Had a lovely time today with the young people from St Philomenas Orpington birding around Wick Court. I was fully stretched with searching questions that I couldn’t answer off the top of my head. e.g.

What is the longest named bird? The best answer I have come up with is North Western Yellow-billed Sapsucker (33 letters). Anyone got a better one?

The best British Bird I came up with is Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (23)

Can you name any Legendary Birds? I managed that one there and then with Phoenix and The Roc (From One Thousand and One Nights). Of course there are many others and things like The Harpy half human/half bird.

What was the last bird to become extinct? Could be several different answers to this one but I know The Ivory Billed Woodpecker was recently declared extinct. Interestingly in my old school I had a Peter Scott sketch of one of these that he drew when he visited the school while talking to parents.

None of the above have I been asked before and makes a refreshing change from asking me my favourite bird or what is the rarest bird?

We also saw some great birds including a Deceit of Lapwings!