On 2014-02-10 10:13:33 +0000, Chris Hogg said:

On Mon, 10 Feb 2014 09:45:33 +0000, Sacha
wrote:

On 2014-02-10 09:24:25 +0000, Chris Hogg said:

On Sun, 9 Feb 2014 15:55:42 +0000, sacha wrote:

I've just seen one flying into the rookery with a twig in her beak, so
it looks as if they're optimistic, at least!

You were able to determine its sex as it flew by and from a distance!
Wow, I'm impressed! :-)

Like the Frenchman with the fly! ;-) Actually, someone very
knowledgeable on the birding group told me it's the female who carries
the stick. I'd asked about it because usually, there are two birds
together, one carries a twig and the other doesn't. When I enquired
about this strange behaviour, I was told that the twigless bird was the
male making sure no other male absconded with his mate! So he
accompanies her on her shopping for building material. It seems an
awful waste of potential labour to me but that's men for you! ;-)

Even more impressed, this time genuinely! :-)

Not with me, though! I'm just going by what I was told by someone who
does know their stuff! Rooks are said to be intelligent birds and
they're very sociable with each other, congregating in great masses. I
think some of ours might have set up another rookery because some of
the macrocarpa in the churchyard next door were cut down and they used
to nest in those, too. They seem pretty hungry at the moment and when I
throw peanuts onto the ground they're gobbling them up in a flash.
Poor old Phergus the Pheasant (Mk4) doesn't get a look in!
--

Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
www.helpforheroes.org.uk