Rook cawing its head off
Rooks are very social birds and don’t I know it! They call out all the time. It is like living above a pub. The (currently) three-nest rookery is in the tops of the ash trees just a garden away. I am not getting much sleep once dawn approaches and it will only get worse as spring progresses.
Returning to the growing rookery after some nifty manoeuvres
On a positive note, I’ve now learnt to tell the difference between crows, jackdaws, rooks and ravens in a way that I will remember (e.g. rook-hook; highlighting the distinctive greyish face and narrow beak). The BTO (British Trust for Ornithology) website have a very helpful video showing the differences, which I found more useful than the RSPB pages (although their summary page was worth a glance).
Rook checking its nest
Additionally, I find myself admiring the stunning aerial acrobatics of the rooks while they just enjoy the thermals and each others company.
Rooks indulging in some aerial acrobatics
For the last few mornings it has also been interesting to watch them mob and shriek at what seems to be the ‘local’ buzzard when it passes over the field behind us.
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