"Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune without the words,
and never stops at all."
- Emily Dickenson
INTRODUCTION
The main theme for this week's Cognitive Stimulation Therapy activities session iss 'Birds', as 27th-29th January is the RSPB 'Big Garden Birdwatch'.
"Be wowed by your local wildlife. 'Big Garden Birdwatch' is for everyone, whether you're a complete beginner or a birding expert. Simply count the birds you see in your garden, from your balcony or in your local park for one hour between 27th and 29th January 2023."
You can register here -
- We asked, who likes or dislikes birds and the reasons why?
- What are members favourite birds? - Does anyone bird watch? - Does anyone feed birds, using a bird table or feeder?
- Does anyone have a bird bath in their garden?
- Does anyone have birds nesting in their garden?
- Has anyone visited a bird sanctuary, like 'Slimbridge'?
- Has anyone seen a rare bird, and if so where?
- Can anyone make the sound of a bird, e.g. an owl using their cupped hands?
IDIOMS We moved on to ask members to complete the following idioms about birds together by way of a 'shout out', giving clues where necessary (as provided in brackets). - A bird in the hand is worth two in the BUSH (be content with what you have) - As proud as a PEACOCK (a vain or self centred person) - The early bird catches the WORM (gain advantage by taking early action) - SWAN song (farewell performance) - Night OWL (late to bed) - Wild goose CHASE (foolish and hopeless search) - What's good for the goose is good for the GANDER (what a man can have, so can a woman) - Kill the goose that lays the GOLDEN EGG (unprofitable action motivated by greed) - Goose BUMPS (fearful response) - Ugly DUCKLING (a person who turns out to be beautiful or talented against all the expectations) - Like water off a duck's BACK (unheeded warning) - Like a duck to WATER (a natural ability to do something when you try it for the first time) - Lovely weather for DUCKS (wet weather) - Don't count your chickens before they HATCH (don't necessarily expect a good outcome)
- Don't put all your eggs in one BASKET (keep your options open)
- Chicken OUT (decide not to do something out of fear)
- Chicken and egg SITUATION (impossible to say which existed first)
- Take somebody under your WING (take care of an inexperienced or junior person)
- Spread your WINGS (expand your horizons and take opportunities)
- Pecking ORDER (place within a hierarchy)
- Lame DUCK (ineffectual person)
- Kill two birds with one STONE (achieve two aims at once)
- Fly the COOP (make your escape)
- Empty NEST syndrome (children have left the house)
- Eagle EYE (very observant)
- Bird's eye VIEW (looking down on something)
- Birds and the BEES (procreation)
- As free as a BIRD (no worries or troubles)
- Cockney SPARROW (born in the East End of London)
- Stone the CROWS (an exclamation of surprise)
- Parrot FASHION (without thought or meaning)
- Birds of a feather FLOCK TOGETHER (people with the same tastes and interests tend to group together)
- Mother HEN (a person who sees to the needs of others, usually in a fussy or interfering way)
- HEN pecked (a man who is browbeaten or under the thumb of his female partner)
- As wise as an OWL (a silent, solitary bird which hunts at night-time was associated with lunar gods, which were in turn associated with wisdom and intelligence)
- Feathered FRIENDS (birds)
- One swallow does not make a SUMMER (an old saying)
MUSIC & PICTURE QUIZ
ROUND 1. General Knowledge
 | Who is the Patron Saint of birds? |
 | What is a bird watcher called? |
 | A collection of live birds is kept in what? |
 | What is the smallest bird in the UK? |
 | What is the fastest bird on the planet (in fact it is the fastest of all animals)? How fast do you think it can fly? |
 | Which bird has the widest wingspan? How wide is it? |
 | Which bird advertised 'Guinness'? Who is this holding one? |
 | Which bird and which guard protect the 'Tower of London'? What happens if the birds leave? |
 | HM King Charles 111 owns all of these birds across the UK. What are they called? |
 | Name the bird and complete the rhyme? "One for sorrow ..." (spoiler below) TV theme - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDNoSi1vbE0 |
SINGALONG - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwqmlrVGa54
There once was an ugly duckling
With feathers all stubby and brown
And the other birds said in so many words
Get out of town
Get out, get out, get out of town
And he went with a quack and a waddle and a quack
In a flurry of eiderdown
That poor little ugly duckling
Went wandering far and near
But at every place they said to his face
Now get out, get out, get out of here
And he went with a quack and a waddle and a quack
And a very unhappy tear
All through the wintertime he hid himself away
Ashamed to show his face, afraid of what others might say
All through the winter in his lonely clump of wheat
Till a flock of swans spied him there and very soon agreed
You’re a very fine swan indeed!
