Woosel Cock

I love it when I can answer a question on University Challenge, especially if the students are unable to. It happened last night. I know that a merle is a blackbird. :) The bird was called a 'woosel cock' in A Midsummer Night's Dream, mentioned by Jeremy Paxman. The team did know that Turdus is the thrush family, which includes blackbirds. 

The wind and rain have lashed the back door grape vine overnight and not many leaves are still attached. I heard a very soft cheeping coming from the quince tree, it was Mr Blackie who then flew over to the vine. I've been trying to capture him feasting on the grapes for a while. I had in mind a pic a bit like the William Morris Strawberry Thief thrush on GracieG's pillow. I haven't managed that but Blackie has a grape in his bill. It's not a merle that he is eating, that's the name for the dark blue-black grapes that Merlot wine is made from and from where it gets its name. I love our Blackie family.  

Today's poem is Deep Sorriness Atonement Song by Glyn Maxwell. http://www.blueridgejournal.com/poems/gm-sorry.htm

This is such a fun poem. I really enjoyed spotting the references before I found the link above which explains them. It was written on the train as GM travelled to the Mark and Lard show as an apology for not having turned up at a previous appointment.