tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278510471239667560.post7891071356551229751..comments2024-03-27T19:59:10.159+00:00Comments on Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park birds: Ralph Hancockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11686354797977020917noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278510471239667560.post-32454241815124295492016-10-19T04:12:57.879+01:002016-10-19T04:12:57.879+01:00[Feigns shock.][Feigns shock.]Ralph Hancockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11686354797977020917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278510471239667560.post-84368771004847561362016-10-19T03:32:32.730+01:002016-10-19T03:32:32.730+01:00Ralph I'm sure you saw this one coming. No, i...Ralph I'm sure you saw this one coming. No, it's a volery of tits, a colony of voles, and a... - Jim.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278510471239667560.post-17512851883779646672016-10-19T03:01:37.456+01:002016-10-19T03:01:37.456+01:00If it's a volery of tits, is it a tittery of v...If it's a volery of tits, is it a tittery of voles?<br /><br />Sound point about the Herring Gulls. Lesser Black-Backs don't seem to do the worm dance, though I have seen a Common Gull doing it.Ralph Hancockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11686354797977020917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278510471239667560.post-3367825457297494122016-10-19T02:28:44.421+01:002016-10-19T02:28:44.421+01:00Reportedly it's a volery of Long-Tailed Tits, ...Reportedly it's a volery of Long-Tailed Tits, see <a href="http://uk.whatbird.com/obj/1162/_/Long-tailed_Tit.aspx" rel="nofollow">here</a> and <a href="http://www.nzbirds.com/more/nounst.html" rel="nofollow">here</a>. Meaning "a flight or flock of birds" - Johnson, 1755 - so you did well anyway Ralph.<br /><br />Presumably Herring Gulls' earthworm-dancing ability on park lawns and playing fields means they are never so starved of protein as to be driven to try hunting down healthy adult town pigeons, which requires considerable time and patience as we see. JimAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278510471239667560.post-19633875739811551102016-10-18T21:01:16.400+01:002016-10-18T21:01:16.400+01:00So far the actual killing of pigeons seems to be d...So far the actual killing of pigeons seems to be done entirely by Lesser Black-Backs, not Herring Gulls. I have no idea why, as Herring Gulls are bigger and stronger. (No doubt Greater Black-Backs kill pigeons routinely, but these are only occasional visitors here.<br /><br />No, a 'flight' of Long-Tailed Tits is not one of those wilfully obscure nouns of assembly. It was just the first word that came to hand.<br /><br />Actually today's blog has a brief version of the story of the swan. When I saw it yesterday I didn't know it had been chased into the restaurant, and thought it was just being ornery. Virginia was there later, and saw the swan fruitlessly trying to escape from the terrace into the water. The railings are about 20 inches high, too much for it to leap over.Ralph Hancockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11686354797977020917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8278510471239667560.post-37280379376013812492016-10-18T20:53:28.607+01:002016-10-18T20:53:28.607+01:00I don't know whether to find all that inter-sp...I don't know whether to find all that inter-species squabbling over a pigeon corpse funny or appalling. I also wish Herring Gulls emphatically wouldn't learn the craft of pigeon killing.<br /><br />Is "a flight of long-tailed tits" how the collective noun is said? Like a murder of crows, a charm of goldfinches and a wisdom of owls?<br /><br />I'm reading back to see what the deal with the swan is...TinĂºvielhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04794275230697959519noreply@blogger.com