A swan? Me a swan? Ah, go on!
And he said yes, you’re a swan
Take a look at yourself in the lake and you’ll see
And he looked, and he saw, and he said
I am a swan! Whee!
I’m not such an ugly duckling
No feathers all stubby and brown
For in fact these birds in so many words said
The best in town, the best, the best
The best in town
Not a quack, not a quack, not a waddle or a quack
But a glide and a whistle and a snowy white back
And a head so noble and high
Say who’s an ugly duckling?
Not I!
ROUND 2. Movies & TV
 | Name the 'Dynamic Duo'? Which city did they protect? TV theme - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kK4H-LkrQjQ |
 | Name the flying ducks? Name the character and soap? TV theme - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r80X8Zm43xY |
 | Name the 1970s TV comedy drama series that starred Paula Wilcox, Richard O'Sullivan and Sally Thompson? TV theme - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UADY-Ks4PHs |
 | Name the 1970s TV comedy series starring Polly James and Nerys Hughes? Where was it set? TV theme - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMFSwkh7UhI |
 | Name the 1980s TV series starring Pauline Quirk, Lesley Joseph and Linda Robson? TV theme - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmgqAfWUX10 |
 | Name this 1941 movie? Who starred in it? |
 | Name this 1963 Hitchcock movie? Who starred in it? |
 | Name this 1968 war film set in the Bavarian Alps, starring Clint Eastwood and Richard Burton? |
 | Name the 1977 movie? Name the characters and spaceship? |
 | Name this 1975 movie about life in a mental health hospital? Who starred in it?
|
 | Name this 1969 Ken Loach movie, about a boy raising a bird of prey? What was the bird of prey?
|
 | Name this 1991 movie? Who starred as Hannibal Lecter and Agent Clarice Starling? |
SINGALONG. 'Feed The Birds', Mary Poppins - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHrRxQVUFN4
Early each day to the steps of Saint Paul's The little old bird woman comes In her own special way to the people She calls, "Come, buy my bags full of crumbs"
"Come feed the little birds, show them you care And you'll be glad if you do Their young ones are hungry, their nests are so bare All it takes is tuppence from you"
"Feed the birds, tuppence a bag Tuppence, tuppence, tuppence a bag Feed the birds", that's what she cries While overhead, her birds fill the skies
All around the cathedral, the saints and apostles Look down as she sells her wares Although you can't see it, you know they are smiling Each time someone shows that he cares
Though her words are simple and few "Listen, listen", she's calling to you "Feed the birds, tuppence a bag Tuppence, tuppence, tuppence a bag"
VIDEO BREAK - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oe6zrkQwJMw
Which birds make 'Murmurations'?
