community.kjrh.com

Turkeys and Guinea birds are perfect pest insect eating machines. They love to eat ticks especially. I know my Dad said that every farmer kept Guineas around to act as visitor alarms to keep the ticks and fleas down to near zero. I owuld imagine that the turkeys are probably enjoying the largesse of some sort of insect in the area.

You guys are right about good photography being more than owning a good camera and lens, even though without them there is no picture. I know more than several times I walked around the park in a  wide circle around the Langenheim hawks so that I could get better light on them or a better background. It takes a little patience to do so without spooking them. Having subjects that don't usually fear humans helps a lot as well as a park that allows you to move freely. These are things that make shooting in the wild exponentially difficult. John Shaw is one of my favorite nature shooters, he shoots everything from plants and flowers to insects to the biggest mammals and reptiles in their native habitats.

Leucystic hawks, I haven't read too much about them, but we have a leucystic redtail as a resident non-releaseable education bird.  He is nearly snow white all over, but has a "dirty" character to his white feathers where they should brown, his tail is "dirty" looking too and the terminal black line on the tail faintly dark brown. His eyes are sky blue, talons and beak are white, and the rehablitator he was placed with us from said his vision is very poor, and he startles easily so we have to speak to him while working in his cage and near him. We are wondering if his vision is somehow affected by lack of pigment or normal light receptors in his eyes. He is gorgeous and a wonderful contrast to our "normal" redtail.

Sally: Whilst housecleaning today (sigh) I was wondering about the vision impairment in leucistic redtails. I think I have read that some albino animals are all but blind, but had no knowledge of visual impairment in leucistic birds. The leucistic redtail in your rehab is a very fortunate bird, indeed, as without much vision, she would be doomed in the wild. Bobdmac: I plan to read that California native/non native article in a bit. It looks like it has all the answers to all my question, though. Thank you very much. KC: My ancient history with photography was sports, specifically running (marathons, 5Ks, and track), and not wildlife, so while I managed the lenses and the moment, I really never mastered the massive patience that is required for even urban wildlife photography. The work done by you and catgirl and those others whose links bobdmac have found, have my highest respect, and awe.

Bobdmac: Your link on native/non-native wild turkeys. I guess I asked the controversial question, but I do like the science of the re-introduction theory, based on fossil finds, especially as they have thrived there in recent decades. And with West Nile virus spreading, anything that eats ticks has my full support, re-introduced OR native.

bobdmac:

Here's a link to one of the funnier pictures of red tail hawks I've ever seen. I'm posting the link, rather than just the photo, because I think the explanation of what's happening is so good.

That was priceless bobdmac, thanks for sharing.  I set it as background for my desktop
 I also love the pics from Walter K Kitundu of Patch.  I thought that this one was great also. http://www.kitundu.com/patch/unusual1.html

Socal, great pics from the San Diego Zoo also, brought back lots of memories for me

More turkley talk: I ran across the name for a group of turkeys--a rafter. Then a list of other such terms at this website:  http://www.bcpl.net/~tross/gnlist.html
I'm partial to the exaltation, murmuration and siege. (sorry for the tiny type)

A bevy of quail
A bouquet of pheasants [when flushed]
A brood of hens
A building of rooks
A cast of hawks [or falcons]
A charm of finches
A colony of penguins
A company of parrots
A congregation of plovers
A cover of coots
A covey of partridges [or grouse or ptarmigans]
A deceit of lapwings
A descent of woodpeckers
A dissimulation of birds
A dole of doves
An exaltation of larks
A fall of woodcocks
A flight of swallows [or doves, goshawks, or cormorants]
A gaggle of geese [wild or domesticated]
A host of sparrows
A kettle of hawks [riding a thermal]
A murmuration of starlings
A murder of crows
A muster of storks
A nye of pheasants [on the ground]
An ostentation of peacocks
A paddling of ducks [on the water]
A parliament of owls
A party of jays
A peep of chickens
A pitying of turtledoves
A raft of ducks
A rafter of turkeys
A siege of herons
A skein of geese [in flight]
A sord of mallards
A spring of teal
A tidings of magpies
A trip of dotterel
An unkindness of ravens
A watch of nightingales
A wedge of swans [or geese, flying in a "V"]
A wisp of snipe

The site continued: "Any of these group names may properly be used by birders who wish to display their erudition, although it is probably linguistically inaccurate (and it certainly is bad manners) to upbraid someone who refers to "a bunch of ravens" by saying, "Surely you mean `an unkindness of ravens,' my good fellow." Most of these terms date back at least 500 years. Some of them have been in continuous use since then; others have gone out of fashion and been resurrected in the last century or two; still others only exist on lists. Most of these terms are listed in James Lipton's An Exaltation of Larks. Lipton's list is substantially based on very old sources."

