Mistle Thrush

The French name is Grive Draine and were eaten, and indeed still are, in certain parts of France.

There is a French expression, which is still quite commonly used, "Faute de grives, on mange des merles" - very often shortened to just "faute de grives ..."

Which roughly translated is we'll make do with what we have.

Literally it means, If we don't have thrushes, we'll eat blackbirds.

The Latin name, Turdus viscivorus, doesn't seem that flattering for such a beautiful bird, which sings beautifully.

I believe the alternative name for this bird in English is, Mavis, once again, I'm ready to be corrected.

I remember seeing many thrushes, growing up in Somerset, especially on a warm sumer day, after a rain shower, scraping around for worms and insects in the pungent, moist soil.

I don't see many of them at the moment, I don't know whether they are getting rarer or that it is just not a bird from the region where I live.

Anyway, I was delighted to see this one.