Of kettles, committees and wakes…

What on earth?!” you may ask, when considering this headline. “Has year-end madness struck early?” Well, not quite. These are in fact the collective nouns for groups of vultures depending on their activity. When in flight, they are a kettle; when resting on the ground or in trees, a committee; and whilst feeding, a wake.

Your second question is most likely to be, “Why vultures as a topic at all?”. To cut a long story short,