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A Country Year - Spinks And Others.

January 1st to January 18th

Male Chaffinch. Sculthorpe Moor

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From the various books by the Rev. Robert Forby  (1830)

Cra - a crow.

Devilin - the species of swallow, commonly called the swift; hirundo apus. Named from its imp-like ugliness and screaming.

Dow-fulter, the fieldfare.

Green-Olf, the green finch. or, more properly, green grobeck.

Ground-lark,  What species is meant is not easy to determine; for all our indigenous species build their nests on the ground. Any, rather than the sky-lark, which soars to a vast height from the ground, or the wood-lark, which perches and sings on boughs.

Jill-hooter, Jilly-hooter, an owl. Jill is a female name, formerly very common. Madge is another familiar appellative of the same animal. Bill-wix is a third, which should belong to the male bird; but it does not appear that difference of sex is at all regarded.

King-Harry, a popular name of two common singing birds.

1. King Harry Redcap, is the gold-finch. the Fringilla carduelis, Lin.

2. King Harry Blackcap, is the bird which is commonly called simply the blackcap, Motacilla atricapilla, Lin.

Titty-wren, the common wren, Never the gold-crested wren.

Mavis, a thrush. The missel thrush, or storm cock, is never so called, only the smaller thrush, the Turdus musicus, Lin.

Oven-Bird, the long- tailed titmouse. Parus caudatus, Lin. The bird itself is, indeed, seldom called by this name, but more commonly the long-tailed pick-cheese. The allusion is to the nest.

Pick-cheese, the tit-mouse. Perhaps the word included most of the Lin. genus Parus, or all its species. Yet it does not appear that any of these pretty little ever-busy birds a justly chargeable with attacking our cheeses. If they get into dairies or cheese-chambers at all, it must be in pursuit of the insects which breed there, insects being their proper prey.

Spink, a chaffinch. Stag, a wren. 

Wood-sprite, the wood-pecker.​

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A Country Year - Spinks And Others.

January 1st to January 18th

From the East Anglian Times C. G. Betham (1892)

King Harry - A goldfinch; possibly a corruption of the word Chaucer uses for this bird, "chelandry."

Olf - A bullfinch.

 

​From the East Anglian Times H. M. D. (1892)

Our gardeners slay bullfinches, which eat fruit buds of currants and gooseberries - "mischief-ful Alps or Olps" as they call them; yet Alps where among Chaucer's favourites. "Nyghtyngales, Alpes, fynches, and wodew ales."

Mavis is yet used in Suffolk - it is the purest of English - for thrush.

Spink - A Chaffinch.

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From the East Anglian Times G. T. R. (1892)

Caeder - Jackdaw.

Cuckoo's Mate - Wryneck.

Dor-hawk - Nightjar.

Dow - Pigeon or Dove.

Green Linnet - Greenfinch.

Felfur, or Dow Felfut - applied indiscriminately to the Fieldfare and Missel Thrush.

Hay-jack - Whitethroat, and other small warblers.

King Harry - Goldfinch.

Penny Wagtail - Pied Wagtail.

Puddingpoke - Long-tailed Tit.

​​Tit-lark - Meadow and Rock Pipit.

Wall Bird - Spotted Flycatcher.

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From the Eastern Daily Press, East Anglian Birds. (1893).

Barley Bird - Nightingale, Siskin, arriving about barley time.

Billy-whit - The Barn Owl. The bird of wit or wisdom; also Willie Whit or Billy Wix.

Black Cap - Black Cap, and more usually the Marsh Tit.

Blue Hawk - Hen Harrier, male.

Blue Rock, Rock Dove - The Stock Dove, Rock Dove not occurring in Norfolk.

Bramble Finch - Brambling.

Bloodolf - Bullfinch. Nope - Bullfinch.

Butcher Bird - Red-backed Shrike. - From its habit of killing and "spitting" small birds and insects.

