We took a wonderful drive around the region. Spotted a group of 'gansers at Port Sandfield.
I'm not truly sure what you call them, but they were most disgruntled that I was walking on their quiet dock. Like us, the shoulder seasons are best when things are quiet!They all took off, delighting me, but complicating the amateur camera work. Oiy-vee!
But I spotted a Gaggle of Geese near Red Leaves. (See below!)
I must admit that a 'Murder of Crows' remains my favourite collective noun. These guys were all jumping over themselves to get away from me!What does one call a collection of merganzers?
"The collective nouns for different groups of birds can be a fun bit of birding lingo to use when describing what you see in the field."
Here is a list, from Melissa Mayntz, in an article she wrote for About.com Birding.
•Birds of Prey (hawks, falcons): Cast, cauldron, kettle
•Cormorants: Flight
•Crows: Murder, congress, horde
•Ducks: Raft, team, paddling
•Eagles: Convocation, congregation
•Finches: Charm
•Flamingos: Flamboyance
•Geese: Skein, wedge, gaggle, plump
•Gulls: Colony
•Herons: Siege, sedge, scattering
•Hummingbirds: Charm
•Jays: Band, party, scold
•Larks: Bevy, exaltation, ascension
•Owls: Parliament, wisdom, study
•Pelicans: Squadron, pod, scoop
•Penguins: Colony, huddle
•Pheasants: Nye, bevy, bouquet
•Plovers: Congregation : Host, quarrel, knot •Starlings: Chattering, affliction
•Swallows: Flight, gulp
•Swans: Wedge, ballet, lamentation
•Woodpeckers: Descent
•Wrens: Herd
•Ravens: Murder, congress, horde
•Rooks: Clamour, parliament
•Sparrows, chime
Non-flying- visit them here
or you are REALLY serious about this...
There are also some terms for pairs of animals and groups of three animals.
For more:
I prefer the wonderful poem, by the late Willard R. Espy (1910 - 1999), as printed in his terrific poetry book, Words to Rhyme With, to sum up the offspring of creatures. If you are a serious poet, or want to stretch the brain cells, buy this book. I love it!
A PUP BY ANY OTHER NAME
Ah, Chloe, the animal kingdom's a-teem
For a cow has a calf, but the calf of a mare
Is a foal, and a cub is the foal of a bear;
A fawn is the cub of a deer, while the fawn
Of a beaver's a kitten; and, carrying on,
The kit of a sheep is a lamb, and the lamb
Of a wolf is a whelp, while the whelp of a Madame
Is a babe, and the babe of a dog is a pup,
And I thought for a while this would wind the thing up,
But the pup of a goat is a kid, and--ah, Chloe--
What else is a kangaroo's kid but a joey?
Such a lovely bird, the mourning dove!
12 comments:
You did much better justice to posting about collective nouns than mem! Well done. Loved the poem. ~karen
You beat me to the punch with the geese at the golf course. I was going to get a picture of them and comment that the area's first seasonal guests had now arrived!
But you can't ever see too many photos of them! So heart warming to see our seasonal flocks returning!!!
You wonder about how some of those names got started. A few make sense, but some are a bit obscure. But I think I know where the "murder of crows" comes from. That's what you feel like doing when they swoop in and steel things like our good friend John's dogs food. Bro goes crazy barking and chasing, but they are expert at diverting him and sneaking in from behind to keep on stealing. John's careful about where he places the food, but they even tear into his backpack to get it out. They're so smart they remember from past visits where he keeps it. - Margy
Isn't it nice to see Muskoka springing out of winter? Loved your post!
I'm always go glad when the birds come back. This year, we came back with them, but I must admit to being unhappy when they woke me up at 4 am in Georgia on our way home!
I had never heard the word "charm" for a group of finches or hummingbirds.......my new thing I have learned today.
Thank you.
Gill
Jenn: Wonderful photos of the ducks and birds of your area.
Interesting how eagles are assigned a religiously flavored collective name. Interesting article.
Beautiful and lovely shots !! Nice video !!
Don't omit " blessing of Bluebirds"...
Geese collectives are complicated by the location: on the wing: a skein, or if in a V on the wing, a wedge... on the water, a gaggle... On land, I think the new collective name is nuisance of geese".
And I totally understand some days why it's termed a harras of horses :)
Don't forget the non-winged masses: a hover of trout, a skulk of foxes, such wonderful phrases!
This is true, Nancy, depends where you find them. This could be endless...
Post a Comment