On 9/4/08 09:56, in article , "The
Old OakTree" wrote:

Hmmm.. Fossicking. I've just learned a new word.
Cat(h)

;-) I have no idea of its origins or even if it's a 'real'
word but it does
describe such an action perfectly.
Sacha

It's real enough - I wondered if it was ultimately derived from
Latin 'fossa' meaning a ditch or excavation, but according to
Chambers Dictionary, it is an Australian term, possibly
connected with an English dialect word meaning a troublesome
person.



I used to know a family whose surname was Fossick!

--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our
children.'

On 9/4/08 11:18, in article ,
"Martin" wrote:


That bird http://www.myalbum.com/LargePhoto-GMGDHHWI.jpg

Lor', I wouldn't tangle with that beak!!
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our
children.'

On 9/4/08 11:44, in article ,
"Martin" wrote:

On Wed, 09 Apr 2008 11:27:07 +0100, Sacha wrote:

On 9/4/08 09:24, in article ,
"Martin" wrote:

On Tue, 08 Apr 2008 23:44:01 +0100, Sacha wrote:

On 8/4/08 17:22, in article , "Donna
Ludlow" wrote:

Any time I only thought it could be a dunnock after seeing a sparrow
like bird in the garden and wondered what on earth it was myself. The
robin
doesnt like it in the garden that is for sure, always chasing mine away...
Poor thing... lol...


Here, the robins and blackbirds seem more preoccupied with chasing each
other! The blackbirds are particularly aggressive and all ours have the
orange bills we see on Scilly. They can spend hours hammer and tonging it
either side of a pane of greenhouse glass!

The green parakeet is back in the chestnut tree. It rips buds off at an
alarming
rate. I wondered why the lawn was covered with buds yesterday. I can imagine
that they aren't popular with fruit growers.

I wonder why they do that. It's a bit like sparrows or whatever-it-is
tearing the middles out of Primulas.

If you look at the photos I just posted you can see it is eating something out
of the middle of the bud.

Yes, I noticed that. At least there is the dubious comfort of knowing it
derives some benefit or other!

--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our
children.'

On 9/4/08 11:45, in article ,
"Martin" wrote:

On Wed, 09 Apr 2008 11:28:19 +0100, Sacha wrote:

On 9/4/08 09:28, in article ,
"Martin" wrote:

On Tue, 08 Apr 2008 23:45:01 +0100, Sacha wrote:

On 8/4/08 16:52, in article
, "Cat(h)"
wrote:

On Apr 8, 2:40*pm, Sacha wrote:
On 8/4/08 10:40, in article , "Donna

Ludlow" wrote:
Dunnock???

Very much looks like it. *It was certainly on its own and was fossicking
about at the base of a laurel hedge. *I think that may well be it and now
I'm going to have to go and see if I can see it again! * I'll throw some
seed out where I first spotted it. *Thank you, Donna.


Hmmm.. Fossicking. I've just learned a new word.
Thanks Sacha!

Cat(h)

;-) I have no idea of its origins or even if it's a 'real' word but it
does
describe such an action perfectly.

Cornwall via Oz?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fossicking

Well there you are! I'm bilingual and I didn't even know it. ;-))

There's no end to your talents Sacha. Aren't you trilingual? )

Jawohl.

--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our
children.'

On 9/4/08 14:59, in article ,
"Martin" wrote:

On Wed, 09 Apr 2008 14:14:02 +0100, Sacha wrote:

On 9/4/08 11:45, in article ,
"Martin" wrote:

On Wed, 09 Apr 2008 11:28:19 +0100, Sacha wrote:

On 9/4/08 09:28, in article ,
"Martin" wrote:

On Tue, 08 Apr 2008 23:45:01 +0100, Sacha
wrote:

On 8/4/08 16:52, in article
,
"Cat(h)"
wrote:

On Apr 8, 2:40*pm, Sacha wrote:
On 8/4/08 10:40, in article , "Donna

Ludlow" wrote:
Dunnock???

