When it’s a Rook!

By Bernie Bell

We feed the birds in our garden, and it looks like our new neighbour has also started to put out food for the birds.

A couple of days ago, I watched what I thought were four Ravens, yes, four Ravens, poking about under the bird table.  We regularly see one, sometimes two – this was the first time I’ve seen four, all together, and I was sure they were Ravens. We have a pair of Hoodies (crows) who visit regularly, and a flock of about 20 Rooks sometimes descend, who are based in the woods at Woodwick. So, I thought I knew the difference  – that Ravens are very big, very black and have a big, chunky greyish coloured beak, and they make that unmistakable ‘caaaak’ sound.

Four Ravens, which could/should mean….more Ravens!  As there aren’t all that many of them around these days, that would all be very much to the good. https://www.change.org/p/natural-england-stop-the-legalised-killing-of-ravens-and-other-wild-birds-in-england/u/24317817?cs_tk=Ak1iwUwRvLeBMn1CllwAAXicyyvNyQEABF8BvMRo9y3z3fcAGcA7FiJGhZU%3D&utm_campaign=146cea8ecf4f4c4e8acc01554244903d&utm_medium=email&utm_source=petition_update&utm_term=cs

I got very excited, told people, Fiona-Who-Used-To-Be-Next-Door, said she felt a tune coming on – ‘Ravens in Rendall’. https://www.fionadriver.com/

But……….it turns out that they were Rooks, not Ravens! They came back and I took some pictures, and looked them up in a bird identification book – they’re Rooks.  I thought that the only ones with a big, grey beak, were Ravens, and that Rooks had a more pointy, darker coloured beak, but…..I was wrong!  We do, regularly, see one Raven, and sometimes two (so the tune would still be valid, Fiona!) – what got me excited, was the idea of four Ravens in the garden. Still – Rooks in the garden isn’t bad either.

Pics show….Rook –  shouting “I am a Rook, not a Raven – don’t give me an identity crisis.”  And – harmonious birds – Rook, Pigeon and Aubers the Pheasant.