And, perhaps, in the initial spurt of violence, these were the birds from foreign lands, the Arctic Circle. The huge disposition is that the birds are affected by the weather. Later, even Nat comes to agree and say that it was going to be a black winter and not white winter it would not snow. Nat’s wife believed that hunger has not turned them violent, for it had not snowed and there was plenty of food on the farm. It is Nat’s wife who believes that there may be some other reason for this queer behaviour. These birds’ species always kept to their own flock and territories were now united. It is, rather unusual to see the small birds – robins, finches, sparrows, blue tits, larks and bramblings flocking together in an attack of this sort. But, Nat continues to believe that perhaps it is the cold and hunger driving these birds restless. There is constant tapping on the window and finally, the birds are able to enter the children’s room and attack Johny, Nat’s son. Horror comes alive that night as Nat and his family are asleep. As the story is set on a seaside town, migratory birds and their relation with the tide is embedded in moving forward the narrative. And like people who, apprehensive of death before their time, drive themselves to work or folly, the birds do likewise.” Maurier widely explores the colours of nature, from trees to sky to the waves to build the atmosphere in sync with the changed behaviour of the birds. However, he thinks that “ a message comes to the birds in autumn, like a warning. The restlessness of the birds flocked together crying and whistling catches Nat’s attention. The events begin to unfold from 3 rd of December when there is a sudden change in the wind and winter arrives, almost overnight.

He works three days a week at Mr.Triggs’ farm. The story focuses on Nat Hocken, who suffered disability during the war and his family (his wife and two children) living in a seaside town, three hundred miles away from London.

The birds daphne