An exhaltation of larks is good, I agree. But I'll take an unkindness of ravens for 300, Alex. Actually, there are all kinds of nuggets in there, Bville. Thanks for the list. I've heard a number of them, but I've never seen such a complete collection.

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"Freedom of the press is guaranteed only to those who own one" –– A. J. Liebling

Bville: What fun! I think Donna at PMI would have fun with it too, and with the quote at the bottom too! I always thought it was a "murder" of crows. I recall a "parliament" of owls. But mostly I say "a bunch" of sparrows. :-)

Another photo, just for fun, from Walter Kitundu:

Here comes trouble

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"Freedom of the press is guaranteed only to those who own one" –– A. J. Liebling

bobdmac:

But I'll take an unkindness of ravens for 300, Alex.

Remember to answer in the form of a question:  "Where did this terminology originate?"

*  “A group of Ravens is called 'An Unkindness'. It can also be a 'Constable' or 'Conspiracy', though, depending on what they are doing at the time. For example, an unkindness of ravens might torment a dog and steal its food. A constable of ravens is stationed at the Tower of London. A conspiracy of ravens might be seen lurking in the shadows of a garbage dump.” http://www.shades-of-night.com/aviary/names.html

*  Also, "A storytelling of ravens"

*  unkindness of ravens refers to an old legend that ravens push their young out of the nest to survive as best they can

*  Historical references: "It had been thought that there have been at least six ravens in residence at the tower for centuries. It was said that Charles II ordered their removal following complaints from John Flamsteed, the Royal Astronomer.^[5] However, they were not removed because Charles was then told of the legend that if the ravens ever leave the Tower of London, the White Tower, the monarchy, and the entire kingdom would fall…. The earliest known reference to a tower raven is a picture in the newspaper The Pictorial World in 1885. This and scattered subsequent references to the tower ravens, both literary and visual, which appear in the late nineteenth to early twentieth century place them near the monument commemorating those beheaded at the tower, popularly known as the “scaffold.” This strongly suggests that the ravens, which are notorious for gathering at gallows, were originally used to dramatize tales of imprisonment and execution at the tower told by the Yeomen Warders to tourists.^[7] There is evidence that the original ravens were donated to the tower by the Earls of Dunraven, perhaps because of their association with the Celtic raven-god Bran.^[9] However wild ravens, which were once abundant in London and often seen around meat markets (such as nearby Eastcheap) feasting for scraps, could have roosted at the tower in earlier times…...^[10]

During the Second World War most of the Tower's ravens perished through shock during bombing raids, leaving a sole survivor named 'Grip'.^[10] Before the tower reopened to the public on 1 January 1946, care was taken to ensure that a new set of ravens was in place.^[12]

There are currently nine ravens, whose wings are clipped to prevent them from flying away, and they are cared for by the Ravenmaster, a duty given to one of the Yeomen Warders….as of November 2006):^[13]

• Gwylum (male, 18 years old)
• Thor (male, 15 years old)
• Hugin (female, 11 years old)
• Munin (female, 11 years old)
• Branwen (female, 3 years old)
• Bran (male, 3 years old)
• Gundulf (male, 1 year old)
• Baldrick (male, 1 year old)
• Fleur (female, 4 years old)

The oldest raven ever to serve at the Tower of London was called Jim Crow, who died at the age of 44.^[14]  In 2006, ahead of the H5N1 avian influenza scare, the ravens were moved indoors; as of July 2006, they are once again free to roam about the grounds within the tower complex." --Wikipedia
(I removed footnote markers for #6 and #8 after 1885 and Dunraven. For some reason, the posting here insists on replacing them with a couple of funky icons.)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4098894.stm  Very interesting and entertaining BBC article about The Ravenmaster, the officer in charge of the Tower's ravens

 *  Also see:   http://everything2.com/node/1060691

----------OK, audience, that puts bobdmac in the lead as we advance to Final Jeopardy. Back after this message from our sponsors.

