Butterbumps and bitterns

In the vicinity of Weel there was a house named Butterbump Hall which was demolished in the 19th century. I thought this was a delightful name but wondered what a butterbump was. The answer gave another fascinating insight into the wildlife of the East Riding in times past. (See my previous post about beavers in Beverley)

Apparently a butterbump was an old Yorkshire name for a bittern. In my childhood, bittern were a bird of the south, coming no further north than East Anglia and the Fens. Only in the last decade or so have bittern returned to the East Riding where they are now regularly reported along the Hull valley. But they were once common when much of the East Riding was covered in fens and carr.

Nearby is another place name clue to the ornithological past. Storkhill neighboured Weel and is evidence of another vanished water bird that once frequented the area. White Stork have been extinct in Britain for many centuries.

Any other contributions of pieces of 'archaeo-ornithology' would be received with interest!