I’m glad to be in the shed, not lying in the hammock when dozens of cawing birds break their journey outside my house
I have always disliked collective nouns, although what I mean by collective noun is more accurately known as a term of venery: any allegedly evocative name applied to a specific group of animals. I think it’s stupid to refer to a bunch of larks as an exaltation. Having a separate word for every type of animal get-together is a hugely inefficient form of classification; if it were up to me their use would be punishable by a fine.
So when I wake to the sound of crows tearing the air with their calls, and look out of the window to see several dozen black birds perched along the roofline of a nearby house, no specific word escapes my lips.