Okay, Bville. Now you've gone too far! With apologies to Guess Who, this is what I have to say in response:

Once upon a web site cheery, as I pondered weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious photo of forgotten lore,
While I nodded, nearly napping, contemplating raptors rapping,
The sound of fingers gently snapping, my attention did implore.
"Tis Bville trying," I muttered, "my attention to implore––
Only this and nothing more."

(Thanks for this amazing and impossibly obscure bit of history. I'm going to memorize it and spring it on some unsuspecting victim the next time the word "Raven" comes up in conversation)

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"Freedom of the press is guaranteed only to those who own one" –– A. J. Liebling

tripsqkr:

That was priceless bobdmac, thanks for sharing.  I set it as background for my desktop
 I also love the pics from Walter K Kitundu of Patch.  I thought that this one was great also. http://www.kitundu.com/patch/unusual1.html

I agree, Tripsqkr, the bird/traffic signs have a wonderful irony, for lack of a better term. If you look through Kitundu's "Bird Light Wind" archive, you'll find a whole bunch them. Unfortunately, they're not collated as a group.

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"Freedom of the press is guaranteed only to those who own one" –– A. J. Liebling

Sorry, friends, it's a rainy day in B'ville (though no Thunder to be found), and well--I just can't help myself. Apologies to Mr. Poe and any other poet who ever picked up a pen and poeticized

                       
                                     FINAL JEOPARDY

“Let my heart be still a moment, and this mystery explore….”

 
Thursday morn, I flung the shutter, when, with many a strut and flutter,

In there stepped a stately turkley, from Thanksgiving dreams of yore.

Not the least attention paid he, neither bow nor gobble made he;

But with mien of lord or lady, roosted o’er my kitchen door.

Perched upon a bust of Liebling, just above my kitchen door.

Roosted, preened, and nothing more.

 

Then this bearded bird beguiling my gaunt visage into smiling,

By the wrinkled, crimson wattle on the countenance it wore,

“Other toms could not be fatter; thou,” I said, “wilt grace my platter,

Pleasing, plump and tender Turkley, wand’rer from the groc’ry store.

Tell me what thy stuffing’s made of—giblets, oysters, sage and more?"

Quoth the turkley, “Nevermore.”

 

Much I marvelled this ungainly fowl to hear retort so plainly,

Though its answer little meaning, little relevancy bore;

For we cannot help agreeing that no living human being

Ever yet was blessed with seeing turkleys o’er his kitchen door,

Ne’er a gobbler’s wishbone perched on A.J. o’er his kitchen door,

With such name as “Nevermore.”

 

Again the turkley, still enticing, turned my famished thoughts to slicing

Juicy white meat, dark meat, giblets—spooning dressing, green beans, more;

In turkley-basting daydreams sinking, of gravied mashed potatoes thinking--

Dreams of larder warmly linking me to Turkleydays before--

Enrapt, I stood in drooling bliss, in front of bird, and bust and door;

Then croaked the turkley, “Nevermore!”

 

“Be that word our sign of parting, fiendish fowl!” I shrieked, upstarting—

“Get thee hence into the roaster, just beyond the oven door!

Leave no feather as a token of that curse thy beak hath spoken!

Let my hunger pangs be broken – quit the bust above my door!

Take thy beak from out my heart, and get thy drumsticks on my floor!”

Quoth the turkley, “Nevermore!”

 

Now the turkley, never flapping, still is napping, still is napping

On the stolid bust of Liebling just above my kitchen door;

And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon’s that is dreaming

(Or that hawk with gopher screaming!) --he sits with A.J. o’er my door;

And my famished soul still calls, awaits the feast it hungers for—

But shall be sated, nevermore.

Bville, this is just flat hilarious.  I had no idea what I was unleashing with my feeble foray into poesy. I think you've found your true métier, and our earlier coronation of you as Poet Laureate of the Hawk's Nest Forum has been more than justified.

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"Freedom of the press is guaranteed only to those who own one" –– A. J. Liebling

Bville: You ARE a poet, and we now all KNOW IT!!! That poem is delightful, and definitely award worthy!!! Poet Laureate of the Hawk Forum you are!!! Regarding the names of groups of various birds.... Here is a website that lists group names of both birds and animals: http://www.indiana.edu/~animal/fun/wordplay/terms.html Having observed these creatures in the zoos here on many occasions, one of my personal favorites is: a CRASH of rhinoceri.