• Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.

    Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Search results

thxpress_search_the_forum Search Opus
  1. dantheman

    Peregrines called "hawks" in a book

    Well, if he's got an illness hanging over him, he could well be directly comparing himself to the birds who are free. Their Peregrine is his illness. (Strictly speaking, the birds wouldn't know the Peregrine had left the valley for the season. Their behaviour wouldn't change - they'd always be...
  2. dantheman

    Peregrines called "hawks" in a book

    Can I just say ... I think this is one of the most useful/informative threads on BF at the moment? There is probably a wealth of information contained on bird behaviour, bird term definitions and also other natural history information, along with an insight into some changes in the...
  3. dantheman

    Peregrines called "hawks" in a book

    Dewlap - think he is being slight artistic licence here. I presume when the bird sings it's throat muscles are vibrating the feathers on its throat. The throat bulges a little as air fills and is then expelled. (Watch a Robin or commoner bird singing) Farm chemicals - DDT. See eg Silent Spring...
  4. dantheman

    Peregrines called "hawks" in a book

    The ridge above the eye is commonly called the 'eyebrow' Powder down is an actual feature on birds (google 'powder down' or 'powder in birds wings') for waterproofing etc or see below for a nice visual ;-)...
  5. dantheman

    Peregrines called "hawks" in a book

    I think you're missing the original point - is it commonly referred to as a creek in the UK??
  6. dantheman

    Peregrines called "hawks" in a book

    Which phrase also is strongly suggestive of a navigable water body under normal (pro-paddle?) circumstances.
  7. dantheman

    Peregrines called "hawks" in a book

    Yes, I've never heard of Brooks in the USA myself (apart from Brook Shields perhaps). I did google creeks in the USA at the time and was surprised it meant all different sizes - I thought it meant navigable, as I seem to recall from Huckleberry Finn/other books? But eg 'On the Shores of Plum...
  8. dantheman

    Peregrines called "hawks" in a book

    re: soaring This from googling "what is soaring flight in birds" Soaring flight is a special kind of glide, in which the bird flies in a rising air current. Because the air is rising, the bird can maintain its height relative to the ground. rising air. In soaring flight, the bird moves...
  9. dantheman

    Peregrines called "hawks" in a book

    streams/brooks/rivers - maybe it does vary quite a bit, but I always thought of streams as smaller (and not in the generic term of moving water body). You do get 'babbling brooks' of course. (Yes, don't really use Creeks in the UK at all. I also thought Creek meant larger water bodies...
  10. dantheman

    Peregrines called "hawks" in a book

    And a few more, hopefully. 1) To add - not heard of inner' and outer' wings, although it may be old terminology. Sometimes 'hand' is used/synomous for outer wing, 'arm' for inner wing in describing raptor wings. 2) The Kingfisher is the wave of blue, not the water. (He's describing the...
  11. dantheman

    Peregrines called "hawks" in a book

    I would imagine that it is poisoned from a poisoned carcase set by a gamekeeper. I don't know but sounds like a much more potent poison than a slow-acting pesticide. Hope that helps some ;-) See what others think ...
  12. dantheman

    Peregrines called "hawks" in a book

    There is also a type of seashell called the Slipper Limpet which cling to rocks on the shoreline. Either from the same meaning, or he is implying these rocks had limpets on them (not sure if they also occur where chalk occurs).
  13. dantheman

    Peregrines called "hawks" in a book

    He implies a tent, not sails (tents can get very hot, used to be canvas before man-made materials) Not sure on 'slipper rocks' (typo for slippery, an old name perhaps, or some kind of reference to the lump of clay (slip) used in pot-making - some rocks are a hard clay type) Micro-climate...
  14. dantheman

    Peregrines called "hawks" in a book

    In this case though I would say he is referring to the two in the family generally - lumping them together (along with the other two as well, which tag along in smaller numbers!) EDIT: Thinking about it, we do separate out Blackbirds from the other thrushes - they are more distinctly different...
  15. dantheman

    Peregrines called "hawks" in a book

    Thrushes would much more likely be Redwings and Fieldfares imo if he is referring to 'winter thrushes'. They come from the north/east to winter in the UK and flock much more than Mistle and Song Thrushes (although we do also get migrants of these).
  16. dantheman

    Peregrines called "hawks" in a book

    Or you could write 'peregrine' sometimes, as that is what it is referring to? Pretty sure it could flow better than something too generic (although bird works too), but then again, you know the language you're translating into ... ;-)
Back
Top