rooks.org.uk

The Otago Regional Council in the South Island of New Zealand, placed an advertisement in the Otago Daily Times last week asking the public to report Rook sightings. No one has seen a rook in Otago,  but there is a rookery [they claim] in the Strath Taieri which is mostly hilly marginal land. There is speculation they moved or were displaced here from other provinces due to control pressures.

Biosecurity is on their case in Southland, New Zealand as well …

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Hi, just found your site - good to know there are other rook lovers out there! I don’t know a great deal about rooks - I just really enjoy watching them - they often visit my garden and have even pinched the odd fat ball from the bird table! and they always look so clumsy the way the waddle! I saw one trip over a toasted bagel I threw out - he got his foot stuck in the hole and flew off in disgrace!!!

What I would really like to know is - are there any established rookeries in the Cumbria area - I found quite a lot of rooks with their young in Ullswater yesterday - I was so excited to see my first juvenile rooks - begging loudly and being fed by the adults - but would love to see a massive gathering. I was amazed how alike to a crow the juveniles were - at what age do they develop the large grey beak? also are there any books anyone would recommend about crows - their behaviour and life cycle - as long as it isn’t too scientific!!

Thanks

 Gill

hello, it was very nice to find this site, I’ve found the previous posts interesting and I hope someone here might be able to help me. I am hoping to obtain a field recording of a rookery, ideally a long recording (approx 20 minutes or more) of a rookery with lots of birds. So…questions. Does anyone have any recordings they would be willing to share? Does anyone know of any in the public domain anywhere or existing on record/tape/cd? The other solution to this is that I have the means to record outdoors myself, so alternatively does anyone know of any large rookeries in Southern Scotland/Northern England? Following on from that, is there any insights into rook behaviour that might help me. The smallish rookery nearby to me was looking/sounding empty when I went to visit it earlier this year but going past today (early March) there was a good few birds in the trees, so is there an ideal time of year and time of day that I would find the most birds present? Finally (phew..!) is there anything I should consider in trying to get fairly near to the nests to record, e.g. how near I can get without disturbing the birds.

Any ideas on the above would be very gratefully recieved, thank you.

sam

A company called Tiger Aspect Productions is making a series for ITV about the seasons and everything that is affected by them.

The series will give a big picture of what seasons really are, what impact they have on our lives and the land which we inhabit. This major, blue chip series gets shows us the power of the seasons and their wide ranging effects on Britain and its people.

From cities to the countryside, a combination of stunning photography and real life stories will reveal how our world rotates through its yearly cycle and why we are inextricably linked to the changes we call The Seasons.

This landmark series will be presented by Alan Titchmarsh and due to air next September. It is a truly national project and will feature a wide range of locations, people and wildlife.

They are very interested in filming Alan near some rooks.

Do you know of a good place to film them near Alton in Hampshire? If so, please contact sarahbarber@tigeraspect.co.uk.

On my way to work from Cambridge to Soham I pass several groups of rooks on the road from Lode to Burwell and around Wicken Fen.  There are another group on the site of the school where I work.  As I understand it, these sites are rookeries, which are distinct from roosts. Is that right? If so, does anyone know of a roost in the east cambs area where I could go and watch the rooks gather in the evening?