Doddy Wren - The Wren - doddy, diminutive - all teeney, tiny things are familiarly addressed and respected in Norfolk parlance.

Draw-water King Harry, or King Harry Draw-water - The former from its being taught in captivity to draw for itself with a thimble and chain.

Develing or Devil Bird - The Swift, from its blackness and uncanny tout ensemble. Its note is a weird cry, and only as night approaches does it fly low enough to be especially noticed. It inhabits for roosting and nesting purposes, high and lofty places (frequently church towers), and never alights upon the ground.​​​

A Country Year - Spinks And Others.

January 1st to January 18th

Female Chaffinch. Sculthorpe Moor

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​​​Englishman - English Partridge.

Firetail - Redstart, synonymous.

Felt - Fieldfare. Not common (Felt, to flock).

French Linnet - Twite.

Frenchman - French Partridge, also Red Leg.

Fulfer - The Missel Thrush, but indiscriminately applied to the Redwing and Fieldfare as well.

Fuzhacker - Made to do duty for Stone and Whinchat.

Game Hawk - The Peregrine.

Goat Sucker or Night Hawk - The Nightjar. The former name is dependant on a popular fallacy, and the second is derived from its hawk-like flight.

Golden Eagle - This is the name given to the immature White-tailed Eagle that from time to time occurs in East Anglia.

Greenolf - Greenfinch, Green Linnet, Greenie.​

Gular, Goolie, and Goldfinch - Yellowhammer.

Hay Jack - Whitethroat or Nettlecreeper.​ 

​​Hedge Betty - Hedge Sparrow and Hedge Spike. It's note is said to betoken rain.

Herring Spink - Golden Crested Wren, from it sometimes alighting on boats engaged in herring fishing during the period of autumnal migration.

Hoodie - Grey Crow, also, Norway Crows, Danish Crows, Kentishmen, and Carrion Crows.

Mavish - Thrush. The "h" is pronounced, especially in plural.

Mesh Harrier - Marsh and Montagu's ditto.

Norfolk Plover - Thick-knee, Stone Curlew.

Norway Thrush - Redwing, not common.

Ostril or Orstril - Clearly a corruption "Osprey", sometimes called the Fish Hawk.

Oxeye - The Great Tit.

Pickcheese - Blue Tit, sometimes "Beebird" and Tomtit.

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A Country Year - Spinks And Others.

January 1st to January 18th

​​​​​​​​Puddenpoke, Ground Oven, Oven Tit, Oven Builder - Willow Wren and Chiffchaff from the shape of nest. That these two birds and their nests should be confounded is excusable since externally they are so much alike.

Polly Wash Dish - Pied or "Penny" Wagtail.

Mesh Harrier - Marsh and Montagu's ditto.

Mudlark - Rock Pipit.

Reed Sparrow - Reed Bunting.

Red Linnet - Common Linnet.

Ringtail - Hen Harrier, female.

Scribbling Finch - Corn or Common Bunting and the Yellowhammer, from the pencilling of their eggs.

Sedge Bird - Sedge Warbler, Reed Bird - Reed Warbler - Sometimes not distinguished.

Shepherd's Bird - Wheatear

Snake Bird or Cuckoo's Mate - Wryneck. Snake Bird from its hissing note when disturbed on its nest, and Cuckoo's Mate because it arrives about the same time as the Cuckoo.

Snow Fleck - Snow Bunting, fleck-flake from its mottled plumage, and coming at snowtime.

​​Spink - Chaffinch, phonetic spidzo (Ancient British) to chirp.​​

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Female Chaffinch. Sculthorpe Moor

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​​​​Spurrer - Sparrow

Titlark or Ground Lark - Meadow Pipit.

Turkey Buzzard or Buzzard Hark or "Great Old" - The Rough- legged, but common, and Honey Buzzard, not generally distinguished.​

​Turtle Dow - Turtle Dove.

Winghover - The Kestrel.

Woodcock Owl - Short-eared Owl - So-called because it arrives about the same time as the Woodcock. 

