Jackdaw, Corvus monedula

Jackdaws have these lovely and iconic eyes, I always think. Many Corvids, (Rooks, Raven, Magpies and Hooded Crows, and the Jay have black eyes, which, apart for the Jay, have what look like black eyes, but which can have a lovely blue shine over them.



Rook, Corvus Frugilega



A few pairs of Jackdaws nest in this, and other, chimneys of the --very pink--school next door. For a moment I thought we had a pair too, when I heard some noises up inside the chimney. But that was false alarm.



Most of the birds are busy elsewhere at the moment, courting, building nests, laying eggs, incubating and eventually raising those noisy chicks. It is a kind of calm before the storm; in summer the planter will be packed with mainly little House Sparrows, juvenile Jackdaws and others will try and try and find a bit to eat here too.

Male House Sparrow, Passer domesticus
So many girls to chose from...
Female house Sparrows, Passer domesticus





Robin, Erithacus rubecula


Collared Dove,Streptopelia decaocto


Male Chaffinch, Fringilla coelebs


The Great Tits and Blue Tits are nesting nearby; the Blues inside a gap in a wall in front of our house. The county council built this wall along the path to our house. If it wasn't there we would fall down the "cliff face" of lime stone. We live on a hill and the garden in front of us, is a few levels below us, halfway the hill. It is a good wall for the birds; at the back is a garden below.
Great Tit, Parus major

Blue Tit, Parus caeruleus


A while back I posted pictures of a Blue Tit with an eye' problem. According to Niall Hatch at Birdwatch Ireland, it looks very much like an eye infection which is common in House Finches in North America.
If so, she'd get blind and as we all know, a blind bird is a dead bird. I am hugely surprised to still see her, and I haven't yet seen any signs of weakening in her. Mind you, it is hard to tell without the aid of photos, which bird is which. If she is the one nesting, then I fear the most for her chicks. I'd never expected her to be alive still. I need to find out more about the infection. Any links, info or whatever is helpful. Below this post is a comment box. Please leave the message there.

Calm before the storm

Jackdaw, Corvus monedula

Jackdaws have these lovely and iconic eyes, I always think. Many Corvids, (Rooks, Raven, Magpies and Hooded Crows, and the Jay have black eyes, which, apart for the Jay, have what look like black eyes, but which can have a lovely blue shine over them.



Rook, Corvus Frugilega



A few pairs of Jackdaws nest in this, and other, chimneys of the --very pink--school next door. For a moment I thought we had a pair too, when I heard some noises up inside the chimney. But that was false alarm.



Most of the birds are busy elsewhere at the moment, courting, building nests, laying eggs, incubating and eventually raising those noisy chicks. It is a kind of calm before the storm; in summer the planter will be packed with mainly little House Sparrows, juvenile Jackdaws and others will try and try and find a bit to eat here too.

Male House Sparrow, Passer domesticus
So many girls to chose from...
Female house Sparrows, Passer domesticus





Robin, Erithacus rubecula


Collared Dove,Streptopelia decaocto


Male Chaffinch, Fringilla coelebs


The Great Tits and Blue Tits are nesting nearby; the Blues inside a gap in a wall in front of our house. The county council built this wall along the path to our house. If it wasn't there we would fall down the "cliff face" of lime stone. We live on a hill and the garden in front of us, is a few levels below us, halfway the hill. It is a good wall for the birds; at the back is a garden below.
Great Tit, Parus major

Blue Tit, Parus caeruleus


A while back I posted pictures of a Blue Tit with an eye' problem. According to Niall Hatch at Birdwatch Ireland, it looks very much like an eye infection which is common in House Finches in North America.
If so, she'd get blind and as we all know, a blind bird is a dead bird. I am hugely surprised to still see her, and I haven't yet seen any signs of weakening in her. Mind you, it is hard to tell without the aid of photos, which bird is which. If she is the one nesting, then I fear the most for her chicks. I'd never expected her to be alive still. I need to find out more about the infection. Any links, info or whatever is helpful. Below this post is a comment box. Please leave the message there.

Summer Birds

Barn Swallow, Hirundo rustica


These Swallows not only arrived recently, but I heard a (unknown) number of chicks scream "ME, ME" and "ME, ME!" upon the arrival of the parent to their nest nearby. around the corner from us.
Tese Swallows fly over and through (sometimes very low, later in summer, our garden to the fields behind our garden and at the school next to us.





The Starling too, have been very much evident lately. And although they converge in the Hawthorn behind us, they hardly enter the garden to feed. Are they perhaps 'afraid' of competition with the Rooks, Jackdaws and Hooded Crows, and prefer a more quieter garden with birds of their own size? It is the only reason I can come up with.

Starling, Stumus vulgaris



Sorry if I not post that much here. Summer is spend more on Wildlife on Wheels, where the Wild Flower and Moth/Insect season has started recently.

Cosy Jackdaws

Jackdaws, Corvus monedula

Jackdaws have been nesting in the chimneys of the school, next to us, for many years. A high squeak, the other day, startled me, as I was certain it had come from our own chimney. Our chimney used to be out of bounds for the birds, as the Cork county council installed OFCH in our house in the summer of 2008. I had already heard stuff falling down from the chimney in the last week or so, but with many of the Rooks, Jackdaws and the Hooded Crows using the roof & chimney for the opening of snails, it is impossible to say what it was. However it did sound like coming from inside the egg. For the moment we think that there is no nest inside, but we'll see. Mind you, my planter/birdtable will still be host to a number of Jackdaw fledglings, with or without a chimney nest here or not.

Hooded Crows, Corvus cornix




1st winter Rook, Corvus frugilegus



House Sparrow, Passer domesticus
Male
Female
Female