In article , sacha
writes
in article , Malcolm at
wrote on 25/1/03 7:37 am:
In article , sacha
writes

Are you a
heron expert?

A bird expert, not just herons!

If you want to get technical, birds only have one main external gland,
the preen gland, plus a few tiny glands in the ear opening. They don't
have them in their skin, not even sweat glands. No bird has scent glands
and, even if they did, to have one at the bottom of the leg would be
most unlikely because the leg isn't covered with soft skin, but with a
tough, leathery sheathing.

I think I should tell you at this point that I've had an email informing me
that you are indeed a *very considerable* expert,

Have you, now? Hmm, I wonder who that could have been, though I think I
can guess...

so I'm more than happy to
take your word for it!

Phew!

Nice to know there is someone so knowledgeable on
this group because queries about birdlife often come up.

Oh, I've been here quite a while, because I'm a keen gardener, and have
sometimes answered queries about birdlife, as a way of repaying all the
good advice on offer here about gardening.

Now if you can just tell me why it is that jackdaws so enjoy falling down
chimneys........ ;-)

They're just copying the starlings, though they're not as good at it,
being larger :-)

And why our rookery is practically empty during parts
of the summer and then they all come home again......fascinating, really.

Once the young have left the nest, they are taken by their parents out
into the countryside looking for sources of food, staying as a family
group within a larger flock. The young are fed by their parents for
about six weeks or so. Once they have become independent, the parents
are free to come back to the rookery, which they usually do in
September-October, occasionally earlier, and from then on take a natural
interest in it (sometimes sporadic depending on the weather) until
nest-building starts in earnest in the early spring.

--
Malcolm