I must tell you about an incredible interaction that occurred in the pit hide this morning. I was sat waiting for a Buzzard to come down to feed on the carcass. I had been there for quite a while and it was getting tedious. Suddenly a Wren landed on the ground just the other side of the one way glass and I remained very still. Then remarkably the little bird hopped inside the pit and was right there with me, then it flew the short distance, a foot or so, to land on the iiPad that I was holding as I read the daily newspaper. It flicked its tail for a moment, realised that there was nothing for him and left, back through the same little gap. Amazing. The scientific name of the Wren is Troglodytes troglodytes which refers to it's habit of entering tunnels and caves so, it was just doing what comes naturally. But nevertheless, the first time in my 62 years that a bird has landed on me.
As I continue to "stake-out" the Buzzard, I amused myself by trying to take shots of the small birds illuminated with artificial light like yesterday. All was going well until I discovered the first flaw. The 6 volt battery quite quickly became depleted giving me just a one hour window to achieve success. I will need to have at least two fully charged batteries with me and then perhaps find a way of recharging them here at the hide. It's almost never ending. You need to always go that extra mile and then some more to get the results that you want.
A massive flock of "corvids" that's crow like birds to you and me, were with me earlier on. There were at least 200 but probably many more. Carrion Crow, Jackdaw and Rook were feeding by rummaging through the piles of horse dung here and there in the field. It was quite a spectacle.
Jackdaws, note the light eye. Always very noticeable.
Here a Jackdaw turns some horse manure looking for grubs and beetles.
Thats rain spots on the back of the bird in the foreground. I am quite fond of Jackdaws, they are a very intelligent bird. When I was a boy more than 50 years ago it wasn't unusual for them to be kept as pets. They are a good mimic in captivity and can talk like a parrot.
As well as the light eye, they are smaller than crows and rooks and have a clear grey nape which is more evident in the spring and summer when birds are breeding. They will nest in tree holes in woodland but also in holes in old buildings like castles and monuments where their distinctive call resonates around. All the other British "corvids" build a nest rather than use a natural hole. Magpies however do build a nest which is domed. Rooks breed in large colonies whereas Crows, Jays, Magpies and Ravens breed in isolation.
I have to confess that I am bemused about the Buzzards. If I wire a carcass to the log, invariably it will have been picked clean when I arrive the next day, all that is usually left will be a head, backbone and rib cage and the skin, empty of meat, obviously eaten by the buzzards. I can always see lots of white guano as well which proves that it's the Buzzards and not foxes who will almost invariably take any rabbit that is not securely fixed. So I make sure that I remove the carcass before I leave in the late afternoon and then when I come back the next day I replace it. When I got there this morning at just after 10, not one, but two Buzzards were there as if they were waiting. I quickly put out a lovely fresh rabbit and began the wait. I honestly would have put money on an early return but no...... I was still waiting more than 5 hours later and it never came to feed today. I dispose of any smelly carcass by burying it just under the surface nearby and then during the night the fox invariably comes and removes it. This is natures way of keeping things clean and fresh.
It was August 15th when I last had a Jay in front of the hide but today one suddenly landed right in front of the one way glass. It obviously had no idea that I was there but I could tell that it could sense danger and didn't stay long too long.
The Jay is also a member of the "Crow" family and is the most colourful corvid but probably more predatory than the others, particularly rooks and Jackdaws who are relatively benign by comparison. Jays are more secretive, they have a massive love of acorns which perhaps explains why they have been reluctant to come to the free peanuts like they did back in August.
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