Common names: was Double Bars

["Rosemary Royle" <>]

Keep up the use of peculiar and obscure names I say! Having birded in Oz but 
living overseas I can usually work out what is meant (Though at first I thought 
that Double Bars were Double Barred Finches - however, obviously not from the 
context and location!). Strangely enough there is little use of old or local 
bird names in the UK now - I think it has tended to die out over the last 50 
years though Birds Britannica has formidable lists of such names.

We have a different naming problem over here - that is, the use of 
abbreviations by experienced birders which you feel is almost intended to 
confuse or exclude the beginner such as Command Sand, Spot Fly, Gropper 
(Grasshopper Warbler) and Pom (Pomarine Skua). I think Barwit falls into this 
category though I have to say it is much shorter than the original and is 
widely used. The Americans also use Hudwit.

Rosemary Royle
Wales, UK