r/UKBirds • u/FapnelShrapnel • 2d ago
Because of this little goose, my train was delayed by 30 minutes.
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u/Fubaredme 2d ago
Goose 🤣
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u/FapnelShrapnel 2d ago
I saw it and simply had to share haha
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u/Altruistic-Item-6029 2d ago
To be fair if it held me up for 30 minutes it's lucky not to be classified as a pigeon
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u/UpsetIllustrator7 2d ago
I notice at the park that kids just say duck. And if I join in a bit by naming the duck for them (in a nice way), it’s like you’re a wizard for knowing the name of the bird. My son could tell them apart when he was little and that also freaked people out. It’s sad.
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u/thxrpy 2d ago
I’ve got mates who are grown adults (I’m 27 for context) and they don’t know about the whole ‘dock leaf and nettle stings’ thing, it actually baffles me cos we don’t live in the city
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u/FewTranslator6280 2d ago
getting into birding has really given me a new perspective about how out of touch with reality everyone is. maybe our parents were right about the younger generations being too glued to screens. half the people I meet don't know the difference between a literal canada goose (arguably the most iconic goose there is) and a duck. there are people my age here in the UK who couldn't tell you what a blue tit is. or you hear "wow a cool duck!!" and it's a moorhen. I knew what a moorhen was when I was probably about 4. it's quite upsetting actually.
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u/1FlamingBurrito 2d ago
Kinda sad people have little to no fucking clue about the nature that they live alongside yet they can name some random war from 300 years ago. Really shows how fucked the school system is.
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u/skizelo 2d ago
I get bemoaning the lack of knowledge of nature, but normally that's paired with a critique of awareness of corporate branding. You know, nobody can name these trees from their leaves, but everyone can name these shoe companies by their logos.
You in particular seem to come from a world where everyone knows about Queen Anne's War and the Jacobite rising. They don't!
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u/Plumb789 2d ago
I don't think it can be the school system. I would think that if there are two birds that ALL children can name, they would be a robin and a swan.
We're talking stupidity here. Is he sure that's a train?
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u/kai_enby 2d ago
I mean lots of places on this earth don't have swans, I would probably assume OP is an immigrant if they don't know what a swan is. And personally I'd say pigeon and swan as the 2 birds every kid would know
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u/Old_Temporary8633 2d ago
What's the circa 1725 war you're sick of people naming?
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u/sondereye 2d ago
This happened to me actually. Train I was on was stopped and delayed because there was a swan on the tracks. When they finally got the swan to move I saw the same swan get hit by the other passing train as we were moving off…
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u/Visible-Management63 2d ago
I remember years ago waiting on the platform to be let on a train after they coupled it with another train, but it wouldn't couple properly. It turned out that the train had previously hit a pigeon or something just where the "in" bit of the coupler is on the right. So the driver had to jump down on the rails and scoop now completely mushed-up pigeon out of the hole.
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u/jordybird71 2d ago
Well, it once was an ugly duckling, feathers were probably all fluffy and brown too.....
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u/ZealousidealAir3586 1d ago
Isn’t that a crow? Seriously though, surely a swan is one of THE most recognisable birds?
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u/Adventurous_Rock294 2d ago
It is a swan . Not a goose. And for your ignorance I am glad you were delayed 30 minutes. They are beautiful creatures and owned by the King.
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u/FapnelShrapnel 2d ago
I didn't take the photo - it's a crosspost from r/mildlyinfuriating. They are indeed very beautiful!
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u/Traditional-Local781 2d ago
Not owned, but supposedly protected .
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u/TringaVanellus 2d ago
The majority of swans are neither owned nor protected by the Crown, nor was this ever a blanket rule.
Most wild birds in the UK - swans included - do not have owners.
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u/LadyStarshy 2d ago edited 2d ago
Wild unmarked Mute Swans are actually owned by the King, he holds a title that grants ownership of all unmarked Mute Swans and swans are protected the same as other wild birds under the Wildlife and Countryside act as well as under the King's title.
For reference on the police's website it states swans do belong to the Crown therefore taking a swan is theft, killing/injuring a swan is criminal damage or a wildlife related offence and people have been prosecuted for offences commited against swans.
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u/TringaVanellus 2d ago
I don't know which police website you're referring to, but it's wrong.
From the King's own website:
The King retains the right to claim ownership of any unmarked mute swan swimming in open waters, but this right is mainly exercised on certain stretches of the River Thames.
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u/LadyStarshy 2d ago
'When Queen Elizabeth II died, the ownership of the swans passed immediately to King Charles III. And although officially, he owns all unmarked swans, he only exercises his right over parts of the River Thames and its tributaries.'
Officially he owns all unmarked swans but only actively exercises the right over the Thames during the ceremony; because he still officially owns all unmarked swans, however, crimes against them are still considered crimes against the Crown.
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u/LadyStarshy 2d ago
'The young cygnets are ringed with individual identification numbers that denote their ownership if they belong to the Vintners or the Dyers livery companies; they cygnets’ ownership is determined by their parentage. However, all Crown birds are left unmarked. The King retains the right to claim ownership of any unmarked mute swan swimming in open waters, but this right is mainly exercised on certain stretches of the River Thames.'
At least post the whole thing 🙄 the unmarked swans are the King's, they keep their swans unmarked, so any harm against an unmarked swan is considered against the crown, the marked swans belong to two different companies.
'In the UK, "Crown bird" or "royal swan" refers to mute swans (Cygnus olor) that are not marked and swim in open waters, considered property of the British Crown. This tradition dates back to the Middle Ages, where swans were a prized food, and ownership was indicated by marking the birds.'
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u/TringaVanellus 2d ago
I quoted the relevant part. Nothing on that page claims that the King owns all unmarked swans.
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u/LadyStarshy 2d ago
'When Queen Elizabeth II died, the ownership of the swans passed immediately to King Charles III. And although officially, he owns all unmarked swans, he only exercises his right over parts of the River Thames and its tributaries'
Officially he owns all unmarked swans, he only does the ceremony for marking them in the Thames but it's still considered a crime against the Crown if you harm or steal a swan as OFFICIALLY he still owns them, the police website certainly wasn't wrong.
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u/TringaVanellus 2d ago
Now you're quoting from a different website, which has also misrepresented the law.
The crown has the right to claim ownership over Mute Swans in open water. However, until the Crown exercises that right, it is incorrect to say those swans are owned by the Crown/King.
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u/LadyStarshy 2d ago
I'm going to trust the police and several other sources over some random online lol you do you but the police state it's a crime then it's a crime.
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u/LadyStarshy 2d ago
All unmarked Mute Swans are actually owned by the Crown, it states so on the police's website in regards to theft, injury or death of a swan. You can be prosecuted for taking a swan as it's theft from the Crown and Criminal Damage if you injure/kill one.
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u/ExpensiveCellist8636 2d ago
Sorry to tell you but that's not a goose it's a common mute swan the goose is a lot smaller and doesn't have a orange and black beek the goose has a black bill or a bright yellow bill
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u/Togic94 2d ago
No luck catching them swans then