October 16th, 2013

A week or so ago, Mr. Harper’s Grade 4 class from Breslau Public School came to the Blair OEE Centre to do a Habitats and Communities study.  I was impressed with  their knowledge of some local issues like the Jefferson’s salamander – a provincially and federally listed species at risk – and how it’s presence is affecting some planned development.  Facts and figures rolled off their tongues at Mr. Harper’s prompting.

But they had me in stitches rhyming off the terms to describe groups of certain animals like a “gaggle of geese” or a “murder of crows.”  So they agreed to write a bunch down and send them to me – which they have – and here is the list for your own knowledge and entertainment!! My favourite is the “dazzle of zebras.”

And here’s a new one (I think) for Mr. Harper’s class.  Following last night’s rain, a mini cold front is passing through and with it a number of migrating songbirds – chipping sparrows, a white-throated sparrow, dark-eyed juncos, blue jays, and a “round of robins.”  Well, I kind of borrowed that from the UK where the bird they call a robin is a different species than ours.  In 2011 the British Trust for Ornithology held a contest to come up with a new collective noun for the uncommon habit of (their) robins congregating in a group – and “round” was the winner.