How did two types of birds become associated with two calm seasons in late autumn to give us two beautiful words: “halcyon” and “gossamer”? The English call the quiet days of late November “gossamer,” ...

Most people can think of a time they wish they could return to — a season when life felt simpler and calmer. “Halcyon” is a word that seems to describe those simpler times. Used to describe serene ...

As the veil of mist lifted, I saw a kingfisher fly off the short narrow pier, and bolt low over the calm lough, revealing its bright blue back and wings, before disappearing into the reeds on the ...

Black-capped kingfisher, Halcyon pileata (protonym, Alcedo pileata), also known as the Miyako kingfisher, photographed at Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China.

This shy little bird is linked to many bizarre beliefs about the weather The ancients called them the “halcyon days” – a period of fine, settled weather, lasting roughly seven days, which began ...