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Some of my friends live in our yard, others visit it, still others live elsewhere and I visit them. Come and read about all my feathered friends...

Bird Story - February 2010

Jackdaws

February 22nd 2010 09:39
Known as CORVUS MONEDULA, the jackdaw is a member of the crow-rook-raven family. During my childhood, I do not recall having seen a single jackdaw outside of story books - where they were well known for pinching shiny objects. Since returning to England last december, I have seen plenty though.

They congregate on the chimneys and rooftops most mornings, and take drinks of water from the gutter quite often. There seem to be two large flocks or circa two dozen birds each in our local area. One seemed to enjoy the piece of pastry I left onmy dad's birdtable.

In the early mornings - just after dawn, they dance together in sweeping flights around the neighborhood - before resting on the rooves some time afterward. They chatter off their 'jack-chack' familiar sound, making them easier to identify.


Jackdaws lay 3-6 bluish eggs with brown spotting. They lay their eggs in April, usually. The birds eat bugs, other bird's eggs and young, mice, grains, and fruit - and my pastry! The bird is circa 13 inches in length and has a silvery-white eye. Whilst in storybooks they generally always pinch shiny objects, they do so only on occasion in reality.
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pigeons

February 17th 2010 09:59
Regular readers will know that it will not take me long to hunt down the local pigeon population, wherever I may move. Apart from WP the wood pigeon, who sits in the tree outside my bedroom window for a while most days, I have come across many more pigeons in the 9 weeks since relocating to England from Australia.

WP was spotted jumping about the branches in the tree - seemingly to avoid another wood pigeon that kept flying about. I am not sure if this is wood pigeon romance or enemyship as yet, but it seems that the breeding season will be coming up shortly...

There are at least 2 wood pigeons now, it seems. WP is getting used to me, and does not fly away when seeing me through the window - or in the yard itself. He also bows to me 2-3 times - providing I bow back rather than ignore him. I suppose that is as close to the pigeon connections that I once had that wood pigeons will allow.


My first spotting of regular city pigeons was at the local grocery store. The supermarket has an old barn styled roof and I began to spot a collection of city pgieons - otherwise known as feral pigeons or rock doves - on the roof. I often walk slowly toward the store to observe them - missing my old flock from my previous home a lot.

The only sighting of show pigeons was closer to home however. I have now spotted at least EIGHT snow white show pigeons in my actual village of residence. They seem to belong to the church vestry cottage - along with 1-2 colored show pigeons and a city pigeon. One white show pigeon is getting used to me, and sometimes comes towards me to sit on the wall and watch me go past - maybe he recognizes that I am a pigeon lover!
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