MRS MOREAU'S WARBLER

I've just finished reading 'Mrs Moreau's Warbler, How Birds Got Their Names' by Stephen Moss. I thoroughly enjoyed it, although I found the constant interruption of the narrative with footnotes in tiny print was a minor irritant.
Many ornithologists are mentioned and I am somewhat bemused at the omission of John Gould. Australia is mentioned fleetingly; the book is predominantly Anglocentric. Only on page 263 did I learn that the book was supposed to be about English bird names.

'The Times' is quoted on the cover:  'Stephen Moss unlocks a trove of folk history. . .Not a page goes by without at least one diverting fact.'

The 'diverting fact on page 115 is one that I have written about elsewhere. It concerns the derivation of the name storm petrol.  Moss quotes the late Professor W.B
 Lockwood who wrote 'The Oxford Book of British Bird NamesLondon, 1984) as saying that these tiny birds 'tap the water with their feet as they fly low over the surface of the sea. He (Lockwood) suggested that this "pitter-patter" action led to the name, though the OED. . . Demurs, suggesting that although the origins are now long lost, it may come from the sounds these bird(s) make while mating, or even their smell.'

I found this fascinating as I'd always believed patrels were named after Peter, because they walked on water like St Peter on the Sea of Galilee.

Moss goes on to attribute this theory to William Dampier in 'A voyage to New Holland, etc, in the year 1699.'  Moss asserts this is entirely spurious. He does say that this derivation has  been accepted in many other European  countries, namely Germany, Norway and Spain. Id love to know why Moss is so sure of his grounds.

This quibble notwithstanding, I'd happily recommend 'Mrs Moreau's Warbler to anyone with an interest in the history of ornithology and the naming of birds.

A WEEK IN GREENSBOROUGH

I've just spent a week in Greensborough. I didn't go birding, yet on my walks I saw 21
 species of birds and heard another three.

Greensborough is a very pleasant leafy suburb with lots of flowering eucalyptus. There are even more Noisy Miners and Rainbow Lorikeets than in Kew. Surprisingly there are significantly fewer Red Wattlebirds, and no Little Wattlebirds.

There are fewer exotics:  no sparrows, no starlings, no blackbirds and very few Common Mynas.  Rock Doves and Spotted Doves are in about the same numbers as Kew.

Little Ravens and magpie are as common as in Kew, Grey Butcherbirds are less common, Galahs are more common. I saw two species I've never seen on my walks in Kew:  Dusky Moorhen and Common Bronzewing. White-faced Herons and Australian King Parrots are far more common in Greensborough. I heard many Eastern Rosellas, but perhaps surprisingly, I didn't see one. I saw just a couple of Musk Lorikeets.

Now it will be interesting to see what birds I can see in Eltham.

GOODBYE TO KEW

After 26 years living in Kew, I'm off to leafy North Warrandyte.  I've done well over 1,000 daily walks from my Kew home (I only started in recent years) and my bird total for these walks is 54 species.  My house birdlist had another six species:  Kookaburra, Rufous and Golden Whistler, Rufous Fantail and (most exciting!) Tawny Frogmouth - all seen just once, and Song Thrush, which used to be a common resident over twenty years ago, but which hasn't been seen here this century.

Tawny Frogmouths - a lousy photo, but proof that they came.

One sad loss is the Willie Wagtail, which I used to be able to rely on on my north walk, but which hasn't put in an appearance for some years.  Another bird I used to see, but haven't seen since the invasion of Noisy Miners is the White-plumed Honeyeater.  They were common here in the 1990's.  Another 'new' bird to the district is the Crested Pigeon - not here when we moved in.  Silvereyes are now rare; they used to be common.

Just last week I added a new bird to my walk list:  a pair of Maned Ducks flew into a tree above my head on my south walk.  I had seen them years ago at the neighbours' pool, but never had they graced one of my walks.

Gang Gangs are always a favourite.  I see them on north walks, most often in April, but also in June and August.

Gang Gang photo by Ken Haines

Perhaps the most exciting bird on my walks was the Wedge-tailed Eagle - always a joy to see.  Although the Little Button-quail deserves a mention.  I'm sure the Budgerigar on a west walk was an escaped pet.  The Australian King Parrots were exciting and I hoped they'd stay around, but they did not.

So, it's goodbye to Kew.  I will miss the daily walks.  The terrain and footpaths around North Warrandyte are not quite so friendly.  However, I'm sure my birdlist will be longer.  I know there are Powerful Owls and Scarlet Honeyeaters on my property.  It will be interesting to see how long it takes me to get a total over 60 species.  I am confident it will not take 26 years.