Why Peregrine's Bird Blog

Probably the most obvious reason of all I was called Peregrine. Well I was named Peregrine Pluvius Craig Nash; My father always wanted to be called Peregrine and consequently gave it to me.I use Craig there were too many times at school in the early years that I was called Penguin, which never amused me. You also may wonder about Pluvius. My grandfather heard news of my birth in the midst of a massive downpour and fatefully he said "Heres to Pluvius" Pluvius being the latin god of rain.

It was my grandfather who in 1967 gave me a book for my 5th birthday "Thorburn's Birds by James Fisher". It is a beautiful book full of Archibold Thorburn's bird illustrations.This set in motion my present love of the avian world.

Archibald Thorburn (1860-1935) is now recognised as an outstanding illustrator of animals and in particular of the birds of Western Europe. His four volume British Birds, first published in 1915-16,is a classic of ornithology. In this single-volume edition the 82 magnificent watercolour plates, notable not only for their high scientific accuracy and exactness of detail, but also for their distinction as works of art, depict over 400 species.

Well my list was extended by another four birds today

98. Gannet Morus bassanus
99. Great Northern Diver Gavia immer
100. Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla
101. Razorbill Alca torda.

I saw them at Ardglass Harbour .The kittiwake was accompanying a trawler on its way back to the harbour; diving backwards and forwards in front of the bow of the boat.It was blowing an easterly gale and pretty cold by our standards,my hands were freezing after half an hour with the binoculars. The scene was tinged with sadness as there were alot of police searching for the body of a fisherman that had died when his trawler sank in january just out from the harbour entrance. Two died that night and only one has been recovered.