Mr. Rayner, have you noticed no-one's had a go at the recuring letter game, despite your giving them a start? So:
Alpine Accentor Brown Booby or Blue-cheeked Bee-eater Cream-coloured Courser or Clinking Currawong ( just lovin' that name, Mel) Dinelli's Doradito No E so far Fernadino's Flicker Glaucous Gull Hen Harrier No I No J No K Lapland Longspur Mascarene Martin Nubian Nightjar Olive Oropendola ( I said there would be one) Palawan Peacock Phesant No Q Rouget's Rail Steller's Sea-Eagle Tickle's Thrush No U Van Dam's Vanga (Shrike) White Wagtail No X Yellow-naped Yuhina No Z
Of course some of this may be American nomenclature, or just out of date. It's not that long since I saw the scientific name Zosterops being used as a common name for White-eyes. Unfortunately no one named one after Zenaida or Zapata or found one in Zaire
I'm sure an Owl buff could probably get the whole alphabet in Scops Owls !
Abyssinian Roller Baltimore Oriole Cape Canary Dartford Warbler Egyptian Vulture Florida Scrub Jay Guianan Puffbird Himalayan Swiftlet Iceland Gull Japanese Sparrowhawk Kalij Pheasant Lapland Longspur (Bunting in old money) Madagascar Blue Pigeon Namaqua Dove Oriental Cuckoo Philadelphia Vireo No Q Rainforest Scops Owl (it's sort of a place isn't it ?) Sardinian Warbler Torotoroka Scops Owl Volcano Junco (there can't be that many inhabitable volcanos ?) West Indian Woodpecker No Y Zapata Wren
Arabian Accentor Bengal Florican Cuban Amazon Daurian Redstart Egyptian Goose Falkland Steamer Duck Galapagos Flycatcher Hawaii Amakihi Indian Spotted Eagle Japanese Accentor Kashmir Flycatcher Lapland Longspur Mongolian Finch New Zealand Bellbird Oriental Plover Peruvian Warbling Antbird No Q Rotuma Myzomela Senegal Eremomela Tanzania Masked-Weaver Uluguru Violet-backed Sunbird Venezuelan Flowerpiercer West Indian Woodpecker No X Yucatan Nightjar Zenaida Dove
Sorry - I should have said - those are birds I have seen.
I'm sure there's plenty of candidates - but I can't think of a colour beginning with X unless Xinjiang is a Chinese colour as well as a province, not that I've seen the Ground-Jay in question anyway :(
Ashy Drongo Black Grouse Citrine Wagtail Dusky Eagle-Owl Emerald-spotted Wood Dove (how much of a colour does it have to be ?) Fiery Minivet Golden Eagle Harlequin Duck (is that a colour - colour related anyway ! ) Indigo Flycatcher No J or K Lavender Waxbill Maroon Woodpecker No N Ochraceous Pewee Plain-colored Tanager (a colour of sorts ) or Purple Heron No Q Red Kite Scarlet Macaw Tricolored Heron (is that worth 3 points ?) No U Violet Sabrewing White Stork No X Yellow-green Vireo Zebra Dove (presumably colour related)
Also, what about races/sub-species e.g. Bewick's Swan (ring any bells Mr Suttill?)
Thanks Mike, I'd forgotten Bewick's Swan (the only bird named after a wood engraver) before they renamed it. I've also seen Sabine's Gull, so that's two - still in line for the booby prize!
Just been out for a day's birding with Messrs Rigby and Chorley. A plague of curses on the name of Passant but we played 3 variants of this game with varying success.
Try going through the alphabet with bird names preceded by a colour or shade of colour and then do it again with names preceded by a geographical country/region/area.
Thirdly try going through an alphabet of names with recurring letters in both the generic and specific name (eg Alpine Accentor/White Wagtail. Ooops! There's a region and a colour to get you started)
Mike Passant rules that titles don't count so I've now got a spare Amhearst's Pheasant you could have. What good swaps can you offer?
