Rooks and Red Kites

I put some bread out on the bird table and a Rook appeared straight away. They can't resist bread! I think this one was a juvenile, as it didn't have the bare white skin around its beak that the adults have. It also seemed quite confused about how to squeeze under the roof of the bird table. To be fair, there isn't much room for such a big bird to get in there, but they usually seem to manage. This one got there eventually and ate some bread.



A young rook - the bare white skin around its beak is just starting to show

#100DaysOfNature Day 71
Looking a big confused about how to reach the bread

He got there in the end!

The pair of red kites are still hanging around in the trees in our garden and our neighbours gardens. Here's one of them having a wash and brush up a few gardens away.

We haven't seen many big groups of red kites around for a while now, as they're busy hunting worms while the fields are being ploughed. I'm sure they'll be back soon though when they get hungry and start looking for food left out on lawns. However, about 10 flew over the house this morning, circling and squabbling about something. They flew around for a couple of minutes, then moved on so I'm not sure what they were up to or where they were going.

I tried to look up the collective noun for red kites, but didn't have much luck. One suggestion was a wake of red kites (a wake is the collective noun for buzzards), but that seems a bit morbid. What about a circle of red kites or a flame of red kites. Must be able to come up with something better than a wake! I'll ask Bug Mad Girl when she gets home from school - I', sure she'll have some good suggestions.

A circle of red kites or maybe a flame of red kites