There’s
something very British about the sound of a rookery; in a way it defines the
countryside in early spring. When
the weather allows me to sleep with the window open, waking to their raucous
calls is a delight. Before the
leaves obscure the nests, sitting underneath the one in our village has become
a ritual. Winter gales have
destroyed most nests and looking up through the bare branches, I count only
nine so far this year; it will be some time before I can be confident of the
final total. These early nests are
beginnings, just a few twigs, but there’s lots of activity; birds arrive
noisily with sticks often looking far too big, but somehow arrange them into
place; there’s stealing from neighbours too. Other pairs sit around preening, but always communicating;
it’s the sound that creates the wildness.
I don’t have the same affinity with carrion crows; rooks are somehow
different. Is it their gregarious
nature, perhaps the mysteries of rook parliaments, or just the way they’re
woven into our folklore? Whatever
the reason, sitting under the nests this morning moves me again; they’re a
great addition to the life of the village and somehow make it complete.
Although large
long established rookeries seem stable, many smaller ones are not, and move around. Satellites form, last a few years and
disappear. Ours arrived in the village about a decade ago and has stuck at
about twenty nests each year.
Although confident that they’ll return each year, I’m always a little
nervous until I see them back.
The warming
sun has cleared a light overnight frost, softened the earth, and made life
easier for the few remaining redwings still waiting for the severe weather in
continental Europe to moderate.
They’ll be off soon, leaving the village and the rooks to welcome the
spring arrivals from the south.
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