They're definitely nest building. One is in an ash tree visible from my
study window. It tweaks off twigs and flies off with them to my study
chimney!
I'd forgotten this charming but destructive habit of theirs!
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our
children.'

On Thu, 28 Feb 2008 18:05:29 +0000, Sacha
wrote:

They're definitely nest building. One is in an ash tree visible from my
study window. It tweaks off twigs and flies off with them to my study
chimney!
I'd forgotten this charming but destructive habit of theirs!

Are they better than magpies? Watched a pair a few years ago pile
masses of long twigs into a heap in a tree and then it all fell out.
It was a pretty impressive pile of sticks by the time they'd finished.

--
http://www.orderonlinepickupinstore.co.uk
Ah fetch it yourself if you can't wait for delivery
http://www.freedeliveryuk.co.uk
Or get it delivered for free

On 29/2/08 23:31, in article ,
"Mogga" wrote:

On Thu, 28 Feb 2008 18:05:29 +0000, Sacha
wrote:

They're definitely nest building. One is in an ash tree visible from my
study window. It tweaks off twigs and flies off with them to my study
chimney!
I'd forgotten this charming but destructive habit of theirs!

Are they better than magpies? Watched a pair a few years ago pile
masses of long twigs into a heap in a tree and then it all fell out.
It was a pretty impressive pile of sticks by the time they'd finished.

We don't have magpies in this garden. They're a mile or two away and they
visit occasionally but are discouraged. The jackdaws seem to be fairly
successful but the rooks are amazing to watch and so inefficient it would
make you weep! They fly up to a spinney at the top of the field behind us,
take some twigs and fly back to the rookery at the bottom of our garden.
Having watched this with fascination for some time one year, I know now from
the birdwatching group, that the female carries the twig back and the
accompanying male, who doesn't sully his beak with anything at all, merely
rides shotgun to make sure she isn't diverted into a little extra-marital
sex on the way! She flies back to the roosting site and - sometimes -
places the twig successfully. All too often, it falls to the ground but
does she swoop down to pick it up and try again? No. She lumbers back -
with escort - to the same spinney and starts all over again. I am perfectly
serious that there are times during their nesting season when watching them
do this is reminiscent of those old war films in which you see waves of
aircraft chunter overhead. They go back and forth with such amazing
dedication and determination that we can only wonder at it. So, at the end
of the rook nest building season, we end up with amazing numbers of twigs on
the big lawn, some on a side path and a truly incredible amount of noise as
they all squabble for good nesting sites. This year, because our rooks have
lost 3 macrocarpa in the neighbouring churchyard, the competition for nests
is much more intense and they must surely be looking for other nest sites.
They seem to like conifers but above all, they seem to like communities so
some of ours are now nesting in and slowly killing off, a copper beech.
They are fascinating.

--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our
children.'

"Mogga" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 28 Feb 2008 18:05:29 +0000, Sacha
wrote:

They're definitely nest building. One is in an ash tree visible from my
study window. It tweaks off twigs and flies off with them to my study
chimney!
I'd forgotten this charming but destructive habit of theirs!

Are they better than magpies? Watched a pair a few years ago pile
masses of long twigs into a heap in a tree and then it all fell out.
It was a pretty impressive pile of sticks by the time they'd finished.

We demolished magpie nest in one of our trees (because we were rearing
chicks) and found masses of lengths of steel wire, wall ties and even a
plastic covered steel wire decorative garden edging hoop. It was all held
together by something akin to concrete and took a lot of effort to demolish.
I took a picture of the metalwork, all the time I'd watched them building I
thought they were just using twigs.

We watched the pair re-build in someone else's tree and saw one carrying
another of the hoops.

We described it to the local pigeon shop man who said that he once tried to
demolish one by shooting upwards into it with a 12 bore. It made no
difference to the nest at all.

Mary

On Sat, 1 Mar 2008 08:41:24 -0000, "Mary Fisher"
wrote:


"Mogga" wrote in message
.. .
On Thu, 28 Feb 2008 18:05:29 +0000, Sacha
wrote:

They're definitely nest building. One is in an ash tree visible from my
study window. It tweaks off twigs and flies off with them to my study
chimney!
I'd forgotten this charming but destructive habit of theirs!

Are they better than magpies? Watched a pair a few years ago pile
masses of long twigs into a heap in a tree and then it all fell out.
It was a pretty impressive pile of sticks by the time they'd finished.

We demolished magpie nest in one of our trees (because we were rearing
chicks) and found masses of lengths of steel wire, wall ties and even a
plastic covered steel wire decorative garden edging hoop. It was all held
together by something akin to concrete and took a lot of effort to demolish.
I took a picture of the metalwork, all the time I'd watched them building I
thought they were just using twigs.

You've just reminded me now of how much rubbish was in it. I should
have took a photo of it at the time ...



We watched the pair re-build in someone else's tree and saw one carrying
another of the hoops.

We described it to the local pigeon shop man who said that he once tried to
demolish one by shooting upwards into it with a 12 bore. It made no
difference to the nest at all.

Mary



I don't know where they nest round where I live now. There's not as
many as where I used to live. Mind you they have parakeets there
apparently now. (Ardwick in manchester)
--
http://www.freedeliveryuk.co.uk

snip
They're definitely nest building. One is in an ash tree visible from my
study window. It tweaks off twigs and flies off with them to my study
chimney!
I'd forgotten this charming but destructive habit of theirs!

Mine are fighting up on the roof as I write, the noise and banging is
incredible :-)

kate

"Kate Morgan" wrote in message
...
snip
They're definitely nest building. One is in an ash tree visible from
my
study window. It tweaks off twigs and flies off with them to my study
chimney!
I'd forgotten this charming but destructive habit of theirs!

Mine are fighting up on the roof as I write, the noise and banging is
incredible :-)

We are convinced our local Jackdaws (we have hundreds around us) swear at us
down the chimneys since we fitted bird guards to them all.

Mike

"Muddymike" wrote in message
om...

"Kate Morgan" wrote in message
...
snip
They're definitely nest building. One is in an ash tree visible from
my
study window. It tweaks off twigs and flies off with them to my
study
chimney!
I'd forgotten this charming but destructive habit of theirs!

Mine are fighting up on the roof as I write, the noise and banging is
incredible :-)

We are convinced our local Jackdaws (we have hundreds around us) swear at
us
down the chimneys since we fitted bird guards to them all.

Mike


We discovered a bird had fallen down our chimney last week. Couldn't deal
with him for an hour as kids had to be taken to school. Took all the baffles
out of the chimney only to find he'd gone. Somehow he'd climbed back up on
his own.

Lots of other excitment here.... I've recently just put a camera in our bird
box and it's already had two visits by Blue Tits. At least I think that's
what they are. We also have red kites in the field at the back. Normally
they keep well away but I came out to find them overhead our house two days
ago.

Got some mysterious holes appearing that I'm hoping aren't caused by
rabbits. They look a bit small for rabbits - only 2" across. No droppings so
we're not sure what they are. They seem to be making a bit of a mess so they
may have to go whatever they are.