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Edward Balliol's royal seal
Edward Balliol's royal seal

The Second War of Scottish Independence broke out in 1332 when Edward Balliol (seal pictured) led an English-backed invasion of Scotland. Balliol was crowned king but within three months was forced out of Scotland. He appealed to the English king, Edward III, who invaded Scotland in 1333 and heavily defeated a large Scottish army at the Battle of Halidon Hill. As allies of Scotland via the Auld Alliance, the French covertly supported the loyalists of David II, the Scottish king. Increasing friction caused the French king to start the Hundred Years' War. Forced to focus on the French theatre, the English lost ground in Scotland. In 1346, while Edward campaigned in France, David invaded England believing most of its previous defenders were in France. He was surprised by a sizable English force, which crushed the Scots at the Battle of Neville's Cross and captured David. After a decade of negotiation the Treaty of Berwick was signed in 1357, ending the war with the English dropping their claim of suzerainty. (Full article...)

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Mary, Queen of Scots
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Flame robin

The flame robin (Petroica phoenicea) is a small passerine bird native to Australia. It is a moderately common resident of the coolest parts of south-eastern Australia, including Tasmania. It was first described by the French naturalists Jean René Constant Quoy and Joseph Paul Gaimard in 1830 and, like many brightly coloured Australasian robins, it is sexually dimorphic. Measuring 12 to 14 cm (5 to 6 in) long, the flame robin has dark brown eyes and a small thin black bill. The male has a brilliant orange-red chest and throat, and a white patch on the forehead above the bill. Its upper parts are iron-grey with white bars, and its tail black with white tips. The female is a nondescript grey-brown. It mostly breeds in and around the Great Dividing Range, the Tasmanian highlands and islands in Bass Strait. With the coming of cooler autumn weather, most birds disperse to lower and warmer areas. This male flame robin was photographed in Jenolan Caves, New South Wales, Australia.

Photograph credit: John Harrison

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