James Bashford's Blog: The Worderful Wild

This is Stan and Daniel pushed into one. Or maybe it was these two names that emerged from some wordly fission event?

Staniel
- A kestrel.

That's right, a staniel is the master of hover, the headstrong wind-frolicker, even windf**ker as it has once or twice been affectionately known!

And if you fancy a raw portrayal of one troubled child's love for this bird in 1970s Britain, then look no further than Fingers in the Sparkle Jar: A Memoir by one of our nation's most admired naturalists.

Staniel is also a great name for a dog.

OK, I admit this would be a tough word to slip into everyday conversation. But a lovely word nonetheless.

Bryophyte
- A non-flowering plant including the mosses, liverworts and hornworts.

It stems from the Greek words brúon (=moss) and phutón (=plant), so fairly self-explanatory really.

I tell you what, though; I've listed hornwort for another blog at another time.

And if you really want to learn a thing or two about these ancient and verdant organisms, read Robin Wall Kimmerer's Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses. It is a slight but mighty exposé of the mosses.

Vulpine, ovine, bovine, equine, ursine, porcine, aquiline, leonine, lupine, murine, vespine, ranine...

...and now...

Leporine
- Of or resembling a hare.

I must admit this was a new word for me only recently. But I do enjoy these Latin-based adjectives for a wide range of the commonest animals.

And I can't recommend anything more leporine (?leporiner) than the fantastic and heartwarming...

Raising Hare: A Memoir

By the way, the adjectives above relate to the following animals (in order):
Fox, sheep, cow, horse, bear, pig, eagle, lion, wolf, mouse, wasp, frog.

Include an X in a word and it always adds gravitas. In fact, the only thing better is a U-less Q.

But the syrinx is a truly uniqe thing.

Syrinx
- The vocal organ of a bird.

So what's special about it?

The syrinx is found at the base of a bird's windpipe. This differs from the vocal organ of mammals, amphibians and reptiles - the larynx - which sits at the top of it.

This means the syrinx uniquely sits at the junction of the windpipe and its two main branches. And it's this arrangement that allows birds to sing multiple notes simultaneously. This is why birdsong is so wondrously melodic to our ears.

And it's also why birds need all the protection we can offer them - check this excellent book out if you need convincing:

Rebirding: Rewilding Britain and its Birds

This word has a wholesome mouthfeel, like a full-bodied red wine or a mature cheese. It really circulates the palate as you articulate it.

Its meaning, however, is admittedly not so delectable.

Rhabdom
- A rodlike structure found in an insect's eye.

Nevertheless, we can assume that the rhabdoms of this world have seen a lot over the years. A lot of the habitat destruction and soil erosion. A lot of the turbulent storms and toxic waters.

And no book articulates the viewpoints of all those rhabdom-bearing insects better than this one:

Silent Earth: Averting the Insect Apocalypse

Check it out if you've got the stomach for it.

I first came across this word while doing some research for my book Nature Within. I wanted some examples to showcase the delicate web of species that make up an ecosystem.

Awhato (a Māori word originating from New Zealand)
- The mummified body of a porina moth caterpillar killed by the fungus Ophiocordyceps robertsii.

And although a mummified caterpillar may not be to everyone's taste, this fungus-moth relationship only exists thanks to a sustainable equilibrium between the two species.

This is a sobering thought when one considers that the current rate of human activity would require 1.8 Earths to continue sustainably (https://overshoot.footprintnetwork.org).

For an excellent account of how we have fuelled our unsustainable ways (& how it can't continue), I recommend:

The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight: The Fate of the World and What We Can Do Before It's Too Late

Here's a lovely sounding word, conjuring up both the majesty of oracle and the mystery of miracle. All with a bit of the inspiring thrown in...

Spiracle
- The external respiratory opening of an insect.

And for some reason, it's the ant that springs to mind when I think of spiracles.

Who better to turn to when it comes to ants than the late, great ant scientist E.O.Wilson? His last ever book was a triumph, providing a deceptively simple solution to the biodiversity crisis:

Half-Earth: Our Planet's Fight for Life

Of course, Green Woodpeckers love ants too (although they prefer eating them to studying them!)

It seems apt to start this blog with a word I've seen a lot more often over the last year than ever before. After all, Pelagic Publishing agreed to publish my first book! But outside of that context, here's what it means:

Pelagic
- Relating to the open sea.

And here's a wonderful (and worderful) book that devotes its middle section to life in the open sea:
Becoming Earth: How Our Planet Came to Life

Because of this book, I will be eternally mesmerised by plankton.