A Murmuration of Starlings
Dear Readers, we had some more sterling results this week, with Fran and Bobby Freelove, Susan and Anne all getting 15 out of 15, and Mike from Alittlebitoutoffocus getting 8 out of 15 on what I thought was a pretty hard quiz. Who knew that you could have a herd of cranes? Thanks to all of you for having a bash, and let’s see what I can come up with for Saturday 🙂
1) F) A Congregation of alligators or crocodiles
2) J) A Cete of badgers (we normally say colony these days)
3) K) A Sounder of wild boar
4) N) An Obstinacy of buffaloes
5) L) A Caravan of camels
6) O) A Clowder of cats
7) E) A Clattering of choughs
8) M) A Herd of cranes
9) G) A Piteousness of doves
10) C) A Convocation of eagles
11) A) An Exultation of larks
12) H) A Business of ferrets
13) B) A Skulk of foxes
14) I) A Charm of goldfinches
15) D) An Unkindness of ravens
Photo Credits
Photo One by Mfield, Matthew Field – http://www.photography.mattfield.com, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Photo Two by kallerna, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Photo Three by Michael Gäbler, CC BY 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Photo Four by Bernard DUPONT from FRANCE, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Photo Five by Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Photo Six by Scott Granneman, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Photo Seven by Ken Billington, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Photo Eight by Harry geurts, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Photo Nine by Virginie Moerenhout, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Photo Ten by Paul Resh from Delaware,OH, USA, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Photo Eleven by Evelyn Simak / A skylark (Alauda arvensis)
Photo Twelve by גיא חיימוביץ at Hebrew Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Photo Thirteen by Peter Trimming, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Photo Fourteen by © Francis C. Franklin / CC-BY-SA-3.0, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Photo Fifteen by Bombtime, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
More than half – I’m happy with that! 😊
I wonder how far back these marvellous collective nouns can be traced. Our ancestors named the creatures and their behaviour so observantly and vividly.