ROUND 3. For The Birds
 | Name this extinct bird? What saying is associated with it? |
 | Name this flying dinosaur? |
 | Name this bird that rises from the ashes? Name the character with it? What was the name of the bird in the movie? |
 | Sir Malcolm Campbell broke the world land speed record in 25th September 1924 in a car named what? Where in Wales was the record set and how fast was it? |
 | Name this steam train, built in 1938? Which was faster, this train or 'The Flying Scotsman'? |
 | What was the name of Howard Hughes's seaplane, which had its inaugural and only flight on 2nd November 1947? How many soldiers was it designed to carry? |
 | Who was the first man to step onto the moon on 20th July 1969? What words were said as the spacecraft touched down? |
 | In golf, what is one under par called? What is the 19th hole called? |
 | Name the TV sitcom this car is associated with? Name the car? TV theme - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnF5GgcDRsI |
 | Name the TV comedy series? Which bird was dead? Here is the sketch - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZw35VUBdzo |
SINGALONG - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvqeSJlgaNk
Seven-a What number is this, Chip? Seven-a! Okay, know what I mean, don't get excited man It's 'cause I'm short, I know
Oh, I could hide 'neath the wings Of the bluebird as she sings The six o'clock alarm would never ring But it rings, and I rise Wipe the sleep out of my eyes My shavin' razor's cold and it stings
Cheer up, sleepy Jean Oh, what can it mean To a daydream believer And a homecoming queen?
You once thought of me As a white knight on his steed Now, you know how happy I can be Oh, and our good times start and end Without dollar one to spend But how much, baby, do we really need
Cheer up, sleepy Jean Oh, what can it mean To a daydream believer And a homecoming queen?
ROUND 4. Birds In Literature
 | Which Bible story has this bird flying over flooded lands to see if the waters are receding? What bird is it & what was it carrying? |
 | Which pirate had one of these on his shoulder, called Captain Flint, who would say "Pieces of eight'? What was the name of the 1883 book by Robert Louis Stevenson?) TV advert this still is taken from - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lklk5TYBAAI
|
 | This bird is associated with which part of London? Which bells do you have to be born within earshot of to call yourself one?
Recite the rhyme together ... "Oranges and lemons ..." (see below) |
 | Who killed Cock Robin & with what? |
 | There are two publishing houses in the UK named after birds. What are they?
|
 | Which of the 'Seven Deadly Sins' is this bird (sort of) associated with? What are the other sins? |
 | Put the bird into this saying ... "For one ******* does not make a summer, nor does one day; and so too one day, or a short time, does not make a man blessed and happy." |
 | Who wrote the 1960 novel 'To Kill A Mockingbird'? Who starred in the movie? |
 | What did the owl and the pussycat go to sea in? (spoiler below) |
 | In the nursery rhyme, how many Blackbirds were 'baked in a pie'?
|
SINGALONG. 'Morning Has Broken', Cat Stevens - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0TInLOJuUM
Morning has broken like the first morning Blackbird has spoken like the first bird Praise for the singing, praise for the morning Praise for them springing fresh from the world
Sweet the rains new fall, sunlit from Heaven Like the first dewfall on the first grass Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden Sprung in completeness where His feet pass
Mine is the sunlight, mine is the morning Born of the one light, Eden saw play Praise with elation, praise every morning God's recreation of the new day
Morning has broken like the first morning Blackbird has spoken like the first bird Praise for the singing, praise for the morning Praise for them springing fresh from the world
ROUND 5. More Birds
 | Name this bird? What quality is it associated with? |
 | Name this bird? What does it do with it's head? |
 | It's egg is the biggest in the world. How many chicken's eggs is it equivalent to? |
 | Name this bird that stands on one leg? T or F. It is pink because it eats shrimp? |
 | Name this bird? Which country is it associated with? |
 | Name this bird? Where was it taken to test air quality? |
 | Name this bird? What role did it play in both World Wars? |
 | Name this bird? T or F. It is the only bird that can fly backwards? |
 | Name this bird? How is it associated with Indian restaurants? |
 | Name this bird? T or F. It happily co-exists with Polar Bears (unless they're really hungry)? |
And finally, name these extra birds ...
FINAL SONGS - Take your pick ...
