Wednesday 23 August 2017

Swoop

To swoop often means moving easily and rapidly through the aiir. Swoop is a word generally used in conjunction with another. When followed by down, it means to dive or drop at speed, like a bird of prey. If swoop is followed by on, it implies making a sudden attack from a distance. Swoop up means to snatch everything in one go.

During my trip to Wales earlier this year, I watched choughs swooping through the air - just as my character Alice does in Firestarter. (I'll keep any similarities between our trip and the next chapter in the novel to myself!)

7 comments:

Author R. Mac Wheeler said...

a cheeky interest tweaker there

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Patsy - Choughs are brilliant birds aren't they - glad you saw some ... they're fairly endangered, but seem to be coming back. Living on the cliff edge they'd need to swoop - not sure about your next chapter though - could have swooping times too ... cheers Hilary

Rosemary Gemmell said...

Haven't heard that name of birds before - does it have another?

Patsy said...

I thought so – and it is a cheeky chapter!

Patsy said...

I had a really good view of them, Hilary and they hung around for a while. Just as well as to start with, I was so surprised I didn't think of taking photos.

Patsy said...

It's pronounched 'chuff' Rosemary. They're closely related to crows.

Seaview said...

Ah, I was researching these birds for a haiku quite recently. I love crows and all birds crowish. Perhaps I was a witch in a former life or something!