Cheers, John
Thanks for the offer, John, and the reminder , which means I've got an A. Also, on checking, I've a P as well. Just need an N before Mr Rigby finds that Falcon at Castleshaw
Sorry, Mike, I dont remember that set. I started, surprise, surprise, with British Birds.
Have either of you got "Out into space"? (Mid/late 50's Brook Bond set). Sadly, the key to collecting cards was that you shouldn't stick them into an album, but predictably, I suspect most of us did, thus detracting considerably from their value to modern collectors.
I don't think swopping "possessive name" twicers is within the spirit of the game (it would surely be akin to stringing?), but quality and quantity of twicers (or thricers) could be used as tie breaks, or to steal a round from some one else who gets stuck on his/her turn.
I think this dialogue is indicative of a dearth of good birds at present; for obvious reasons we need some one to find something, if only to put an end to this triviality; (I must say though, an Eleonora's Falcon at Pennington would now be greeted with added jubilation).
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There are so many variants (and interesting ones at that) being suggested, Mr. Rayner will be thoroughly dismayed; he may even have to seek counselling over coming weeks on how best to avoid me and these games.
It would appear Pete that quite a few would be only stuck on "E" in a BOU context (unless someone in Gr. Man. circles has managed to jam in on a British Eleonora's Falcon)?
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Another twist. A quick perusal of the BOU list reveals 14 characters with "possessive names", ABCEFHLMNPRSTW, of which I personally score 13. I need an E , though I'll settle for an Eleonora's Falcon
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Hmmm, indeed! Are you offering a booby prize, Mike? I've not seen any of the birds on any of these lists. In fact I'm not sure that I've ever seen a species named after anyone!
Hmmm. I've seen 18 of Henry's original 22 but only 2 of Tony's and Riggers' and one from the former's isn't even countable Seems my lack of attraction to pretty bright 'local' birds when abroad (and a complete lack of any South American species) rather than my attention of the usual little brown jobs we get here as vagrants which really appeal to me, has cost me dearly in this arena
- Just back from a morning (shopping =ugh!) in Newcastle.
Looking at this again, I note the barred Mr. Rayner has put his hoof in. He knows full well that "Queen" is a title and not a name, so "Queen Charlotte" can only be used as a C. and not a "Q." Moving on from Henry's and Tony's suggestion, using possessive names restricted to birds one has seen, (against the maximum possible of 24), I suspect 20 plus would be a pretty good score?
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Tony, What a good idea ! You and Henry have hatched a new slant to the game; - devising a list of possesive names, but with the condition that you have to have seen all the birds whose names you are offering! I wonder who among us all can get close to 24? Possibly the well travelled Mr. Rayner, or a certain Mr. Berry perhaps??
John Rayner will be dreading this new variant though; -he'll be playing it with me next week under sufferance?!
Unfortunately your submission of "Isabelline" Shrike doesn't meet the criteria in that the name must have the possessive apostrophe. "Isabelline" is simply an adjective describing the plumage. Cheers, Mike P.
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I've only seen 7 of Henry's list and 1 of Rigger's ! How about new lists of birds you've actually seen - here's 18 and 1 dodgy one.
Allen's Hummingbird Baird's Trogon Carmiol's Tanager Dickinson's Kestrel Everett's White-eye Fernandina's Flicker Germain's Swiftlet Hartlaubs Babbler Isabelline Shrike (does that count ?) Jameson's Firefinch Kittlitz's Plover La Sagra's Flycatcher Meves's Starling No N or O Passerini's Tanager No Q of course Raffles's Malkoha Shelley's Francolin Temminck's Sunbird No U Verreaux's Eagle-Owl Ward's Flycatcher No X, Y or Z
Hi Paul, - Thanks for a perfect answer; you were only beaten by the clock (ie the fast draw of top gun Mr. Cook). I'll try to get down to Elton Res. on Monday to have a look round the place, as we are visiting my sister- in- law's nearby; (they live up past the Jolly Carter pub); I think the road up by there is Watling St? I'll not be able to get there early and you will probably all be at work, but I mention this just on the off chance. (Of course if a Willett turns up on Sunday evening, I'll be there at dawn with about 500 others from the North East). Cheers, Mike P.
