Continuity mistake: At the beginning, before Melanie walks behind the newsstand, it's an overcast day and she doesn't cast any shadow. As she emerges from the other side of the newsstand she casts several shadows against the wall and floor. The other people walking in front of the pet store are also casting shadows in several different directions. Throughout the film there are numerous changes regarding the casting of shadows between shots. (00:02:00)
Continuity mistake: As Melanie stands in front of the pet shop and watches the birds flying, more time passes than the two seconds implied. The kittens in the right window go from playing to sleeping between shots and a grey kitten appears in the window that wasn't there before. (00:02:05)
Continuity mistake: When Melanie is walking up to the counter in the bird shop she has a black purse in her hands. In one shot she is walking to the counter with her purse in her hands, but in the following shot, her purse is laying on the counter and is now taking off her gloves. (00:02:25)
Continuity mistake: The pet shop cashier changes positions between shots as Melanie approaches her. At first she has her back to the cash register, then it's at her right side. (00:02:30)
Continuity mistake: As Melanie approaches the cashier, there are several birds up high in the cage directly behind the cash register that aren't there in the next shot. (00:02:30)
Continuity mistake: As Melanie approaches the pet shop cashier she passes two cages on her right with birds in them. The cage with the two yellow birds that she shows to Mitch is not one of them nor is it behind the second cage where it appears later. (00:02:30 - 00:06:00)
Continuity mistake: As Melanie walks over to the cashier in the pet shop the bird in the cage on the right with the greenish beak faces the other way between shots. (00:02:30)
Continuity mistake: After Melanie takes off her right glove she puts it on top of her pocketbook with her left hand twice. (00:02:35)
Continuity mistake: As Melanie speaks to the pet shop cashier she holds her head to the left. In the next shot she's looking straight at the cashier. (00:02:40)
Continuity mistake: As Melanie writes her address for the cashier, the two stacks of magazines to the left of the cash register have been pushed together and rearranged without being touched. (00:03:30)
Continuity mistake: When Melanie and Mitch first meet she holds the pencil up to her chin and it's not there in the next shot. (00:04:10)
Continuity mistake: As Melanie shows Mitch the lovebirds her jacket opens and closes between shots. (00:04:45)
Continuity mistake: When Melanie Says, "There we are, love birds" there are no shadows on the edge of the cage near her face. The next time we see this spot the lighting has been changed so that you can see the shadow on the edge of the cage. (00:04:45)
Continuity mistake: As Melanie and Mitch stand by the canary cage she puts the pencil on her chin and it's not there in the next shot. (00:05:00)
Continuity mistake: When Mitch asks Melanie how you can tell if birds are molting, the canaries behind her are perching above her head. In the next shot of both of them together, they're still right up against the cage but the perch is lower. (00:05:20)
Continuity mistake: As Mitch asks Melanie how you can tell if birds are molting his head leans to the right, then to the left between shots. (00:05:20)
Continuity mistake: When Melanie first shows the two birds in the cage to Mitch they change in the next shot. In the close-up they have a distinctive dark yellow patch on their tail feathers that the previous birds didn't have. (00:05:30)
Continuity mistake: As she attempts to get the bird out of the cage for Mitch, Melanie places the pencil over her ear and a lock of her hair drapes over it. Then when she says to Mitch, "What did you say?" the pencil is now pushed into her hair but she never went near it. (00:05:45 - 00:06:25)
Continuity mistake: When Melanie lets the bird go, her hands are at eye level. In the next shot they're totally over her head. (00:05:55)
Continuity mistake: As Melanie and the cashier try to catch the bird they are close together in the close up but further apart in the next shot when we just see their hands in the air. (00:06:05)
Answer: "The bird attacks have subsided for the time being. Bodega Bay seems to be the centre, though there are reports of minor attacks on Sebastopol and a few on Santa Rosa. Bodega Bay has been cordoned off by roadblocks. Most of the townspeople have managed to get out, but there are still some isolated pockets of people. No decision has been arrived at yet as to what the next step will be, but there's been some discussion as to whether the military should go in. It appears that the bird attacks come in waves, with long intervals between. The reason for this does not seem clear as yet."
Hamster ★