1848 - Edwar Lear
The Storks of Lamia
Greece
From Euboea we crossed to Lamia - or Zeitun as the Turks called it; the last town of the Turkish frontier, & very Turkey in its appearance. I wish you could see it. The strangest feature of the place is the immense number of storks it contains. Every house has one or more, some 8 or 10 nests, & the minarets - (now only ruins) & other ruined houses are all alive with them. The clatter they make with their bills is most curious, & make you fancy all the town are playing at backgammon.
Lear, Edward
Selected Letters
Oxford 1899