The last breeding pair of these magnificent birds nested in Edinburgh in 1416. Elsewhere, they are a shining example of how people and animals can peacefully coexist The most inspiring sight I witnessed during a recent trip to northern Greece was entering small villages and finding white storks in huge nests plonked on telegraph poles and the occasional church tower. The ancient Greeks invented the idea that these magnificent black-and-white birds deliver newborn babies via the story of Gerana and Hera (Gerana is turned into a stork by the goddess Hera and the image of Gerana seeking to retrieve her baby son in her beak has stuck with us), and many European peoples have believed that storks nesting on homes brings good luck. Continue reading...