'The Birdy Song', The Tweets - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGDmLMn-0h4
'Up Up And Away', The 5th Dimension - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2hI3-KvYZY
'The Wind Beneath My Wings', Bette Midler - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0iAzMRKFX3c
'I Can't Let Maggie Go', The Honeybus - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ih4zwp-0GeQ
'Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep', Middle Of The Road - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ay6CIDryEAQ
'I Taut I Taw A Puddy Cat', Mel Blanc - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38aDWDUjlOY
'Lovin' You', Minnie Riperton - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kE0pwJ5PMDg
Have members singalong with the chorus, at loud volume. Just for fun!
PRACTICAL ACTIVITY
For our practical activity, we printed off lots of colour images of birds for the tables. Then as we went through the questions, we paused when a bird was mentioned which corresponded with a picture and asked members to locate it and hold it up.
After the music round we then made a collage out of some of these pictures, images of birds that members had coloured in and models which members had made out of modelling clay.
As you can see from the images above, it was a very productive session.
We had also brought in a 'Squawkers McCaw' talking parrot toy from home, which also gave members a good laugh.
You could also have a go at making a 'Twitter Bird Mobile'. We cut out the template of the Twitter bird, then coloured in individual birds on one side and wrote 'Peace' messages on the other side. Here's what it looked like.
1. St Francis Of Assissi
2. Twitcher / Ornithologist
3. Aviary
4. Wren
5. Peregrine Falcon / 240mph in a dive
6. Albatross / 11 feet
7. Toucan (Two Cans) / David Attenborough
8. Raven & Beefeater / The monarchy falls
9. Mute Swans
10. Magpie rhyme
11. Batman and Robin / Gotham City
12. Mallard ducks / Hilda Ogden from 'Coronation Street'
13. 'Robin's Nest'
14. 'The Liver Birds' / Liverpool
15. 'The Maltese Falcon' / Humphry Bogart
16. 'The Birds' / Tippi Hedren
17. 'Where Eagles Dare'
18. 'Star Wars' / Chewbacca & Hans Solo / 'Millennium Falcon'
19. 'One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest' / Jack Nicholson
20. 'Kes' / Kestrel
21. 'Silence Of The Lambs' / Anthony Hopkins & Jodie Foster
22. Dodo / "As dead as a Dodo"
23. Pteradactyl
24. Phoenix / Harry Potter / Fawks
25. 'Bluebird' / Dug out of Pendine Sands in 1969 / 137mph
26. 'The Mallard' / On 30th November 1934 'Flying Scotsman', an A1 Pacific, was the first steam locomotive to officially exceed 100mph in passenger service, a speed exceeded by the A4 'Mallard' on 3th July 1938 at 126mph, a record that still stands (for steam trains).
27. 'Spruce Goose' / 400 troops
28. Neil Armstrong / "The Eagle Has Landed"
29. 'Birdie' / The bar
30. 'Only Fools And Horses' / 'Robin Reliant'
31. 'Monty Python's Flying Circus' / Norwegian Blue
32. Noah's Ark / Dove / An olive branch
33. Long John Silver / 'Treasure Island' ('Bird's Eye' advert)
34. Cockney Sparrow / East end of London (within earshot of Bow Bells)
35. "I said the Sparrow, with my bow and arrow"
36. Puffin & Penguin
37. "As proud as a Peacock" / Pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, and sloth
38. "For one SWALLOW does not make a summer"
39. Harper Lee / Gregory Peck
40. "A beautiful pea green boat."
41. Four and twenty = 24
42. "As WISE as an OWL."
43. "An OSTRICH buries it's head in the SAND."
44. 24
45. Flamingo / True
46. Bald Eagle / USA
47. Canary / Down the mine
48. Pigeon / It carried messages to the front line
49. Hummingbird / True (It flaps it's wings at 10-15 times a second)
50. Kingfisher / An Indian lager is named after it.
51. Penguin / False. They live in different hemispheres
52. Road Runner, Woody Woodpecker, Daffy Duck, Donald Duck, Orville, Big Bird, Busby, Twitter & Gonzo
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