for example, purchasing muscle-building equipment). However, he is nowhere near as popular with girls as Joe. Horace is seen as a young teenager in the early years of secondary school. However, during the 1990s, his appearance was that of someone slightly older.

The Twins – Although one is called Eck (short for Alexander), they are always referred to collectively, with few exceptions (such as Granpaw calling them "ae twin" and "the ither twin"). They are rambunctious youngsters and usually add to the chaos with a fistfight or a good game of cowboys and Indians.

The Bairn – The youngest of the family at about four years of age. She is basically a smaller version of Maw, getting in her share of indignant moral pronouncements and pointing out the foolishness of the male Broons. She and Granpaw are deeply close. Her first name is never revealed; she is simply addressed as "my wee lamb", "dear", "pet" etc.