| Archive for Downsizer For an ethical approach to consumption |
| bodger |
Choughs. How lucky are we ?We live a few minutes walk from the sea. The sea has been pretty rough here for the last day or two and I'm well chuffed to say that whilst I was moving the horses this morning there were four choughs around our place. I've seen them right on the coast before, but this is a first for us here.
http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/c/chough/index.asp |
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| LynneA |
Brilliant 
I've yet to see Choughs. On assorted holidays in Devon & Cornwall I've been on the lookout for them on clifftop walks, but no luck. Think there will be any round Cardigan Bay? |
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| bodger |
I can guarentee that you'd see them here on the Lleyn Lynne.
A few years ago,we were rabbiting on the cliffs and a couple of them came along to inspect the rabbits that we'd caught.
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| Tavascarow |
Saw one about 7 years ago near Landsend.
I was particularly chuffed as it's our national bird. JPG.
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| Aeolienne |
Wouldn't it be cool if some choughs flew over the Minack Theatre during a production of Macbeth!
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| toggle |
I think i saw one on sunday, big, loud and completely unafraid? | ||||||
| Tavascarow |
I know they are nesting from the Lizard down to Landsend & up past St Ives. The one I saw (I was told later) was the male from the first pair released about ten years ago. His mate unfortunately didn't survive to breed so he was a lonely batchelor but there has been good broods raised since from other released pairs. Did it look like a Jackdaw but with a long red bill? Picture |
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| dpack |
it could appen there have been some near there for 20 years ,the pendeen coast is a good place to look as well nice birds but count the chicks mr bodger |
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| Cathryn |
Choughs are very selective feeders of beetles and grubs and don't take chicks. They also nest in stupid precarious places and have to have humans around to fasten nests up securely so I'm not entirely sure they are worthy of saving.  I recognise them by their call and the red beaks and legs and they are starting to sound like home.
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| dpack |
i will trust you on their diet | ||||||
| toggle |
what got to me was the sheer size of the thing. I'm used to various black birds nesting in the norway pines down here, but but this thing was noticably big. my first thought was 'i hope i'm not on the menu' i'm further west though, nearer truro. maybee it was somehting else or they are spreading east. |
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| bodger |
Toggle, choughs aren't big birds, not much bigger than a jackdaw really. We get the full range of black stuff flying over our house, ranging from the humungus cronking raven down to masses and masses of jackdaws.
Since posting about the choughs flying over our place, I've gone from never seeing them to having clocked them four or five times in a short space of time. One came over yesterday while my mate and I were outside putting a few touches to my Soweto luxury chicken house.
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| Tavascarow |
Sounds more like a raven, few of them around down here as well now. About the size of a buzzard but black?
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| Cathryn |
I haev decided that they are a lot easier to identify from the noise they make. Crows definitely caw. Choughs say chough and it's very distinctive. Ravens make a soft sound as they talk to each other. I usually recognise rooks because of what they look like though. I still get them wrong though. | ||||||
| bodger |
Their call is very distinctive, with my eyes I have to get up quite close to see their thin red/orange beak, which as Cathryn has said, is wholey unsuitable for chick grabbing. | ||||||
| Tavascarow |
& Ideal for ferreting through cow pats which is one of the reasons why the National trust & English nature are grazing the cliff tops again with cattle. I was up on the North Coast yesterday & saw 4 ravens right behind the shops at Porthtowan beach. No choughs though.
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