BIRDWATCH

BIRDWORDS: Take a look at the Culture magazine in the Sunday Times today, where there is a DOUBLE-PAGE SPREAD (p.46-7) reviewing the finest bird books in town, together with a dazzling picture of an owl mid-swoop.

BIRDART: It has come to my attention that the British Museum has lots of birds and things that are sort of bird-like, especially in the Egyptian and Assyrian rooms. Seek and you shall find, children.

CELEBRITY THINGS WITH WINGS

THAT'S RIGHT. Quentin Blake gives his unconditional support and approval to the wing-based activities of our society. GET IN, is what I say.

WINGS FROM WELL-WISHERS

NEWEST NEWS

SPOTTED: one fine kingfisher, in Christchurch Meadows. This is not something that can be seen every day, or even (anecdotal evidence suggests) every year. If you have the fortune/misfortune still to be in Oxford, we recommend you get yourself down there with all haste.

Bird of the Holiday, Christmas '08

And what a choice there is from which to make our selection. It strikes me that Christmas is a very happy time for birdlovers, what with all the turkeys, turtledoves, calling birds, french hens, geese a-laying, swans a-swimming and red red robins bob bob bobbin' along.

But we've chosen THE PARTRIDGE for TWW's Christmas bird of 2008. Please look to your right for a hugely inaccurate depiction of a partridge entangled in a pear tree. Real partridges nest on the ground and eat seeds, not pears. They are smaller than pheasants and bigger than quails but just as edible as both.

The CHUKAR partridge, which has a fetching black and white stripy wing, is the national bird of Pakistan.

When partridges fly they make a loud whirring noise and when they squawk they go 'Cheevik!'

A BIRD IN THE HAND

Picture this: it's the last day of term and spirits are running high. As I skipped merrily through Exeter's quad, I saw Molly the hawk (pigeon-swooping over for the day) being spirited round the corner and into her 'travel box'. Not one to miss a bird opportunity, and certainly never having been deterred by 'boxes', I flung myself madly in front of her keeper and demanded a photograph. LITTLE COULD I HAVE ANTICIPATED that the kind-hearted man would not only agree, but allow ME to hold Molly on the falconry glove. You may observe the photographic evidence of my UNTRAMMELED DELIGHT above.

RETURN OF THE WING

We have been very remiss. However, we are now back with a will, with a vengeance, and most importantly, with more bird news than you can shake a stick at.

SO.

1. Here is a programme about Messiaen that was on Radio 4 and features Stephen Moss, the Guardian's birdman. In it you will learn how Messiaen used birdsong in his music, how birds are 'the songsters of creation' and 'reconnect us to place, to seasons, to the fundamentals of life.' Too right.

(It is called 'the Golden Oriole'! I think that's just wonderful)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00ft26k

Furthermore, Messiaen being Radio 3's 'composer of the week' you have mere hours to enjoy the programmes about his life and work on iPlayer:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00fvfjq

2. http://www.nhm.ac.uk/visit-us/whats-on/darwin/

The Darwin exhibition at the Natural History Museum. We have good reason to believe that this is very birdy, and even if it is not, it is quite clearly amazing and exciting and you will at least get to see a picture of a bird with bright blue feet that lives in the Galapagos.

3. We urge you to

CONSIDER THE BIRDS

(by Colin Tudge)

http://tinyurl.com/69j643

A treasure trove of bird facts, bird brains, bird biology, birds in songs, birds in books, birds in history and everything else bird, including an examination of the troublesome question: 'Are birds really dinosaurs?' I hear that it also includes a scathing attack on today's politicians and economists so, like, something for everyone really. Put it on your Christmas lists.

4. Mother Goose

Hackney Empire, London

http://tinyurl.com/4r8aqq

AND

Grand Opera House, Belfast (this one has a game!)

http://www.goh.co.uk/mothergoosegame/

I confess I have no idea what happens in a Mother Goose pantomime, but presumably there's a bird in there somewhere so it must be OK.