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Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: tim on June 21, 2007, 18:24:07

Title: A chattering of Starlings -
Post by: tim on June 21, 2007, 18:24:07
- but a heap of potatoes?
Title: Re: A chattering of Starlings -
Post by: asbean on June 21, 2007, 18:43:44
I thought it was a murmuration of starlings  ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ???
BTW the spuds are great. I hope they're as healthy underneath as they are on top  :) :) :) :) :) :)
Title: Re: A chattering of Starlings -
Post by: debster on June 21, 2007, 18:47:20
ooh tim are you opening a branch of spud u like cos if yes ill have mine with cheese and beans please but no butter thanks
Title: Re: A chattering of Starlings -
Post by: tim on June 21, 2007, 19:05:36
Oh, BE difficult, Beano!

quote - "I looked up the collective noun for starling, it seems that they have quite a few different collective nouns.
Some have arisen due to their noisy habits: a murmuration, a chatter, a chattering. Some are due to their mess and pest nature: a scourge, a vulgarity, a filth, a clutter and some are due to their flight patterns: a flight, a constellation, a cloud ."


Any advance??
Title: Re: A chattering of Starlings -
Post by: Robert_Brenchley on June 21, 2007, 20:11:19
A clamp of potatoes?
Title: Re: A chattering of Starlings -
Post by: cornykev on June 21, 2007, 20:16:17
A bag of chips.  ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: A chattering of Starlings -
Post by: froglets on June 21, 2007, 20:19:59
A howk of tatties

( lifting the potatos in the fields of East Lothian is known as tattie howkin)

.... and anyone who has read any of my previous posts on the birds nesting in the terrace roofs will know....


A pissmeoff of starlings
Title: Re: A chattering of Starlings -
Post by: asbean on June 21, 2007, 21:28:31
Mind you, I haven't seen too many starlings in recent times.  Now magpies - there should be a collective word for them - no, maybe not, it wouldn't get past the censor. a ****** of magpies.
Title: Re: A chattering of Starlings -
Post by: Robert_Brenchley on June 21, 2007, 22:51:40
Numbers have gone down quite drastically; I suspect it's got something to do with the fact that buildings in city centres are now netted to keep birds off. in the past, millions have roosted in city centres in winter, and gone out into the surrounding countyside during the day. You don't see those massive flocks now.
Title: Re: A chattering of Starlings -
Post by: Raisedbed on June 22, 2007, 00:09:11
That's cos we've got 'em.  They bully and steal from the smaller birds, throw bird seed from the feeders all over the place in their greed, fight with each other and then sit on the fence wiping their beaks clean.  It like the film 'The Birds'.
Title: Re: A chattering of Starlings -
Post by: tim on June 22, 2007, 06:31:08
I should have said a bump of potatoes.
Title: Re: A chattering of Starlings -
Post by: budgiebreeder on June 22, 2007, 06:33:21
We have our share in West Yorkshire also Raisedbed  and they also are bullies.
Title: Re: A chattering of Starlings -
Post by: cleo on June 22, 2007, 13:13:48
Plenty of starlings here. My favourite collective noun comes from Tony Cozier-a white West Indian cricket commentator-"an annoyance of small boys"
Title: Re: A chattering of Starlings -
Post by: Robert_Brenchley on June 22, 2007, 20:16:01
i had a mayhem of Year 8's this afternoon.
Title: Re: A chattering of Starlings -
Post by: tim on June 22, 2007, 20:51:52
Like that, Stephan!
Title: Re: A chattering of Starlings -
Post by: kenkew on June 22, 2007, 21:19:27
It's a Chattering of Chuffs so I'm told and a chattering/clutter of Starlings...but all such collective nouns depend on locality...I have heard of a blessing of Unicorns, a Deck of Sailors, a Calendar of Saints, a Groan of Puns, a Breeze of Heather and a Vulgarity of Squaddies.
All probably made-up but still 'acceptable'.
(I just thought of one...a Plank of Trees!)
Title: Re: A chattering of Starlings -
Post by: Melbourne12 on June 22, 2007, 22:02:46
I don't know many collective nouns.  A wunch of bankers, I believe, though.
Title: Re: A chattering of Starlings -
Post by: Froglegs on June 23, 2007, 00:00:01
 :o ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: A chattering of Starlings -
Post by: OllieC on June 23, 2007, 09:50:15
I think it should be an argument of gardeners...