This Friday we have one of our Local Wildlife group talks in Ely, Unfortunately the person how was going to do our talk has been taken ill, so Helen one of our committee members has jumped in at very short notice to do a talk on “Poisonous plants – a question of degree!”

Man has known of and made use of poisonous plants for both good and evil for thousands of years. Amongst those assassinated using plants were Socrates in 402BC and much more recently George Markov. Others have died accidentally, yet many have been grateful for the medicinal effects of poisonous plants. The talk will include a few surprises and possibly some unexpected serious warnings.

So I am looking forward to hearing Helen’s talk, but as Helen’s husband Terry had hosted our January talk this started to get me thinking perhaps I should have a talk just in case we are in this situation again in case the speaker booked for the evening is taking ill and we need to step in.

I have not actually done a talk on a subject only lead the hare walks and done swan feed and talk at WWT Welney, so maybe base one on the ‘Hares’ so I started looking in my books and more information on hares and started looking at facts and found the collective nouns for hares and was surprised, for example a group of hares can be  a Drove (very apt for the fens), husk, trace or trip, two = a brace and three a leash.

Then I started looking at others and could not stop, so here goes:

Ferrets – Business

Moles –  Labour ( only really get together for mating, usually solitary)

Rabbits – Nest

Coots – Covert

Curlews – Herd

Ducks – Team (in flight) or Paddling (on water)

Herons – Siege or Rookery

Jays – Band

Lapwings – Deceit

Mallard – Flush

Nightingales – Watch

Partridges – Covey

Plovers – Congregation, flight, wing or stand

Pochards – Rush or flight

Rooks – Building or clamour

Snipe – walk or wisp

Sparrows – Host or tribe

Swans – Herd or team

Teal – Spring, coil or bunch

Wigeon – Company

and Woodcock – Fall or flight

These are just a  few and all can be found in East Anglia, so next time you are out and about and see a collection of the above, impress your friends and family with your collective nouns of the countryside.