Are there any Geordie bird names? (1 Viewer)

[Allen S. Moore]

In 1978-9, I spent 6 months working in Northallerton, which is in North Yorkshire, not too far from the mighty River Tees, the southern boundary of County Durham. Quite a few of the nurses in the Hospital were from County Durham, the lasses from Gateshead having particularly memorable accents.

Reading on another thread about the North East Bird Forum Bash set me thinking about those times and wondering - are there any particularly distinctive Geordie bird names?
Allen S. Moore

 

[Grousemore]

A pal of mine from wayback considered only people from Newcastle to be Geordies.
He used to shoot Cushats, unfortunately.

 

[Allen S. Moore]

A pal of mine from wayback considered only people from Newcastle to be Geordies.

Yes, I have heard that Geordieland does include Northumberland, at least by some definitions. Yours reminds me of a friend who moved S to Darlington, and contrasted the friendly people of Newcastle with those in Darlington, claiming that you could sit in a pub in Darlington for 3 years and nobody would speak to you. I thought that it was a bit harsh!

He used to shoot Cushats, unfortunately.

I typed in the word cushat in the internet and came up with the woodpigeon. In the really hot summer in NE England, June 1996, I went for a walk in the Cheviots with a friend from Shilden (also County Durham, they are really a friendly lot!). We kipped out in the open at the head of the River Breamish where there were only 2 sounds - midges and drumming snipe. The latter was mighty (what's the Geordie word for snipe?), the former irksome. Anyway, next morning, we headed east along the foot of Cushat Law!
That was the time I collapsed with sunstroke in the Visitors' Centre in the village of Ingram! It was not fun at the time, of course. The lady in the Visitors' Centre arranged for us to have a lift to Alnwick, and I waited in the Cemetery, laid out under the trees! I cannot even remember what birds were there.
Ah, memories!

 

[citrinella]

Cushats and similar are also used in Scots - not truly Geordie

One widely used name that I believe is genuinely Geordie is spug or speug for House sparrow.

Mike.

 

[malskelton]

Cushats and similar are also used in Scots - not truly Geordie

One widely used name that I believe is genuinely Geordie is spug or speug for House sparrow.

Mike.

Can definitely vouch for Spuggie - I still call them that despite moving away from Co. Durham ( trying to introduce the practice around East Yorkshire now ).

Mal Skelton

 

[helenol]

You may find lots of names in the following thread. It used to be a "sticky", but for some reason, BF decided it shouldn't be one anymore. No idea why, as it made searching for stuff like this so much easier.

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=14263&highlight=nicknames+birds

 

[Marmot]

Also agree with the Spuggie.

There is the Cuddy Duck - Eider Duck, don't ask me why perhaps "our Cuddy" could answer this one. Our Cuddy "Brian" has a great Geordie accent so we will have to send him over to you to bring back memories.

 

[the bird]

Also agree with the Spuggie.

never lived further north than Selby and I've always called them spuggies!!!!


John

 

[gabba]

Spuggie, Starkie, Cra, Blackie, Thrushie, Mistla, Wetahen, Chaffie, Skemie, Spuggiehark, Corbie and so on

 

[helenol]

Spuggie, Starkie, Cra, Blackie, Thrushie, Mistla, Wetahen, Chaffie, Skemie, Spuggiehark, Corbie and so on

Hi Gabba, do you mind if I duplicate your post here into another thread, where all the alternative/nicknames for birds are posted? Thanks.

 

[gabba]

Hi Gabba, do you mind if I duplicate your post here into another thread, where all the alternative/nicknames for birds are posted? Thanks.

no, go ahead Helen

 

[helenol]

Ta very much :t:

 

[pauliev69]

Also agree with the Spuggie.

There is the Cuddy Duck - Eider Duck, don't ask me why perhaps "our Cuddy" could answer this one. Our Cuddy "Brian" has a great Geordie accent so we will have to send him over to you to bring back memories.

I think its something to do with St Cuthberts time on Holy Island where he made a bit of a santuary for the Eiders? A very early RSPB! correct me if I am wrong

 

[Allen S. Moore]

Cuddy duck

I think its something to do with St Cuthberts time on Holy Island where he made a bit of a santuary for the Eiders? A very early RSPB! correct me if I am wrong

Now that Marmot and Paul have reminded me, yes, the name Cuddy duck was the only Geordie bird name that I really knew as such. I've forgotten who told me that name all those years ago, but St Cuthbert's eider sanctuary was the source of the name (or the man himself).
Allen

 

[salty]

dont foget 'kessie's' - kestrel.

 

[Quacker]

Anyone remember Skykey or larkie (Skylark) Dickie Hedgie (Dunnock) and my all time favourite for the Yellowhammer, Scribblyjack - the latter may have had more to do with the markings of its eggs.

Most names, as kids, were just abbreviations, as mentioned earlier, spuggy - both tree spug & house spug, songie, missla, (thrushes), blackie, lappie, parchie, (Blackbird, Lapwing & Partridge). Stinker was Starling's unglamourous tag.

Anymore for anymore?

 

[Allen S. Moore]

Stinker was Starling's unglamourous tag.

Anymore for anymore?

Is, or was, there a big starling roost in Gateshead to explain that name?

 

[citrinella]

Spuggie, Starkie, Cra, Blackie, Thrushie, Mistla, Wetahen, Chaffie, Skemie, Spuggiehark, Corbie and so on

I don't think all of these are really Geordie. Cra is common in Scotland - and I think Corbie is really Scots.

Not so easy to separate between Geordie and Lallands of course ! After all, Scotland sometimes included parts of Northumberland and once extended to Tees and Ribble.

Blackie and Chaffie are common abbreviations.

What are Skemie and Starkie ?

Mike.

 

[CornishExile]

I don't think all of these are really Geordie. Cra is common in Scotland - and I think Corbie is really Scots.

Not so easy to separate between Geordie and Lallands of course ! After all, Scotland sometimes included parts of Northumberland and once extended to Tees and Ribble.

Mike.

There's lots of shared dialect along the east coast between Newcastle and Shetland, and all points in-between - maybe something to do with the historical Norse influence?

A non-birding example - ganzie, still common currency in Shetland, and certainly still used in Newcastle too.

ce

 

[Grousemore]

A non-birding example - ganzie, still common currency in Shetland, and certainly still used in Newcastle too.

ce

...is that a sweater/jersey, as called gansey in Ireland?