"Yes," said Henry, "and a quarrel of sparrows is appropriate because their chirping makes them sound as if they are all quarrelling with each other all the time!"
Everyone laughed. It did seem that the group names were usually quite fitting.
"The feathers from eider ducks are quite often used in making quilt fillings," explained Bubbles, "you've all heard of eiderdowns that you have on your beds to keep you warm at night."
"But why is a group of magpies known as a mischief?" Vicky asked quietly. "Are they very naughty birds?"
"No, it's because in the Olden Days", Bubbles answered, "it was believed that the number of magpies seen could bring either good or bad luck depending upon whether they were up to mischief or not. One magpie was considered to be bad luck and people would offset this by greeting it as 'Mr Magpie' and asking how 'Mrs Magpie' was. There is a rhyme you can learn about what different numbers of magpies mean when you see them. Would you like to hear it?"