A Carolina wren in Missouri. March 12, 2019 The ring-billed gull never considers itself a pest. When the red-winged blackbird returns, it sings of spring. Red-winged blackbirds like a soggy stage. A group of peafowl is called a bevy. I raised guinea fowl for years. Their loud “Quebec” calls were supposed to discourage rats and they were purported to eat ticks. I cannot attest to their efficacy in lessening the numbers of either rats or ticks. ← The yard’s weather squirrel. When it sits in snow, I can tell it has snowed.This cardinal seems displeased with Old Man Winter. →