May 9

Posted by sydney on May 9th, 2009

Magpie, T. Bewick
Magpie by T. Bewick

  • 1793: May 9, 1793 – The mag-pies, which probably have young, are now very ravenous, & destroy the broods of Missel-thrushes, tho’ the dams are fierce birds, & fight boldly in defence of their nests.  It is probably to avoid such insults, that this species of thrush, tho’ wild at other times, delights to build near houses, & in frequented walks, & gardens.
  • 1792: May 9, 1792 – Still for the first time since May 1st.  Chalk cart.
  • 1790: May 9, 1790 – Master Trimming is taken with the smallpox.  Timothy the tortoise eats dandelion leaves & stalks: he swallows his food almost whole.
  • 1786: May 9, 1786 – Timothy, contrary to his usual practice, lies out all day in the rain.
  • 1785: May 9, 1785 – The grass in my Brother’s fields burns, & does not look so well as it did when I came.
  • 1775: May 9, 1775 – The long rows of tulips make a gallant shew.
  • 1774: May 9, 1774 – Chafers have not been plenty since the year 1770.  Eights swifts now appear they arrive in pairs.  Martins encrease.  Hanger almost in full leaf.  Chafers in vast numbers. Regulus non cristatus major,  shaking it’s wings it makes at intervals a sibilous stammering noise on the tops of the tallest beechen-woods: it abounds in the beechen-woods on the Sussex down where the two other species are never heard.  It spends it’s time on the tops of the tallest trees.  The caprimulgus is the last bird of passage but one: the stoparola is the last.  The house-martin begin to build as early, as when it arrives early.  It came very late.
  • 1771: May 9, 1771 – Summer-like weather.  Some beeches begin to leaf.
  • 1770: May 9, 1770 – Nightingales in my outlet.  A brace of green sandpipers at James Knight’s ponds.  Tringa Aldrov: tringa ochropus Lin:
  • 1769: May 9, 1769 – Green geese are driven along the streets in great droves.

Notes:
Tringa ochropus, the green sandpiper. The notation “Linn:” in entries refers to Linnaeus’ classifications– availble online from the Natural History Museum. “Chafer” or Maybug, a pest that will loom throughout this month’s entries. Regulus non cristatus major– the willow wren.

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