Horned Owl - Long-eared Owl.

Brown Owl - Tawny Owl. These last three only known generally to gamekeepers.

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A Country Year - Spinks And Others.

January 1st to January 18th

From the Eastern Daily Press A. P. (1893)

Fieldfare - French Fulfer.

Goldfinch - King Harry, Thistlefinch, and according to the differences in throat markings - Peathroat and Chiveller.

Missel-thrush - English Fulfer.

Partridge - Short, on account of its build.

Stonechat and Whinchat - Furzechucks.

Starling - Chimney-pot plover.

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​​From the East Anglian Times G. T. R. (1892)

​Screech Owl - This word is used loosely. I have heard the Barn Owl, Curlew and Swift all called "screech owls."

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From the Eastern Daily Press M. C. H. Bird (1893)

Bird - A partridge, "Ha' you many bads te year? - English and French Birds meaning English and French Partridges.

Cow Bird - Yellow Wagtail - from frequenting cows at marsh for the purpose of insects attracted thereby.

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From the Eastern Daily Press T. Southwell (1893)

Cobes Bird or Cobbes Bird - Hawfinch

Clod Bird, Bunt Lark - Common Bunting.

Coney Chuck - Wheatear.

Dunnock - Hedge Sparrow.

Hobby Bird - Wryneck.

Meslin Bird - Fieldfare.

Mouse Hawk - Short-eared Owl.

Sedge Marine - Sedge Warbler

Stag - Common Wren.

White Rump - Wheatear.

Woodcock Owl - Short-eared Owl.

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From the Eastern Daily Press E. B. Pomeroy (1893)

Mavis - Thrush.

Caddow - a Jackdaw, or Chough, sometimes called "Cadder."

Dow - dove.

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From the Eastern Daily Press Pitcher (1893)

Nuthatch - Commonly called Creeper or Free Creeper.

Spotted Fly-catcher - Wall Bird, common in the neighbourhood of Norwich, and very noticeable both from its note and its peculiar method of darting out from a branch or rail to seize its prey.

Whinchat - Furchuck, which I take to be a corruption of Furze Chick.

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A Country Year - Spinks And Others.

January 1st to January 18th

From A Glossary of Words Used in East Anglia by Walter Rye (1895)

Alp, Olp - The bullfinch. Nope - The bullfinch.

Barley-bird - The Nightingale, which comes to us in the season of sowing barley.

Beam-bird or Wall-bird - Spotted Flycatcher.

Bee-bird - Great Tit (Parus major); also oxeye.

Betty-tit - The titmouse.

Black-cap - Marsh-tit (Parus palustris),

Bottle Tom - Long-tailed Tit (P. caudatus).

Caddow, or Cadder. - A Jackdaw.

Coney-chuck - The wheat-ear.

Cuckoo's mate - The wryneck, which comes with the cuckoo.

Dow - A dove.

Dowfulfer - The mistle-thrush.

Dow Fulter, Fulfer - The fieldfare. Pulfer - The fieldfare.

Draw water - The goldfinch.

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Felfoot, or Fulfit - The fieldfare.

Fulfer - The missel-thrush.

Fuzhacker - The whinchat, stonechat, or wheatear generally (Pratincola rubicola).

Greenolf - The greenfinch, or, more properly green gosbeck.

Grey-bird - A English partridge.

Ground Lark - (1) What species of lark is meant is not easy to determine, for all our indigenous species build their nests on the ground. Any, rather than the skylark, which soars to a vast height from the ground, or the woodlark, which perches and sings on boughs. (2) Meadow Pipit.

Gular - Gulefinch or yellowhammer.

Harry Denchman - The Danish crow.

Hay-jack - (1) The lesser reedsparrow, or sedgebird, (2) The Whitethroat (Sylvia cinerea).

Hedge Accentor, Hedge-betty - The hedgesparrow.

