Just done a rookery survey in Maesmynis. Talked to two farmers up there. NICE people. USED to be a big rookery, but no rooks now. Pesticides. But we don't use them! Do you use chemicals to kill insects on your livestock? Yes... Which comes out and is spread on the land as manure. Oh.
You would think farmers might be natural ecologists, but this is far from the case unfortunately. As well as 'pour-ons' they are also likely to use organophosphates, which were developed as chemical warfare agents, on their sheep.
I guess you know that rooks roost somewhere other than the rookery most of the year, outside the nesting season, but they come back to the rookery even in winter for a bit of a get-together before sneaking off to the roost just as night is falling.
Just done a rookery survey in Maesmynis. Talked to two farmers up there. NICE people. USED to be a big rookery, but no rooks now. Pesticides. But we don't use them! Do you use chemicals to kill insects on your livestock? Yes... Which comes out and is spread on the land as manure. Oh.
You would think farmers might be natural ecologists, but this is far from the case unfortunately. As well as 'pour-ons' they are also likely to use organophosphates, which were developed as chemical warfare agents, on their sheep.
I guess you know that rooks roost somewhere other than the rookery most of the year, outside the nesting season, but they come back to the rookery even in winter for a bit of a get-together before sneaking off to the roost just as night is falling.
No nests! Not in the BTO square that Andy King gave me. There USED to be... not even a ruined nest now.