runs as required Posted October 8, 2017 Share Posted October 8, 2017 Anyone else distracted by huge flying circuses of hundreds of raucous rooks each night at this time? They've been swirling to and fro cawing noisily across the tree tops around our and neighbouring gardens for several weeks now as the nights have drawn in. I was also watching them walking across to bell ringing last week - and asked about them when I arrived (puffed as usual) up the tower. One retired teacher remembered that a collection of rooks used to be known as a....? Aha! See if you can remember before I post the answer below dh. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium PhilJ W Posted October 8, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 8, 2017 Pepper. Ground stuff cheap stuff and all over the place. Reinforce fave dump stations with really prickly off cuts from (say) bramble or rose. Phil Phil Berberris is even better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
runs as required Posted October 8, 2017 Share Posted October 8, 2017 The Answer to what we call a collection of Rooks... ...according to our retired teacher (of Classics) bellringer Is... ..."a Parliament of Rooks" Which is a term I seem to recall hearing a long time ago. I suppose it relates to a noisy unruly crowd dressed mostly in black who refuse to be called to 'Order!' An old County Durham belief I learned of recently is that these great autumnal flocks of rooks may be dead miners who lost their lives in pit disasters. dh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liam Posted October 8, 2017 Share Posted October 8, 2017 The Answer to what we call a collection of Rooks... ...according to our retired teacher (of Classics) bellringer Is... ..."a Parliament of Rooks" Which is a term I seem to recall hearing a long time ago. I suppose it relates to a noisy unruly crowd dressed mostly in black who refuse to be called to 'Order!' An old County Durham belief I learned of recently is that these great autumnal flocks of rooks may be dead miners who lost their lives in pit disasters. dh Owls too; a parliament of owls. That's probably because like owls there's a lot of squabbling over who gets what, when, where and why! @Tim Dubya - I don't know if they still do them, but the RSPB used to sell these cat deterrents. You simply fit batteries, push it into the ground and when it senses movement a high pitched noise is made that cats detest but is inaudible to birds and humans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium melmerby Posted October 8, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 8, 2017 Berberris is even better. Pyracantha. Mischevious moggies wouldn't like the three inch thorn up their jacksie. Mee-OW! Keith 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium dhjgreen Posted October 9, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 9, 2017 Owls too; a parliament of owls. That's probably because like owls there's a lot of squabbling over who gets what, when, where and why! @Tim Dubya - I don't know if they still do them, but the RSPB used to sell these cat deterrents. You simply fit batteries, push it into the ground and when it senses movement a high pitched noise is made that cats detest but is inaudible to birds and humans. Herehttp://shopping.rspb.org.uk/catwatch-cat-deterrent.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Tim Dubya Posted October 9, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 9, 2017 (edited) I just want to scare them not laser them Can Hedgehogs hear the sound too do you wonder? Thanks Edited October 9, 2017 by Tim Dubya Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium dhjgreen Posted October 9, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 9, 2017 I just want to scare them not laser them Can Hedgehogs hear the sound too do you wonder? Thanks No, we have one and still get hedgehogs, also foxes and unfortunately squirrels. Does not work on deaf cats (we have one visiting). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkeysarefun Posted October 9, 2017 Share Posted October 9, 2017 (edited) The people each side of me, the people behind and the people across the road all have cats. And they (the cats) all use my yard as some kind of common meeting place, which is very annoying, especially since I have bird aviaries. If you zoom into the picture I posted before, you can see an orange wire around the base of the aviary, thats an electric fence, There is another around the top of the aviary. It is amazing how quickly cats learn when something is not good for them, it only takes one zap and they don't go near it again. Before I got the fence cats would spook the birds at night time by jumping on the top of the cages and causing them to fly around in panic, I would lose a bird or two each night, from fright or injury. I now only have to turn the fence on when a new cat turns up and pesters the birds. I have a security camera set up on the aviary and cats will set it off several times each night but the footage shows them walking down the path without even daring to look at the aviary . It would be much better if they didn't come into the yard at all, or even better if the owners kept them in at night, especially given that a report was released last week saying that cats kill a million birds a day here. Which in Australia at least probably answers the question contained in this threads title! Edited October 9, 2017 by monkeysarefun Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Tim Dubya Posted October 9, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 9, 2017 or even better if the owners kept them in at night, especially given that a report was released last week saying that cats kill a million birds a day here. Which in Australia at least probably answers the question contained in this threads title! Absolutely, we've always kept our cats in a night, not just to save all wildlife from decimation but to keep them safe and ensure that we never got a decent nights sleep by either having them take up foot space on the bed or overheat our heads. