The NW Nature Nut has asked what a Throstle is - and yes, it is indeed a Song Thrush. But Throstle is a good name and I'll try to use it in future. Many good country names have been lost as the world becomes homogenous.....the bird was also known as a Dirsh, Drush, Mavis, Thirstle, Whistling Dick, Trush Dush and Throggie, depending on where in England you were.Rather less inventive, it was apparently known as Grey Bird in Sussex and the south west. I owe this information to All the Birds of the Air by Francesca Greenoak.
Hedge Mumruffin
Ouzel Hen (per Shakespeare in Midsummer Night's Dream)On another matter, it's a conundrum that Dover (like most ports, a bit of a dump) can look quite beautiful at times. Blue skies help, I suppose.
5 comments:
I smile everytime I hear the name Throstle :-) However, Hedge Mumruffin might be my next favorite quaint sounding name! What is the last photo of? I googled Rohlicund, but it wasn't very helpful.
Mary, it's a war memorial, and Rohilkund was a battle in the mid 1800s during the Indian mutiny.
Indian as in India, not as in Red.
I'd never heard of it before, and don't know why it should be relevent to Dover - perhaps a local can assist?
Thanks for humoring me! I like all those country names for birds. Hedge Muffin would fit too. I don't think the New World has names like that, but maybe I just need to look in the right places. Great photos as usual.
The front of the monument reads :"In memory of comrades who fell during the Indian Campaigns of 1857, 1858 and 1859. Erected by the 1st Battalion 60th Royal Rifles August 1861"
Thanks! I did see some mention of India when I tried googling it. I was never very good at history.
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