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No you can't. It's got to have an apostrophe in the name, so to use "Robin" it would need you to discover a new species at Castleshaw and then name it as (for example) "Robin's Trogon" (or, less ridiculous and more appropriate for up there) .....................................................................................................................
Mike,
If I discovered a new species at Castleshaw, there is no way I would name it after Robin.
Rigger's Rock-hopper (note the apostrophe ) maybe!
Hopefully this will put an end to this game altogether, as I've suffered it more than most, but I doubt it. It has to be said it's not as bad as a really low point I remember when we resorted to alphabetical diseases. Acne, Bubonic Plague, Cholera .......
Thanks Mike. Very thought provoking indeed. I bet there's another 20+ list out there for someone with a better knowledge of world birds than me. I've only seen 10 of the 24 on that list but I do spend far too long pouring over foreign field-guides to countries i've got no hope of even visiting in the near future! No worries about the dosh, it was good fun. Henry.
The competition is already over folks, for the simple reason that Henry Cook has won himself a fiver. He correctly submitted 24 answers before anyone else drew a breath! The following was his unbeatable submission:
Audouin's Gull, Blyth's Pipit, Cory's Shearwater, Dupont's Lark, Eleonora's Falcon, Fea's Petrel, Guldenstadt's Redstart, Hulme's Yellow-browed Warbler, Ijima's Leaf-warbler, Jouanin's Petrel, Kittlitz's Plover, Leach's Storm Petrel, Montagu's Harrier, Naumann's Thrush, Olrog's Gull, Pallas's Gull, Q - There is no Q, Radde's Warbler, Swainson's Thrush, Temminck's Horned Lark, Upcher's Warbler, Verreaux's Eagle, Wilson's Phalarope, Xantus's Murrelet, Y- There is no Y, Zino's Petrel.
Difficult letters normally are I and Z, particularly in a quick fire round. Other alternatives for these are Ihering's Antwren, Isidor's Eagle (the alternative name for Black and Chestnut Eagle) and Zimmer's Woodcreeper.
Well done Henry! Please advise me of your address by private message and a cheque will fly your way.
Congratulations, Mike
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No you can't. It's got to have an apostrophe in the name, so to use "Robin" it would need you to discover a new species at Castleshaw and then name it as (for example) "Robin's Trogon" (or, less ridiculous and more appropriate for up there : "Robin's Moorchat"). - On the other hand, if you discover a species new to science up there, you won't be bothered about winning £20 quid with a daft game, they'll want you on celebrity big brother with Jordan or someone, - perhaps Warfy.
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It's raining again in this part of the world, and with the athletics not back on until teatime, I was faced with the choice of doing some Killer Sudokus, or swatting up for a forthcoming birding trip, or submitting this. This won. So here's what's involved:
Often, when driving on a longish twitch with pals, or during a lull when away somewhere (a lull being caused for example by a tropical downpour lasting hours, or during an evening "post log" with a few drinks sloshing around), we get into this game. To play it you have to start at the beginning of the alphabet and go right through in turn coming up with a bird's name. It has to be in the format for example "Abbot's Babbler" i.e. "Somebody's Whatever." Lots of names are easy, - "Temminck's Stint" of course; however surprisingly, there are names for all but two letters through the whole alphabet. If anyone were to do the impossible and find an acceptable name for every letter of the alphabet I am pleased to offer a £20 prize. If anyone wants to send me as full a list as possible by private message I am pleased to offer a £5 prize for the first received best answer, which I shall publish here after receipt. The only rules are that the names must be in English (no scientific names), and that my decision as to validity is final, and that John Rayner (who has played this many times) is barred from entry! Cheers, and good luck to any participants,
Mike Passant
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Seems my lack of attraction to pretty bright 'local' birds when abroad (and a complete lack of any South American species) rather than my attention of the usual little brown jobs we get here as vagrants which really appeal to me, has cost me dearly in this arena 