Herring spink - (1) A bird often seen during the herring fishery. (2) Regulus cristatus.

Jay-felter or Felt - Fieldfare.

Jill-hooter, Jilly-hooter - An owl. Jill is a female name, formerly very common. Madge is another familiar appellative of the same animal. Billy-wix is a third, which should belong to the male, but it does not appear that the difference of sex is at all regarded. Will-a-wix - An owl. Billy-wix usually.

King Harry - A popular name of two common singingbirds. (1) King Harry redcap is the goldfinch, the (Fringilla carduelis). (2) King Harry blackcap is the bird which commonly called simply the blackcap, Motacilla atricapilla.

Mavis or Mavish - A thrush. The missel thrush or storm cock is never so called, only the smaller thrush.

Olf - Vide Blood-olf and Green-olph (Ulph).

Oven Bird - The long-tailed titmouse. The bird itself is, indeed, seldom called by this name, but most commonly the long-tailed Pick-cheese. The allusion is to the nest, which is otherwise, and more descriptively at least, called a Pudding-poke's nest. Sometimes called a Ground Oven.​

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A Country Year - Spinks And Others.

January 1st to January 18th

Pickcheese - (1) The titmouse, or yellowhammer. (2) The blue tit (P. coeruleus).

Polly Washdish - The common wagtail.

Pulfer - The fieldfare.

Razor Grinder - The night-jar.​​

​Red Tail, Fire Tail. - The redstart.

Reed Pheasant - The bearded tit.

Sedge-marine - The sedge-warbler.

Spink - (1) A chaffinch. (2) Herring-spink, the gold-crest.

Stag - A wren.

Star - Starling (Sturnus vulgaris).

Swan - Swans' eggs are not supposed to hatch before there is a thunderstorm (to crack the hard shell?)

Wood-sprite - The woodpecker.​

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From the Norwich Mercury (1903) - We stand, greatly in need of a committee of ornithologists to decide upon the English names by which our birds should be called; because it is very confusing to find that in different parts of the country the names of "martin," "swift," and "swallow" are interchangeable. But the local names of migrant thrushes offer, perhaps, the best instance of muddle. Thus the fieldfare is also the felfer, felfit, felifoe, feltfare, feltie feltyfare, ffielsfaw, and feldie, but, of these names felfer, fieldy also belong to the redwing; while felfer, felfit and feltie are given to the missel thrush, who is on the East Coast fulfar or fulfer as well.

 

From the Downham Market Gazette (1903) E. Kay Robinson - Birds which are simply called "chat" are the wheatear and the sedge warbler, in different parts of the country. In other places the wheatear is called "chattie," a very good imitation of its note. "Chit," on the other hand, is the name of the meadow pipit. "Fallow chat" is yet another name for the wheatear, and "fire-eyed chat" for the Dartford Warbler. 

   The ring ouzel is sometimes called "flitter chat"; and the common "whinchat" or "furze chat" is well known. Other names for the same bird are "gorse chat," and "grass chat," but "hay chat" may mean either the common or the lesser white throat, or the blackcap, or the garden warbler in different parts of the country. The "russet chat" is the black-throated wheatear; and the "sand chat," is another name for the common "stone chat," although in some places the wheatear is called the "stone chat," and the stone chat the "wall chat." Then there is the very rare "woodchat" - also called the "woodchat shrike."​​

   With regard to the name of "crest" there are, of course, the "firecrest" and goldcrest," also known as the fire-crested or golden-crested "kinglet," "regulus," "warbler," or "wren," and there are the "crested lark" and the "great crested grebe." In addition, the cormorant and the shag are both sometimes know as the "crested cormorant," while the shag is separately known as the "crested scarf." These names, however, are only applied to cormorants and shags in their spring plumage. There is also the "crested tit": and the heron, lapwing, and purple heron are often spoken of as the "crested heron," "crested lapwing," and "crested purple heron" respectively. Crests, however, are by no means a common adornment of British birds.

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