And another card issued in May, but six years after the one above, in 1908.
Here we have a welcome sight indeed, the Kingfisher. though spotting it is not always easy, it sits for long periods observing the waters beneath it, and then plummets speedily to grasp its prey as it slithers through the water. In fact, if you get to know its sound, you will have better luck at finding them.
May is a very good month to see them. They tend to move to the coast during the winter months, and they do not like the inclement rain and cold. But they return to the river banks to lay their first eggs in April, and these hatch in just under a month, at which time those hungry little mouths need feeding. The food of choice is fish, which provides energy, but they have to be small breeds, like stickleback, or minnows, though tadpoles will do if fish do not swim by - after all, each chick, and there may be seven, needs a minimum of twelve fish every day. They do have a very interesting feeding system though, as once a chick has had its fish, it moves to the back of the nest, to wait its turn again.
Although it is not mentioned anywhere on this card, this is the first series of this issue, which is also, rather wonderfully, aligned with another Ogden`s set. The story starts unfolding in our original Ogden`s reference book, RB.15, first published in 1949, where it is described as :
- 100 BRITISH BIRDS (1905-1908). Fronts lithographed in colour. Backs in green, with descriptive text. Home issue.
47. "50 in Series". Numbered 1-50 on fronts, numbers arranged to correspond with subjects in item 34. Two grades of board (a) white, semi-glossy (b) off white, matt backs. Issued 1905-06. Similar series issued by Imperial Tobacco Co.
48. "Second Series". Numbered 51-100 on fronts. Backs off-white, matt. Issued 1908.
Several threads to tie here.
You can see the second series of this set as our Card of the Day for the 6th of April, 2025 - and the Imperial Tobacco version as our Card of the Day for the 26th of March, 2023.
Next, in case you are wondering what "Item 34" is, check out our Card of the Day for the 10th of April, 2022.
And, lastly, the two different boards mentioned for the first series of this set also occur in the set of "Birds Eggs" - and that makes me wonder if when these "birds" were issued the set of eggs were reissued too.
In our original World Tobacco Issues Index, the two Ogden`s sets are still together, under section 4 of the Ogdens listings, for sets described as being "Issues with I.T.C. Clause. All issued in U.K. Small size 67 x 36 m/m, unless stated." - and sub-section 4.A, for "cards issued between 1903 and 1917" . They are described as :
- BRITISH BIRDS. Sm. Nd. See H.229 ... O/2-95
1. "50 in Series". Nd 1-50
2. "Second Series". Nd 51-100
Then, in our updated version of the World Tobacco Issues Index, our sets remain in section 4.A, and the description reads :
- BRITISH BIRDS. Sm. Nd. See H.229 ... O100-414
1. "50 in Series". Nd 1-50
2. "Second Series". Nd 51-100 (50)
Now in 1923, just to confuse things, the first of these sets was re-issued. That is described in our original Ogdens reference book as :
- 49. 50. BRITISH BIRDS (1923). Numbers arranged to correspond with the subjects in item 35. Fronts printed by letterpress in colour. Subjects cut and perforated to stand out. Variations in the length of the rouletted line on which the cut-out rests are known for Nos 25, 29 and 30 - other similar variations probably exist. Backs in green, with descriptive text. Home issue, 1923. Similar series issued by Imperial Tobacco Co. of Canada.
As for Item 35, you will find that in the same place as item 34, our Card of the Day for the 10th of April, 2022.
The reprinted set appears in our original World Tobacco Issues Index, still under section 4 of the Ogdens listings, but under sub-section B, for "Issues 1922-1939." In there, the description of our set reads :
- BRITISH BIRDS. Sm. Cut-outs. Nd. (50) See RB.15/49... O/2-131
And in our updated version of the World Tobacco Issues Index, the description reads :
- BRITISH BIRDS. Sm.Cut-outs (uncut cards are known). Nd. (50). See RB.115/49 ... O100-482