The yellowhammer (Emberiza citrinella), or yellow bunting, yellow amber, scribbler (for squiggly marks on egg), was one of my favorite birds in Britain. I saw the bird in flight and yelled to Stijn "Geelgors" (dutch name for yellowhammer) which made him slightly more motivated to pull over, although we were on tiny winding roads surrounded by tall hedgerows and there was literally nowhere to stop!British bird names are so colorful and interesting, and the explanation of the yellowhammer is relatively straightforward. Its face is brilliant yellow, although the photo doesn't do it justice, and the second half of the name is thought to be derived from the German for bunting which is 'ammer', yellowhammers being the commonest of the buntings (or once were). Now they're red-listed, according to RSPB, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (www.rspb.org), which is the highest conservation priority, w/ species needing urgent action. Fewer hedgerows and the trimming of verges are thought to be involved in local declines. There's also a yellowhammer in N.A. -- the flicker (Colaptes auratus) -- which has a flash of yellow on the underside of its wings, and hammers trees for insects.
Most of our birding was done on the road, but we did get a 2 h walk at Rye Harbour Nature Reserve (www.naturereserve.ryeharbour.org) . Nevertheless, my binoculars went on first thing in the morning and didn't come off until we sat down for an ale. Stijn enjoyed seeing a bird now and again, but he wasn't riveted like me. He was more concerned with staying on the right side of the road, which of course wasn't the right side! And he didn't want me driving since it would've taken us 3 times as long to get anywhere w/ all the stops for birds! So w/ mostly 2 eyes/ears, the trip list came to 53 species. I got 11 new species which brings my year list to 95 species (so close to my 100 year goal!). Just one more trip could tip me over the edge.
For those interested, I've listed the British names below in the order the birds were seen:
Blackbird
House sparrow
Wren
Hedge Sparrow
Chimney Swift
Eurasian Jackdaw
Crow
Rook
Common Tern
Herring Gull
Black-headed Gull
Greater Black-backed Gull
Kittiwake
Robin
Song Thrush
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
Barn Swallow
Chaffinch
Starling
Blue Tit
Chiff Chaff
Magpie
Common Nightingale
Pied Wagtail
Linnet
Northern Wheatear
Lapwing
Eurasian Oystercatcher
Common Redshank
Little ringed Plover
Kestrel
Little Tern
Sandwich Tern
Mallard
Tufted Duck
Cormorant
Goldfinch
Moorhen
Pheasant
Yellowhammer
Mute Swan
Greylag Goose
Coot
Great Tit
Mistle Thrush
Rock Pigeon
Grey Heron
Long-tailed Tit
Ringnecked Parakeet
Goldcrest
Canada Goose
Jay
plus: Cinnabar moth, Red Admiral
4 comments:
Hi courtenay,
I wonder if the magpies over there are the same species we have on the Palouse?
We were thinking about you guys last night because Jen wouldn't stop talking about the World Cup, and apparently the Dutch team has some parallels to our own "Cougar" football team in Pullman.
Those who were talking soccer thought the dutch have a great team but they tend to "Coug" it by making a big mistake and losing the game before the end of the match.
rob
Hi Rob,
Apparently the Dutch team has flare & finesse but lacks steely resolve. Maybe this year they'll surprise us all! At least they don't hold back, which you can't say for the Germans, and are fun to watch.
No, our magpie (Pica pica)is not the same as yours (Pica hudsonia). It says "bakkie doen?" instead of "cup of coffie?", but you must pay close attention to distinguish the subtle variation.
Court,
The yellowhammer is a sweet looking bird. Great news that you're so close to goal! Wish I could be there as you tip over the edge of that goal.
Laura
We could go over the edge together. Just take a train and see where we end up! What amazing stories we'd have to tell ...
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