Monday 30 November 2009

'stockamsel' Blackbirds - the Naumann link

Hard to believe but it's almost December! Dark nights and slow birding days, so time to scratch around for something mildly interesting. On Saturday we caught two apparent continental Blackbirds and the word 'stockamsel' came to mind (see below). Nigel kindly added a comment but has since rooted out a link to an old ringers bulletin from 1969.

Not only is it a bit of nostalgia but from Clare College, Cambridge some light on the subject. Evidently the expression 'stockamsel' was first coined by Johann Andreas Naumann he of (naumanni) Lesser Kestrel and Dusky Thrush fame. It relates to young males resembling well marked females. There is no English equivalent but perhaps 'lady boy' will do? I'm not intending to refer to it any further blogs mind!

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