Before my husband and I moved into a high-rise apartment, we leased a small home that was smack in the middle of a bunch of rice paddies. Right across our home was a small historic site: the grave site of a local yangban (nobleman). Korean grave sites feature a large mound–you can see it in the picture behind the small stone pagoda in the center.

Usually, the grave site is completely empty–not a single living things stirs. But one day, to my utter amazement, I was confronted with this scene: there were well over a hundred magpies in the area! This has never happened before, or since– I truly wonder why they all congregated that day… Any thoughts?