Well – they promised us summer in time for the longest day of the year (tomorrow), which is ironic as it’s from that moment that the nights start drawing in. Oh, those capricious gods!
I took the opportunity to sit in the garden for half an hour, reading this:
Corvids have featured on this blog before, I am City Jackdaw after all, but among the jackdaws, crows, jays and magpies, I don’t think I’ve ever mentioned choughs.
The author recounts the ornithologist, Ian Bullock, writing to him:
A pair of choughs are much like humans – they walk shoulder to shoulder, fly at the same moment and close together, and often feed each other or preen each other – very obviously in love. They have suffered under the stigmas of being a “crow”, yet hard work and honesty mark their lives.
I know we like to anthropomorphise everything, and this is a human bestowing human qualities on them, but I do like this description. I can go along with that.
I’ve only ever seen choughs once, when I was in Wales, which is home to three-quarters of the UK’s few hundred pairs. In Welsh they are known as Brân Goesgoch, which means red-legged crow.
That’s another thing we humans like to do: name things.
So there you go. Human traits and honest choughs.
Tune in tomorrow for another episode of City Jackdaw Thinks He’s A Cross Between John Broadus Watson and Bill Oddie.
City Jackdaw 
I trust you have a beard? It is a prerequisite for ornithologists.
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I started to grow one during ,lockdown, but it seems that my wife only married me for my chin.
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A familiar tale!
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They are not only red legged but also red beaked, beautiful bird.
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Never heard of Choughs (pronounced how?) but how striking. They’re definitely the more eyesome of your beloved Corvids. 😉 Also hadn’t heard of the Micheal Viney essays. I will look them up as the excerpts I’ve seen on-line are interesting. And last but not least. In a curious state to better understand my Manc bud – self described as a cross between John Broadus Watson and Bill Oddie – I looked them up and kind of knew about Watson, but Oddie was new to me. I went to his website and found such an eclectic mix of fun things to explore!
Have a great weekend, Andy!
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They are pronounced ‘chuffs’.
I do like my jackdaws’ pale blue eyes! The most striking were probably the ravens I saw close-up in the Tower of London. Lore didctates that they have to remain there or the country will fall. Think that’s how it goes!
Older people over here will remember Oddie as a member of the madcap Goodies, in the 70’s. However most will know him as a ‘twitcher’ who for a while fronted the nature shows Springwatch and Winterwatch.
Hope you have a great weekend too 🙂
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