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkeysarefun Posted October 9, 2017 Share Posted October 9, 2017 Absolutely, we've always kept our cats in a night, not just to save all wildlife from decimation but to keep them safe and ensure that we never got a decent nights sleep by either having them take up foot space on the bed or overheat our heads. I know what you mean, I'm not a cat hater but they do do a lot of damage to the wildlife here . I got given a cat about 20 years ago and I have to say that she was great, slept in at night and had a fenced yard out the back that she hung out in during the day. The only issue was that she would come alive at around 2AM and sit on my bedside table pushing the alarm clock, my phone, my wallet and so on onto my head to wake me up for some reason known only to her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Tim Dubya Posted October 9, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 9, 2017 Yep they're fantastic creatures and I do miss the Pegster (particularly running over my head towards the window in the early hours, even though many other routes were available). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium melmerby Posted October 9, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 9, 2017 I have a wildlife cam in the garden which only triggers during the night. I get a procession of local moggies going past the camera (usually after midnight) and just an occasional fox. Keith 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkeysarefun Posted October 9, 2017 Share Posted October 9, 2017 (edited) I have a wildlife cam in the garden which only triggers during the night. I get a procession of local moggies going past the camera (usually after midnight) and just an occasional fox. Keith I've stopped going outside since I caught this glimpse of what is out there. Edited October 9, 2017 by monkeysarefun Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium melmerby Posted October 9, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 9, 2017 (edited) I've stopped going outside since I caught this glimpse of what is out there. Must be bad. You Tube have censored it! Keith Edited October 9, 2017 by melmerby Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkeysarefun Posted October 9, 2017 Share Posted October 9, 2017 (edited) Forgot to make it public! Edited October 9, 2017 by monkeysarefun 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Blue Streak Posted October 10, 2017 Share Posted October 10, 2017 (edited) We have two cats and since the day they arrived, they have never been allowed outside. It's not only for their own safety (from snakes and Racehorse Goanna's) but as a conscious effort to try and preserve the smaller local wildlife. Unfortunately it appears that Many of our neighbors don't care as much and their cats don't just cause damage to the wildlife but also take every opportunity to create havoc with my caged birds . Our local council has now taken steps that ensure that all pet cats must now be sterilised, micro chipped and registered (the same as dogs) which has started to keep them under control a bit more. Also any that are reported as a nuisance or found to be wandering around at night causing havoc can result in their owners facing fines. As for our own cats that have never ventured outside, I don't think they really care. I left a door open once and one wandered out and virtually suffered a panic attack and couldn't get back in fast enough. As for waking us up with their shenanigans, they never bother Me. However they do sit on My wife in the wee hours and smack her in the face in order to be fed 4am breakfast (took a fair bit of covert training on My part I must admit) Edited October 10, 2017 by The Blue Streak 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve1 Posted October 10, 2017 Share Posted October 10, 2017 Was overflown by a heron on my way to work today. They've quite big aren't they... steve 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Blue Streak Posted October 11, 2017 Share Posted October 11, 2017 Was overflown by a heron on my way to work today. They've quite big aren't they... steve Coincidentally this fine looking fellow (Heron / Crane / Something ???) was down the back of My block this Morning. He / She seemed completely oblivious to My presence and just continued about His / Her business As I type this I can also hear outside a batch of newly fledged Zebra finches squawking at their parents for food in the tree outside, they really do make a racket. What a fabulous few weeks it has been for birds. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve1 Posted October 15, 2017 Share Posted October 15, 2017 Have put a seed feeder out today, despite the weather being unseasonably warm. Hope it's not too early... steve 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Tim Dubya Posted October 16, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 16, 2017 (edited) Never too early, you just have to keep filling it up that's all . Edited October 16, 2017 by Tim Dubya 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Budgie Posted October 16, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 16, 2017 The remains of a pigeon are currently on the throat of the fiddle-yard on my garden layout. I suspect a sparrowhawk. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Blue Streak Posted October 17, 2017 Share Posted October 17, 2017 The remains of a pigeon are currently on the throat of the fiddle-yard on my garden layout. I suspect a sparrowhawk. Well if it's the latest Hornby Version of 60018 I,m surprised the pigeon didn't hear it coming. Because they were DCC Sound. I'll get Me hat and coat then..................... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Mallard60022 Posted October 17, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 17, 2017 Well if it's the latest Hornby Version of 60018 I,m surprised the pigeon didn't hear it coming. Because they were DCC Sound. I'll get Me hat and coat then..................... Does it actually sound like an A4? A. R. Aptor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Tim Dubya Posted October 18, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 18, 2017 Hovering robin on one of the sunflower heart feeders today, it must be a different one to the other day when I saw a robin perched on the feeder munching away as do the other birds. Couple of wrens too, one particularly tiny and another a wren sized wren. The trees are full of the sounds of goldies but they've yet to let me spot them this morning. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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