Sunday, October 3, 2010

Lesley's Nature Watch. A SINGLE ROOK'S A CROW.........

.......and a flock of Crows is Rooks. So goes the old country saying, & now is the season for flocking amongst many birds. Most evident are the huge flocks of Starlings, Rooks, Mallards, Gulls & Pigeons, but take a look at the flocks of smaller birds. There are flocks of Linnets & Wagtails, Charms of Goldfinches & Gangs of Greenfinches. (I call them 'Gangs' because of their loutish behaviour on the bird table) and many more. Of course this flocking is in preparation for the colder months ahead as roosting in numbers creates warmth & also when food becomes scarce, the more pairs of eyes there are searching for it, the better for all.
Yesterday, I had a long journey through Brittany & saw several Swallow & Martin 'stragglers'. They were sparce & in tiny groups, the largest of which was just 5.
We'll have to wait until spring to welcome the return of those huge flocks of Swallows again! Meanwhile, we shall soon be welcoming the many flocks of Waders & Wild Geese who will come down from the Arctic to spend the winter with us.
What more cheerful sound could there be on a cold winter's day than a 'Gaggle' of Geese?
Photo: Gulls on Alfred Hitchcock's Statue, Dinard

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