It's a guy thing...

Spike & the Sparrow...

A whirligig is an object that spins or whirls, or has at least one member that spins or whirls. Whirligigs are also known as buzzers, comic weathervanes, gee-haws, spinners, whirlygigs; whirlijig; whirlyjig; whirlybird; or plain whirly. Whirligigs are most commonly powered by the wind, but can be hand or friction powered, or even powered by a motor. They can be used as a kinetic garden ornament. They can be designed to transmit sound and vibration into the ground to repel burrowing rodents in yards, gardens, and backyards.

Etymology of the word
The word whirligig derives from two middle English words: whirlen (to whirl) and gigg (top), or literally to whirl a top. The Oxford English Dictionary cites the 1440 Promptorium Parvulorum, the first English-Latin Dictionary, which contains the definition, "Whyrlegyge, chyldys game, Latin: giracu-lum. Thus, it is likely the 1440 version of whirligig referred to a spinning toy or toys.

Origins and evolution
The actual origin of whirligigs is unknown. Both farmers and sailors use weathervanes on an ongoing basis and the assumption is one or both groups are likely the originators. By 400 BC the dragon butterfly, a propeller launched by rolling a stick had been invented in China. Wind driven whirligigs were technically possible by 700 AD when the Sasanian Empire began using windmills to lift water for irrigation. The weathervane which dates to the Sumerians in 1600-1800 BC, is the second component of wind driven whirligigs

In Chinese, Egyptian, Persian, Greek and Roman civilizations there are ample examples of weathervanes but as yet, no examples of a propeller driven whirligig. A grinding corn doll of Egyptian origin demonstrates that string operated whirligigs were already in use by 100 BC.

The first known visual representation of a European whirligig is contained in a medieval tapestry that depicts children playing with a whirligig consisting of a hobbyhorseon one end of a stick and a four blade propeller at the other end
...Wikipedia


This whirligig was a gift from my brother, not handmade, but comical and charming. My dad made handcrafted ones from wood and painted them cleverly in his wood shop in our barn. Most of his outdoor geese, cardinals and other fun ones have worn out, except for the one in Maine at our summer place. My brother lovingly takes it in at the seasonal close up, extending its life. Those whirring goose wings remind me of all the others.

A beautiful day, things are beginning to green up and and spring up all over, finally