Meadow yellow

Meadow yellow
Bulbous Buttercup (Ranunculus bulbosus) in a Devon meadow

Tuesday 12 January 2010

Why knot?

Do you know how the knot, a small sandpiper, got its name?

I recently came across the answer whilst reading this weekends Guardian. The author Margaret Atwood wrote an article, 'Act now to save our birds', in which she describes her new role working for Birdlife International, personal birding experiences and her fears for the future.

The knot (Calidris canutus), a wading bird that feeds on British shorelines in the winter, is named after King Canute or Knut, who infamously tried to stop the incoming tide.

The full article can be found at http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2010/jan/09/margaret-atwood-birds-review.

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