Saturday, April 11, 2009

Murder, Charm and a Bevy

I was terrified and permanently scarred emotionally by Hitchcock's film The Birds. It doesn't help that situation to live in the country where a murder of crows (odd, isn't it, that this is the proper name for a group of them?) sitting on the telephone wires is a common sight. I much prefer a charm of red or yellow finches that compete with the bevy of doves and host of sparrows at our feeders. Or a gaggle, skein, flock of geese.

P1200651

This last winter was eerily silent. I was concerned that a cast of hawks had taken up residence in the woods along our property line. I had seen one or two actually land in the tree near my window bird feeder.

Then the weather started warming up a bit, and along with the sound of the peepers at night, I began hearing bird songs awakening the day. I hadn't realized how much I'd missed the trills and whistles until I began hearing them again.

red breasted nuthatch


I suppose I should go clean out and fill the feeders to insure they stick around.

While I'm doing that, you are invited to mosey over here to find out more interesting names for groups of animals. You didn't really think I knew all that on my own, did you?