It has been great watching many different sets of fledglings arrive in the garden over the past few weeks - especially when they are being fed by the parents. Here is a fledgling House Sparrow and Mama on the bird table:
Yesterday, out of the blue, came a mail request from the BTO to ask if they could use one of my videos for a garden rook behaviour survey they will be running in July. It was taken some years ago when my video equipment wasn't as good as the present gear and the copy on Flickr was poor. I have re-worked it in wide screen and uploaded a new copy to YouTube:
At that time several people locally were finding their seed feeders on the floor every day and I was fortunate to catch one of the culprits in the act. Corvids are an an amazingly intelligent set of birds.
I remember that Rook John. Very clever birds indeed.
ReplyDeleteThey are Keith.
DeleteJohn a great Friday. The fledgling is fatter than it's parents.
ReplyDeleteRooks and Jackdaws are very bright. I tie my feeders on with cable ties. No good, it takes a day for them to destroy the little square bit and then chuck them on the ground. I find the best way is to give up and only put one fat ball in the feeder.
How do they work out it is the little square bit with the pawl in that causes them trouble? Took me years to learn to re-use them.
Fluffy feathers always make the youngsters look larger Adrian.
DeleteI have been enjoying each of your posts, John ~ great to see the sparrow being fed by its protective parent. Looks like it knows how to feed itself as well. Exciting about the request for use of your Rook footage...it's a super capture of the Bye Hook and by Rook!
ReplyDeletePleased you enjoyed them Glo. I wish I had thought of that as a title ;)
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