Image-of-the-Day by Subject

Image-of-the-Day by Subject

Trees & Shrubs Page 62

Image Taken on 27 Mar 2023 at 10:46 Image of day on 05 May 2023

We don't feel very welcome as we walk under the tree containing 5 Rook nests. He is one of the objectors to those interfering humans - even through we couldn't possible reach the nests to do any harm.

Ref: 20230505_df3_20230327_1046_012 rook calling repeatedly in black poplar tree(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 27 Feb 2019 at 10:21 Image of day on 27 Mar 2019

The Pair of Rooks that 'own' the one surviving nest from last year are taking the business of 'refurbishment' really seriously. This arriving bird, with beak full of nest lining, is flying in to the nest where 'his' partner is already on the nest.
A not quite 'accurate' montage and with a few twig 'anomalies' but true to the event.

Ref: 20190327_df3_20190227_1021_141+1022_142 rook carrying nesting material to partner in nest in black poplar tree 3+4 of 4 (montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg

Image Taken on 20 Feb 2017 at 09:23 Image of day on 02 Apr 2017

Rook nest building is underway, and it seems that for the first time the trees around us are to be part of an 'extension Rookery'. At time of writing there seem to be 3 Rook nests in the Black Poplar trees (about 90 years old) nearest the house along the track, and 2 in adjacent Silver Birch trees (about 25 years old) in our patch. Carrion Crows have for several years used the top of a Leylandii for nesting (but impossible to photograph nowadays) but this is the first time we have seen Rooks nesting here.

Ref: 20170402_df3_20170220_0923_007 rook carrying twig back to nest under construction in silver birch tree(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 30 Apr 2024 at 12:41 Image of day on 22 May 2024

A a sort of 'final goodbye' from 'our' Rooks nest as one of the 'learners' loses control in flight (with barely adequate wing muscles and definitely inadequate tail) and sort of crash-lands on one of last year cut willow branches. They flapped like mad for about a minute before pretty much falling off the twig and making a reasonably soft landing on the grass a few metres behind.

Ref: 20240522_df3_20240430_1241_051 rook fledgling crashlands on cut willow flapping wildly before fluttering to ground(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 05 Mar 2025 at 15:48 Image of day on 05 Apr 2025

Collecting nesting material is one of the dominant activities at this time of year.

Ref: 20250405_df3_20250305_1548_195-197 rook flying past farm road lombardy poplar with nesting twig (accurate montage @7fps)(r+mb id@1024).jpg

Image Taken on 01 Apr 2019 at 09:35 Image of day on 30 Apr 2019

A light twig for this rook flying up to his nest top right. This is alternate frames originally at about 5 fps, so this is about 2 seconds of flight.

Ref: 20190430_df5_20190401_0935_044-052 rook flying to nest in black poplar carrying willow twig with catkins 1+3+5+7+9 of 9 (accurate montage @5fps)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 01 Apr 2019 at 09:35 Image of day on 30 Apr 2019

The 'even' numbered frames that would fit between the last 3 bird images in the montage above.
They are separated out rather than overlapping the images or spreading them out.

Ref: 20190430_df5_20190401_0935_049+051 rook flying to nest in black poplar carrying willow twig with catkins 6+8 of 9 (accurate montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 26 Mar 2025 at 15:24 Image of day on 30 Apr 2025

This rook has a short but quite thick piece of twig in their beak as they maneuver through the Black Poplar branches on the way to their nest. The Rook was picking up speed through the sequence, so the first 3 pics are alternate frames while the rest are at about 7fps.

Ref: 20250430_df3_20250326_1524_198-205 rook flying with twig through black poplars 1+3+5+6+7+8 of 8 (accurate montage)(r+mb id@1024).jpg

Image Taken on 04 Mar 2024 at 09:53 Image of day on 29 Mar 2024

High in a Black Poplar we get the feeling of disdain from this handsome Rook.

Ref: 20240329_df3_20240304_0953_007 rook looking down from perch high in black poplar(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 02 May 2018 at 13:35 Image of day on 15 Jun 2018

Mum or Dad Rook stuffing food into whichever gaping beak looks most - err - appealing?

Ref: 20180615_df3_20180502_1335_103+113+118 rook nest and rook pair in black poplar nearest house - 2 nestlings feed 1-3 of 3 (montage)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 28 Feb 2018 at 09:10 Image of day on 03 Apr 2018

In better light, the pair of Rooks declaring ownership of the nest, the bird on the right beak is open to call his grating tone.

Ref: 20180403_df3_20180228_0910_076 rook nest and rook pair in black poplar tree nearest house(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 08 Apr 2018 at 08:23 Image of day on 18 May 2018

The most developed Rooks nest near the house is now clearly being incubated. Here for just a minute the birds 'canoodled' on an adjacent branch before one went back to settle on the nest.

Ref: 20180518_df3_20180408_0823_039 rook nest and rook pair in black poplar tree nearest house - affection at nest changeover(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 01 May 2018 at 10:03 Image of day on 15 Jun 2018

May-day 2018 also brought our first sighting of Rook nestlings. They have obviously been around for several days but as long as they stay below the edge of the nest we can't see them from the ground.

Ref: 20180615_df3_20180501_1003_068 rook nest and rook pair in black poplar tree nearest house - chicks in nest (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 06 May 2018 at 07:13 Image of day on 19 Jun 2018

The 2 Rook youngsters in the nest can shout at the parents all they like - Mum and Dad are trying to take a rest!

Ref: 20180619_df3_20180506_0713_320 rook nest and rook pair in black poplar tree nearest house - nestlings beg at resting parents (crop)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 14 Apr 2018 at 09:28 Image of day on 25 May 2018

We seem to be 'Rook-Ridden' this year, with all of the old nest sites refurbished or built again at the same site, plus several new nesting sites in the mature Black Poplars. This new site is in a medium sized Willow tree over the main pond.

Ref: 20180525_df3_20180414_0928_060 rook nest in willow tree by main pond (crop 2)(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 15 Apr 2018 at 06:42 Image of day on 25 May 2018

Next morning this Rook has obtained a twig (in the beak) to add to the nest.

Ref: 20180525_df3_20180415_0642_141 rook nest in willow tree by main pond - with twig in beak (crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 26 Apr 2018 at 15:40 Image of day on 16 Jun 2018

A Rook standing on the remains of the broken trunk of the Ash tree in a the hedge to our south, with the vivid yellow of the crop behind. This almost looks like an aerial shot, but the tree is in a little valley photographed from the highest point on one side

Ref: 20180616_df3_20180426_1540_023 rook on broken trunk of ash tree by oil-seed rape crop (crop 1)(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 03 May 2018 at 10:51 Image of day on 16 Jun 2018

Think Japanese print with gold leaf for the background.

Ref: 20180616_df3_20180503_1051_006 rook on broken trunk of ash tree by oil-seed rape crop (crop)(r+mb id@576).jpg

Image Taken on 20 Feb 2017 at 09:25 Image of day on 02 Apr 2017

Here is a new nest being built in a 25 year old Silver Birch tree.
Of the 5 nests started storm Doris destroyed 3 of the less complete ones a few days later. Reconstruction started once the wind has abated.

Ref: 20170402_df3_20170220_0925_018 rook pair building new nest in silver birch tree(r+mb id@768).jpg

Image Taken on 03 Mar 2026 at 10:23 Image of day on 05 Apr 2026

A bit of Rook togetherness high in a tree. We had several tries at putting the magic back into this moment, and ...

Ref: 20260405_r52_20260303_1023_243 rook pair calling from silver birch tree (crop 1)(r+mb id@576).jpg

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