A whiteness of swans





Suddenly found myself surrounded by feathered fellows on my first Swedish/winter christmas.
Metal Swedish bird decoration circa 1970's / drawing of a Tui by my father / coloured paper peacock decoration.


different names for groups of different birds:

A raft, flock, colony, covey, dissimulation, fleet, flight, parcel, pod, volery, sedge, chain, bellowing, wake, tok, mews, peep, brood, cletch clutch, clattering, chattering, cover, commotion, covert, rasp, swarm, gulp, hover, murder, muster, parcel, storytelling, head, herd, trip, dole, dule, piteousness, pitying, prettying, dopping, plump, padding, team, fling, convocation, mob, cast, charm, trembing, stand, wedge, gaggle, nide, skein, drum, troubling, lek, pack, bazaar, confusion, screech, aerie, kettle, moulting, screw, stream, seige, hedge, rookery, train, band, party scold, deceit, desert, exaltation, ascension, bevy, tiding, tittering, tribe, congregation, lute, flush, puddling, sute, sord, richness, watch, parliament, stare, company, pandemonium, psittacosis, bew, warren, muster, pride, ostentation, creche, huddle, bouquet, Nye, pheasants, kit, loft, bunch, rush, knob, run, conspiracy, unkindness, crowd, building, clamour, hill, sea, cloud, squabble, doading, exultation, walk, wisp, host, quarrel, ubiquity, numeration, scourge, phalanx, eyrar, bank, drift, game, lamentation, sownder, squadron, whiteness, whiting, diving, spring, mutation, raffle, rafter, coil, trip, fall, descent.

Do They Know Its Cliffmas Time At All?

Perhaps the worst Christmas song of all time. I believe Cliff Richard is solely to blame for the abundance of terrible christmas songs around. It makes radio around this time unbearable, and Cliff's influence and success in this music genre has turned well respected musical acts into silly season novelties - look at the likes of BobDylan, Alvin and the Chipmunks, The Royal Guardsmen.


This, however, is the greatest Christmas song of all time. Hands down. Good for duets at karaoke and wild gestured swaying on balconies as you steadily get drunker on Christmas Eve (now a tradition). Father on Fairytale of New York: The only interesting thing about that song is that Kirsty McColl died by being run over by a speedboat whilst scuba diving.

I am also distressed by the fact Vince Martin of 'Vince Martin & the Beaurepairs' fame has switched his popular Christmas jingle from Winter Wonderland to Silver Bells. Its just not the same.