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The Birdy Bit |
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November
2007 The autumn days see an increase in the activity of rooks around the Parish. As the nights draw in and invertebrate food in the soil becomes harder to find, the rooks begin to congregate into large autumn roosts, wheeling above treetops in the wind at favoured sites. Rooks spend much of their day on farm fields searching for earthworms, grain, beetles, leatherjackets and carrion and return to favoured roosting sites as dusk approaches. They often mix with large numbers of jackdaws, which are easily told apart by their much smaller size. When seen clearly, the grey hood of the jackdaw is also apparent, while the adult rooks show an obvious pale base to the bill which extends to a pale bare area on the front of the face. Young birds however have a dark bill and fully feathered face and look very much like carrion crows. Rooks have much 'looser' feathering, particularly around the top of the legs giving them a 'baggy trouser' appearance. The bill is also more slender and pointed than a carrion crow. Although rooks nest together in colonies, they have a strong sense of territory and vigorously defend a small area around their own nest against intruders looking to steal sticks from other nests to use in their own. It is this aggressive behaviour within the colony which has lead to stories of 'rook parliaments' and circles of rooks sitting in judgement on 'criminal' birds. However outside of defending their own patch, rooks will co-operatively feed in flocks where there are more pairs of eyes to find food and look out for danger, something which it is difficult for an individual bird to do simultaneously. November is also the time that wildfowl numbers build up on the wet grasslands around Campfield Marsh reserve. Standing water at North Plain and Rogersceugh attrats nationally important numbers of teal. Wigeon, shoveler, pintail and whooper swans can also be seen at this time of year. Choose an early morning or the last hour before dark to walk up to the hide at North Plain towards the end of the month to experience this wildfowl spectacle. Click to view September
Birdy Bit |