Very much looks like it. *It was certainly on its own and was
fossicking
about at the base of a laurel hedge. *I think that may well be it and
now
I'm going to have to go and see if I can see it again! * I'll throw
some
seed out where I first spotted it. *Thank you, Donna.


Hmmm.. Fossicking. I've just learned a new word.
Thanks Sacha!

Cat(h)

;-) I have no idea of its origins or even if it's a 'real' word but it
does
describe such an action perfectly.

Cornwall via Oz?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fossicking

Well there you are! I'm bilingual and I didn't even know it. ;-))

There's no end to your talents Sacha. Aren't you trilingual? )

Jawohl.

Ja ja Fraulein Sacha!

I meant in Norman French.

Never learned Jerriais unfortunately. I learned 'real' French from the age
of 4 or 5 but in those days there was almost a move to stamp out what was
seen as a patois by the snootier minded. Now, it's an alternative subject
in some schools. It's quite different to French in many ways and I can
understand little of it, though I do have a Jersey French/French dictionary.

--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our
children.'

On 9/4/08 15:33, in article ,
"Martin" wrote:

On Wed, 09 Apr 2008 15:15:44 +0100, Sacha wrote:
snip

Never learned Jerriais unfortunately. I learned 'real' French from the age
of 4 or 5 but in those days there was almost a move to stamp out what was
seen as a patois by the snootier minded. Now, it's an alternative subject
in some schools. It's quite different to French in many ways and I can
understand little of it, though I do have a Jersey French/French dictionary.

There you go then, you are multilingual. )

Grazie tanto. ;-)
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our
children.'

On Apr 8, 11:45*pm, Sacha wrote:
On 8/4/08 16:52, in article
, "Cat(h)"





wrote:
On Apr 8, 2:40*pm, Sacha wrote:
On 8/4/08 10:40, in article , "Donna

Ludlow" wrote:
Dunnock???

Very much looks like it. *It was certainly on its own and was fossicking
about at the base of a laurel hedge. *I think that may well be it and now
I'm going to have to go and see if I can see it again! * I'll throw some
seed out where I first spotted it. *Thank you, Donna.

Hmmm.. *Fossicking. *I've just learned a new word.
Thanks Sacha!

Cat(h)

;-) *I have no idea of its origins or even if it's a 'real' word but it does
describe such an action perfectly.
Oh, it does exist (I looked it up as soon as I saw it), and it is
exactly appropriate to what you described. Which is why I find it
such a fantastic new word for my collection :-)

Cat(h)

On Apr 9, 11:18*am, Martin wrote:
That birdhttp://www.myalbum.com/LargePhoto-GMGDHHWI.jpg
--

Martin

"the big format of this photo cannot be deeplinked", I'm told?!!?

Cat(h) (can't see the birdie!)

On 9/4/08 22:32, in article
, "Cat(h)"
wrote:

On Apr 8, 11:45*pm, Sacha wrote:
On 8/4/08 16:52, in article
, "Cat(h)"





wrote:
On Apr 8, 2:40*pm, Sacha wrote:
On 8/4/08 10:40, in article , "Donna

Ludlow" wrote:
Dunnock???

Very much looks like it. *It was certainly on its own and was fossicking
about at the base of a laurel hedge. *I think that may well be it and now
I'm going to have to go and see if I can see it again! * I'll throw some
seed out where I first spotted it. *Thank you, Donna.

Hmmm.. *Fossicking. *I've just learned a new word.
Thanks Sacha!

Cat(h)

;-) *I have no idea of its origins or even if it's a 'real' word but it does
describe such an action perfectly.
Oh, it does exist (I looked it up as soon as I saw it), and it is
exactly appropriate to what you described. Which is why I find it
such a fantastic new word for my collection :-)

Cat(h)


Glad you like it. ;-)
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our
children.'

well its very difficult to identify bird without seeing it, if you can just post some picture of that bird, it will then be easy for us to identify the bird you are asking about.