Sounds of Summer

We have lots of birders living in the Village and they never cease to amaze me with how easily they identify a wide variety of bird calls. “Over there - it’s a Towhee” or “Behind us - a Kingfisher.” And of course everyone knows the sound of a Pileated Woodpecker…. hmmm.

About this time every summer the sounds I hear most often are Harleys, Suzukis, Hondas, Ducatis and Yamahas. They’re often as colorful as the birds but they have much louder territorial calls – there seems to be some status in having the biggest chrome muffler. Most of them have two riders, often dressed in matching helmets and leather chaps. Sometimes it’s hard to tell the males from the females, but generally the females ride in the back. I think that allows the males to catch the bugs.

Since we have so many motorcycles in town on summer weekends, we probably ought to know what to call them when they arrive in packs. Birds are easy. You have your descent of woodpeckers, murmuration of starlings, mutation of thrushes, convocation of eagles and my favorite, an exaltation of larks.

But what about those motorcycles? Maybe it’s a plume or a raucous or perhaps a conflagration of motorcycles. I also like a roar, an exhaust, a slick or even a flamboyance of motorcycles. This is not just idle pondering, we need new parking signs in town and terminology is important.


A. Reader

Note: In a recent blog, VH asked what you call a group of groundhogs – the all knowing Web says it’s a “repetition of groundhogs.” I’m sorry that one was taken; it might have been good for those long lines of motorcycles coming through town.