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The European Christmas Bird Count

10,000 Birds

One odd flock of Feral Pigeons above an arable field under deep snow – nothing for them to eat there, but I didn’t give them the attention they deserve and only a few hours later realised that they actually were Stock Doves. They were very scarce, less than ten per cent (or less) of all geese, something I never saw before.

Geese 151
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The Domestic Turkey and the First Thanksgiving

10,000 Birds

Dates of first arrival listed by Schorger (1966) are: Italy 1520, Germany 1530, France 1538, England 1541, Denmark and Norway 1550, Sweden 1556. Thus, the cattle we raise for meat and dairy are sometimes called Bos taurus while the extinct wild form is always called Bos primigenius.

Turkey 207