Sunday, December 24, 2006

Twelve birds of Christmas

On the first day of Christmas,
My true love gave to me,
A Corn Bunting in the apple tree.

On the second day of Christmas,
My true love gave to me,
Two Bramble Finches,
And a Corn Bunting in the apple tree.

On the third day of Christmas,
My true love gave to me,
Three Robins singing
Two Bramble Finches,
And a Corn Bunting in the apple tree.

On the fourth day of Christmas,
My true love gave to me,
Four Blackbirds,
Three Robins singing
Two Bramble Finches,
And a Corn Bunting in the apple tree.

On the fifth day of Christmas,
My true love gave to me,
Five Gold Finches,
Four Blackbirds,
Three Robins singing
Two Bramble Finches,
And a Corn Bunting in the apple tree.

On the sixth day of Christmas,
My true love gave to me,
Six Yellow Buntings,
Five Gold Finches,
Four Blackbirds,
Three Robins singing
Two Bramble Finches,
And a Corn Bunting in the apple tree.

On the seventh day of Christmas,
My true love gave to me,
Seven Turtle Doves,
Six Yellow Buntings,
Five Gold Finches,
Four Blackbirds,
Three Robins singing
Two Bramble Finches,
And a Corn Bunting in the apple tree.

On the eight day of Christmas,
My true love gave to me,
Eight Reed Buntings,
Seven Turtle Doves,
Six Yellow Buntings,
Five Gold Finches,
Four Blackbirds,
Three Robins singing
Two Bramble Finches,
And a Corn Bunting in the apple tree.

On the ninth day of Christmas,
My true love gave to me,
Nine Chaff Finches
Eight Reed Buntings,
Seven Turtle Doves,
Six Yellow Buntings,
Five Gold Finches,
Four Blackbirds,
Three Robins singing
Two Bramble Finches,
And a Corn Bunting in the apple tree.

On the tenth day of Christmas,
My true love gave to me,
Ten Tree Sparrows,
Nine Chaff Finches
Eight Reed Buntings,
Seven Turtle Doves,
Six Yellow Buntings,
Five Gold Finches,
Four Blackbirds,
Three Robins singing
Two Bramble Finches,
And a Corn Bunting in the apple tree.

On the eleventh day of Christmas,
My true love gave to me,
Eleven Green Finches,
Ten Tree Sparrows,
Nine Chaff Finches
Eight Reed Buntings,
Seven Turtle Doves,
Six Yellow Buntings,
Five Gold Finches,
Four Blackbirds,
Three Robins singing
Two Bramble Finches,
And a Corn Bunting in the apple tree.

On the twelfth day of Christmas,
My true love gave to me,
Twelve Grey Partridges,
Eleven Green Finches,
Ten Tree Sparrows,
Nine Chaffinches
Eight Reed Buntings,
Seven Turtle Doves,
Six Yellow Buntings,
Five Gold Finches,
Four Blackbirds,
Three Robins singing
Two Bramble Finches,
And a Corn Bunting in the apple tree.

2 comments:

Nick Upton said...

Corn Buntings on apple trees. That's interesting :)
From May to August 2006 I surveyed around 100 square kms and recorded all songposts I saw being used; no apple trees! My population seemed to prefer umbellifers, but I guess that doesn't fit into the song too well.

Steve said...

Well, you see, I have apple and pear trees in the garden (as per the photo), and these are the fatbirds preferred songposts over field maple, overhead wires, etc - no umbellifers. And why did you survey birds prefer umbellifers? I presume, like the birds on the open fen here, they choose umbelliefers cos they are the tallest plant in the local environ. More interesting is fatbirds in your garden - not something everyone can boast. Along with Yammers, Treeps, Toadsnatchers, Bramble Finches, Turts . . .