At 07:45 this morning over Gorokan, NSW S33º 15′ 19″ E152º 31′ 08″ , a kettle of approx. 80 White-throated Needletails feeding and calling at approx 200m. Calm conditions with cloud cover of 3 okta cumulus, building.
Carl Clifford ===============================
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I was wondering the same thing …. I’ve never heard of a ‘kettle” used as a collective noun.
Jude
Russ,
A kettle means a group of birds soaring and circling together either feeding or on a thermal. They look rather like peas or such in a pot coming up to the boil. We don’t seem to have many species that do kettle. WTN, Fork-tailed Swift and Aus.Pelican are the only ones I’ve seen doing it here. Overseas, it is common behaviour in migrating raptors, storks and cranes etc. A large kettle of raptors is an impressive sight.
Cheers,
Carl Clifford
Carl, I’ve not heard “kettle” used as a collective noun for WTN’s, nor for anything else in fact (perhaps a group of tea drinkers is a possibility). Do you know it’s derivation? How did you come to use it?
Russ Lamb, Maleny,SEQ
Carl, I’ve not heard “kettle” used as a collective noun for WTN’s, nor for anything else in fact (perhaps a group of tea drinkers is a possibility). Do you know it’s derivation? How did you come to use it?
Russ Lamb, Maleny,SEQ