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Author Archives: willsy28
Peregrine gender gap
How can you tell the difference between a male and a female peregrine? Continue reading
Posted in Birds
Tagged falcon, female, gender, male, peregrine, sex differences, sexual dimorphism, tiercel
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Tree detective: Amelanchier
There are many familiar UK trees, but some less common ones are not always easy to identify. This is the case with the Amelanchier. Continue reading
The dunnock’s many names
How did the dunnock acquire its name, and what other names has it had? Continue reading
Posted in Birds
Tagged accentor, dunnock, entomology, hedge sparrow, name, prunella, taxonomy
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Is the robin a thrush?
It used to be thought that the robin was part of the thrush family. Continue reading
Posted in Birds
Tagged chats, erithaca rubecula, european robin, robin, stonechat, taxonomy, thrush
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Birds of a feather
An exaltation of larks, a murder of crows… where do these words come from? Continue reading
Posted in Birds
Tagged Birds, collective nouns, exaltation, flock, gaggle, groups, murder
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The mysterious phoenix
How did the legend of the phoenix arise, and was it based on a real bird? Continue reading
Posted in Birds
Tagged christopher wren, flamingo, greek, phoenix, st paul's cathedral
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Tree leaves: a brief history
Leaves of trees have had all sorts of uses in our history Continue reading
Trees linking UK to Europe
Many familiar British trees are not native to this country but have European roots Continue reading
Green city: Southampton and its trees
Southampton is a city with an abundance of trees Continue reading
Posted in Trees
Tagged first world war, magnolia, monkey puzzle, pine, sequoia, Southampton, Southampton Common, Trees, wellingtonia, ww1
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The birds and the trees 