英语博客(A cup of English):British Birds（在线收听）

The other day I was cleaning inside a free-standing storage cabinet that we have in the dining room, when I came across a tray that I bought a few years ago in Scotland. It is medium sized, made of a light metal, and has a beautiful picture of British birds. Since I bought the tray I have barely used it. It's perfect for tea for two, or a full meal for one. The picture reminded me of the place I bought it. It was in the gift shop of an owl sanctuary near the Mull of Kintyre. Do you remember the song by the same name, sung by Paul McCartney and Wings? Well, I won't sing it for you; I would like you to continue listening to my podcasts. But what I will tell you are the names of the most common birds that we speak about in English. The ones that I am most familiar with from the British Isles are: the robbin, the dove, the finch, the kingfisher, the bluetit, the crow, the owl, and the hawk. The dove, the crow, the owl, and the hawk I have found in any country that I have visited. The others, though they may be found in other countries, have a certain character and reputation in Britain. The robbin is absolutely tiny, unlike in the U.S. It is also ready for a good fight to defend its territory. The finch and the bluetit are common, colorful (colourful), small and plump, and can be found in lots of traditional stories. Because of its mild climate and geographical position, Britain has a huge number of migrating birds each year, and ornithology and pictures of birds are very popular.

Grammar notes.

 Related vocabulary: robbin, dove, owl, hawk, kingfisher.

1. The tiny little, red chested robbins would visit our garden each Christmas.

2. I love the soothing sound that the doves make.

3. There is an owl in the neighborhood that catches mice at night, and makes a loud hooting noise.

4. Hawks hover high above their prey before they dive down and attack.

5. The kingfisher is such an unusual and skilled bird.