Swarms of rooks
May 27th, 2007 by Birdy Trish
Survival of the species. Am I seeing it in action? Why after years of ignoring my two old bird tables are the crows and rooks coming to them in ever increasing numbers. First thing in a morning I am getting a swarm of rooks circling above my head just waiting for the bird food to appear. Not a pretty sight.
The rooks are getting ready to swoop and eat nearly all the bird food which means the garden birds don’t get any of the food.
Now there are sparrows, blackbirds, thrushes and other birds sitting on the fence waiting for me to feed them. A chaffinch is happily chirruping. I sometimes have to feed them at 5am if I am going out early. These garden birds know. They appear as I appear. Am I becoming their supermarket.
I’m pleased they are waiting because it means the crows aren’t getting all of the food.
I always have to turn out to feed these garden birds. I never seem to have a morning where I stay in and don’t feed them.
Now the rooks are maurauding and landing on the bird tables first and frightening the garden birds away. A garden full of rooks eating all the bird food isn’t what I put bird food out for.
All garden birds are at the mercy of the elements. No retirement to look forward to in their old age. No warm welcome, warmth and a bowl of food every day like cats have. Garden birds are truly wild at heart. They never seem depressed. They sing in the most dismal weather. They stand strong against the wind. They hop, chirp and sing on a daily basis. They make me laugh. They need help to survive - that’s why I put the bird food out - for the garden birds.
I’ll have to find a way to keep the rooks away.
Break not a branch nor harm a tree
for this little copse belongs to me.
I cannot remember where I first read those lines, but that is how I think the birds feel about these hedges and trees..
