The local rookeries are now full of noise and endeavour as rooks go about restoring old nests and building new ones. Once the main structure of the nest is built of sticks and twigs, (many of which are simply stolen from a neighbours nest when they are not paying attention!) then the all important internal lining is next on the agenda.
This is where my lawn seems to offer all the perfect ingredients for a soft, warm interior lining for a rooks nest! Regular visitations are being made to gather grass, leaves and moss, ripped up with ease from my scruffy lawn using their long powerful beaks.
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| A beak full of lining material for a nest high up in the trees |
Egg laying is probably already underway from those who have completed their nests, laying 3 or 4 greenish blue eggs, which are also marked with various brown spots and blotches across the shell. Incubation takes around 16 days before the young hatch.
The nestlings will stay in the swaying nest for another 33 days or so before fledging. There is a short time between completely leaving the nest and exploring the wider countryside, when the youngsters come out of the nest and explore the upper branches surrounding the nest, flapping wings to strengthen them ready for flight. These birds are known as "branchers" and was historically the time when local countrymen bagged a few for their annual treat - a rook pie.
Rooks can pair for many years together and go back and claim the same nest within the rookery. Ringing recoveries have told us that the oldest known rook lived for 22 years and 11 months. Just think how many youngsters that particular rook helped to bring up!
PS: If you want to read a little more about Rooks - then you might like to go to the "species of the month" link on the top right of this page and check out November 2009.
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