Asylum Seekers: Now With Wings
Asylum Seekers: Now With Wings
It seems inconceivable that a bird table could lead to thoughts
about asylum seeking, but this seems to be the case.
It .....
It seems inconceivable that a bird table could lead to thoughts
about asylum seeking, but this seems to be the case.
It all started innocently enough, of course. With winter now upon
us, I thought it would be a nice idea to buy a bird table, to bring
back memories of a childhood where my parents stuck some bacon rind
up on a branch, bought me the Observer's Book of Birds and left me
to it.
Whichever hobby they decided on for me, there was always an
Observer's book involved and a hope that I would then get on with
it.
Anyway, to the local shop for a bird table. Mightily expensive they
turned out to be, so rather than a mahogany table, replete with
eaves and a foot spa, we returned home with a round mesh with a
stick in it and a packet of peanuts. I had attempted to go to the
counter with bird seed, rather than peanuts. I was calmly informed
that the seed was smaller than the mesh and would merely have left
a trail.
Not a problem. Peanuts it was then and by day three, the birds
arrived. Well, the Tit family anyway and that's more than good
enough for me. It really is a delight, and the children are as
excited as I'd hoped they would be.
Hang on, one second' ('No dear, that's not a Peregrine, that's
still a Great Tit!')
So, as I say, we have, if nothing else, been inundated with the Tit
family. We needed to identify the different breeds within this
family, so a little bit of research has revealed that so far, we
have had a Great Tit, a Blue Tit, a Coal Tit and also a Marsh Tit.
No Crested Tit, though. These have grey-brown upper parts, whitish
under parts and a black and white head with, funnily enough, a
crest on it. These, you see, are only found in the Caledonian
forests of Scotland and I live in the middle of Devon.
I know all this because I found a page on the Internet that allowed
me learn this. The site is incredibly useful and you are even able
to click on a link that allows you to hear their calls. Angling the
computer speakers by the open window, clicking on one of the calls
brings a whole new element to the proceedings. To see a Blue Tit
hear a Curlew call over is to see a very confused garden bird
indeed.
Now then, we have a Robin that has been getting friendly and I
decided to look up the details on this most common of British birds
and really, was quite staggered by the description given.
Apparently, the Robin is joined in the colder months by, and I
quote, 'immigrants from the continent.' So far, so good, nothing
wrong with that. But it was the words that followed that had me
wondering, for perhaps the first time in my life, about whether
racism exists within ornithology.
ALL I WANT FROM SANTY IS MY SANITY
ALL I WANT FROM 'SANTY' IS MY SANITY
Rev. James L. Snyder
Christmas is the one time of the year when it is okay to be
traditional. That .....
These immigrants are 'paler than ours, [and] have a duller red
breast.' Now then, things are getting a bit personal, but not
overly so.
What took my breath away was the fact that I am unlikely to see one
of these Europeans because you see, they're not friendly; they
'skulk in woodlands.' Skulk'' I've never known a bird to skulk,
personally.
Lordy, at any juncture, I expected berries and berets to become a
deliberate typo. I'm not sure if the person who wrote this
description is a Daily Mail reader, but a relaxing read about
Britain's national bird left me feeling uncomfortable, a little hot
under the collar.
They state in the final paragraph that 'Robins are territorial all
the year round.'
It would appear they're not the only ones'
' Copyright Holmes Charnley mmiv. All rights reserved.
About the Author
Freelance Journalist based in Devon-UK. For more examples of my
work, please visit http://www.articles.me.uk. The two most recent pieces
have been published in The Guardian (UK broadsheet.) Pieces also
accepted by Jack magazine.
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