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Birds - Rook Page 18
Image Taken on 28 Nov 2023
at 12:38 Image of day on 03 Jan 2024
At the end of our access track we find the 11kV power cables to our north smothered in birds.
Nearest us are about 60 Rooks, on the further span about 120 Starlings - the first Starlings in
any numbers since last year.
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Ref: 20240103_df3_20231128_1238_004 60 rooks + 120 starlings on adjacent spans of 11kv cables(r+mb id@1024).jpg
Image Taken on 21 Dec 2016
at 15:36 Image of day on 26 Jan 2017
4 Rooks and 2 Jackdaws feeding together without apparent angst.
Jackdaws are the smaller birds centre and under the large beak of the Rook.
The other rooks are mostly hidden by the rooks at the log.
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Ref: 20170126_e62_20161221_1536_292_fb5 4 rooks and 2 jackdaws sharing feeding site(r+mb id@1024).jpg
Image Taken on 01 Mar 2017
at 13:50 Image of day on 13 Apr 2017
A 'Discussion Group' of Rooks. One of the traditional terms 'Parliament' - also
used for other birds, just doesn't work for just 3 birds!
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Ref: 20170413_e62_20170301_1350_008_fb5 3 rooks at feeding site(r+mb id@1024).jpg
Image Taken on 04 Apr 2023
at 17:57 Image of day on 11 May 2023
A pair of Rooks at the Meadow site.
We have no idea what is going on.
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Ref: 20230511_e6a_20230404_1757_128_fb5 2 rooks at meadow site(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 18 Mar 2024
at 16:19 Image of day on 14 Apr 2024
2 Rooks in what might be called an "ABBA' moment.
(r+mb id@576).jpg)
Ref: 20240414_e6a_20240318_1619_033_fb5 2 rooks at meadow site in interesting pose (crop 1)(r+mb id@576).jpg
Image Taken on 18 Mar 2024
at 16:19 Image of day on 14 Apr 2024
Another take on the same photo as a tighter crop of the same original photo.
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Ref: 20240414_e6a_20240318_1619_033_fb5 2 rooks at meadow site in interesting pose (crop 2)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 04 Mar 2019
at 09:36 Image of day on 31 Mar 2019
A bit of Courtship feeding high up in the Black Poplar tree.
Males feed the females to demonstrate that they will be able to
provide for the youngsters, and of course help her make 'his' eggs.
(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
Ref: 20190331_df3_20190304_0936_029+055+061 rooks at nest courtship feeding over 4 seconds 1-3 of 3 (montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg
Image Taken on 19 Mar 2013
at 16:28 Image of day on 26 Apr 2013
We can't help thinking that this is some sort of courtship behaviour.
Is that piece of Peanut going to be gifted to the other bird?
We see this affectionate pair of rooks a lot at the two sites near each other.
 (crop 1)(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20130426_d5c_20130319_1628_054_fb2 2 rooks beak to beak courtship feeding (q) (crop 1)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 24 Mar 2023
at 11:02 Image of day on 11 May 2023
In one of the 5 nests on a single Black Poplar tree along the access track
we first spot the tail of the bird incubating the eggs. Their mate arrives,
the sitting bird leaves the nest and starts chivvying the arrived bird before
flying off. The new arrival spends a few seconds on the branch before giving
into the inevitable, and taking their place on the nest.
We suspect that Rooks must have a way of saying
"OK - I'll get on the nest in a minute - off you go".
Why some humans expect creatures to understand English or some other of the
thousands of Human languages when Humans can't even work out what
a Rook has to say, is beyond us.
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Ref: 20230511_df3_20230324_1102_045-069 rooks changing incubation duties with some reluctance 1+3+4+6 of 6 (montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 17 Apr 2024
at 10:23 Image of day on 13 May 2024
It obvious that at least some of the Rook Nests now have chicks to be fed.
The only nest that provides a 'good' view of the activities has two hard working
adults feeding two screaming chicks.
The right image we interpret the two chicks as crying MORE!
(r+mb id@1024).jpg)
Ref: 20240513_df3_20240417_1023_194+200 2 rooks chicks being fed at nest then calling for more 1+2 of 2 (montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg
Image Taken on 26 Feb 2021
at 09:37 Image of day on 26 Mar 2021
Our failure to get decent pics of bird carrying twigs to the nest is at least partially
explained by the access track being so liberally scattered with fallen twigs that
the Rooks just have to jump down to get them.
All these images taken by one trail cam.
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Ref: 20210326_bu3_20210226_0937_118-20210227_0740_289_sc6 rooks collecting twigs from access track (montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 21 Nov 2021
at 10:55 Image of day on 29 Dec 2021
Two Rooks treating this 11kV cable as an avian 'Love Seat'.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20211229_d72_20211121_1055_038 2 rooks courting on 11kb cable (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 26 Mar 2019
at 08:30 Image of day on 18 Apr 2019
A pair of Rooks continuing their irregular courtship feeds.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20190418_df3_20190326_0830_128 rooks courtship feeding 5 of 8 (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 13 Mar 2019
at 08:39 Image of day on 08 Apr 2019
Rooks Courtship feeding at the nest.
The gales have so far failed to dislodge any of the very exposed nests.
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Ref: 20190408_df3_20190313_0839_031+035+038 rooks courtship feeding at nest 1-3 of 3 (montage over 1+half seconds)(r+mb id@1024).jpg
Image Taken on 17 Apr 2021
at 10:05 Image of day on 13 May 2021
A pair of rooks 'Courtship feeding' at their nest.
The males basically feed the females who do most of the incubation,
but the males do their stints on the eggs as well.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20210513_df3_20210417_1005_034 rooks courtship feeding at nest in black poplar (crop 2)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 02 Mar 2020
at 09:11 Image of day on 24 Mar 2020
The Rooks have gone mad this week!
They are building nests in 3 of the 5 Black Poplars down the access track,
and 4 more nests in trees inside our plot.
These two are 'cementing' the pair bond with a little courtship feeding
over their just started nest.
(r+mb id@432).jpg)
Ref: 20200324_df3_20200302_0911_011 rooks courtship feeding over just started nest 1 of 5 (crop)(r+mb id@432).jpg
Image Taken on 22 Nov 2015
at 14:18 Image of day on 03 Jan 2016
These birds could easily injure one another, so this has to be a lover's
display between these two Rooks. Pairs are already 'jousting' for nest
spaces in the rookery to our North West.
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Ref: 20160103_e62_20151122_1418_196_fb5 2 rooks displaying on ground(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 03 Mar 2015
at 16:18 Image of day on 16 Apr 2015
Lots of activity but no threat - this must be another couple of
Rooks cementing their Pair-bond across the plot a few minutes
from the other pair.
 (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20150416_e64_20150303_1618_086_fb2 2 rooks displaying to one another (q) (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 05 Oct 2017
at 15:49 Image of day on 09 Nov 2017
Rooks REALLY don't like Buzzards - its 70 to 1 here!
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20171109_d72_20171005_1549_022 70 rooks disturbed by single buzzard (bottom centre)(r+mb id@768).jpg
Image Taken on 27 May 2013
at 07:17 Image of day on 04 Jul 2013
"Stop fiddling around preening and FEED ME!"
There was a family group of 4 rooks on the edge of the farm track
(about 100 metres away from the camera) from where we could clearly
hear the youngster demanding the next beakful.
(r+mb id@768).jpg)
Ref: 20130704_df1_20130527_0717_029 4 rooks family group including youngster begging (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg
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