tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278510471239667560.post1885524157651955137..comments2024-03-29T01:41:15.713+00:00Comments on Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park birds: Ralph Hancockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11686354797977020917noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278510471239667560.post-77882723725855296872016-01-03T22:39:44.295+00:002016-01-03T22:39:44.295+00:00How interesting. I suppose it isn't considered...How interesting. I suppose it isn't considered a bird of ill omen in Spain as it is here.Ralph Hancockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11686354797977020917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278510471239667560.post-50515862477925600832016-01-03T20:32:57.161+00:002016-01-03T20:32:57.161+00:00Funnily enough, that happens in Spanish too. A fol...Funnily enough, that happens in Spanish too. A folk name for the magpie in certain regions in Spain is "marica", which is an affectionate name for María (Mary).Tinúvielhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04794275230697959519noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278510471239667560.post-70231935450177525032016-01-02T18:16:05.356+00:002016-01-02T18:16:05.356+00:00Very interesting. Thank you.Very interesting. Thank you.Ralph Hancockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11686354797977020917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278510471239667560.post-38942451147670099482016-01-02T18:16:00.459+00:002016-01-02T18:16:00.459+00:00Very interesting. Thank you.Very interesting. Thank you.Ralph Hancockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11686354797977020917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278510471239667560.post-71314967700710729342016-01-02T03:34:33.268+00:002016-01-02T03:34:33.268+00:00Here's another one I've found. Magpie fro...Here's another one I've found. Magpie from "Maggoty-pie" or "Maggot the pie" being versions originally of Magot pie, Magot being a pet version of Marguerite. Assuming it's coincidental or subsidiary that the Irish for the same bird is Meaige. <br /><br />As a bird name, pie also gave rise to the adjectives pied and piebald, and possibly pie as a preparation, originally one which several ingredients may be gathered, like a magpie collects items. Pie as a bird name derives from Old French/the latin name pica.<br /><br />As regards the typographical terms pica, Oxforddictionaries states: "Late 16th century: from Anglo-Latin pica (literally 'magpie'), commonly identified with a 15th-century book of rules about Church feasts, but no edition of such a pica printed in ‘pica’ type is known." <br /><br />Also the malaise pica, meaning consumption of/craving to eat unusual things, may again refer to magpies' collecting reputation, but that is not the only theory. Happy new year to all from Jim n.L. (still in festive time-lag!)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278510471239667560.post-4806105208030296312016-01-01T23:06:05.357+00:002016-01-01T23:06:05.357+00:00Interesting about the medieval names, didn't k...Interesting about the medieval names, didn't know that. Ulrikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06022985141813875238noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278510471239667560.post-12249477883797210552016-01-01T19:51:49.098+00:002016-01-01T19:51:49.098+00:00Difficult to distinguish birds that are genuinely ...Difficult to distinguish birds that are genuinely rare from those that are simply rare in Central London -- such as common House Sparrows. Probably the rarest visitor was the White-Winged Black Tern that spent several days on the Serpentine a few years ago.Ralph Hancockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11686354797977020917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278510471239667560.post-37750688242028250662016-01-01T19:02:01.946+00:002016-01-01T19:02:01.946+00:00Ralph, What is the rarest birds that have been in ...Ralph, What is the rarest birds that have been in seen in the park over the last few decades?<br />Just curious!<br />ArjunArjun Duttahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12428937191960058515noreply@blogger.com